Condensed Combat
Streamlining the attack tables in AD&D games

by Travis Corcoran
 
- - - - -
Dragon #117 - 1st Edition AD&D - Dragon magazine

<update this article with the revised attack tables in Dragon #80, by Lenard Lakofka>

The combat system for the AD&D®
game gives realistic results dealing with a <note: AD&D was never intended to be realistic>
number of variables. There is only 1
flaw: the system is slow and bulky. To find
the result of an attack, one must refer to
a table in the Players Handbook comparing <revision: Unearthed Arcana>
armor-class type to weapon type, apply <revision: armor type>
this result to 1 of 5 tables in the DMG, <list here>
then modify the result for attack and
defense bonuses. In this article, two tables
are presented which are easier and
quicker to use, yet give the same result as
the old system.

To use them, one concession must be
made ? all armor classes are listed as
follows: AC type/AC bonuses. Using this
system, chain mail +2 is AC 5/+ 2 (AC 5
being the armor class of nonmagical chain
mail). A suit of leather +3 is thus AC 8/
+3. Finally, normal plate mail with a
shield +1 is AC 2/+ 1. All other defensive
bonuses are included to the right of the
slash, including those from dexterity,
magical devices, etc.

To find the to-hit roll needed, you compare
the attacking weapon to the defender
's armor-class type on Table I.
Noting this number, you go to Table II.
Here you find the attacker's class, then go
down to find his level or hit dice. To the
left of this is the base number to hit. You
then move down a number of spaces equal
to the result of Table I, then move up a
number of spaces equal to the armor-class
bonus of the victim. The final number
found is the needed to-hit number. This
may seem very confusing, but it works.
Some examples follow.

Example 1: A 1st-level fighter with a
battle axe attacks a cleric in chain mail +2
(AC 5/ + 2). Checking Table I, one finds the
result of matching battle axe with AC 5 to
be +4. On Table II, one finds that a 1stlevel
fighter has a base number of 20.
Moving four numbers down (for the result
from Table I) gives the number 16; moving
two spaces up (for the AC bonus of the
cleric?s chain mail) produces 18. This is the
fighter?s needed to-hit roll. Check this
figure against the usual system, remembering
to include the armor-class adjustments
in the Players Handbook, page 38.

Example 2: A 6th-level magic-user uses
a dagger to attack a thief wearing studded-leather
armor (AC 7/0). A dagger vs. AC 7
gives a + 7; a 6th-level magic-user has a
base number of 19. We move down seven
spaces to get 12, and, as no armor bonus
exists, the to-hit roll is 12.

Example 3: A 14th-level cleric with a
horseman?s mace attacks a magic-user in
street clothes who wears a ring of protection
+2 (AC 10/+2). A horseman?s mace
vs. clothes (AC 10) is + 10. The base number
for the 14th-level cleric is 12. Moving
10 spaces down, we get 2; the magical ring
makes this a 4, the final to-hit roll.

Example 4: A 23rd-level thief with a
short sword +4 attacks a robed merchant
with a 17 dexterity (AC 10/+ 3). A short
sword against clothes is + 12. The thief?s
base number is 10 (21 + level). Moving 12
down gives a -2; the merchant?s dexterity
changes this to a 1. The magical weapon
allows an attack bonus of +4, which is
subtracted from the result, leaving -3 as
the final to-hit result.

This process can be broken down into
the following steps:
    1. Find weapon vs. AC on Table I;
    2. Find base number on Table II;
    3. Move down a number of spaces equal
        to the result found on Table I;
    4. Move up a number of spaces equal to
        defense/armor bonuses: and,
    5. Account for any other attack modifiers
        for strength, magical bonuses, cover,
        and so forth.

This system, besides being quicker, is
easier to understand and modify. A class
can be handicapped in combat by rewriting
part of Table II. A weapon can be
modified or added by changing a part of
Table I. Use this system and modify it to
suit yourself.

Any new system or game seems complex
and slow until it has been used and understood
for a period of time. This combat
system is no exception. The going is slow
until you are used to it; then, it shows its
advantages.
 

Table I: Weapons vs. armor class <armor type>
Weapon 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Aklys -7 -5 -3 -1 1 3 5 6 8 9 11
Atlatl 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Axe, Battle -5 -3 -1 1 3 4 6 7 9 10 12
Axe, Hand -5 -3 -1 1 2 4 6 7 9 10 11
Bardiche -3 -1 0 2 4 5 7 8 10 11 13
Bec de Corbin 2 3 4 5 6 5 6 7 8 9 9
Bill-Guisarme 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Blowgun 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Bo Stick -13 -10 -7 -4 -1 2 5 7 9 9 13
Caltrop -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Club -7 -5 -3 -1 1 3 5 6 8 9 11
Dagger -4 -3 -1 0 2 3 6 7 9 10 13
Fauchard -3 -2 0 1 3 4 6 7 8 8 9
Fauchard-Fork -2 -1 1 2 3 5 6 7 9 9 11
Fist/Open Hand -9 -7 -5 -2 1 4 6 7 10 9 14
Flail, Footman's 3 4 4 5 - 7 7 8 9 10 9
Flail, Horseman's 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 10
Fork, Military -3 -2 0 1 3 5 6 8 9 9 11
Garrot 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Glaive -2 -1 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Glaive-Guisarme -2 -1 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Guisarme -3 -2 0 1 3 4 6 7 8 8 9
Guisarme-Voulge -2 -1 1 2 4 6 7 8 8 9 10
Halberd 0 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 9 10 10
Harpoon -3 -1 0 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10
Hammer, Lucern 0 2 3 4 6 7 8 8 9 9 10
Hammer 0 1 2 4 4 6 6 7 8 9 10
Hook Fauchard -3 -2 0 1 3 4 6 7 8 9 9
Jo Stick -10 -8 -6 -3 0 3 5 7 9 9 12
Knife -6 -4 -3 -1 1 3 5 7 9 10 13
Lance (light) -3 -2 0 1 3 5 6 7 8 9 10
Lance (medium) -1 1 2 4 5 6 7 7 8 9 10
Lance (heavy) 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 9 10
Lasso 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Mace, Footman's 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 10 9
Mace, Horseman's 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Man Catcher 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 7 7
Morning Star 0 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12
Partisan 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Pick, Footman's 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 7 8 8
Pike, Horseman's 2 3 3 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 9
Pike, Awl -1 0 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 8
Ranseur -3 -2 0 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 11
Sap -14 -12 -10 -7 -4 -1 <?> 3 5 7 10
Scimitar -4 -2 -1 1 2 4 6 7 9 10 13
Spear -2 -1 0 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 11
Spetum -2 -1 0 2 4 5 6 7 8 10 12
Spiked Buckler -7 -5 -3 -1 1 3 5 7 8 9 12
Staff, Quarter -9 -7 -5 -2 1 4 6 7 9 10 11
Staff Sling 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Sword, Basterd 0 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 10
Sword, Broad -5 -3 -1 1 3 5 6 8 9 10 12
Sword, Falchion -3 -1 0 2 4 6 7 8 9 9 10
Sword, Khopesh -7 -5 -3 -1 2 4 6 7 9 10 12
Sword, Long -4 -2 0 2 4 5 6 7 8 10 12
Sword, Short -5 -3 -1 1 3 5 6 7 9 9 12
Sword, Two-Handed 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 10 10
Trident -4 -2 -1 1 2 4 6 7 9 9 11
Voulge -2 -1 1 2 4 6 7 8 8 9 10

-
Missile weapons 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Aklys (hurled) -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 9 10
Atlatl (javelin) -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 7 9 10 12
Axe, Hand -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 5 7 8 9 11
Blowgun Needle -14 -11 -8 -5 -2 1 4 6 7 10 12
Bow, Composite, Long -4 -2 0 2 4 5 7 9 10 12 13
Bow, Composite, Short -4 -3 -1 0 3 5 7 9 10 11 13
Bow, Long -2 0 1 3 4 6 8 10 11 12 13
Bow, Short -7 -5 -3 -1 3 5 6 8 10 11 12
Club -9 -7 -5 -2 1 3 5 6 7 9 10
Crossbow, Hand -6 -3 0 2 4 5 6 8 10 11 13
Crossbow, Heavy -2 0 1 3 5 7 9 10 12 13 14
Crossbow, Light -3 -1 0 7 4 5 7 9 11 12 13
Dagger -7 -5 -3 -1 1 3 5 6 8 9 11
Dart -7 -5 -3 -1 1 3 5 7 9 9 11
Hammer -4 -2 0 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 11
Harpoon -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 7 8 9 11
Javelin -7 -5 -3 -1 1 3 5 7 9 9 11
Knife -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 9 11
Lasso 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
Sling (bullet) -3 -2 0 1 3 5 6 7 10 10 13
Sling (stone) -7 -5 -3 -1 2 4 6 7 10 10 13
Spear -4 -3 -1 0 2 3 5 7 8 9 10
Staff Sling (bullet) -5 -3 -1 1 3 5 6 7 8 9 10
Staff Sling (bullet) -6 -4 -7 0 2 4 6 7 8 9 10
-
__________________________________________________________
Table II: Base numbers for classes and monsters
                                                             Attacker's class and level/hit dice
Base number Cleric Fighter Magic-user Thief Monster
20 - 0 1-5 1-4 1-1 <?>
20 1-3 1-2 - - 1-1
19 - - 6-10 5-8 1
18 4-6 3-4 - - 1+
17 - - 11-15 - -
16 7-9 5-6 - 9-12 2-3+
15 - - 16-20 - 4-5+
14 10-12 7-8 - 13-16 -
13 - - 21+ - 6-7+
12 13-15 9-10 - 17-20 8-9+
11 - - - - -
10 16-18 11-12 - 21+ 10-11+
9 - - - - 12-13+
8 19+ 13-14 - - 14-15 +
7 - - - - 16+
6 - 15-16 - - -
5 - - - - -
4 - 17+ - - -
3 - - - - -
2 - - - - -
1 - - - - -