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Combat Tables🔗

These tables list the attack probabilities for all monsters and characters and the saving throw values used by monsters and normal humans.

Normal Humans🔗

All humans, not a member of an adventuring class, are classified as normal humans. They are treated as having less than 1 Hit Die and have their own saving throw and attack probabilities (the table rows labelled NH).

Example of Making an Attack Roll🔗

A 5th-level fighter attacks a monster with AC 4. The attack is resolved as follows:

  1. The player rolls 1d20. The roll comes up 14.
  2. The fighter has a STR score 13, meaning they gain a +1 bonus to melee attack rolls. The result of the attack roll is thus 15.
  3. A 5th-level fighter has a THAC0 score of 17 [+2] (listed in the class description, so the player refers to that row of the attack matrix.
  4. The player looks up the result (15) in the THAC0 17 [+2] attack matrix row. 15 is in the AC 2 column, indicating that the attack hits AC 2.
  5. As AC 2 is better than the monster’s Armor Class (4), the attack hits!
  6. Damage is rolled, and the result is subtracted from the monster’s current hit point total.

Attack Rolls Using THAC0 (Optional Rule)🔗

Instead of referring to the attack matrix, attacks may be resolved using THAC0 directly. A THAC0 score denotes the attack roll required to hit AC 0. The necessary attack roll to hit opponents of other AC scores can be calculated by subtracting the target AC from the THAC0. For example, a character with a THAC0 of 19 could hit an opponent with AC 5 on a roll of 14 or greater (19 - 5 = 14).

Note: Using THAC0 to resolve attack rolls results in slightly different attack probabilities than the traditional approach of referring to the attack matrix.

Attack Matrix🔗

Attack Roll to Hit AC
Monster HD THAC0 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
NH 20 [-1] 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
Up to 1 19 [0] 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10
1+ to 2 18 [+1] 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9
2+ to 3 17 [+2] 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8
3+ to 4 16 [+3] 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7
4+ to 5 15 [+4] 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6
5+ to 6 14 [+5] 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5
6+ to 7 13 [+6] 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4
7+ to 9 12 [+7] 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
9+ to 11 11 [+8] 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
11+ to 13 10 [+9] 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 2
13+ to 15 9 [+10] 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 2 2
15+ to 17 8 [+11] 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 2
17+ to 19 7 [+12] 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 2
19+ to 21 6 [+13] 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2
21+ or more 5 [+14] 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Monsters: Use the attack matrix row for their Hit Dice (see monster description).

Monsters with bonus hit points: Monsters whose Hit Dice are notated as a number of dice plus a fixed hit point bonus (e.g., HD 2+1 — see Hit point modifiers under ***Game Statistics (Monsters) are more powerful and attack as if they were 1 HD higher. For example, a monster with 2 HD uses the THAC0 18 [+1] row, but a monster with 2+1 HD uses the THAC0 17 [+2] row.

Characters: Use the attack matrix row for their THAC0 score (see class description.

Normal humans: Use the attack matrix row labeled NH.

Monster Saving Throws🔗

Hit Dice Death Wands Paralysis Breath Spells
NH 14 15 16 17 18
1–3 12 13 14 15 16
4–6 10 11 12 13 14
7–9 8 9 10 10 12
10–12 6 7 8 8 10
13–15 4 5 6 5 8
16–18 2 3 4 3 6
19–21 2 2 2 2 4
22 or more 2 2 2 2 2

Monsters: Use the saving throw table row noted in the monster description.

Characters: Do not use this table. See the saving throw table in the class description.

Normal humans: Use the saving throw table row labeled NH.