06-05-2003, 04:53 PM
#6. The ToHit% is, in a way, your ability to pierce the armor protection of a target. The Armor Class (or AC) is directly correlated to the ToHit%.
The game engine is tied to give you a 5%-95% chance that a weapon swing (or arrow hit) will actually count as a "hit" and inflict damage to a target. If your stat screen says you have a 75% ToHit and you attack a creature with an Armor Class stat of 0, then you have a basic 75% chance that your weapon shot will actually score as a hit.
But let's tack on some armor to that guy you're hitting. Say, a piece of armor with 25 Armor Class stat. Take the 25 AC of the target, and subtract it from your ToHit% (75). You're left with a 50% ToHit against that particular target, and the reult is that you have a 50-50 chance that your sword swings will inflict damage. Now, if that guy had 75 AC (or even more than that), the Armor Class will outstrip your ToHit% and reduce the chances you'll have at hitting the target with each shot down to a meager 5%.
But let's flip the coin: you're attacking a target with 100 AC. How can you improve yuor chances? Increase your ToHit% by increasing Dexterity, or using weapons (or jewels) that increase your ToHit%. Say that you pump your ToHit up to 250% (which is quite possible). Subtract the 100 AC of your enemy against the 250% ToHit, you still have a hefty 150% excess ToHit, correct? Not quite: remember, the range is 5%-95%. Your chances at hitting the target with each sword swing is capped at 95%. But still, that excess ToHit% guarantees a good chance of getting past the defenses of a target sporting some very high Armor numbers. You may see now just how a high ToHit% is used to counteract an enemy's high Armor Class rating.
Magical spells aren't in the equation. Armor Class has no effect on the chances of a magic spell hitting and hurting you (or the enemy), and the ToHit% of a magical spell is tied to how high the Magic statistic of a character is. That's one of the reasons why a Sorceror is so much better at using magical attacks than a typical Warrior is: a Sorc's high Magic means he has a higher ToHit% with lightning or fireball-type attacks.
And as to shoppers, let me illustrate an example: a Jade Bow of Swiftness is a rather nifty weapon for a level 35 (or higher) Rogue. Her natural Dexterity and high Character Level (clvl) means that she doesn't need much in the way of Damage or ToHit% boosting stats on her bow. A Jade Bow of Swiftness allows her to have two important things: an attack fast enough to stunlock most anything in the dungeons; and ample Resistance supplied by the bow, meaning she would not have to look for such stats in her armor or jewelry pieces (freeing her armor up for higher AC, and her jewels for more Mana). Yep, such a bow would be an excellent choice for a high-level Rogue...
...problem is, Griswold doesn't sell those bows to high-level Rogues! The stats on such a bow are available through the smith for a mid-level Rogue. A clvl 35+ Rogue can shop all she wants and get many nice bows from Gris, but she'll never, ever get a Jade/Swiftness one from him. Only a character currently at clvl 19-22 has any chance of getting such a bow from him. So, if you happen to a character at those levels, they can shop for your Rogue for that bow.
The game engine is tied to give you a 5%-95% chance that a weapon swing (or arrow hit) will actually count as a "hit" and inflict damage to a target. If your stat screen says you have a 75% ToHit and you attack a creature with an Armor Class stat of 0, then you have a basic 75% chance that your weapon shot will actually score as a hit.
But let's tack on some armor to that guy you're hitting. Say, a piece of armor with 25 Armor Class stat. Take the 25 AC of the target, and subtract it from your ToHit% (75). You're left with a 50% ToHit against that particular target, and the reult is that you have a 50-50 chance that your sword swings will inflict damage. Now, if that guy had 75 AC (or even more than that), the Armor Class will outstrip your ToHit% and reduce the chances you'll have at hitting the target with each shot down to a meager 5%.
But let's flip the coin: you're attacking a target with 100 AC. How can you improve yuor chances? Increase your ToHit% by increasing Dexterity, or using weapons (or jewels) that increase your ToHit%. Say that you pump your ToHit up to 250% (which is quite possible). Subtract the 100 AC of your enemy against the 250% ToHit, you still have a hefty 150% excess ToHit, correct? Not quite: remember, the range is 5%-95%. Your chances at hitting the target with each sword swing is capped at 95%. But still, that excess ToHit% guarantees a good chance of getting past the defenses of a target sporting some very high Armor numbers. You may see now just how a high ToHit% is used to counteract an enemy's high Armor Class rating.
Magical spells aren't in the equation. Armor Class has no effect on the chances of a magic spell hitting and hurting you (or the enemy), and the ToHit% of a magical spell is tied to how high the Magic statistic of a character is. That's one of the reasons why a Sorceror is so much better at using magical attacks than a typical Warrior is: a Sorc's high Magic means he has a higher ToHit% with lightning or fireball-type attacks.
And as to shoppers, let me illustrate an example: a Jade Bow of Swiftness is a rather nifty weapon for a level 35 (or higher) Rogue. Her natural Dexterity and high Character Level (clvl) means that she doesn't need much in the way of Damage or ToHit% boosting stats on her bow. A Jade Bow of Swiftness allows her to have two important things: an attack fast enough to stunlock most anything in the dungeons; and ample Resistance supplied by the bow, meaning she would not have to look for such stats in her armor or jewelry pieces (freeing her armor up for higher AC, and her jewels for more Mana). Yep, such a bow would be an excellent choice for a high-level Rogue...
...problem is, Griswold doesn't sell those bows to high-level Rogues! The stats on such a bow are available through the smith for a mid-level Rogue. A clvl 35+ Rogue can shop all she wants and get many nice bows from Gris, but she'll never, ever get a Jade/Swiftness one from him. Only a character currently at clvl 19-22 has any chance of getting such a bow from him. So, if you happen to a character at those levels, they can shop for your Rogue for that bow.
Political Correctness is the idea that you can foster tolerance in a diverse world through the intolerance of anything that strays from a clinical standard.