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I play AD&D 2ed and I need to know if monsters are supposed to have Thac0, could anyone help me? I would really appreciate it. I can not find the monster thac0 chart anywere. I only have the monster manual but my friend showed me how to start a dungeon but he forgot to tell me about thac0.

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Please don't make major revisions to a question that change its meaning. I've rolled it back. The question that you changed it to is a duplicate of How do you calculate THAC0?, so please go there to find out how to add THAC0 to 1st edition creatures. – SevenSidedDie Aug 20 '11 at 17:03

3 Answers

up vote 5 down vote

As far as I can remember the individual monster sheets in the Monstrous Manuals had THAC0s, since the monster needed that stat as well. (It was printed right after the monster's Hit Dice and before its No. of Attacks.)

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@OpaCitiZen My edition is from 1978 and I can't find the thac0 in there, but i just ordered the Monster manual II so maybe it's in there. – Aang Aug 14 '11 at 22:10
@Aang That's 1st edition. There's no such thing as THAC0 in 1st ed and the monsters' combat matrix is in the Dungeon Masters Guide. – SevenSidedDie Aug 15 '11 at 4:05
@SevensidedDie - 1stEd AD&D had thac0. Basic D&D did not. It was more like the currect with A Defense Class where higher was better and and attack modifier. AD&D introduced Armor Class and THAC0 as well as Race/Class combinatons (originally nonhumans had their own level charts spells and skills). The THAC0 was just not included in the Monster manual as why would you need it when you can just buy our handy DM Screen that has it right in front of you, or refer to one of the 350 charts inyour DMG. – Chad Aug 15 '11 at 14:10
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@Chad No, that's almost all wrong. 1st ed had combat tables and no THAC0, Basic had descending AC just like every edition from the first printing to AD&D 2e. THAC0 wasn't included in the 1st ed Monster books because it hadn't been invented yet and monsters had their own combat table on DMG p. 75 right beside the tables for PC classes. (You're right about Basic making nonhumans be their own classes.) – SevenSidedDie Aug 15 '11 at 17:51
My DMG (December 1979 edition) shows monster THAC0s on on pp. 196-215. – Dr Rotwang Aug 17 '11 at 23:29
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Yes, Second Edition monsters have THAC0. The Second Edition monster books were first the Monstrous Compendiums (looseleaf binders) and then later the Monstrous Manuals (hardbound).

AD&D Second Edition came out in 1989. You appear to be looking at First Edition AD&D monster books (Monster Manual, Monster Manual II, Fiend Folio). These do not have THAC0. It is reasonably easy to give these THAC0s, of course - you take what they need to hit armor class 0 off the 1e DMG table on p.75 and that's the base THAC0. 1-1=20, 1=19 1+=18,2-3+=16,4-5+=15,6-7+=13, etc. Modify by strength.

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up vote 4 down vote

AANG -

I've got you covered! Go to page 196 of your DMG (1st Edition, that is) and look at the third column of the monster descriptions -- it says "To Hit A. C. 0".

Have fun playing!

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