# Which issue of Dragon magazine had a chart for volleys of arrows?

I remember a chart in Dragon magazine for rolling to see how many archers using massed volley fire hit a single target, based on their attack bonus and the target's AC. The chart was in groups of 25 and 50–100, if I remember right.

I just cannot remember which issue of Dragon it was in. Does anyone remember the article and could locate it? I think the chart was illustrated with pictures of archers.

• Can you narrow it down a bit in terms of the year it was published, approximately? That can make it easier for people who might want to go skim their collection looking for it. – lisardggY Oct 26 '14 at 9:22
• It from what I can remember had about 3 or so charts about archers shooting arrows and the number of attacks that hit vs the AC it was before 3rd edition so some time in first or second edition time frame. I just remember the archers pictures in the article, thats about all I really remember – dwayne Oct 26 '14 at 9:43
• What year did you start playing D&D? Was it a new issue when you read it, or a well-worn one? If you can remember both of those, it could narrow it down a lot. – SevenSidedDie Oct 26 '14 at 17:28
• well-worn one I keep thinking it was at the end of 1st or early 2nd but not sure – dwayne Oct 26 '14 at 20:00

I think you're thinking of "One roll, to go" from Dragon #113.

From the article:

Included are three tables that will greatly expedite the die-rolling process. They emulate, respectively, 5 rolls, 10 rolls, and 20 rolls of a 20-sided die. The numbers across the top indicate the to-hit number (1 is left off since there is always a 100 percent chance of rolling a 1 or better).

Basically, it's a binomial system; if you search for that you'll find many other people (including me) have tried the same idea, and it's quite a nice method for up to medium-sized battles of a few dozen units per side.

Edit: I've calculated the tables you're looking for. Here's the one for 25:

        1       2       3       4       5       6       7       8       9       10      11      12      13      14      15      16      17      18      19      20
01 |    25      22      20      17      16      14      13      11      10      9       7       6       5       4       4       3       2       1       0       0
02 |    25      22      21      19      16      16      15      13      12      11      9       8       7       6       5       4       3       2       1       0
03 |    25      23      21      19      18      17      15      14      12      11      10      9       7       6       5       4       3       2       1       0
04 |    25      23      21      20      18      17      16      14      13      12      10      9       8       7       6       4       3       2       1       0
05 |    25      23      22      20      19      17      16      15      13      12      11      10      8       7       6       5       4       2       1       0
06 |    25      23      22      20      19      18      16      15      14      12      11      10      9       7       6       5       4       3       2       1
07 |    25      23      22      21      19      18      17      15      14      13      12      10      9       8       7       5       4       3       2       1
08 |    25      24      22      21      20      18      17      16      14      13      12      11      9       8       7       6       4       3       2       1
09 |    25      24      22      21      20      19      17      16      15      13      12      11      10      8       7       6       5       3       2       1
10 |    25      24      23      21      20      19      18      16      15      14      12      11      10      9       7       6       5       4       2       1
11 |    25      24      23      22      20      19      18      17      15      14      13      12      10      9       8       6       5       4       3       1
12 |    25      24      23      22      21      19      18      17      16      14      13      12      11      9       8       7       5       4       3       1
13 |    25      24      23      22      21      20      18      17      16      15      13      12      11      10      8       7       6       4       3       2
14 |    25      24      23      22      21      20      19      18      16      15      14      13      11      10      9       7       6       5       3       2
15 |    25      25      24      23      21      20      19      18      17      15      14      13      12      10      9       8       6       5       3       2
16 |    25      25      24      23      22      21      19      18      17      16      15      13      12      11      9       8       7       5       4       2
17 |    25      25      24      23      22      21      20      19      18      16      15      14      13      11      10      8       7       6       4       2
18 |    25      25      24      23      22      21      20      19      18      17      16      14      13      12      10      9       8       6       4       3
19 |    25      25      25      24      23      22      21      20      19      18      17      15      14      13      11      10      8       7       5       3
20 |    25      25      25      25      24      23      22      21      20      19      18      17      16      15      13      12      10      8       6       4

Here's 50:

        1       2       3       4       5       6       7       8       9       10      11      12      13      14      15      16      17      18      19      20
01 |    50      44      40      37      34      31      29      26      23      21      18      16      13      11      9       7       5       3       2       0
02 |    50      44      42      39      36      34      31      28      26      23      20      18      16      13      11      9       5       3       2       1
03 |    50      46      43      40      37      34      32      29      26      24      21      19      16      14      12      9       7       5       3       1
04 |    50      46      43      40      38      35      32      30      27      25      22      20      17      15      12      10      8       5       3       1
05 |    50      47      44      41      38      35      33      30      28      25      23      20      18      15      13      10      8       6       3       1
06 |    50      47      44      41      39      36      33      31      28      26      23      21      18      16      13      11      8       6       4       2
07 |    50      47      44      42      39      36      34      31      29      26      24      21      19      16      14      11      9       6       4       2
08 |    50      47      45      42      39      37      34      32      29      27      24      22      19      17      14      12      9       7       4       2
09 |    50      47      45      42      40      37      35      32      30      27      25      22      20      17      15      12      10      7       5       2
10 |    50      48      45      43      40      38      35      33      30      28      25      22      20      17      15      12      10      7       5       2
11 |    50      48      45      43      40      38      35      33      30      28      25      23      20      18      15      13      10      8       5       3
12 |    50      48      46      43      41      38      36      33      31      28      26      23      21      18      16      13      11      8       5       3
13 |    50      48      46      44      41      39      36      34      31      29      26      24      21      19      16      14      11      8       6       3
14 |    50      48      46      44      42      39      37      34      32      29      27      24      22      19      17      14      11      9       6       3
15 |    50      49      47      44      42      40      37      35      32      30      27      25      22      20      17      15      12      9       6       3
16 |    50      49      47      45      42      40      38      35      33      30      28      25      23      20      18      15      12      10      7       4
17 |    50      49      47      45      43      41      38      36      34      31      29      26      24      21      18      16      13      10      7       4
18 |    50      49      48      46      44      41      39      37      34      32      30      27      24      22      19      16      14      11      8       5
19 |    50      50      48      46      44      42      40      38      35      33      31      28      25      23      20      17      15      12      9       5
20 |    50      50      49      47      46      44      42      40      38      35      33      30      28      25      22      20      17      14      11      6


And here's 100:

        1       2       3       4       5       6       7       8       9       10      11      12      13      14      15      16      17      18      19      20
01 |    100     90      84      78      72      66      60      55      50      45      40      35      30      26      22      17      13      8       4       2
02 |    100     92      86      80      75      69      64      59      54      49      44      39      34      29      24      20      15      11      6       2
03 |    100     93      87      81      76      71      65      60      55      50      45      40      35      30      25      21      16      11      7       3
04 |    100     93      88      82      77      71      66      61      56      51      46      41      36      31      26      21      17      12      7       3
05 |    100     94      88      83      77      72      67      62      57      52      47      42      37      32      27      22      17      13      8       3
06 |    100     94      89      83      78      73      68      63      57      52      47      42      37      32      28      23      18      13      8       4
07 |    100     94      89      84      79      73      68      63      58      53      48      43      38      33      28      23      18      14      9       4
08 |    100     95      89      84      79      74      69      64      59      54      49      44      39      34      29      24      19      14      9       4
09 |    100     95      90      85      80      75      69      64      59      54      49      44      39      34      29      24      19      14      9       5
10 |    100     95      90      85      80      75      70      65      60      55      50      45      40      35      30      25      20      15      10      5
11 |    100     95      91      86      81      76      71      66      61      56      51      46      41      36      31      25      20      15      10      5
12 |    100     96      91      86      81      76      71      66      61      56      51      46      41      36      31      26      21      16      11      5
13 |    100     96      91      86      82      77      72      67      62      57      52      47      42      37      32      27      21      16      11      6
14 |    100     96      92      87      82      77      72      68      63      58      53      48      43      37      32      27      22      17      11      6
15 |    100     97      92      87      83      78      73      68      63      58      53      48      43      38      33      28      23      17      12      6
16 |    100     97      93      88      83      79      74      69      64      59      54      49      44      39      34      29      23      18      12      7
17 |    100     97      93      89      84      79      75      70      65      60      55      50      45      40      35      29      24      19      13      7
18 |    100     98      94      89      85      80      76      71      66      61      56      51      46      41      36      30      25      20      14      8
19 |    100     98      95      90      86      81      77      72      67      62      57      52      47      42      37      32      26      21      15      9
20 |    100     99      96      93      88      84      79      75      70      66      61      56      51      46      40      34      29      23      17      11

The top line is the number needed to hit and the numbers down the side are the result of a d20; the crossing point is the number of hits. You'll have to multiply up by the average damage done (3.5 in the case of 1e/2e arrows)

• Dwayne notes: "Dragon #113. might be it not sure thought there was one with 25 50 or 100 attack rolls like this chart in the issue 113, but as was so long ago might be getting mixed up. " – Brian Ballsun-Stanton Oct 27 '14 at 5:44