One minor spoiler contained in response:
Quote:
Originally posted by NobleNick:
Otto,
Yes, I have listed NO racial THAC0 bonuses. I believe the Ranger is the only character to get them, and he only for one race. Actually, I have NO in-game data at all for the Ranger (yet).
I know this will sound snobbish, though I don't intend it that way; but IWD with HoW is so superior to vanilla IWD in so many ways, that I have no interest at all in the latter, except as it may help me to help others who have yet to acquire the expansion. That is a neat fact though: the CON bonus being good for IWD-only. So now I've found -ONE- reason for not installing HoW.
Exceptional (18/xx) STR. Good question. I haven't added it because: A.) I don't remember the effects; and B.) I assumed that the effects were not that big a deal. Maybe I am wrong about the latter, and I wouldn't mind getting a lesson on the former.
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For racial bonuses, I meant that halflings get +1 to hit with slings and throwing axes, and elves get +1 to hit with bows and swords. For example, an elf fighter or ranger with a composite bow, and DEX=19, has a starting THAC0=14. A human F/R/P with DEX=18 and a composite bow has a starting THAC0=16.
With melee weapons, exceptional strength can influence THAC0 by +1 (18/01-50); +2(18/51-99); or +3(18/00). Since your tables are assuming powerful characters, you might calculate fighter THAC0 with the +2 bonus (STR=18/51-99).
Although I agree whole-heartedly that the expansion packs greatly improve many aspects of the game, there are a few features in "vanilla" IWD that work to the players advantage:
1) Already mentioned: more HP. Characters retain HP bonus throughout the game. A 14th level IWD fighter with CON=18 can have up to 161 HP. In HOW, the same fighter would have only 141 HP.
2) Chests/doors are much easier to bash open in IWD than HOW. In vanilla IWD, STR=18/01 can open most any door or chest. In HOW, you need STR=18/91 (or higher) for most doors/chests.
3) Several powerful random treasures are removed with HOW installed. For example, in vanilla IWD, there's a Potion of +1 CON (permanent) that can be found in Dragon's Eye. HOW removes this and other powerful items from the game. In vanilla IWD, it was possible for characters to have CON=21 and regenerate from wounds about as quickly as a troll.
4) Better spell-tables for mid/upper-level Paladins & Rangers. For example, a 13th level ranger spellbook in vanilla IWD is 3/2/1. In HOW, the same level ranger only gets 1/1/1. That's a difference of being able to self-heal 27 HP without resting (2 cure light wounds + 1 cure moderate wounds).
5) No pesky "call to arms". In vanilla IWD, it's much easier to manipulate the fog-of-war to the players advantage.
Again, I think HOW improves the game, largely because I prefer the game to be a little more challenging. I just wanted to note that there are a handful of player advantages with vanilla IWD.
[ 11-12-2004, 03:25 PM: Message edited by: Otto ]