No longer using AC.

[Ronin77]

I really like how the siege engine works in C&C. Why not use the siege engine for combat too? Rolling to hit would be simply rolling on whatever stat you would roll to attack on normally for a siege check (Str for melee, Dex for ranged). And armor bonuses would add to the difficulty of the roll.

So for example if your strength was prime your target number to hit with a broad sword would be 12. If the target was well aware of the attack (Dex bonus of +1) and wearing leather armor (+2) the difficulty to hit him would be a 15. (this is not entirely a new idea, a Variation is used in starsiege.)

This option may work even better in a setting where armor is damage reduction rather than an armor class bonus. Making difficulties to hit just your base difficulty and dex bonus. (as it is in star siege.)

Another option to sprout off of that last one would be to do both. Armor adds to difficulty to hit. And also gives a damage reduction based on how heavy it is. 1 point for light armor, 2 for medium, and 3 for heavy.

This could also be split into two ways too. Regular armor bonus adding to difficulty to hit. While magic defense bonuses are damage reduction. Or switch that and make magic make you hard to hit and magic is damage reduction.

Remember, Now that an attack roll is a siege check add your level to attack rolls.

Just some options to toss around.

[Fizz]

Actually, i do something quite similar. Whether Str or Dex is used depends on the weapon, and primes DO matter. Thus you really can build a Dex-based fighter and play him very differently from a Str-based one. For increasing difficult, i actually use a system with AC as damage reduction (similar to the one in the CKG) and an increasing defense score. The trickiest part is converting monster stats. Heh.

-Fizz

[Arduin]

Sounds good BUT, you'd be penalizing fighters types who don't have, for instance, Dex as a prime, in the area of physical combat. That's fine as long as spell casters get similar penalty for different spells types. Otherwise, unbalanced.

[Relaxo]

and if everyone adds level, there's no distinction in skill between fighters and magic users.

The BtH progression is the siege engine, except you're not using level, except for the fighter.

I've seen this idea in other games (Can't recall whcih) and it's a totally valid approach

[Ronin77]

A few things. Melee is based on str now and dex based on ranged. So that is not really a change. But I do see how this could disadvantage some classes. But only if you were a fighter that some how didnt have Str as prime. How is that possible. And if your another class you still have the option of choosing Str as second prime. But I could see making some melee weapons based on Dex I guess.

The Idea was to add level as well as base to hit. For monsters I think this is easy just add HD as a combat bonus too.

I rolled up a party and threw a few mobs at them using this. It ran really smooth really. But then at low levels there is a lot less factors. Maybe when my current story ends I'll use this for the next.