New Patch: Final Combat Revision [Happy April Fools]

After years of faffing around, waffling between systems and ideas, we’ve finally chosen to look to the game’s past, and the past of the genre as a whole, and revamp our combat system one last time. We’re calling this the Advanced Roleplaying Rules module, where you’ll find greater survivability, streamlined character progression, and revised itemization that should dramatically increase the fun factor all around in a timeless harkening to the oldest days of the genre.

2.7.5 Patch Notes:

• After much discussion among the staff, we have chosen to rename some of the classes to better communicate the intent behind their mechanical and narrative design. We have renamed the Warrior as the Fighter, the White Mage as the Cleric, the Black Mage as the Wizard, and the Charmer as the Bard. Thieves escape unharmed — for now! Some day they’ll even be able to actually steal things!

• To combat combat becoming too easy, and characters too overpowered on both sides, you no longer gain Attribute points when you level up, making your Race, Background, and Class choice considerably more important. What you start with is what you’ll have all game! Plan out your combinations wisely!

• Perks have proven to be too complex and burdensome for players and developers alike (I hate coming up with new things as you gain levels…), and thus are no longer gained past Level 1. Your initial choice of class is that much more important now!

• Speaking of surviving all game, Evasion has been reworked. Now called “Armor Class,” it derives almost entirely from your equipment. The lower your class of armor, the more likely you are to dodge an attack.

• The base chance for evading an attack has been increased from 15% to about 50%, significantly increasing survivability and fun factor.

• Your Accuracy score has been replaced with a To Hit Armor Class rating, based around a benchmark of Armor Class 0. We’re calling this THAC0 for short.

• The dice rolls used behind the scenes for THAC0 have been changed from 1-100 to 1-20 to simplify math. Most combat related numbers have been divided by 5 to compensate.

• You no longer score Critical Hits for having Accuracy (or well, THAC0) sufficiently high; your Critical Chance rating is now all that determines crits.

• Initiative has been replaced with a new system, Speed Factor, which determines your place in the turn order. Like with Accuracy, it’s almost entirely gear dependent. The heavier your equipment, the worse your Speed Factor will be.

• After many, many comments on the confusion it caused, the Donut Steele placeholder name has been replaced with something more appropriate: Great Hero.

• Given the significant degree of changes above, old saves are no longer compatible with the new version of the rules. You’ll need to make your own new Great Hero to enjoy the full depth and breadth of our 2nd Edition Advanced Roleplaying Rules.

Join us in wishing CoC2 a happy anniversary with today’s major overhaul!

You can check it out here on the web, or download it here.

Edit: Happy April 1st everyone :3 Normal updates to the game will resume, sans AD&D-isms, in a few days.