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I've been playing Jedi Knights and the Baldur's Gate -series and so on, and I've always been staring at these weird number without understanding a thing.

So. Talking about for example swordfighting there's always these numbers and phrases. For example.. To hit rolls? -2 to hit penalty? Critical strike? +3 attack? +3 defence? Damage +4? Say what? What about these dual wielding things? Off hand penalty -2 or something..

I usually dual wield when I'm playing KotOR (or BG2), and as I love the lightsaber fights, I'd also love to understand what this all means. Could someone please explain these in normal english so that even I could get it? Thanks.

OK let me try.

KotoR, as well as NWN, uses a so called d20 system which means that most random results are generated by picking a random number between 1 and 20. In board games that is achived by rolling a 20-sided dice hence the term roll.

To hit rolls?

In all RPG games you had a number that increases with your level that represents your chance to hit your oponent. So if the game state that your attack is +8 that means that you roll a 20-sided die and add 8 to find out your total attack score which you then compare to oponents defense score - if it's equal or higher - you hit your oponent.

-2 to hit penalty?

Simply put this means that you reduce above mentioned roll by 2 points.

Critical strike?

Each weapon used had some chance to score greater damage than normal (a single hit KO in boxing could be considered a critical strike - maybe not best analogy but close enough). For example Lightsabre score critical hit on a roll of 19 and 20. That means that if you roll those numbers you get to roll to hit again and if it's strike your lightsaber deals double damage.

+3 attack? +3 defence?

Preaty much the same thing - one give bonus to your attack score (+3 to attack), the other give you bonus to your defence score effectivly giving your oponents penalty to theirs attack score (+3 defence).

Damage +4?

Each weapon had listed a certain amount of damage, lightsaber had 2-12 (random result gain by rolling two 6-sided dice), which means that on each succesful strike you deal your oponent between 2 and 12 points of damage. The +4 in above mentioned example means that those same lightsaber would deal between 6 and 16 points of damage on succesful strike.

What about these dual wielding things? Off hand penalty -2 or something..

Little hard to explain. In real life you probably use one hand more than the other (you are either left-handed or right-handed). The hand you prefer is called main hand while the other is off-hand. So off-hand penalty -2 means that when you roll for your attack, you make two rolls (one roll for each hand) reducing the off-hand score by 2 points.

Could someone please explain these in normal english so that even I could get it?

Don't know if this was normal english couse it's not my spoken language, but I hope that I made some sense so You could understand what I mean.

[QUOTE=Ripe]
Don't know if this was normal english couse it's not my spoken language, but I hope that I made some sense so You could understand what I mean.[/QUOTE]

It isn't mine either, but you cleared up things for me alright. Thank you! I feel that Yoda would've started his answer for my question like this: http://www.saunalahti.fi/sakarit/kerro- ... ewbari.jpg
But thank YOU for not mocking me even though I felt like a n00b.

Mocking isn't permitted in these forums, Khimaira. Only people with severe self-confidence issues strut around boards acting as though a playthrough is the equivalent of discovering genetic triggers or writing a symphony. Check out the forum rules, and if you ever have problems with people ignoring these, use the Report Violation function at the top of the screen to let the moderators know.

that's good to know Fable. thanks