Combat in HotDC

When I look at combat in Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl, I have had numerous thoughts on the subject. I want to keep it simple and I want to keep it unique. The Attack-Defense System was created with the second point in mind, while still trying not to forget the first point. Having tested the ADS, I can honestly say it works about how I hoped it would. The 0 Degree setup works well with it too. But, is it simple enough?

The new player has to determine an Attack Strength and a Defense Strength. In combat, both sides roll twice and factor in bonuses and negatives. There's more math in the works. Is that a good idea for a basic game? I like the idea of three characteristics instead of six. It speeds up the creation process, and it means three less things to worry about when starting out. Though I don't feel that the ADS is that difficult, would simplification in this area help?

In the article I'm working on for the next Hero's Chronicle, I take a look at combat. I don't want to get into everything here, but the stat I'm looking at is called Hit Factor at the moment. Basically, your hit factor is the number your opponent needs to equal or beat to score a hit. You would roll three six sided dice to determine success. The weapon damage as assigned now won't change, and the armor bonuses won't change much.

Basically, you roll three stats, determine a race and profession, decide if you will start at 0 Degree or 1st Degree, equip your character, set Hit factor and start playing. It's simple this way, and I feel it is still unique enough. I mean, the idea of rolling dice to determine success or failure is not something that can be owned, as I understand it. Now, the charts used back in the day are another thing altogether.

As of now, things are what they are. Nothing has been changed. As I say in the book, changes are possible in every area. I will continue to explore this issue in the weeks ahead.