You don't necessarily attack AC. When you attack, you roll a d20, add your proficiency bonus and the stat modifier for the Attack (a longsword, for example, uses strength so you'd add your strength modifier to the roll). Once you add up the roll, your proficiency, and the stat modifier together, if the final number is equal to or greater than the AC of the target, then you hit.
Let's say I'm a level 2 fighter with a strength of 14, attacking a goblin with an AC of 15. I roll a 12, I get +2 for proficiency, +2 for strength, so my attack roll is 16. That's a hit.
When you attack, you roll a d20, add your proficiency bonus and the stat modifier for the Attack (a longsword, for example, uses strength so you'd add your strength modifier to the roll).
Just a reminder: You add to the d20 roll all appropriate modifier. That can be proficiency, the ability modifier related to the weapon and other bonuses (as some magical weapons grants). The only fixed modifier is the one from the ability relatet to the weapon. Its uncommon that you hit with a weapon which you don't know how to use, but its possible, so you add your proficiency bonus only when you are proficient with that type of weapon.
I rolled 18 for intellegence on my wizard when I was making it, so I had a +5 spell casting modifier at level 1 so my spells are like really good, I think the dm might nerf it before we start the campaign because I’ll hit like every spell if this is how attacks work. Also my magic missiles do minimum 6 damage per missile.
18 intelligence at level 1 would actually be +6, since the INT mod is +4 (+1 for every 2 over 10) and proficiency bonus at level 1 is +2.
If you rolled your stats fair and square, I see no reason to nerd them. Hitting more often than not is true of most characters, and is in fact a core part of 5e's "bounded accuracy" design philosophy. Combat where players don't hit often enough often drags and becomes boring, and many higher difficulty monsters still have reasonably hittable AC. You're meant to be able to hit much of the time, so punishing that would be largely counterintuitive.
I rolled 18 for intellegence on my wizard when I was making it, so I had a +5 spell casting modifier at level 1 so my spells are like really good, I think the dm might nerf it before we start the campaign because I’ll hit like every spell if this is how attacks work. Also my magic missiles do minimum 6 damage per missile.
Are you adding your Intelligence modifier to the damage of your Magic Missiles? If so, I’m afraid that isn’t how they work. Unlike weapon attacks, you don’t add your Spellcasting ability modifier to the damage from spells, unless a rule or feature says that you do. The benefit of Magic Missile is its reliability: it always hits. The trade-off is the fairly low damage.
Need more information to accurately step you through the process for the character. The character's class and chosen action dictates what modifiers can be applied when making an attack.
Generally, these are the questions to address when trying to calculate your attack roll:
1) Are you making a spell or weapon (unarmed strike) attack 2) If a weapon, what weapon's properties and are you proficient in the weapon 3) Is your character or weapon under any additional effects or features that apply modifiers.
At early levels, number 3 is probably not going to impact this. As you grow in levels you may have a weapon with a +1 property or gain a feat that allows you add a modifier if you meet certain criteria.
If we take a standard melee weapon attack; you will add your proficiency modifier and STR modifier to your d20 roll. If the total equals (or exceeds) the target's AC then you hit.
Range weapons use DEX and melee weapons with the finesse property you can opt to use your DEX modifier instead of the STR modifier. If you are a spellcaster, then the modifier you add for your attack will be based on your character's class.
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I'm new and still don't understand what modifier to add when attacking AC.
Why is there a hunger system in this game?
You don't necessarily attack AC. When you attack, you roll a d20, add your proficiency bonus and the stat modifier for the Attack (a longsword, for example, uses strength so you'd add your strength modifier to the roll). Once you add up the roll, your proficiency, and the stat modifier together, if the final number is equal to or greater than the AC of the target, then you hit.
Let's say I'm a level 2 fighter with a strength of 14, attacking a goblin with an AC of 15. I roll a 12, I get +2 for proficiency, +2 for strength, so my attack roll is 16. That's a hit.
Just a reminder: You add to the d20 roll all appropriate modifier. That can be proficiency, the ability modifier related to the weapon and other bonuses (as some magical weapons grants). The only fixed modifier is the one from the ability relatet to the weapon. Its uncommon that you hit with a weapon which you don't know how to use, but its possible, so you add your proficiency bonus only when you are proficient with that type of weapon.
I rolled 18 for intellegence on my wizard when I was making it, so I had a +5 spell casting modifier at level 1 so my spells are like really good, I think the dm might nerf it before we start the campaign because I’ll hit like every spell if this is how attacks work. Also my magic missiles do minimum 6 damage per missile.
18 intelligence at level 1 would actually be +6, since the INT mod is +4 (+1 for every 2 over 10) and proficiency bonus at level 1 is +2.
If you rolled your stats fair and square, I see no reason to nerd them. Hitting more often than not is true of most characters, and is in fact a core part of 5e's "bounded accuracy" design philosophy. Combat where players don't hit often enough often drags and becomes boring, and many higher difficulty monsters still have reasonably hittable AC. You're meant to be able to hit much of the time, so punishing that would be largely counterintuitive.
Are you adding your Intelligence modifier to the damage of your Magic Missiles? If so, I’m afraid that isn’t how they work. Unlike weapon attacks, you don’t add your Spellcasting ability modifier to the damage from spells, unless a rule or feature says that you do. The benefit of Magic Missile is its reliability: it always hits. The trade-off is the fairly low damage.
Need more information to accurately step you through the process for the character. The character's class and chosen action dictates what modifiers can be applied when making an attack.
Generally, these are the questions to address when trying to calculate your attack roll:
1) Are you making a spell or weapon (unarmed strike) attack
2) If a weapon, what weapon's properties and are you proficient in the weapon
3) Is your character or weapon under any additional effects or features that apply modifiers.
At early levels, number 3 is probably not going to impact this. As you grow in levels you may have a weapon with a +1 property or gain a feat that allows you add a modifier if you meet certain criteria.
If we take a standard melee weapon attack; you will add your proficiency modifier and STR modifier to your d20 roll. If the total equals (or exceeds) the target's AC then you hit.
Range weapons use DEX and melee weapons with the finesse property you can opt to use your DEX modifier instead of the STR modifier. If you are a spellcaster, then the modifier you add for your attack will be based on your character's class.