Dice and Rolls¶
Although Icewind Dale hides the dice behind the scenes, the AD&D 2nd Edition dice are still doing the work. Knowing which die governs which check helps you read combat feedback in the message log.
The dice¶
| Die | Used for |
|---|---|
| d4 | Some weapon damage (e.g. dagger), some spell damage per level |
| d6 | Common weapon damage, fireball-style spell damage |
| d8 | Weapon damage (longsword), Fighter Hit Dice |
| d10 | Larger weapon damage, Paladin Hit Dice |
| d12 | Two-handed weapon damage |
| d20 | All attack rolls and saving throws |
| 2d10 | Reaction rolls when encountering NPCs |
The to-hit roll¶
At the heart of combat is the d20 attack roll. The game subtracts the target's Armor Class from the attacker's THAC0 to get the number needed on a d20:
- Roll equal to or higher → hit (damage applied).
- Roll lower → miss.
- Natural 20 → automatic hit and critical hit (damage doubled).
- Natural 1 → automatic miss and critical miss.
Helmets, where the class can wear them, prevent enemies from scoring critical hits against you.
Saving throws¶
Saves work the same way as THAC0: roll a d20 and try to equal or exceed your saving-throw value. Each character has five separate save categories — see Saving Throws.
Reaction rolls¶
When the party encounters an NPC, the game simulates 2d10 and applies modifiers for the leader's Charisma and the party's Reputation. The result governs how the NPC reacts and can affect shop prices.
Initiative¶
Within each character's six-second personal round, initiative is a random variation that nudges the casting time or speed factor of the action slightly. See Initiative and Rounds.
Source: rules summarised from iwdee/original_manuals/IWDEE - Mastering Melee & Magic.pdf — Chapter 5 "Combat" and Appendix 5 "Saving Throws".