# Melee weapon "to hit" calculation?

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/melee-weapon-to-hit-calculation/5449>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [March 15, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/melee-weapon-to-hit-calculation/5449 "2014-03-15T17:28:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Xelanthol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/4af34b/32.png) [@Xelanthol](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Xelanthol)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/melee-weapon-to-hit-calculation/5449/1 "2014-03-15T17:28:22Z")

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I was just wondering how the “too hit” calculation is done, I just had a frustrating experience getting mauled by a skeletal dog, and not being able to hit it once despite 30+ or so attempts. I was using a gun in melee with a -1 to hit, and had an encumbrance level of 2 on my torso-nothing major. Is there not a “threaten critical but hit normally if you don’t crit” ala DnD? I had a skill of 5 in melee weapons, and around 2 or so in bashing I think.

Getting around this I can use throwing weapons, which seem to be WAY more accurate, like it is calculated based on something else.

Knowing how the system works might ease some frustration, thanks guys

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**Author:** ![halberdsturgeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7ab992/32.png) [@halberdsturgeon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/halberdsturgeon)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/melee-weapon-to-hit-calculation/5449/2 "2014-03-15T21:00:41Z")

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DEX also affects it. But your bashing skill was just too low and your encumbrance penalty too high. Use a weapon with a higher to hit bonus on small, quick enemies like skeletal dogs until you’re better with bashing weapons.

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**Author:** ![SKiPPY](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/skippy/32/123_2.png) [@SKiPPY](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/SKiPPY)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/melee-weapon-to-hit-calculation/5449/3 "2014-03-16T20:37:36Z")

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I know how you feel, “How hard is it to hit something in front of you and why is throwing more accurate than hitting?” I get frustrated with this all the time, especially whenever I’m wearing a backpack (which is about 100% of the time). I think this part of the game is inherently flawed; I was trying to hit a regular, non-hostile dog for 30 turns, all misses. I had a torso encumbrance of 4, +1 to hit bonus weapon, LV 2 melee, 8 dex and 9 PER, deft, LV 1 bashing weapons. I got frustrated and threw the pipe at the dog, who was about 2 spaces away, and got a crit hit, which some how killed it ( i only had 8 strength and LV 1 throwing!)

How in the hell is it easier to throw when your torso is encumbered? Never mind throwing to kill, just throwing accurately should be harder than hitting something with a sizable melee weapon.

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**Author:** ![halberdsturgeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7ab992/32.png) [@halberdsturgeon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/halberdsturgeon)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/melee-weapon-to-hit-calculation/5449/4 "2014-03-16T22:19:18Z")

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The problem is invariably torso encumbrance, which in my opinion needs some serious looking at. I usually tweak it in my game. You can achieve a torso encumbrance of 1 with a storage of around 200 and high armour using fanny packs, dump pouches, “MOLLE” packs and some of the stalker armour, but personally I don’t like being shoehorned into a single setup like this.