THAC0 - AC = To Hit

(also, thac0 progression can just be thought of as to-hit bonus, negating any math besides being
able to reverse your added result in order to know what AC you hit).
1. The DM determines what actions the monsters will take.
2. The players declare what actions they take
3. Initiative is determined
4. Attacks are made in order of initative
When playing AD&D, I use miniatures but Im the guy who moves them around. I know what the
monsters intend, players decide what they want to do, we roll initiative, and then I shuffle the
pieces to show the new situation, with initiative as a tie-breaker as described earlier. Sometimes it
takes a few slaps on the hand before players accustomed to newer editions get the idea that we
arent playing Parcheesi or Descent. Theres negotiation, in the form of no, I didnt mean to go
that far, or Ill keep swinging around to the left if theres room. Ill allow changes on the fly if the
situation warrants, like Im going to stand here and keep the orcs away from the door until
everyone else gets through, followed after the initiative roll by since we have initiative and the
monsters arent charging after all, when everyone else is safe, Ill step back through the door and
slam it. Flexibility is key.
If you want to emphasize narrative and planning, then keep [the initiative roll] after declarations. If
you want initiative to be more of an advantage, put the roll before declarations and make the
losers declare first so the winners can adjust their plan accordingly. (Steve Winter)