Attack bonus

[quikdagger]

Something I have noticed is how does this work exactly (I have a level 2 cleric with a base attack bonus of +1 and a strength of 17 (+3) so therfore when using a +1 heavy mace my attack bonus should be +6 but everytime i attack it says the roll and then -6 now I dont know how that is and as a dm of a 3.5 campaign I would laugh at a player that was taking -6 to his rolls instead of +6....whats going on here?

[EKKM]

Off the top of my head: make sure you are not moving while attacking as that gives you a -4. If you are not proficient with a towersheild you get a large penalty. Also make sure you have a shield equiped on your off hand, if you have a wand or another weapon equipped it will assume you want to do two weapon fighting and it would apply the appropriate penalties (you will see the off hand punching and an occasional kick would be thrown in). Also ensure you are using a weapon you are proficient in (simple weapons).

Other than that you should be seeing the +6.

[quikdagger]

well thanks i may have been moving as far the shield i believe it is just a heavy shield...but the movement is probable...thanks

[winsom]

Base Attack Bonus (BaB) comes from each Character Class level, added up as levels are gained:

Your chance to hit in combat is determined by the d20 roll result + base attack bonus + ability score bonus + weapon quality bonus + other attack roll modifiers = total result shown on in the Combat Log.

Warrior classes get +1 base attack bonus for every warrior class level.
Divine spell caster and skill Specialist classes get +0 base attack bonus at the 1st level in this class and then receive +1 every class level except for 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th where they receive +0.
Arcane spell caster classes get +0 BaB at 1st level in this class and get +1 BaB at every even-numbered level, and +0 BaB at every odd-numbered level.

Ability Score Modifiers to attack rolls:

The Strength ability score bonus is added to attack and damage rolls made with hand-to-hand weapons. The 1st level in the Ranger class grants a free feat that adds Strength bonus to ranged damage rolls.

The Dexterity ability score bonus is added to attack rolls with ranged weapon. Dexterity does not add to damage rolls. The Weapon Finesse feat allows the Dexterity bonus to be used for hand-to-hand attack rolls, and only with "light" weapons, if your character's Dexterity bonus is greater than the Strength bonus. Examine the weapon to see if it is classified as a light weapon.

The quality of your weapon can add to attack and damage rolls:

Masterwork weapons add +1 to attack rolls.
Magical weapons have an enchantment bonus of +1 to +5. That bonus is added to both attack and damage rolls.

Other attack roll modifiers:

Your non-proficiency with armor or weapons can subtract from your attack roll:
If you fight with a non-proficient weapon you receive a -4 penalty on attack rolls.
If you fight wearing non-proficient armor or shield you receive an attack penalty equal to the Armor Check penalty of the non-proficient armor and/or shield. Examine the armor or shield to see the armor check penalty.

If you make weapons attacks while your character is moving you receive a -4 penalty on those attacks.

Multiple penalties are added together to form a single penalty that is subtracted from your attack roll. The Combat Log shows your modified d20 roll for each attack.