A not so awful (good?) called shot system [Archive] - Wizards Community

A not so awful (good?) called shot system [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Egarb
04-30-07, 11:41 AM I've been making a called shot system for a D20 modern game and I created this called shot system for the game (not the GM, got it approved though). The rules should be applicable in any D20 system game though. I want to see what some of you guys think of it.

Also. Please please don't do what was done on the last called shot thread. If that starts to happen I'll go ask for the thread to be locked.

In any event, heres the rules.

===
Called Shots
===

What are Called Shots?
A called shot is an attack against a specific part of the body.

Why would I want to make a called shot?
Called shots can be used to disable or hinder opponents, granting you an edge in combat.

How do I initiate a called shot?
1) Declare that you are making a called shot instead of a normal attack.
2) Decide what sort of called shot you are making.
3) Attack your opponent at the increased AC on the table (see below) or take the penalty for the specific attack.
4) Determine the effect on your opponent using the following rules.

===
Called shots to limbs
===

======================================== ========
| Locations AC Bonus* Total HP |
|======================================= =========|
| Arm (Left/Right) +2 1/4° |
| Legs +1 1/3 |
| Head +8 |
| Eyes +10 1/5 |
| Wings +1 1/2 |
|======================================= =========|
| * See Helmets |
| ° Per Limb |
======================================== ========

Damaging a limb
Every limb has a maximum hp equal to some fraction of the creatures total health (Always round up instead of down) except for the head. When a limb is damaged keep track of the damage dealt to each limb. All damage dealt to the limbs still counts towards the creatures HP count, but the damage for hitting periphial limbs may be decreased (or increased!). When a limb reaches 0 hp (Lethal and Subdual) it cannot be used any longer until healed. If it reaches -10 (Lethal) it is maimed beyond natural healing and needs either medical or magical healing. Dealing more damage than would reduce it to -10 deals no more damage to the creature. Massive damage cannot be inflicted via any limb other than the head.

Healing a limb
A limb can be healed in much the same as a creature. A heal check can be performed on a specific limb. Any damage that is healed to a limb also counts towards the creatures max hp. If the creature itself is healed limb damage is healed last. To magically heal a limb in combat the caster must succeed in touching the limb itself, increasing the AC as appropriate.

Setting a broken limb
To begin the healing process of broken limb it must be properly set and cared for. The heal check DC is 30 - Creatures Con bonus. Once set the limb goes to -9 and will begin healing 1d3 days later. A limb can be magically healed before this time. A cure moderate wounds spell is sufficient to set a broken limb without a heal check. A cure minor wounds spell provides a +10 bonus to the check.

AC bonuses for limbs of smaller or large creatures
The AC bonus for limbs follows the rules for granting AC bonuses based on size (Except for the eyes and head). For larger or smaller creatures, scale the value as needed (On medium creatures arms are tiny, legs are small, the head counts as fine, and the eyes are always two points harder to hit than the head). This AC bonus is used instead of the creatures normal size bonus.

===
Status effects for called shots on body parts.

Arms:
Attacks to an arm deal half normal damage
Hit: -2 to attacks with that arm (including any attack made with a two handed weapon used in that hand) until the beggining of the attackers next turn. Multiple hits stack.
-1 to the AC bonus of any sheild used in that arm until the beggining of the attackers next turn. Multiple hits stack. Minimum sheild bonus of 0.
0 : Cannot use this arm.
-10: Arm is maimed. Needs regeneration or surgery.
Crit: Fort save (DC 10 + Str or Dex + 1/2 BAB) or drop weapon.

Legs:
Attacks to the legs deal half lethal damage and half subdual damage.
Hit: -5 to base land speed until the beggining of the attackers next turn.
0 : Creature falls prone and cannot stand.
-10: The legs are maimed. Needs regeneration or surgery.
Crit: Fort save (DC 10 + Str or Dex + 1/2 BAB) or drop prone.

Head:
Attacks to the head deal 1d6 extra damage.
Hit: -2 to initiative (This immediately modifies the turn they go on, this never allows a character to go more than once per round). Fort save (DC 10 + Str or Dex + 1/2 BAB) or be stunned for one round.
Crit: Stunned for one round

Eyes:
Attacks to the eyes deal normal damage.
Hit: 25% miss chance until the beginning of the attackers next turn. This effect does not stack.
0 : Nearly blinded. The creature is dazzled and has a 40% miss chance.
-10: Permenantly blinded. Needs regeneration or surgery.
Crit: Fort save (DC 10 + Str or Dex + 1/2 BAB) or be blinded for 1d4 rounds.

Wings:
Attacks to the wings deal half normal damage
Hit: -5 to fly speed until the beggining of the attackers next turn. Multiple hits stack.
0 : Cannot use wings.
-10: The wings are maimed. Needs regeneration or surgery.
Crit: Fort save (DC 10 + Str or Dex + 1/2 BAB) or be unable to use the wings for 1d2 rounds.

Other Effects:
When a creatures limb is maimed it must make a DC 15 fortitude save or take one point of constitution damage.
When a creatures limb is maimed it takes 1d8 nonlethal damage. Representing pain.
If a critical called shot is made the effects of the hit are multiplied by the weapons critical modifier in addition to the critical effect.
Unless otherwise stated the 'Hit' effect stacks.

===
Non Limb Specific Called Shots
===

What are they?
Any attack that takes the place of a standard attack to get a specific effect. Under this new definition some special attacks such as trips and disarms are "Called Shots".

Reading the format
Proceded by the name of the special attack is the relevent ability, use this to determine your bonus to the attack roll instead of strength or dex. A penalty is listed, add this number to your attack roll. The format also shows whether it is a ranged or melee attack.

New Special Attacks:

Agile Strike (Dexterity)
Melee
Total Penalty: -5
As a full round action you can attempt a normal attack that denies your oppnent their dexterity bonus to AC.

Combat Throw (Strength)
Melee
Total Penalty: -10
As a full round action you throw your opponent 10 feet away from you and ends up prone, this attack incurs AoOs and your opponent is entitled to an opposed strength check. This attack deals no damage.

Suprise Shot (Dexterity)
Ranged
Total Penalty: -5
As a full round action you can attempt a ranged attack that denies your opponent their dexterity bonus to AC, this attack incurs AoOs.

===
Helmets
===

Throughout history helmets have been one of the most important pieces of armor, second only to shields in some eras. These optional rules can be used in anchient or modern settings.

Helmets provide a +1 bonus to AC all heavy armors and some others come with a helmet. A matching helmet can be bought for any suit of armor (for +1 to the purchase DC or an extra 50 gold) or individually (DC 10). Though helmets provide extra protection, they penalize vision and hearing, they impose a -4 to spot and listen checks and a -1 to initiative checks. Aside from the +1 to AC they also provide they grant a +2 to ac for checks to confirm criticals agains the head or eyes. Anytime the head is struck there is a small chance that the helmet will be knocked off (Reflex save DC 10 + 1/2 attackers BAB to prevent), it is also possible to disarm an opponent of their helmet. It is a move action to don a helmet.

Helmets cannot be enchanted as armor, though magical helmets can be made.
RobbyPants
05-01-07, 12:04 PM This is actually very similar to a system I created and tried out about two years ago. The only problem I had with my old system (and that you'll probably have with this one) is that the amount of book keeping is huge. I like the idea of sperate HP and AC per body part, but get ready for much longer combats. If the group is okay with it, then it might be a lot of fun.

Also, one warning: I'd stay away from called shots to the eyes. Keeping it at the head is good enough (IMO) anyway. If you get too involved in what negative effects happen per body part, each battle will soon turn into a wierd, gory scene, where everyone races to mutilate the other side before they get mutilated ;)!

Also (and only play testing will show this), keep an eye out for certain target areas that seem too powerful. If every attack is aimed at the head, then you might be making head shots too powerful (just an example).

Hopefully this works out for you! :D

EDIT:
Also, did you take into account large area of effect spells, such as Fireball? The way I had written it up was that each body part took damage from the spell, but based on the fraction of total HP they had. For instance, in my system, the breakdown was like this:

Body Part HP Fraction
_______________________
Torso 1 (normal)
Head 1/2 total
Arm (each) 1/2 total
Leg (each) 3/4 total

So the idea is that if a 1st level fighter had 12 HP, then his torso would have 12, his head and each arm would have 6, and his legs would have 9. So, based on this, if someone were hit for a Fireball that dealt 30 damage, then his torso would take 30, his head and each arm would take 15, and his legs would take 22. This way, each part takes the same proportional damage.

Just thought I'd throw the idea out because I didn't see it in the OP.
bartleby42
05-02-07, 01:17 AM While I dont' find called shots to be a bad idea, I feel that haveing to keep track of hitpoints for locations to be too much trouble.

I greatly prefer the idea of redoing called shots with a simmilar system to yours, just minus the hit point aspect.

Example:

Called shot to the arm: When you make a called shot to the arm you take a minus 2 penalty to hit. If you hit you force your oppenent to take a -2 penalty to all attacks made with that arm for the next round. If you critical your opponent must make a fort save DC = 1/2 damage delt or drop anything held in that arm.

Called shot to the head (CSttH): When you make a CSttH you take a -8 penalty on your attack roll. If you hit you force your oppenent ot take a -2 penalty to inititive. If you crit you oppenent is stunned for a number of rounds equal to your critical mulitplier.

Notice how the Called shots don't deal extra damage? That's because called shots that deal extra damage tend to have problems. I am on the other hand more than happy to let players take a penalty to hit in order to cause a status effect on the target.
RobbyPants
05-02-07, 10:43 AM A couple more things I thought of after my last post:

Does the head have full HP (assuming I read your table correctly)? That was on problem I noticed on my system (that I abandoned). I had the head with 1/2 HP, but the problem is, that means proportionally, head shots deal double damage, which means, you have to make the to-hit penalty high enough to make your average head shot have half (or less) the chance to hit as a nomral attack. If it has full HP, then that fixes this problem.

Would you handle heart shots the same, if the PCs were fighting a vampire? Lets say one of them gets a sharpened spear without the head, soley for use against vampires. This could give a nice combat bonus during a fight with them.

Have you considered having a seperate AC per body part? That could be another way to handle the helmet issue. You could actually get someone in leather armor wearing a skull cap (AC +5, perhaps?) with a much higher head AC. Also, you could have some suave-looking fighter in fullplate without a helmet to show off his good looks with a terrible head AC. This would give an actual in-game effect to how people want to have their PCs appear. Now there's a trade-off.
Egarb
05-02-07, 11:55 AM RobbyPants, the head has full HP, I figured dealing double damage was excessive too, even with the -8 to hit. All I decided to do was add 1d6 to the damage dealt for that "Boom, headshot" effect. May not seem like much, but in d20 modern the MAS thresh hold is your Constitution score. Getting that extra d6 could mean the difference between a minor wound and a failed massive damage save.

I did consider having each armor provide different AC to each limb, but decided not to. That would require too much book keeping for me and would need all the armors re-tooled. What I think I might do is have each armor have a bonus or penalty to crit confirms based on how well it protects the limbs. Full plate granting +2 or so with padder armor being -2 or somthing like that. Also, this way, if they wanted that "cool Effect" they would have -2 for crit confirms on whatever limb was uncovered.

For the heart shots... Well, I'd have to say that you would get a normal crit, but being a vampire it would take extra damage from the crit (x2 to x3). Attacking internal organs doesnt seem to be what should be done for called shots. I kinda felt that that was what normal attacks/crits were supposed to be.

I didnt consider area of effect spells. With this system, since damage done to limbs still counts towards max hp it would have to be broken up somthing like this. 1/2 the damage is unspecified as to where it hits, 1/8 to each arm, 1/4 to the legs. But I dont know if I want to get this detailed. How did it work out for your system?

Bartleby42, the only hit that deals bonus damage is a headshot, and thats only an extra d6, which is nice, but not game breaking. In fact, all of the other shots deal less damage than a normal hit.

I have a couple questions regarding the balance.

1) Is the AC adjustment for the limbs about right? Is the head AC (+8) too high for it to be useful? Is the leg ac bonus (+1) too little?

2) If the AC adjustments are about right, who are they useful against? Im worried that the penalties and less damage wont be worth the effect against enemies of the appropriate CR or characters of the same level. Kind of like power attack, useful against less powerful enemies but useless against anything with reasonable AC. If it is I might have to go to individual limb AC.
Holy_Beholder
05-03-07, 06:29 PM Another simpler system could work for the HP. Basically, each part has a size. -1 size is 2/3 hp, -2 is 1/2, -3 is 1/3, -4 is 1/4. You also divide by the amount of the limb. So on a medium target, their legs are small, and each have 1/3 hp, their arms are tiny, and each have 1/4 hp, and their head is diminuative, and has 1/3 hp. That way, if someone wanted to attack a hydras neck, or beholders eye stalk, it would be easy to figure out. The hydras neck would be medium, an d there are 8.5 of them on average. So for each of the hydras necks, it has 1/8th the HP of the body. For a beholders eye stalk, a beholder is large, but their eye stalks are small, and there are 10 of them, so each eye stalk has 1/20th the total hp(about 7, if I remember right)
brknstar
05-04-07, 02:25 PM Here's what I use with my group, and it works well.

Called Shots
Called shots allow you to aim an attack at a specific target on an opponent in order to deal additional effects above and beyond damage, based on where you strike the target. These rules use the “Damage by Location” variant found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Note that penalties caused by called shot damage stack in the case of numeric penalties to dice rolls, and are doubled on a successful critical strike with a Called Shot. For movement penalties, the first successful called shot halves movement, the second quarters it, and the third makes the target immobile (in the case of land movement, they may be able to crawl at the DM’s discretion).

Called Shots in Melee Combat:
· This is a full-round action (an attack).
· You specify the location that you are attempting to strike on the target.
· You provoke an attack of opportunity (AoO). If the AoO is successful, your called shot attempt fails.
· You make an opposed attack roll against the opponent. If this roll is failed, your called shot attempt fails.
· If successful, you have struck the location you initially specified and deal damage normally. If damage is successfully dealt to the opponent, they also apply the effects of the Damage by Location rules from the DMG.

Called Shots in Ranged Combat:
· This is a full-round action (an attack).
· You specify the location that you are attempting to strike on the target.
· You cannot attempt a called shot into a melee unless you have the Precise Shot feat. You cannot attempt a ranged called shot against a creature that is 3 or more size categories smaller than you.
· If you take damage from an attack of opportunity on you (from firing a ranged weapon while in melee, for instance), your called shot attempt fails.
You make an attack roll with the weapon as normal, however you are considered to be firing at a target at least two size categories smaller than your target’s actual size.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Egarb 04-30-07, 11:41 AM	I've been making a called shot system for a D20 modern game and I created this called shot system for the game (not the GM, got it approved though). The rules should be applicable in any D20 system game though. I want to see what some of you guys think of it. Also. Please please don't do what was done on the last called shot thread. If that starts to happen I'll go ask for the thread to be locked. In any event, heres the rules. === Called Shots === What are Called Shots? A called shot is an attack against a specific part of the body. Why would I want to make a called shot? Called shots can be used to disable or hinder opponents, granting you an edge in combat. How do I initiate a called shot? 1) Declare that you are making a called shot instead of a normal attack. 2) Decide what sort of called shot you are making. 3) Attack your opponent at the increased AC on the table (see below) or take the penalty for the specific attack. 4) Determine the effect on your opponent using the following rules. === Called shots to limbs === ======================================== ======== \| Locations AC Bonus* Total HP \| \|======================================= =========\| \| Arm (Left/Right) +2 1/4° \| \| Legs +1 1/3 \| \| Head +8 \| \| Eyes +10 1/5 \| \| Wings +1 1/2 \| \|======================================= =========\| \| * See Helmets \| \| ° Per Limb \| ======================================== ======== Damaging a limb Every limb has a maximum hp equal to some fraction of the creatures total health (Always round up instead of down) except for the head. When a limb is damaged keep track of the damage dealt to each limb. All damage dealt to the limbs still counts towards the creatures HP count, but the damage for hitting periphial limbs may be decreased (or increased!). When a limb reaches 0 hp (Lethal and Subdual) it cannot be used any longer until healed. If it reaches -10 (Lethal) it is maimed beyond natural healing and needs either medical or magical healing. Dealing more damage than would reduce it to -10 deals no more damage to the creature. Massive damage cannot be inflicted via any limb other than the head. Healing a limb A limb can be healed in much the same as a creature. A heal check can be performed on a specific limb. Any damage that is healed to a limb also counts towards the creatures max hp. If the creature itself is healed limb damage is healed last. To magically heal a limb in combat the caster must succeed in touching the limb itself, increasing the AC as appropriate. Setting a broken limb To begin the healing process of broken limb it must be properly set and cared for. The heal check DC is 30 - Creatures Con bonus. Once set the limb goes to -9 and will begin healing 1d3 days later. A limb can be magically healed before this time. A cure moderate wounds spell is sufficient to set a broken limb without a heal check. A cure minor wounds spell provides a +10 bonus to the check. AC bonuses for limbs of smaller or large creatures The AC bonus for limbs follows the rules for granting AC bonuses based on size (Except for the eyes and head). For larger or smaller creatures, scale the value as needed (On medium creatures arms are tiny, legs are small, the head counts as fine, and the eyes are always two points harder to hit than the head). This AC bonus is used instead of the creatures normal size bonus. === Status effects for called shots on body parts. Arms: Attacks to an arm deal half normal damage Hit: -2 to attacks with that arm (including any attack made with a two handed weapon used in that hand) until the beggining of the attackers next turn. Multiple hits stack. -1 to the AC bonus of any sheild used in that arm until the beggining of the attackers next turn. Multiple hits stack. Minimum sheild bonus of 0. 0 : Cannot use this arm. -10: Arm is maimed. Needs regeneration or surgery. Crit: Fort save (DC 10 + Str or Dex + 1/2 BAB) or drop weapon. Legs: Attacks to the legs deal half lethal damage and half subdual damage. Hit: -5 to base land speed until the beggining of the attackers next turn. 0 : Creature falls prone and cannot stand. -10: The legs are maimed. Needs regeneration or surgery. Crit: Fort save (DC 10 + Str or Dex + 1/2 BAB) or drop prone. Head: Attacks to the head deal 1d6 extra damage. Hit: -2 to initiative (This immediately modifies the turn they go on, this never allows a character to go more than once per round). Fort save (DC 10 + Str or Dex + 1/2 BAB) or be stunned for one round. Crit: Stunned for one round Eyes: Attacks to the eyes deal normal damage. Hit: 25% miss chance until the beginning of the attackers next turn. This effect does not stack. 0 : Nearly blinded. The creature is dazzled and has a 40% miss chance. -10: Permenantly blinded. Needs regeneration or surgery. Crit: Fort save (DC 10 + Str or Dex + 1/2 BAB) or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. Wings: Attacks to the wings deal half normal damage Hit: -5 to fly speed until the beggining of the attackers next turn. Multiple hits stack. 0 : Cannot use wings. -10: The wings are maimed. Needs regeneration or surgery. Crit: Fort save (DC 10 + Str or Dex + 1/2 BAB) or be unable to use the wings for 1d2 rounds. Other Effects: When a creatures limb is maimed it must make a DC 15 fortitude save or take one point of constitution damage. When a creatures limb is maimed it takes 1d8 nonlethal damage. Representing pain. If a critical called shot is made the effects of the hit are multiplied by the weapons critical modifier in addition to the critical effect. Unless otherwise stated the 'Hit' effect stacks. === Non Limb Specific Called Shots === What are they? Any attack that takes the place of a standard attack to get a specific effect. Under this new definition some special attacks such as trips and disarms are "Called Shots". Reading the format Proceded by the name of the special attack is the relevent ability, use this to determine your bonus to the attack roll instead of strength or dex. A penalty is listed, add this number to your attack roll. The format also shows whether it is a ranged or melee attack. New Special Attacks: Agile Strike (Dexterity) Melee Total Penalty: -5 As a full round action you can attempt a normal attack that denies your oppnent their dexterity bonus to AC. Combat Throw (Strength) Melee Total Penalty: -10 As a full round action you throw your opponent 10 feet away from you and ends up prone, this attack incurs AoOs and your opponent is entitled to an opposed strength check. This attack deals no damage. Suprise Shot (Dexterity) Ranged Total Penalty: -5 As a full round action you can attempt a ranged attack that denies your opponent their dexterity bonus to AC, this attack incurs AoOs. === Helmets === Throughout history helmets have been one of the most important pieces of armor, second only to shields in some eras. These optional rules can be used in anchient or modern settings. Helmets provide a +1 bonus to AC all heavy armors and some others come with a helmet. A matching helmet can be bought for any suit of armor (for +1 to the purchase DC or an extra 50 gold) or individually (DC 10). Though helmets provide extra protection, they penalize vision and hearing, they impose a -4 to spot and listen checks and a -1 to initiative checks. Aside from the +1 to AC they also provide they grant a +2 to ac for checks to confirm criticals agains the head or eyes. Anytime the head is struck there is a small chance that the helmet will be knocked off (Reflex save DC 10 + 1/2 attackers BAB to prevent), it is also possible to disarm an opponent of their helmet. It is a move action to don a helmet. Helmets cannot be enchanted as armor, though magical helmets can be made.
RobbyPants 05-01-07, 12:04 PM	This is actually very similar to a system I created and tried out about two years ago. The only problem I had with my old system (and that you'll probably have with this one) is that the amount of book keeping is huge. I like the idea of sperate HP and AC per body part, but get ready for much longer combats. If the group is okay with it, then it might be a lot of fun. Also, one warning: I'd stay away from called shots to the eyes. Keeping it at the head is good enough (IMO) anyway. If you get too involved in what negative effects happen per body part, each battle will soon turn into a wierd, gory scene, where everyone races to mutilate the other side before they get mutilated ;)! Also (and only play testing will show this), keep an eye out for certain target areas that seem too powerful. If every attack is aimed at the head, then you might be making head shots too powerful (just an example). Hopefully this works out for you! :D EDIT: Also, did you take into account large area of effect spells, such as Fireball? The way I had written it up was that each body part took damage from the spell, but based on the fraction of total HP they had. For instance, in my system, the breakdown was like this: Body Part HP Fraction _______________________ Torso 1 (normal) Head 1/2 total Arm (each) 1/2 total Leg (each) 3/4 total So the idea is that if a 1st level fighter had 12 HP, then his torso would have 12, his head and each arm would have 6, and his legs would have 9. So, based on this, if someone were hit for a Fireball that dealt 30 damage, then his torso would take 30, his head and each arm would take 15, and his legs would take 22. This way, each part takes the same proportional damage. Just thought I'd throw the idea out because I didn't see it in the OP.
bartleby42 05-02-07, 01:17 AM	While I dont' find called shots to be a bad idea, I feel that haveing to keep track of hitpoints for locations to be too much trouble. I greatly prefer the idea of redoing called shots with a simmilar system to yours, just minus the hit point aspect. Example: Called shot to the arm: When you make a called shot to the arm you take a minus 2 penalty to hit. If you hit you force your oppenent to take a -2 penalty to all attacks made with that arm for the next round. If you critical your opponent must make a fort save DC = 1/2 damage delt or drop anything held in that arm. Called shot to the head (CSttH): When you make a CSttH you take a -8 penalty on your attack roll. If you hit you force your oppenent ot take a -2 penalty to inititive. If you crit you oppenent is stunned for a number of rounds equal to your critical mulitplier. Notice how the Called shots don't deal extra damage? That's because called shots that deal extra damage tend to have problems. I am on the other hand more than happy to let players take a penalty to hit in order to cause a status effect on the target.
RobbyPants 05-02-07, 10:43 AM	A couple more things I thought of after my last post: Does the head have full HP (assuming I read your table correctly)? That was on problem I noticed on my system (that I abandoned). I had the head with 1/2 HP, but the problem is, that means proportionally, head shots deal double damage, which means, you have to make the to-hit penalty high enough to make your average head shot have half (or less) the chance to hit as a nomral attack. If it has full HP, then that fixes this problem. Would you handle heart shots the same, if the PCs were fighting a vampire? Lets say one of them gets a sharpened spear without the head, soley for use against vampires. This could give a nice combat bonus during a fight with them. Have you considered having a seperate AC per body part? That could be another way to handle the helmet issue. You could actually get someone in leather armor wearing a skull cap (AC +5, perhaps?) with a much higher head AC. Also, you could have some suave-looking fighter in fullplate without a helmet to show off his good looks with a terrible head AC. This would give an actual in-game effect to how people want to have their PCs appear. Now there's a trade-off.
Egarb 05-02-07, 11:55 AM	RobbyPants, the head has full HP, I figured dealing double damage was excessive too, even with the -8 to hit. All I decided to do was add 1d6 to the damage dealt for that "Boom, headshot" effect. May not seem like much, but in d20 modern the MAS thresh hold is your Constitution score. Getting that extra d6 could mean the difference between a minor wound and a failed massive damage save. I did consider having each armor provide different AC to each limb, but decided not to. That would require too much book keeping for me and would need all the armors re-tooled. What I think I might do is have each armor have a bonus or penalty to crit confirms based on how well it protects the limbs. Full plate granting +2 or so with padder armor being -2 or somthing like that. Also, this way, if they wanted that "cool Effect" they would have -2 for crit confirms on whatever limb was uncovered. For the heart shots... Well, I'd have to say that you would get a normal crit, but being a vampire it would take extra damage from the crit (x2 to x3). Attacking internal organs doesnt seem to be what should be done for called shots. I kinda felt that that was what normal attacks/crits were supposed to be. I didnt consider area of effect spells. With this system, since damage done to limbs still counts towards max hp it would have to be broken up somthing like this. 1/2 the damage is unspecified as to where it hits, 1/8 to each arm, 1/4 to the legs. But I dont know if I want to get this detailed. How did it work out for your system? Bartleby42, the only hit that deals bonus damage is a headshot, and thats only an extra d6, which is nice, but not game breaking. In fact, all of the other shots deal less damage than a normal hit. I have a couple questions regarding the balance. 1) Is the AC adjustment for the limbs about right? Is the head AC (+8) too high for it to be useful? Is the leg ac bonus (+1) too little? 2) If the AC adjustments are about right, who are they useful against? Im worried that the penalties and less damage wont be worth the effect against enemies of the appropriate CR or characters of the same level. Kind of like power attack, useful against less powerful enemies but useless against anything with reasonable AC. If it is I might have to go to individual limb AC.
Holy_Beholder 05-03-07, 06:29 PM	Another simpler system could work for the HP. Basically, each part has a size. -1 size is 2/3 hp, -2 is 1/2, -3 is 1/3, -4 is 1/4. You also divide by the amount of the limb. So on a medium target, their legs are small, and each have 1/3 hp, their arms are tiny, and each have 1/4 hp, and their head is diminuative, and has 1/3 hp. That way, if someone wanted to attack a hydras neck, or beholders eye stalk, it would be easy to figure out. The hydras neck would be medium, an d there are 8.5 of them on average. So for each of the hydras necks, it has 1/8th the HP of the body. For a beholders eye stalk, a beholder is large, but their eye stalks are small, and there are 10 of them, so each eye stalk has 1/20th the total hp(about 7, if I remember right)
brknstar 05-04-07, 02:25 PM	Here's what I use with my group, and it works well. Called Shots Called shots allow you to aim an attack at a specific target on an opponent in order to deal additional effects above and beyond damage, based on where you strike the target. These rules use the “Damage by Location” variant found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Note that penalties caused by called shot damage stack in the case of numeric penalties to dice rolls, and are doubled on a successful critical strike with a Called Shot. For movement penalties, the first successful called shot halves movement, the second quarters it, and the third makes the target immobile (in the case of land movement, they may be able to crawl at the DM’s discretion). Called Shots in Melee Combat: · This is a full-round action (an attack). · You specify the location that you are attempting to strike on the target. · You provoke an attack of opportunity (AoO). If the AoO is successful, your called shot attempt fails. · You make an opposed attack roll against the opponent. If this roll is failed, your called shot attempt fails. · If successful, you have struck the location you initially specified and deal damage normally. If damage is successfully dealt to the opponent, they also apply the effects of the Damage by Location rules from the DMG. Called Shots in Ranged Combat: · This is a full-round action (an attack). · You specify the location that you are attempting to strike on the target. · You cannot attempt a called shot into a melee unless you have the Precise Shot feat. You cannot attempt a ranged called shot against a creature that is 3 or more size categories smaller than you. · If you take damage from an attack of opportunity on you (from firing a ranged weapon while in melee, for instance), your called shot attempt fails. You make an attack roll with the weapon as normal, however you are considered to be firing at a target at least two size categories smaller than your target’s actual size.