Post/Author/DateTime	Post
criticalstriker 05-13-07, 12:34 PM	Called shot: Requirements: 5 ranks in spot, +4 BAB A called shot is the character not merely aiming at the target, but aiming specifically for a certain area, usually a vital spot. To make a called sot the character must declare they are making one before rolling to hit. The player must then choose what part of the body he is going to try to hit, head, torso, left arm, right arm, left leg, or right leg. Since these targets are smaller, and generally moving a lot, it makes it difficult to hit them, and as such the character takes penalties to hit. Refer to the below chart for the damage dealt, armor class, and negatives to hit of the different body parts. AC [RIGHT] Before any of the below benefits can be had, the attacking character must reduce that limbs health down to zero. The torso has 1/2 of the targets HP, each arm has 2/3's the targets HP, each leg has 2/3's the targets HP, and the targets head has 1/3 the targets HP. The AC of the target remains the same, with the addition of a size modifier for each limb(see page 314 of the MM for AC bonus's by size). Each of the arms has a size equal to (the base creatures size) -2, each of the legs have a size equal to (the base creatures size) -2, the torso has a size equal to (the base creatures size) -1, and finally, the head has a size equal to (the base creatures) -3. Left leg 10 + dex + armor + size Right leg 10+ dex + armor + size Left arm 10+ dex + armor + size Right arm 10+ dex + armor + size Head 10+ dex + armor + size Torso 10+ dex + armor + size If the character is wearing light armor they only gain the armor bonus to the torso. If the character is wearing medium armor they gain half armor to all of the body parts. Accept for the torso, which gets full. If the character is wearing heavy armor, they are immune to all of the attacks. If the character manages to hit the target in one of these spots, refer to the below table for the effects of it. Effect Left leg................Targets speed is reduced by half. The target can no longer run at x4 normal speed. Right leg...............Targets speed is reduced by half. The target can no longer run at x4 normal speed. Left arm...............Target takes -4 to hit (if he swings with his left arm) and -2 to strength when he is determining damage and his ability to lift. Right arm...............Target takes -4 to hit (if he swings with his right arm) and -2 to strength when he is determining damage and his ability to lift. Torso...............The target takes an additional +5 damage and there is a 10% chance that the hit will be a threatened critical. Head...............The hit has a 40% chance to be an instant critical. The critical multiplier for this is increased by +1. So if a longbow hits the target, instead of taking x3, he will take x4 If the character shoots both of the targets legs, the targets speed is then reduced to 1/3 normal speed. If the target is hit in the same arm twice, the effects stack.
Kopana 05-13-07, 01:40 PM	Noone wants to comment? He's my DM, if he's going to introduce it into the campaign outside opinions would be nice, I think it's fine, and I've played plenty of archers before, but I still like to hear what others think.
Evil DM Mk3 05-13-07, 01:55 PM	First of all I will bring up true strike, bane of Called Shots. Also we seem to have BOTH an inceraced DC and a penalty here. How (apart from being more complex) is Left leg 15+dex +1/4 armor -5 to hit differant from 20+dex+1/4 armour. Also why is the armour reduced at all? I would be tempted to try this(as it more closely follows armour shape). Light armour Ignored on any save torso Med armour Half on any save torso Heavy armour unafected.
Kopana 05-13-07, 02:04 PM	First, I am so getting like thirty level one ranger hirelings, giving them bows-o'-awesome, and developing the new spell "Greater Truestrike, Mass" +40 to hit on everybody in the area, that BBEG will die so hard with like thirty shots to the face for like 60d6+120 or something, assuming +5 bows. The second thing is his call, I even just asked him about hiring archers with True Strike and he said it's fine :D Man my DM is great.
Xeviat-DM 05-13-07, 02:05 PM	I think your system is too complicated, and the results are too potent (50% of head shots are crits?). Though, with that aside, you are headed in the right direction I think. Called Shots can be done fairly if they merely inflict a status condition, or the extra damage gained isn't more than would be gained with Power Attack. I'd do away with the separate ACs for limbs, and just use the attack penalties. Then, compare the effects to spell effects; called shot (eye) resembles Blindness, a 2nd level effect.
criticalstriker 05-13-07, 02:18 PM	True strike is a spell that grants +20 to your next attack roll correct? Lets say your aiming for the hardest part, the head, the chops the bonus down to +10, now since this is a personal spell he can't cast it on the fighter with a high BAB. Meaning even with +10 (maybe +15 after all hid bonuses are added) he could still miss the target, if the target has good enough armor and dex. As for the armor thing, I was thinking along the lines it would be slightly easier to bypass the armor if the character was stopping and aiming. But I do like your variant, I'll actually use that.
Sunchilde 05-13-07, 06:38 PM	Yeah - I say having seperate attack penalties and AC gains are kind of redundant. +5 AC = -5 atk , so just put it on one side or the other. Also - I think having the torso thing . . . kinda silly. I believe DnD kinda works on the assumption that the shot would hit in the torso. Who at level 20 wouldn't take -3 to hit to gain a 10% extra chance to crit. I say extra - because if it is not extra it is pointless because of keen (which takes anything to at least 10% crit range). Peace.
criticalstriker 05-13-07, 07:20 PM	I believe there are multiple instances similar to what I did with the ac an -to hit. But the ac was representing actually hitting the wear spot in the armor (maybe a gap in the armor, such as at the knee). Where as the -to hit was because the target is relatively small small. I mean in and out of combat, people don't tend to sit perfectly still and let you aim at their head. Even there chest, they are moving and dodging attacks (presumably) from other party members.
Sunchilde 05-14-07, 02:09 PM	Oh, I understand the flavour - but mechanically it makes things more difficult. Flavour is the point of the game -- but putting flavour in the rules is somewhat moot as I don't think anyone other than you will notice the flavour and the players will most definitely notice that it takes longer when you are looking up tables of negatives to hit and additions to AC. Plus - honestly - negatives to hit aren't for hitting a more difficult target -- that is what dodge and size changes to AC are for. Negatives to hit are adverse circumstances, any difference in regards to the target should affect the target's AC. So to summarize - I still say lump them all on the AC side - it is mechanically easier and makes as much sense. Also -- are these the only called shot areas or are these just the ones you are starting with?
TarlSS 05-14-07, 02:47 PM	Any ray wizard or rogue with Truestrike+Wraithstrike will pretty much kill anything non-undead/construct/plant within an average time frame of 2 rounds or less. If you're satisfied with your players being able to throw down True Strike potions (approx 25 GP to make) and killing anything alive within one round, be my guest. Otherwise, you should probably realize what every other developer since D20 came out has and stop trying to implement Called Shots.
RobbyPants 05-14-07, 03:10 PM	I would just create a Dex-based feat (Dex 13+ as a prereq) that worked a lot like Power Attack. You can take a penalty to hit up to your BAB, and you gain a like amount to your damage roll. I wouldn't allow it to work on creatures immune to critical hits. Perhaps, with other feats or circumstances, you could get better than a 1-for-1 return (similar to the 2-for-1 with a two-handed weapon with Power Attack). I haven't thought that far ahead yet... :P
criticalstriker 05-14-07, 08:53 PM	Otherwise, you should probably realize what every other developer since D20 came out has and stop trying to implement Called Shots. Sorry, I don't give up on things like this well. Most of all because some one in my game said it was impossible, so now it's not so much a matter of making the called shot, as proving her wrong. :P Oh, I understand the flavour - but mechanically it makes things more difficult. Flavour is the point of the game -- but putting flavour in the rules is somewhat moot as I don't think anyone other than you will notice the flavour and the players will most definitely notice that it takes longer when you are looking up tables of negatives to hit and additions to AC. Plus - honestly - negatives to hit aren't for hitting a more difficult target -- that is what dodge and size changes to AC are for. Negatives to hit are adverse circumstances, any difference in regards to the target should affect the target's AC. So to summarize - I still say lump them all on the AC side - it is mechanically easier and makes as much sense. I suppose you're right, I'll edit it now and just lump them all together. Also -- are these the only called shot areas or are these just the ones you are starting with? I would like to add more, but before I do, I want to balance it as much as possible.
Amtekoth 05-15-07, 04:38 PM	I would just create a Dex-based feat (Dex 13+ as a prereq) that worked a lot like Power Attack. You can take a penalty to hit up to your BAB, and you gain a like amount to your damage roll. I wouldn't allow it to work on creatures immune to critical hits. Perhaps, with other feats or circumstances, you could get better than a 1-for-1 return (similar to the 2-for-1 with a two-handed weapon with Power Attack). I haven't thought that far ahead yet... :P I like this option a LOT. Based on the existing Power Attack feat, not overpowered, simple to implement. Ed
criticalstriker 05-15-07, 05:42 PM	I know about the dex for damage thing, I believe that has been made before. Thats not really the point of this feat though. I would prefer if you guys stuck to telling me what you think is over/under powered about this feat.
Nathreet 05-15-07, 07:40 PM	For any called shot system to work, it must: 1. Work alongside normal attacks. There must be a chance for normal attacks to cause the same effects. 2. Use logical AC's, not arbitrary ones. Size bonuses come to mind, for example. Otherwise you'll run into major balancing issues. 3. Include some kind of balancing factors. Either special effects must be rare enough to keep from unbalancing the game (e.g., require massive damage, a nat 20 to confirm, etc.), or other things must be penalized equally to balance them. A head for numbers helps here. Otherwise the system is just asking for one of two things: 1. Players eventually abandon it after they find out it doesn't work so well. 2. Players abuse it and use it on nearly every single attack, even in situations where there is no special reason to target a particular body part. The game slows dance and becomes unbalanced in favor of archers.
criticalstriker 05-15-07, 08:46 PM	1. Work alongside normal attacks. There must be a chance for normal attacks to cause the same effects. I don't know about this one, I mean it is a feat, cleave and great cleave do some thing that normal attacks have no chance at all of doing. 2. Use logical AC's, not arbitrary ones. Size bonuses come to mind, for example. Otherwise you'll run into major balancing issues. I do agree with this, the arms would be on size category smaller than the target, the head would be two. 3. Include some kind of balancing factors. Either special effects must be rare enough to keep from unbalancing the game (e.g., require massive damage, a nat 20 to confirm, etc.), or other things must be penalized equally to balance them. A head for numbers helps here. Maybe if you hit the target you have 50% chance of some thing happening, then have three special effects? That should limit how often good things come up.
Holy_Beholder 05-19-07, 12:55 AM	I would give each of the limbs a certain amount of HP(legs 2/3, arms 1/2, head 1/3) and the effect only works if you bring the HP down into dying. If the HP is dead then you are going to need regeneration or something. Also, I would have legs be one size category smaller, arms 2, head 3. You could also attack tails and stuff. Attacks like fire ball deal damage to all parts, but that damage is multiplied by the multiplier to HP.
True Cavalier 05-19-07, 09:14 AM	The best way of handling "Called shot", as far as I've seen, is making it a "Power Attack" (- attack, + damage) that works only for finesse and ranged weapons.
criticalstriker 05-19-07, 12:22 PM	Ok, I've changed the rules again, now everything has a HP. The best way of handling "Called shot", as far as I've seen, is making it a "Power Attack" (- attack, + damage) that works only for finesse and ranged weapons. Multiple people seem to be saying this, but that is not the point of this thread. Please try to stay to critiquing my rules.