Called Shots. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Called Shots. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
warghoul
12-09-06, 03:37 AM I know there isnt any called shots in 3.x but i wish there was such a thing. Any good 'house' rules or published stuff out there? As a DM I/We should have a chance to remove a body part or object. Never mind sunder and such.
KurenaiYami
12-09-06, 05:16 AM The whole idea of called shot does not work well with the abstract system that is HP.

Not to mention the fact that if you took off somebody's leg, that person would then die, so it's not really balanced.

On that note, most I've seen have agreed that there is nothing wrong with saying you chop somebody's arm off as a killing blow. If you reduce their HP to -10, you chopped off their arm!
krichaiushii
12-09-06, 08:01 AM Torn Asunder (http://www.bastionpress.com/Products/torn.htm) from Bastion Press isn't too bad. I've heard of other systems, but can't recall their names.
wrecan
12-09-06, 09:57 AM Wrecan's Quick and Dirty Called Shots

Called shot to the Leg: Improved Trip
Called shot to the Arm: Improved Disarm
Called shot to the Item: Improved Sunder
Called shot to the Vitals: Power Attack and/or Improved Critical
Azezel
12-09-06, 10:26 AM No.

No called shots - this way lies madness.

We use a highly abstract system in D&D, and called shots are simply not a part of it.

ID est, a character is always making a called shot. Always aiming for the most vulnerable part of his foe. That is waht BaB is - your ability to hit that part of the foe which one desires to hit.

Convercly - let us say that you impliment a system of called shots - say, make a called shot with a -20 to hit?

A level one Kobold Sorcerer comes along - casts True Strike and makes a called shot to your player's eye.

Boom - player dead.

Sound fun?
Sadrx
12-09-06, 12:59 PM I have to agree with what other's have said here. If a character gets a critical hit as a killing blow, I describe their arrow piercing through the target's heart or head. In this way, called shots should never result in an instant kill. (Edit: That's what critical hits and high-damage attacks are for.) Sometimes however, my players have declared they'd like to make a called shot with some other intent -- getting sand into a creature's eyes, kicking someone where the sun-don't-shine, etc. I've always looked to the rough mechanics set up by the Hydra entry for how to deal with such called shots.

When attacking a specific body part with a melee attack, you first provoke an attack of opportunity unless the you have the Improved Sunder feat. I usually say your attempt is prevented if the attack of opportunity is successful (though this is not specifically stated for regular Sunders). Skip this step if you are using a ranged weapon.

Such as when sundering a carried or worn object, next make an attack roll against the object's AC. In the case of a creature's body part, the object's AC is based on the creature's regular AC with all normal modifiers applied (such as shooting into melee for ranged attacks). The AC for a specific body part is increased, however, by the fact that a creature's body part will have a different size-modifier to AC than the creature does.

For this, I generally rule that a creature's torso is one size category smaller than itself; it's legs and arms are two size categories smaller; it's hands, feet, and head are three size categories smaller; and parts such as it's eyes, heart, genitals, or mouth are four size categories smaller than itself.

For a human, this means that:
Torso is size Small: +1 AC.
Legs and arms are size Tiny: +2 AC.
Hands, feet, and head are size Diminutive: +4 AC.
Eyes, heart, genitals, and mouth are Fine: +8 AC.

Finally, if you hit, you deal only half-damage against the target creature's hit points. You might also hinder your target in additional ways, however. The full damage you rolled is applied against the target creature's body part. This damage is then reduced by a hardness just as when attempting to sunder an item (roughly 2 for stomachs, 5 for limbs, 8 for heads or hearts). The damage which you actually inflict against the target body part is then taken into consideration by your DM along with the type of damage that was dealt (slashing, fire, etc.) as to how damaged the location becomes and what penalties the target creature might suffer from it.

I leave this last part up to the DM's discretion because I like to use this mechanic to reward players for specific instances of strategy instead of offering them a more efficient method for routinely eliminating foes.

I have to additionally say that if my players used this called shot system more frequently, I'd have to creates scenarios where their foes use this targeting method against them as well, but as yet, that hasn't been necessary. Mostly, my players have relied on this called shot mechanic out of combat in situations of humiliation, such as poking someone in the eye or the like.
Catra
12-09-06, 04:22 PM My DM's House Rule:

If you exceed someone’s AC by 10, you may subtract (10?) points of damage in order to inflict a penalty instead. If you exceed it by 20, you can inflict a penalty for free, or inflict a greater penalty for (10?) points of damage.

Penalties that can be afflicted include: sickened, deafened, prone, staggered.

Greater penalties include: blinded, dazed, disabled,
BeefotronX
12-09-06, 05:05 PM Here's a rule I haven't tested yet:

Semi-lethal attack: Take a -2 attack penalty in order to deal half lethal damage and half non-lethal damage (round down). This represents attempting to avoid vital areas without actually trying to use weapons non-lethally.

A critical hit with a semi-lethal attack is a maiming hit. Instead of dealing multiplied damage, the attack deals ability damage.
The weapon uses only its base damage + magical enhancement modifiers + 2 for every multiplier point above x2 (+2 for x3, +4 for x4), and deals this damage to Constitution and one other ability, depending on which extremity the attacker has targeted: arms for Strength, legs for Dexterity, and head for Wisdom. If this attack, targeted at an arm, reduces the target to half its full Strength or less, an arm is ruined or severed. If this attack, targeted at a leg, reduces the target to half its full Dexterity or less, a leg is ruined or severed. If this attack, targeted at the head, reduces the target to half its full Wisdom or less, the target is blinded or deafened(50% chance of either).
Animae_Draconum
12-09-06, 05:53 PM The way I handle called shots is on criticals.

1. Player rolls a threatened Crit
2. Player may take a penalty on confirming said critical as per the following chart.
3. If the critical hit is confirmed after the penalty is applied the player gets the corresponding effect.

Penalty | Target Area | Effect
-4 | Hand/Foot | Dex check*
-6 | Inside Elbow | Hit limb is disabled until healed
-10 | Eye | Instant kill

In all cases apply critical damage

*The Dex check is to remain holding the weapon or prevent falling prone

It works fairly well since called shots may only be made on criticals

A_D
Sildatorak
12-09-06, 09:59 PM As a DM I/We should have a chance to remove a body part or object.
Removing objects is handled within sunder. Removing body parts is not specifically dealt with anywhere. The way my group plays it, if you want to remove a body part from someone, you use the coup de grace rules. On a failed save, the victim loses a body part instead of dying. They can still die from the damage, but that is a risk you take when you are chopping off limbs.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
warghoul 12-09-06, 03:37 AM	I know there isnt any called shots in 3.x but i wish there was such a thing. Any good 'house' rules or published stuff out there? As a DM I/We should have a chance to remove a body part or object. Never mind sunder and such.
KurenaiYami 12-09-06, 05:16 AM	The whole idea of called shot does not work well with the abstract system that is HP. Not to mention the fact that if you took off somebody's leg, that person would then die, so it's not really balanced. On that note, most I've seen have agreed that there is nothing wrong with saying you chop somebody's arm off as a killing blow. If you reduce their HP to -10, you chopped off their arm!
krichaiushii 12-09-06, 08:01 AM	Torn Asunder (http://www.bastionpress.com/Products/torn.htm) from Bastion Press isn't too bad. I've heard of other systems, but can't recall their names.
wrecan 12-09-06, 09:57 AM	Wrecan's Quick and Dirty Called Shots Called shot to the Leg: Improved Trip Called shot to the Arm: Improved Disarm Called shot to the Item: Improved Sunder Called shot to the Vitals: Power Attack and/or Improved Critical
Azezel 12-09-06, 10:26 AM	No. No called shots - this way lies madness. We use a highly abstract system in D&D, and called shots are simply not a part of it. ID est, a character is always making a called shot. Always aiming for the most vulnerable part of his foe. That is waht BaB is - your ability to hit that part of the foe which one desires to hit. Convercly - let us say that you impliment a system of called shots - say, make a called shot with a -20 to hit? A level one Kobold Sorcerer comes along - casts True Strike and makes a called shot to your player's eye. Boom - player dead. Sound fun?
Sadrx 12-09-06, 12:59 PM	I have to agree with what other's have said here. If a character gets a critical hit as a killing blow, I describe their arrow piercing through the target's heart or head. In this way, called shots should never result in an instant kill. (Edit: That's what critical hits and high-damage attacks are for.) Sometimes however, my players have declared they'd like to make a called shot with some other intent -- getting sand into a creature's eyes, kicking someone where the sun-don't-shine, etc. I've always looked to the rough mechanics set up by the Hydra entry for how to deal with such called shots. When attacking a specific body part with a melee attack, you first provoke an attack of opportunity unless the you have the Improved Sunder feat. I usually say your attempt is prevented if the attack of opportunity is successful (though this is not specifically stated for regular Sunders). Skip this step if you are using a ranged weapon. Such as when sundering a carried or worn object, next make an attack roll against the object's AC. In the case of a creature's body part, the object's AC is based on the creature's regular AC with all normal modifiers applied (such as shooting into melee for ranged attacks). The AC for a specific body part is increased, however, by the fact that a creature's body part will have a different size-modifier to AC than the creature does. For this, I generally rule that a creature's torso is one size category smaller than itself; it's legs and arms are two size categories smaller; it's hands, feet, and head are three size categories smaller; and parts such as it's eyes, heart, genitals, or mouth are four size categories smaller than itself. For a human, this means that: Torso is size Small: +1 AC. Legs and arms are size Tiny: +2 AC. Hands, feet, and head are size Diminutive: +4 AC. Eyes, heart, genitals, and mouth are Fine: +8 AC. Finally, if you hit, you deal only half-damage against the target creature's hit points. You might also hinder your target in additional ways, however. The full damage you rolled is applied against the target creature's body part. This damage is then reduced by a hardness just as when attempting to sunder an item (roughly 2 for stomachs, 5 for limbs, 8 for heads or hearts). The damage which you actually inflict against the target body part is then taken into consideration by your DM along with the type of damage that was dealt (slashing, fire, etc.) as to how damaged the location becomes and what penalties the target creature might suffer from it. I leave this last part up to the DM's discretion because I like to use this mechanic to reward players for specific instances of strategy instead of offering them a more efficient method for routinely eliminating foes. I have to additionally say that if my players used this called shot system more frequently, I'd have to creates scenarios where their foes use this targeting method against them as well, but as yet, that hasn't been necessary. Mostly, my players have relied on this called shot mechanic out of combat in situations of humiliation, such as poking someone in the eye or the like.
Catra 12-09-06, 04:22 PM	My DM's House Rule: If you exceed someone’s AC by 10, you may subtract (10?) points of damage in order to inflict a penalty instead. If you exceed it by 20, you can inflict a penalty for free, or inflict a greater penalty for (10?) points of damage. Penalties that can be afflicted include: sickened, deafened, prone, staggered. Greater penalties include: blinded, dazed, disabled,
BeefotronX 12-09-06, 05:05 PM	Here's a rule I haven't tested yet: Semi-lethal attack: Take a -2 attack penalty in order to deal half lethal damage and half non-lethal damage (round down). This represents attempting to avoid vital areas without actually trying to use weapons non-lethally. A critical hit with a semi-lethal attack is a maiming hit. Instead of dealing multiplied damage, the attack deals ability damage. The weapon uses only its base damage + magical enhancement modifiers + 2 for every multiplier point above x2 (+2 for x3, +4 for x4), and deals this damage to Constitution and one other ability, depending on which extremity the attacker has targeted: arms for Strength, legs for Dexterity, and head for Wisdom. If this attack, targeted at an arm, reduces the target to half its full Strength or less, an arm is ruined or severed. If this attack, targeted at a leg, reduces the target to half its full Dexterity or less, a leg is ruined or severed. If this attack, targeted at the head, reduces the target to half its full Wisdom or less, the target is blinded or deafened(50% chance of either).
Animae_Draconum 12-09-06, 05:53 PM	The way I handle called shots is on criticals. 1. Player rolls a threatened Crit 2. Player may take a penalty on confirming said critical as per the following chart. 3. If the critical hit is confirmed after the penalty is applied the player gets the corresponding effect. Penalty \| Target Area \| Effect -4 \| Hand/Foot \| Dex check* -6 \| Inside Elbow \| Hit limb is disabled until healed -10 \| Eye \| Instant kill In all cases apply critical damage *The Dex check is to remain holding the weapon or prevent falling prone It works fairly well since called shots may only be made on criticals A_D
Sildatorak 12-09-06, 09:59 PM	As a DM I/We should have a chance to remove a body part or object. Removing objects is handled within sunder. Removing body parts is not specifically dealt with anywhere. The way my group plays it, if you want to remove a body part from someone, you use the coup de grace rules. On a failed save, the victim loses a body part instead of dying. They can still die from the damage, but that is a risk you take when you are chopping off limbs.