Called Shots and Reflex Saves

[Creamsteak]

Ever have those players that really don't understand why they don't have called shots? Or why he doesn't get a reflex save to avoid a critical hit?

I had one recently. His house rule, which I think is interesting enough to post (but not necessarily sound enough to use in a reasonable game) worked like this:

You can make a called shot against any part of your opponents discernable anatomy. Making a called shot incurs a -4 penalty to attack rolls. If the attack roll hits, the target gets a reflex save (DC is the Damage Dealt). A successful save negates the attack.

Called shots to human anatomy include:
Eyes (incurs Blindness and deals half damage for the called shot)
Ears (incurs Deafness and deals half damage for the called shot)
Throat (deals half damage and incurs suffocation penalties as if the target was drowning)
Legs (incurs half damage and halves movement)
Arm (incurs half damage and causes a penalty to attack rolls and negates shield bonus for targeted arm)
Groin (incurs half damage and limits target to a single standard action on the next round)
*Torso (incurs full damage, but the weapon can be "imbedded" to prevent regeneration and fast healing of the wound or to cause constant damage in the case of weaknesses against weapon types or weapons with the wounding property)

*Thats an extra house rule they use at their table where weapons left inside the targets chest for a regenerating target such as a troll will deal lethal damage instead of non-lethal damage, or the weapon can be left inside of a creature with fast healing to make the damage impossibe to heal until the weapon is removed as a full-round action.

If the damage caused by the called shot is healed, the negative penalty caused by the caused shot is removed and the target functions normally.

If a called shot is also a confirmed critical hit, the debilitation is more extreme (such as a severed limb), and will require some method of regeneration. Creatures that have natural regeneration (such as a troll) are immune to called shots made against their eyes, ears, throat, legs, arms, and groin except in the case of a critical hit.



I think that although extreme, it does seem a little interesting, so I thought I'd post it. It does open up some interesting special tactics (like carrying four wounding daggers and attempting to call shots against the torso with them, so that you can cause constant bleeding wounds).

 

[Li Shenron]

It's interesting.

If I may add my personal opinion, one thing that no one usually think about when modelling called shots is the time. You can add to your rule that a called shot is a full-round action that provokes AoO (and maybe even require a Concentration check to succeed, or to lessen the penalty). This is especially true for ranged called shots, because you can imagine how in the cinematic of the action you are aiming at a target who is constantly moving and the part you are aiming is not always in your line-of-sight even if the whole creature always is. This addition prevents to try multiple attempts per round.

Another addition could be to scale the penalty depending to how small is the part to hit: -4 for the torso is even too hard, but for an eye it may be too small a penalty.

 

[Creamsteak]

Actually, the weirdest thing about this rule to me was that you could use a greatsword to take out someones eye without their head coming off.

 

[Li Shenron]

Actually, the weirdest thing about this rule to me was that you could use a greatsword to take out someones eye without their head coming off.

Now that you actually mentioned it, with this HR you could even take someone's eye off with a club or a shield bash or a warhammer. I can imagine a Monk using flurry of blows and furiously using his quarterstaff as a snooker's stick against someone's eyes, tek-tek-tek...

 

[Creamsteak]

I made a proposal yesterday to the guy about how he might want to change this. My proposal is this:

Piercing weapons have a +2 bonus to attack rolls for called shots.
Light melee weapons have a +2 bonus to attack rolls for called shots.
One-handed melee weapons have a +0 bonus to attack rolls for called shots.
Two-handed melee weapons have a -2 penalty to attack rolls for called shots.
Ranged weapons have a -2 penalty to attack rolls for called shots.

Basically it was just a quick adjustment I thought might help some of the problems with the flat -4 penalty. This way, a dagger has a -0 penalty, but the enemy is going to have a much easier time making the reflex save against a dagger attack unless it's handled by someone with sneak attack. A greatsword has a -6 penalty, and allthough a solid hit will be likely to succeed, the 30% worse chance to hit should make it difficult. The ranged weapon penalty is in there to make bows keep the -4 penalty.

It's certainly not a fix-all, but I think it fixes one of the problems.

 

[kodarr]

When i use called shots the players get a -8 penalty to attack rolls and they are more general (head, torso, Right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg)
If injuring an arm for at least 1/5 the current hp of the opponent then unless it is fastened by a locked gauntlet or strapped to thier arm like a buckler thier weapon is dropped and they cannot use that arm for at least 1d4 rounds.
Injuring a leg for least 1/5 the current hp of the opponent slows movement by 1/2 or 1/4 if both legs are taken out and induces a -2 AC penalty or -4 if both legs.
Injuring a torso for 1/5 the current hp of the opponent will cause them to start bleeding taking 1hp per round until stabalized. If it was blunt item that did this then it's internal bleeding and if treated right it can still be stabalized. Each round 10% chance it stabalizes itself otherwise needs magical healing or a healing check to stabalize it. Also if bleeding and trying to cast a spell the spellcaster must make a concentration check DC 10+ 1/round that has been bleeding.
Head shots are the deadliest of all. If at least 1/5 damage is dealt to the head the victim must make a fort save DC = 1/3 the damage dealt or die. However a helmet protects versus this.

Surprisingly the -8 penalty never hurts the game play since the effects are all equally effective for the players. This is especially liked by all the archers since as people close in they can slow down some of the opposition so the fighters can take out a few at a time. Or even disarm them without having to attack thier weapons. Maybe even drop a few or inturrupt all the spellcasters.

Since the headshots get a save it usually causes the PC's to target other body parts that won't allow a save. To get the desired affects.

one last thing the 1/5 current hp has to be dealt in that one attack. This usually makes players weaken stronger foes down then when their defences are lowered a bit more strike them where it hurts.

Knowledge or favored enemy of different creatures may allow for called shots on dragons, beholders, etc... Depending how well the PC's know the weaknesses of the creatures. NOTE: this is not how well the players know them since the players are to play PC's as inexpirienced unless they encountered them b4.

 

[Hollywood]

Ever have those players that really don't understand why they don't have called shots?

Yeah, and why shouldn't they? I can attack a weapon, why not an arm? Or a leg? Especially considering there is already a rule variant in the DMG for damage to body locations!

Anyways, a -4 penalty seems a bit small honestly so here's my house rule...


Much like attacking a weapon or object, an attack can be made against a body part. A called shot must be declared before an attack roll is made and provokes an attack of opportunity. Depending on the size of the body part, the attacker suffers a -2 penalty plus a size modifier penalty to the attack roll, see Table 1. With a ranged weapon, a creature may take a full-round to perform the called shot which halves the size modifier penalty.

If a successful called shot causes a critical hit, then the critical multiplier is incremented by one.

In addition to normal damage, a successful called shot causes additional effects. If the damage done by the called shot exceeds the victim's Constitution score, then thethe body part is rendered useless. Consult the Table 3-9: Effects of Damaging Specific Areas (DMG pg. 64) for penalties to damaged, or useless, body parts. Both conditions apply until the character completely healed. Table 2 and Table 3 are provided to give DMs guidelines on describing the injury.

A player may elect to forgo the useless result in lieu of a specific effect. The effect must be stated at the same time that the called shot is declared and the outcome of the effect is left to the DM.

Table 1: Size Modifiers
Body Part                               Modifier 
Tiny (individual finger digits)          -16
Small (eyes, ears, fingers, etc.)         -8  
Medium (hands, feet, groin, etc.)         -4
Large (abdomen, arms, legs, etc.)         -2