"Called shots" within the rules -- breaking a leg

[Quasqueton]

In the last game session, some of the PCs were paralyzed by a spell effect for several minutes. The BBEG (a treant) didn't necessarily want to kill the PCs, but wanted to make sure they didn't escape after the paralysis wore off. So he picked up (grappled) the paralized PC and proceeded to break legs.

Here is how I handled it: I rolled damage like normal against the helpless PC, and when she reached negative hit points she fell unconscious. Instead of dying at -10 I said her legs were broken/crushed.

Since D&D doesn't have a way of specifying/targeting/calling damage to particular parts of the body, this was the best way I could come up with to represent such an action.

Was this a decent way of handling the situation? What would be a better way?

Now that I give it some more thought, perhaps I could have simply used the coup de grace mechanic to simulate breaking the legs of a helpless character.

Quasqueton

 

[Stalker0]

Its a house rule but a good one. I'd have no problem saying that you could just break the legs of a helpless character. If they complain, tell them next time the dude would just simply kill them then

 

[MorganKiller]

That's a tricky question...

you could handle it with a strenght roll for the treant and apply the DC for breaking a log of the size of a human bone...

But it's just my opinion

 

[DarkMaster]

That's a tricky question...

you could handle it with a strenght roll for the treant and apply the DC for breaking a log of the size of a human bone...

But it's just my opinion

I would do the same, and the PC would still suffer the damage from a hit from the Treant. If that is enough to kill the PC then the leg is broken and he died from the impact. -10 HP implies that the PC is so damaged that he/she dies not just brake a leg.

 

[MiB]

Breaking, legs or rules

That's indeed an interesting question, especially once you have decided how legs can be broken (regardless of what rule you come up with it, it should somehow be possible). Then you have to decide what the exact effect of it is (no movment? 5' move what's the effect of pain and shock) and how it can be healed (just cure hp damage with cure spells? Heal skill? Regenerate spell? Lesser Restorarion?.

D&D just doesn't seem to be made for this kind of injuries. The closest thing in the rules that I can recall is the "crippling strike" feat that allows you to reduce a targets move rating with sneak attacks.

I also used a limited version in a trap once. I had decided that the trap was supposed to break or strain ankles, so it caused only minor damage, but left the target with halved movement rate until cure by at least a cure moderate wound spell (I decided that a strained ankle constitutes more than a light wound, and thus such a spell would not restore movement)

But still, that's a house rule.

 

[DarkMaster]

Well look at the caltrop for example, they are a good example.

Breaking a leg should be much more damaging. What is the effect when you get bull-rushed, overun, tripped. Standing on one leg has a major impact on your stability.

 

[MarauderX]

Good topic. As my house rule any character rendered helpless and then damaged for purposes of capture gets to make a Fort save to stay concious after the hit. This works for me for getting konked on the head, broken legs, arms, shattered ankles, severed hands, whatever. The idea is a smart BBEG will know that tying up the PCs before taking them to a prison cell is just asking them to run away or cast a spell or something else the creative players come up with. If the PCs are still awake after getting tagged once and making their Fort save, they can either try to fake it or get whacked again for more damage and another Fort Save. Rinse and repeat.

As far as fighting, I give them the limitations around whatever incapacitates them. Broken arm? Then you won't be weilding that greatsword too well. Broken leg? Movement is now 5 or 10', and is a full round action.

 

[MerakSpielman]

I like to keep things within the existing mechanics if possible. Instead of saying that the villian broke their legs, I'd just say they dealt subdual damage and tied them up afterwards.

Once you start adding rules, you have to make even more rules to work them in. It's a cascade effect.

So you now have rules for breaking legs on helpless people. What about arms? Backs? Fingers? How do you heal from broken bones, if magic is unavailable? Can regular heal spells repair this damage, or do you need Healing or Regeneration or a DC25 heal check? What if you break the same leg in multiple places? Can I enchant a magical sword "Legbreaker" that has a chance to break the legs of my enemies if I hit them? What about if the creature has more than 2 legs?

Etc...

 

[jgsugden]

On a helpless PC, I'd treat their body parts as inanimate objects - and thus subject to object breaking rules. Enough damage to a leg to get past hardness and do enough damage would break the leg.

As for an effect, I would not let the PC put weight on a broken leg. Thus, 5' movement (unless using crutches) and can only fight from a prone position.

 

[Stalker0]

I like to keep things within the existing mechanics if possible. Instead of saying that the villian broke their legs, I'd just say they dealt subdual damage and tied them up afterwards.

Once you start adding rules, you have to make even more rules to work them in. It's a cascade effect.

So you now have rules for breaking legs on helpless people. What about arms? Backs? Fingers? How do you heal from broken bones, if magic is unavailable? Can regular heal spells repair this damage, or do you need Healing or Regeneration or a DC25 heal check? What if you break the same leg in multiple places? Can I enchant a magical sword "Legbreaker" that has a chance to break the legs of my enemies if I hit them? What about if the creature has more than 2 legs?

Etc...

All excellent questions, and worth the effort to answer if it indeeds enhances the man's (or woman's) game.