D&D 3.x 3.5 Sunder/severing help needed

[PrinceZane]

I've looked everywhere I can think to look and cannot find any information on how to dismember a foe. I see how to sever heads on hydras, for example, but how do you go about severing an arm or leg of a humanoid? (using 3.5)

 

[Geoff Watson]

I've looked everywhere I can think to look and cannot find any information on how to dismember a foe. I see how to sever heads on hydras, for example, but how do you go about severing an arm or leg of a humanoid? (using 3.5)

First, you make them helpless.
Then, it doesn't matter because you've won already.

Geoff.

 

[shilsen]

What Geoff Watson said. There are no called shots on limbs in the RAW.

 

[Liquidsabre]

Right no called shots, unless you want to add them as a houserule (see the book Unearthed Arcana for specifics). All I can offer is a house rule, not normally suited for the rules forum, but since it may be appropriate here:

Severing Limbs (melee slashing weapons only)
A random limb is severed if:
• Target is brought to exactly 0 hit points.
• Target is struck by a Critical Hit and takes damage that brings them below 0 hit points. The attacker who struck may opt to sever a limb, bringing the target instead to 0 hit points rather, than doing the full amount of damage.

Allows for occasional limb severing but it won't be something you see all the time. This houserule is adapted from a SW-d20 houserule by JD Wiker.

 

[PrinceZane]

Hmm.. I was thinking more along the lines of during combat, instead of focusing on killing the person/mob whatever, to sever a limb for a nice handicap. Say try to chop of a caster's arm to cut his casting ability down, or sever a leg so the victim can't move (or as well). If I understand right, there is no way to do this except via house rules?

 

[calypso15]

If I understand right, there is no way to do this except via house rules?

Correct.

EDIT: Though there are feats, like Hamstring, that "sort of" simulate it. Instead of sneak damage you hamper their movement.

 

[Geoff Watson]

Hmm.. I was thinking more along the lines of during combat, instead of focusing on killing the person/mob whatever, to sever a limb for a nice handicap. Say try to chop of a caster's arm to cut his casting ability down, or sever a leg so the victim can't move (or as well). If I understand right, there is no way to do this except via house rules?

Most of the time, if someone gets a limb severed they would be incapacitated by shock anyway, so it's just as good as KO/killing them.

Most of the time, 'called shot' rules degenerate into instant kill effects (If I can chop off an arm, I can chop off a head; true strike to hit easily, then kill any opponent with ease).

Geoff.

 

[PrinceZane]

Aye. I was thinking something like called shot, just with limitations. Can only be arms/legs where the HPs of the target is X% of the creatures total hps or something like that... I just wasn't sure if there was a set formula or tactic or what..

 

[shilsen]

Aye. I was thinking something like called shot, just with limitations. Can only be arms/legs where the HPs of the target is X% of the creatures total hps or something like that... I just wasn't sure if there was a set formula or tactic or what..

Malhavoc Press' recent release Book of Iron Might has a system on combat maneuvers which allows you to create them by using specific formulae (taking negatives to attack, drawing AoOs, etc.). That might suit your purposes.

 

[PrinceZane]

Hmm... Haven't heard of that book. If anyone has it, can you check for me? Also, as a side note.. what is RAW? It looks very familiar but I'm having a brain fart on picking up what it is.