Breaking Bones/Severing limbs Q&A's

[wuyanei]

Not exactly revelant, but what if we made each called shot into a series of [FIGHTER] feats (under the Improved Sunder chain?), placed a Fort-save-or suffer X for each body position, then let 'called shots' take the place of the 'cool special abilities' for high-level fighters?

If we are careful to limit the entry levels, we can have say:

Feat: Called shot (weapon-bearing limb): Opposed attack roll (as sunder), but you suffer an additional -4 to the attack roll. If you win the opposed roll, the opponent must make a Fort save vs. 12 + Str mod or suffer -3 penalty to attack and damage rolls with attacks using that limb for 1d4+1 rounds, available at 5th level. 'Weapons' for this feat include natural weapons;

Feat: Called shot (leg): Attack at -4 to hit. If the attack hits and deals damage, the target must make Fort save vs. 13 + Str mod or -6 penalty to Dexterity (to a minimum of 1) for 1d4+1 rounds, available at 7th level. Creatures with more than two legs take only -2 penalty per wounded leg, creatures with more than 6 legs take no penalty until they have three or fewer good legs remaining;

... and so on, until you have:

Feat: Called shot (lungs): Attack at -6 to hit. If the attack hits and deals damage, the target must make a Fort save vs. 14 + Str mod or take 1 constitution damage per round for the next 1d6 rounds as blood slowly fills the victim's lungs, available at 9th level (bludgeoning weapons break the victim's ribs, creating the same effect as slashing/piercing weapons);

Feat: Called shot (heart): May only be attempted with a piercing weapon. Attack at -8 to hit. You suffer an additional -4 to hit if the target has at least 2 points armor or natural armor bonus (the area around the heart tends to be the best protected). If the attack hits and deals more damage than the target's Constitution score, the target must make a Fort save vs. 15 + Str mod or die, available at 11th level;

Feat: Called shot (head): May only be attempted with a bludgeoning weapon. Attack at -6 to hit. If the attack hits and deals damage, the target must make a Fort save vs. 15 + Str mod or be nauseated for 1d3 rounds, available at 11th level;

Feat: Called shot (femoral artery): May only be attempted with a slashing weapon. Attack at -6 to hit. If the attack hits and deals damage, the target must make a Fort save vs. 15 + Str mod or take 2d4 points Constitution damage, available at 11th level;

Feat: Called shot (neck): Attack at -6 to hit. If the attack hits and deals more damage than the target's Constitution score, the target must make a Fort save vs. 16 + Str mod or die, available at 13th level;

Feat: Called shot (eye): May only be attempted with a piercing weapon. Attack at -10 to hit. The target must make a reflex save against DC 10 + half your BAB + your dexterity modifier. If the target fails the save, you may ignore any physical armor and natural armor bonuses to the AC of the target (shield bonus, dodge bonus, deflection bonus, armor bonus from mage armor and other bonuses still apply). If the attack hits and deals damage, the target is blinded in one eye. If the attack deals more damage than the target's Constitution score, the target must also make a Fort save vs. 17 + Str mod or die. Available at 15th level;

In all cases, you cannot apply a higher Str mode than that maximum you could with your weapon (such as a mighty crossbow). If you wield a weapon in two hands, add 1.5 times your str bonus.

Make each called shot a standard action, instead of an attack. Making a called shot provokes an attack of opportunity (unless you take another feat -- Improved Called Shot -- to negate that). Balance each called shot with spells (or better, warlock invocations) of the same level, while keeping in mind that the called shots can be used infinite times. Bascially a non-magical invocation...

I have not tried to balance these abilities yet. I have noticed a lack of high-powered feats for the very high-level fighter to take. Perhaps, with some modification and playtesting, called shots might be a way to address this defict?

 

[0megas]

Use the following method for severing limbs in battle.

This is a small variant that only modifies sunder and allows the severing / dismembering of limbs, during battle, before a foe is helpless.

"Unarmed" is listed as a weapon and is included in all of the weapon based feats. Thus in this variant natural weapons and unarmed foes can be targeted with a sunder attack.

Method First the targets equipped weapon / shield has to be dis-arm or sundered to destruction. Then the player can sunder the targets unequipped limb. Two handed weapons are equipped in both hands so the off hand is not considered unequipped.

Limbs AC = The targets full AC and reduce the size modifier of AC by 2 size categories. Refer to page 134 PHB. This represents the size of the limb compared to the targets full size. Examples a human would go from 0 to +2, a gnome would go from a +1 to a +4, and so on. Sundering through armor makes sundering limbs too tedious and players lost interest, thus armor is used only to determine a successful hit. Hitting an armored limb means striking an area of the limb that is not covered. All armor has chink points including full plate.

Limb HP = Divide the targets max Hp by the total number of limbs that can preformed an unarmed strike or natural strike, not counting the head. This is the limbs HP
HP per limb has to be tracked separately but every point of damage done to a limb is applied to the targets current HP. Tracking limb HP is only to determine the amount of damage the limb has sustained.

Most bipeds can kick - thus a human has 4 limbs that can be sundered. If a monster can only use claw and bit attacks then only 2 limbs, less the head, can be counted. Wings and some tails can normally make natural attacks or block. Do not factor a special attacks as a limb = "constrict" does NOT make the body of a giant snake a limb to be targeted. A dragon disciple's new wings do.

For the typical, 4 limb , human = A limb is disabled at 1/8 the targets MAX Hp and severed or broken at 1/4 the targets max HP (always rounded up).

Disabled = 1/2 limb HP No grip, cant lift more then the limb, and cant preform gestures or simple skills. If need disabled arms and wings can still be failed in the way of an attack to the head.
Broken = (bludgeoning) limb HP = 0 or less Still attached but fractured, shatter, or protruding bone. DC=15 heal check to set bone. 1 months time to heal naturally even after HP is restored.
Severed = (slashing) limb HP= 0 or less It's missing. Refer to healing below.

Note = Natural weapons can not be disable, they can only be broken or severed.

The advantage / handicap is that attacks can NOT exceed the hit points per limb.
Example If a player scores a critical hit to sever the limb of a Gnoll with a max HP of 11, and 1/4 of 11 Hp is 2.75 rounded up to (3), then any damage exceeding 3 pts is wasted. This makes severing work on low CR monsters.

Improved Unarmed Strike feat - Any character or foe with this feat may not have their legs targeted in an sunder attack even though they can still attack with them. On a human an arm would now be disable at 1/4 their max HP, and severed / broken at 1/2.

Sundering a leg - A clear shot is needed. The target has to be unequipped on one side and they oppose a circumstantial attack of opportunity vs the target, that is not negated by the improved sunder feat.

A target may remain standing so long as they have 2 good lets as a biped or 3 good legs as a quadruped. If their have disabled legs that reduce them below the mentioned amount then they are prone or sitting and can only crawl for movement.
(Base land speed = 10 - with a crutch.) max run x2
(Base land speed = 20 - with a wood leg.) max run x3

sundering the head - Both of the targets arms have to be broken or severed for a clear shot. This imposes an attack of opportunity vs all foe in threat range. Head HP is = to current HP / Disabled = -1 / Broken skull or Severed = -10.
With the exception of a chain of criticals the target should almost be dead by the time the head is exposed. Normally targets flee (if able) at the destruction of their second limb

Secondary damage = If a limb is missing or broken it represents a traumatic injury so treat it like being hit with a weapon of wounding = -1 Constitution each round until stabilized - heal check Dc 15. Con HP damage reduces both current and max HP so they continue to take damage every other round, and they can even die (bleed out) if not attended to.

Battle Effectiveness = Disabling, braking, or severing a limb only prohibits the use of that limb(except where noted.) There are no negatives to using other limbs to attack. Most often foes continue to attack with the loss of one limb. DM may adjust moral modifiers to determine when the foes choose to flee.

In the case of beast = only the limbs that provide a beast with a natural weapon can be targeted for sunder. Thus a wolf's legs can not be sundered. As head HP is = to current HP there is no point to sunder unless the PC wants to mount it on the wall. Natural attacks are reduced only by one in a full attacks.

Reach In all case or examples a PC or foe can only sunder a body part they can reach. You can not sunder a dragons head if you stand only as tall as its toe nail.

Healing Cure spells will not mend a broken bone or regenerate a missing limb and only 1/4 of any cure spell applies to a disabled limb - unless the limb's damage = their current damage.

Disabled limbs can not be used until fully healed and if a character is regaining heath by resting then the limb is the last to heal.

Clerics can reattach or regenerate lost limbs, for a moderate fee, so it is not that unthinkable to have characters/foes brake or lose limbs in battle. It will force them to think on their feet (or foot in this case) and adjust their tactics accordingly. It also presents the players with more options to diversify their character development, and brings a little realism to the game.

Some of the obvious advantages to severing are
>If you disarm someone with a two handed weapon they can not reequip it without a -4 due to lack of performance
>Mages are unable to use that limb for spellcasting.
>The possibility of deactivating up to 3 magical items on the arm or 2 on the legs with the loss of one appropriate limb.
>war trophies

Kindest Personal Regards
Omegas

 

[HoboGod]

In my experience, severing a limb and breaking bones with a monster is dangerous, house rule or not. Monsters tend to follow the same rules as players, so by giving them the ability to destroy limbs, suddenly you have a more devastating version of trip and disarm combined together that works well on four-legged creatures and unarmed foes. If you need to gimp one of the players, use a bear trap, if you get my drift.