LoneWolf23
First Post
Has anyone worked on a system for determining Called shots and maiming attacks in 3.5, like disabling a foe's hand, or blinding him, and so on?
Called Shots and Maiming attacks
- Thread starter LoneWolf23
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TarionzCousin
Second Most Angelic Devil Ever
Called Shots
Mike Mearls worked out a system in Iron Might. Here is a brief discussion of what it entails.
http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?designdiary_mmearls_4
I have the book and I recommend it. He creates a system to use and gives many examples of what are usually known as "called shots" or "stunts." Good stuff.
Mike Mearls worked out a system in Iron Might. Here is a brief discussion of what it entails.
http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?designdiary_mmearls_4
I have the book and I recommend it. He creates a system to use and gives many examples of what are usually known as "called shots" or "stunts." Good stuff.
My group loves called shots, so I worked out a very "true to the system" version, extrapolating rules from disarms, sunders, and the like. Don't have my stuff immediately handy but here's how it basically worked out:
Melee Called Shots
- Opposed attack roll
- Defender wins, called shot is aborted
- Attacker wins, called shot is a hit
- Effect: deals normal damage, but also applies modifiers based on the variant rules in the DMG for damage to specific areas (don't have the page reference handy, but there's a one page spread of variant rules in the 3.5 DMG, I believe featuring the Clobbered variant as well)
>Examples: damage to the legs reduces movement, damage to the head gives a -2 penalty to pretty much every roll, etc.
- Note: penalties to specific areas are cumulative!! If you keep hitting someone in the head, the -2 penalty keeps counting up (-2 on the first hit, -4 on the second, -6 on the third, etc.).
Ranged Called Shots
- Standard attack roll
- Penalized by size of target: you treat the target as 2 size categories smaller than they actually are (so their AC increases); if the original target is of fine or diminutive size, you can't call your shot (they are just too small)
- A successful hit deals normal damage plus the modifiers for specific areas (as above)
- You CANNOT make a called shot against an opponent who is engaged in melee unless you have Precise Shot (making that feat more useful in this regard)
That's it. Works like most other special maneuvers, and already has rules for the modifiers in the DMG. I MAY have increased penalties for the Ranged version, but can't remember offhand.
In playtest, it's worked well. High HP opponents can survive what seems like a lot of damage to specific areas, but the mounting penalties give the effect of an arm being disabled, or head wounds bleeding into their eyes or whatever. Considering that HP *can* be seen as avoiding blows just as much as "soaking" damage, we just freeform the descriptions of the damage.
Let me know if anybody uses it, and how you like it!
Melee Called Shots
- Opposed attack roll
- Defender wins, called shot is aborted
- Attacker wins, called shot is a hit
- Effect: deals normal damage, but also applies modifiers based on the variant rules in the DMG for damage to specific areas (don't have the page reference handy, but there's a one page spread of variant rules in the 3.5 DMG, I believe featuring the Clobbered variant as well)
>Examples: damage to the legs reduces movement, damage to the head gives a -2 penalty to pretty much every roll, etc.
- Note: penalties to specific areas are cumulative!! If you keep hitting someone in the head, the -2 penalty keeps counting up (-2 on the first hit, -4 on the second, -6 on the third, etc.).
Ranged Called Shots
- Standard attack roll
- Penalized by size of target: you treat the target as 2 size categories smaller than they actually are (so their AC increases); if the original target is of fine or diminutive size, you can't call your shot (they are just too small)
- A successful hit deals normal damage plus the modifiers for specific areas (as above)
- You CANNOT make a called shot against an opponent who is engaged in melee unless you have Precise Shot (making that feat more useful in this regard)
That's it. Works like most other special maneuvers, and already has rules for the modifiers in the DMG. I MAY have increased penalties for the Ranged version, but can't remember offhand.
In playtest, it's worked well. High HP opponents can survive what seems like a lot of damage to specific areas, but the mounting penalties give the effect of an arm being disabled, or head wounds bleeding into their eyes or whatever. Considering that HP *can* be seen as avoiding blows just as much as "soaking" damage, we just freeform the descriptions of the damage.
Let me know if anybody uses it, and how you like it!
After insistance from one of my players, I cooked up a called shot system with a penalty to hit for each area of the body, and an effect that could be resisted by a Fort save vs. 10+ damage dealt. However, attempting a Called Shot in Melee provoked an AOO (unless the character in question had the "Improved Called Shot" feat) which disrupted the attempt if it hit. For ranged attacks, making a Called Shot was a full-round action because of the necessary aiming involved.
I think the player attempted called shots every once in awhile, but it generally wasn't worth the AOO or spending a feat on getting better at it to him.
I think the player attempted called shots every once in awhile, but it generally wasn't worth the AOO or spending a feat on getting better at it to him.
Very nice system neuronphaser--simple to use. I like it. I think that in some of the super-high-powered campaigns I've played in, it wouldn't work beyond about 10th level without more modification, but for a long time through low- and mid-level adventuring, it looks very good.
Dave
Dave
Agreed on the full attack action for ranged. We used a standard attack for melee, just like disarms and the like. The idea was to keep it simple, and actually get some use out of the giant number of variants presented in the DMG, many of which wouldn't otherwise be considered.
I don't really know how the system would scale for higher levels: a head hit is a head hit. The effects may not be as debilitating to a higher level character, but then again, isn't that point of being a higher level character?
Plus, cutting people's movement in half on leg shots, and making the effects stack with each successful called shot can be surprisingly deadly at any level.
Just my theories...as far as playtest is concerned, my group isn't quite out of the 12th level ballpark, so I suppose we'll wait and see what comes up.
I don't really know how the system would scale for higher levels: a head hit is a head hit. The effects may not be as debilitating to a higher level character, but then again, isn't that point of being a higher level character?
Plus, cutting people's movement in half on leg shots, and making the effects stack with each successful called shot can be surprisingly deadly at any level.
Just my theories...as far as playtest is concerned, my group isn't quite out of the 12th level ballpark, so I suppose we'll wait and see what comes up.
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