Called Shots! Poll & Discussion

[SnowleopardVK]

I voted other.

I don't mind called shots, but I don't want to bother with another layer of calculations and complications, so I don't generally use them.

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

Well, I think called shots have to be part of a broader system that acknowledges the effects of injury to different body parts. I'm just now taking my first shot at implementing such a system for CoC d20.

So I answered "other". I'd say I aspire to it.

A few years ago I found a pretty cool dice which is a critical dice. I've used it a few times giving the players the option to do that instead of a called shot or critical success tables. It is just a d6 with: severed arm, severed head, severed leg, 2x damage, broken weapon, and heart shot. Your "effects of injury to different body parts," statement reminded me of it.

 

[jedavis]

My preferred implementation of called shots in D&D is Power Attack. Penalty to hit? Check. Extra rewards if you hit? Check. Not location specific, but the core nature of 'called shottiness', that of increased risk for increased reward, is there without breaking out of the abstraction of hit points.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Called shot for something like "I want to cut the rope the bad guy's holding, so he can't drop the cage full of puppies into the gator pit"? Sure, I'm all for it.

Called shot for "I want to do more damage by hitting a vital spot"? Not in D&D, or any other abstract wound system. I kind of assume that trying to hit a vital area is an implicit part of combat.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I like the version in Swashuckling Adventures - where they replace criticals. You get your critical, then choose where you are trying to hit, which increases or decreases the DC for confirmation. If confirmed then there are special effects by location.

The book also has a rule I have become fond of for replacing Massive Damage - when the save for Massive Damage is failed the character can instead roll on a table to determine what kind of permanent injury takes place. Loss of limbs, missing sensory organs, horrible scarring, ruined lungs.... Great for steampunk!

The Auld Grump

 

[howandwhy99]

Called shots replace critical hits for me. Simply hitting an enemy is hard enough. Now try hitting just their arm. That's even harder, so the location receives an AC bonus by size. Armor can be reconfigured from standard forms and material coverings to protect body parts with different materials. In other words, wearing a leather versus steel helmet matters more than just gaining an overall chainmail or platemail AC.

Damage is where the complicated part comes in. It's simplified per creature type (and sometimes by individual), but location hit point totals and potential save versus effect rolls are derived from a more complex system.

Now we are dealing with creature physiology. That's one of the more complex elements in the game. Sure, GIANT PROTOZOANS you say, but in general the bigger, multicellular monsters have a lot going on inside. These systems are complex for those who choose to explore them, but are simplified into general stats. Hit points, for instance, are based on structural integrity on taking a few types of exterior blows (i.e. bludgeoning, slashing, piercing). Determining locations is, like most things in the game, linguistic. If there is a common word or term for it, then it's a location. Interior locations are under Cover and Concealed, so stabbing a guy's liver is difficult. However, if you can do so, then the damage can be several factors higher. (obviously this feeds into the backstab ability). Other locations like the head may require saves or the victim is stunned or even confused. (Strikes like these fit in and account for monk attacks).

It isn't rocket science. The basic stats are few and small. But the composition of what one is dealing with is highly complex, if the players choose to go exploring.

 

[FireLance]

Some time ago, in response to a thread about giving 4E minions extra effects when they roll a critical hit, I suggested the following table:

Critical Hit Table (roll 1d8)

1 - Head strike: The target suffers blurred vision and treats all its enemies as having concealment until the end of its next turn.

2 - Chest strike: The target staggers backward and is pushed 1 square.

3 - Gut strike: The target is winded and grants combat advantage to all attackers until the end of its next turn.

4 - Interfering strike: The target is hit in the arm and takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of its next turn.

5 - Kneecap strike: The target loses its balance and falls prone.

6 - Foot strike: The target's movement is hampered and it is slowed until the end of its next turn.

7 - Arterial strike: The target starts bleeding profusely and takes 4 ongoing damage (save ends). This increases to 8 ongoing damage if the attacker is 11th or higher level, and 12 ongoing damage if the attacker is 21st or higher level.

8 - Vitals strike: The target is hit in a sensitive area and takes 5 extra damage. This increases to 10 extra damage if the attacker is 11th or higher level, and 15 extra damage if the attacker is 21st or higher level.​

I didn't mention it at the time, but I actually had two other uses planned for this table.

First, I thought about using it as an alternate at-will attack (either replacing an existing at-will or "bought" with a feat), for those who want a bit more variety and unpredictablility in their combats. The PC makes a melee basic attack, and if he hits, he also gets an extra effect determined by the roll of 1d8.

Second, it could also be used as a called shot table. If the PC really wants to get a specific benefit, he picks that benefit and makes a melee basic attack. If he hits, he gets to roll 1d8. If the benefit he wants is within 1 number of the die roll (and the table "wraps round", so both 7 and 1 are within 1 number of 8), he gets the benefit. Otherwise, he just deals normal damage. The PC can increase the chances of getting a specific effect by taking a penalty to the attack roll. A -2 penalty lets him get the selected effect if it is within 2 numbers of the die roll, and a -4 penalty lets him get the selected effect if it is within 3 number of the die roll. The penalty cannot be increased further.

I had considered creating similar tables for encounter and daily attacks, but I wasn't really able to come up with enough distinct effects at the right level of power that would tie into the flavor of hitting a specific part.

Anyway, this is how I would do called shots in 4E if I really wanted to.

 

[delericho]

I'll use them if the system has them built in, but I won't add them into a system that doesn't have them.

Given the choice, and all else being equal, I prefer a system that doesn't have them.

 

[Jhaelen]

I'll use them if the system has them built in, but I won't add them into a system that doesn't have them.

Given the choice, and all else being equal, I prefer a system that doesn't have them.

Same here.

I'm currently a player in a DSA game group which has 'Called Shot' rules, and their implementation is terrible. One player has an elf pc that is twinked out to be an expert archer who has in several encounters killed the most dangerous monsters the system has to offer with a single shot.

After I'd seen him in action the second time, I stopped bothering to try to hurt enemies with my mage pcs. Instead I concentrate on casting quick (de)buff spells.

I guess it's forgivable since gameplay in DSA doesn't tend to revolve much around combat.

Imho, usually, systems that include called-shot rules do so for the sake of 'realism'. However, since the results have to be balanced for gameplay you usually end up with unsatisfying results:
Either the game is of the extremely gritty kind where life expectancies are low all around or the effects have been 'nerfed' to a degree that they no longer appear to reflect reality at all, e.g. "So, I nearly chopped of his head, and all he gets is a -2 to attacks?"

 

[El Mahdi]

I use the rule for called shots as written, but only allow it by exception. Called shots can only be used, or have a specific effect, if there is a specific reason for it. Such as: a held item, targeting a specific weakness of a monster or bad guy that they have gleaned from the story/plot or a skill check, etc. I don't allow called shots simply for a player that wants to gain an advantage (such as a called head shot attempting an instant kill, etc.). If a player does make a called shot like that (purely for advantage sake), I'll let them roll it, but damage will be inflicted/accrued normally. The only time it would be any different is if they rolled a Critical Hit.

However, for Critical Hits I use a chart anyways (random for body location, then random for the specific injury - which will usually cause an ongoing penalty along with normal Crit damage). A Crit on a called shot would just mean skipping the random roll for the body location, and then determining the Crit results like I normally do.