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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 5665939" data-attributes="member: 3192">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.</blockquote>

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