Solving the Called Shot Problem

[Li Shenron]

Has anyone figured out a way to make called shots more circumstantial, as in, used at the same frequency as Trip/Grapple/Disable/Sunder?

You've just answered your own question

Make call shots not convenient unless the PC has a feat that reduces the penalty.

I think the DMG has a small table of effects on different body parts, which can be used for called shots.
Try to evaluate how much of an attack penalty balances the benefit of hitting each body part.
The target of this is to make sure that called shots are a valid option, but not better than attacking normally.
Once you have a list of targettable body parts, each with its own penalty, make this a combat option available to anyone.

Then, if you want to reduce the rate of called shots in a game, just increase all the penalties by -4 (hence making them straight underpowered), and introduce a feat Improved Called Shot that removes the -4.

A different way is to make called shots not_open to anyone. So instead of making it a generic attack action, make it a feat since the start.

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You can also design called shots completely different: for example you can consider tying called shots to critical hits. Have the effect of a called shot (i.e. leg->slowed, arm->penalty to attacks/skills, eye->blinded ecc) come into play replacing the extra damage bonus in a critical hit.

You could, if you want, require feats to be able to make a called shot. For example there could be a feat called "Blinding strike", that allows the character to forgoe all the extra damage in a successful critical hit in exchange for causing his critical to blind the target.

You can then balance different effects by using penalties to the confirmation roll (bigger penalties for using a feat whose effect has much more dire consequences on the target).

You can even use these penalties to balance weapons with different critical multipliers. For example a x3 weapon could give a +1 to the confirmation roll when using a called shot feat, a x4 gives +2 ecc. This way, a weapon with a better multiplier "wastes" more damage to get the same called shot effect, but gets at least a better chance.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

There's something like that in the Complete books, in the form of Ambush feats. You give up a certain number of sneak attack dice and instead hinder the enemy in a different way.

I have a mechanic in my game called Called Shot, but it's just power attack for ranged attacks. I still think that called shots don't quite mesh with hit points.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

Maybe you could limit the amount of called shots a characters could do in a given session. It is a little like metagaming but it allows players to still use them and allows things to remain under control.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Maybe you could limit the amount of called shots a characters could do in a given session. It is a little like metagaming but it allows players to still use them and allows things to remain under control.

Sure, or go for a "per encounter" solution.

*runs and hides*

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

Here's my take on called shots.

 

[D.Shaffer]

I go with the flavor text version myself. They want to 'Call shot: Aorta', I just use that in the flavor text I give if they manage to down him. I'm expecting them to aim for critical areas, by default, as is. Unless they're purposely trying to just wound someone, combat training is ABOUT learning how to get past an opponents defenses and hitting their weakpoints.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

So called shots don't have to be about bypassing armor- if there are instances where that IS how you want them to work (such as a monster with a particular weak spot), you can detail that in the particular monster's description as opposed to creating a general rule, and maintain balance that way.

How often are eyes armored naturally? Those are almost always weak spots. I played a 2e ranger who was always making called shots to the eye; the DM refused to blind the monsters even though that was logical. Until someone can come up with a way to protect eyes that's better than "they're pretty small" they will break every called shot rule they come into contact.

 

[Li Shenron]

How often are eyes armored naturally? Those are almost always weak spots. I played a 2e ranger who was always making called shots to the eye; the DM refused to blind the monsters even though that was logical. Until someone can come up with a way to protect eyes that's better than "they're pretty small" they will break every called shot rule they come into contact.

Yeah but this sounds like an example that leads towards banning called shots outright. The problem is that as soon as a player realizes that it's "reasonable" for a smart fighter to target the weak spot, if the DM gives an advantage for that idea, then the player will simply always use the option.

3ed sort-of solves the problem by saying that you don't need to say explicitly when you target a weak spot, you always do, but you don't of course always succeed (you succeed when you score a critical).

Most of the gaming groups that want called shots more explicit in the game, it's because they like the idea of alternative effects. Trying to implement called shots as bonus damage is kind of pointless...

 

[Li Shenron]

There's something like that in the Complete books, in the form of Ambush feats. You give up a certain number of sneak attack dice and instead hinder the enemy in a different way.

Those feats probably work pretty well because the damage that can be "given up" from sneak attack to get a different benefit is quite a lot, so there's room to design quite a range of different feats.

Of course, it limite called shots to Rogues only (or others with sneak attack), so it may be ok only if you like classes with strong archetypes and signatures abilities (which I do...).

 

[Jeff Wilder]

What about something like -8 to the attack roll for each additional threat multiple? -8 to hit, but you threaten on 15 to 20 (assuming a +1 keen long sword). You'd ignore the -8 when confirming the threat. You could then lessen the penalty by means of a feat or an Action Point, or both. (Or neither.)

The problem with not having called shots in D&D is that there are legitimate reasons to want to hit some part of the body ... reasons that go beyond extra damage, or different types of damage. IMO, there is no way to allow for these legitimate reasons in an objective rules subsystem ... you must have DM involvement and trust.

For example, if an archer were Readied to make a called shot to prevent the BBEG from drinking a potion, as DM I'd readily allow a called shot at -8; if the attack succeeds, the archer plinks the potion.