Something interesting that happened in a game last night...

[Tsyr]

I was introducing a person to D20, but he has played other RPGs (including old DnD) in the past.

He was making a fighter, so I was going into detail about the combat system.

Him: So how do I make a called shot?

Me: Uh... Actually, there aren't any called shots in stock D20...

Him: Oh... That sucks...

We kept talking, and I got to special actions... trip, sunder, etc... He looked a bit more interested when I talked about sunder.

So, anyhow, I had them fighting an elven kensai, and he was giving the party some problems.

The new guy's turn comes up.

He looks at his character sheet for a few moments, looks at me, looks back at his character sheets, then looks back at me and says...

"I sunder his head."

That caused pretty much everyone to just look at him for a minute...

 

[Kesh]

*snicker* Sounds like you've got two options:

1) Explain carefully that there is a reason for no called shots in d20. Watch him sulk. Hopefully he'll come to accept it.

2) Find a d20 Called Shots rule someone made and add it to your game. Watch villain's heads roll. Literally.

 

[hong]

Heck, even "I sunder his sword!" causes me enough problems.

 

[Tortoise]

*snicker* Sounds like you've got two options:

1) Explain carefully that there is a reason for no called shots in d20. Watch him sulk. Hopefully he'll come to accept it.

2) Find a d20 Called Shots rule someone made and add it to your game. Watch villain's heads roll. Literally.

Personally I would point him to this article by Sean K. Reynolds about called shots.

http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/rants/calledshots.html

 

[BrooklynKnight]

Hey I bet this guy would LOVE Bastion Press' Torn Asunder.

D20 rules for called shots and critical hits.

Bring this product into your game and i'm sure this new guy will have a fun time.


"Sunder his head" lol.

 

[Nifelhein]

Use Torn Asunder, critical hits are then considered the damn called shots...

Says he gotta try to make a called shot: -4 to attack rol doubles threat range, if it hits and scores a critical it was a called shot, just hits? Sorry, he dodged a little and you couldn't hit him... could make a feat for that by putting an AoO if you don't have it... and reducing the pa]enalties if you do have it.

 

[Breakdaddy]

Use Torn Asunder, critical hits are then considered the damn called shots...
snip

Yep, so far Torn Asunder looks like a very cool critical hit system. Im not sure that it really takes into account called shots as much as critical hits though. Maybe Ive just not dug deeply enough into the book.

 

[Nifelhein]

They have tables for locations and the like, haven't they? That is what I mean, critical hit is a well placed blow, wanna make a called shot? Sure, try to make a critical, my suggestion would go that way, reduces chance to hit but increases chance of critical.

Better thing would talk with the guy, poin him that article (great addition though) and also show him that the system is still in some kind of abstract, or else just let him do it, no special result, say his descriptions are flavor things, and know what? Flavor is awesome!

 

[Wombat]

Okay, I must admit the cry against Called Shots in D&D3.whatever seems really quite laughable, given the combat system.

Consider: you have Cleave, Great Cleave, Sunder, specifics about 5' steps, DEX checks while moving, cover restrictions, and the like.

In other words, D&D combat is damn complex -- it is not "simple & abstract" unless, like my own group, you ignore 75% of the rules of combat and never haul out a battleboard.

The only matters that are "simple & abstract" are armour and hit points.

Given the fact that there are rules for slowing movement, for fighting off-handed, for fighting blind, etc., why not include Called Shots? It seems to fit along exactly the same lines as the rest of the combat?

 

[Nightingale 7]

Because then every fighter would take a level of Sorcerer in order to get True Strike!A Bladesinger that could cast a quickened True Strike once a turn and then make a called shot to the head would be a true terror to face.I don't know any 2E so I can't know how CS worked back then,but now they are clunky,and would bog down combat even more.Also when a weak fighter had to fight an overwhelmingly strong opponent he could just start swinging for the head,hoping that a lucky crit would behead the opponent.Pretty unrealistic I guess...