Three called shot feats

[Eternalknight]

Critiques welcome and wanted

Called Shot

You are able to make an attack that targets an opponents vital areas or unprotected areas with precision.

REQUIREMENTS: Base attack bonus +1

BENEFITS: You may elect to target a certain part of an opponents body with your attack. If you pick a non-vital area (such as arms, legs, tail etc) deduct -4 from your attack roll and add +1d6 to any damage you deal. If you choose a vital area (such as head or chest) deduct -8 from your attack roll but add +2d6 to any damage you deal. If an opponent does not have any armor in the area you elect to strike, they gain no AC bonus due to armor. Your DM may also rule that striking a certain body part has extra affects (for instance, a head strike might cause blood to run into your opponents eyes, giving him -2 on attack rolls).

SPECIAL: This damage is not multiplied by a critical hit (treat it like sneak attack)



Improved Called Shot

You are able to make an attack that targets an opponents vital areas or unprotected areas with high precision.

REQUIREMENTS: Base attack bonus +6, Called Shot feat.

BENEFITS: You may elect to target a certain part of an opponents body with your attack. If you pick a non-vital area (such as arms, legs, tail etc) deduct -2 from your attack roll and add +1d8 to any damage you deal. If you choose a vital area (such as head or chest) deduct -6 from your attack roll but add +2d8 to any damage you deal. If an opponent does not have any armor in the area you elect to strike, they gain no AC bonus due to armor. Your DM may also rule that striking a certain body part has extra affects (for instance, a head strike might cause blood to run into your opponents eyes, giving him -2 on attack rolls).

SPECIAL: This damage is not multiplied by a critical hit (treat it like sneak attack)





Greater Called Shot

You are able to make an attack that targets an opponents vital areas or unprotected areas with great precision.

REQUIREMENTS: Base attack bonus +10, Called Shot and Improved Called Shot feats.

BENEFITS: You may elect to target a certain part of an opponents body with your attack. If you pick a non-vital area (such as arms, legs, tail etc) deduct -1 from your attack roll and add +2d6 to any damage you deal. If you choose a vital area (such as head or chest) deduct -3 from your attack roll but add +3d6 to any damage you deal. In addition, you may elect to target a very vital area (such as neck, heart, etc). Deduct -8 from these attack rolls and add +3d6 to any damage you deal. This roll, if it hits, is an automatic threat. If an opponent does not have any armor in the area you elect to strike, they gain no AC bonus due to armor. Your DM may also rule that striking a certain body part has extra affects (for instance, a head strike might cause blood to run into your opponents eyes, giving him -2 on attack rolls).

SPECIAL: This damage is not multiplied by a critical hit (treat it like sneak attack)

 

[KnowTheToe]

The concept works but needs tweaking, just looking at it, it does not sem overpowered, but would need to be tested in a few battles.

Why would hitting someone in the arm cause more damage? I would think giving a player a - mod when using that arm. A strike to the leg might reduce an opponents spd or not allow him more than a double move. A hit in a weapon arm might give a - mod to hit and damage.

The vital areas (chest and head) could cause more damage and make sense. Nice work.

 

[Eternalknight]

Bump....

 

[Romotre]

I agree, it shouldn't add damage when an attack hits the arm/leg. hitting someone there is non-ideal when you are trying to kill them. when you shoot someone (with a small amount of HP) with a bow and a roll a 2 or 3, you've shot them in the leg or arm. a 1 is like a graze and an 8 (assuming the goblin or whatever dies) is in a vital area.

 

[Eternalknight]

I agree, it shouldn't add damage when an attack hits the arm/leg. hitting someone there is non-ideal when you are trying to kill them. when you shoot someone (with a small amount of HP) with a bow and a roll a 2 or 3, you've shot them in the leg or arm. a 1 is like a graze and an 8 (assuming the goblin or whatever dies) is in a vital area.

Maybe it depends on our definitions of hit points. To me, hit points don't just reflect wounds, but fatigue in combat. Exertion from having to dodge blows etc. I do not see a hit in combat meaning that the attacker has actually caused any sort of serious damage to the defender. If an 8 is a serious wound to a vital area, how come it only represents 8% of a characters hp if that character has 100 hp? Maybe it all depends on our definitaions of hp, as I said.

 

[Geoff Watson]

They seem quite powerful. The first one isn't that great, but the other two are very strong.

They are like Power Attack (penalty to hit for bonus to damage), plus the opportunity to ignore armour bonuses, and possible extra effects.

You should just use Power Attack as it has similar mechanical effects, rather than inventing new feats.

Geoff.

 

[Stargher]

My two cents...

This is an interesting thread and when coming up with a system, it should be in line with the Core Rulebooks. So I suggest this.

Legs, Arms & Torso -6 Penalty to Attack Rolls. This new edition has so many bonuses, that the -6 penalty is nothing. The attack roll should also be against the Full AC, so Full Plate +5 doesn't become useless and to keep the rules simple. I'd hate to be the DM to count the various ACs.

Attacking the Head should receive a -10 penalty. As for the results for various hit locations you should use the Table for Damage to Specific Bodyparts in Chapter (3?) of the DMG.

As for Feats, Attacking a specific body part provokes an attack of opportunity, which could be negated with the Called Shot Feat. This would only be useful in melee.

 

[TheFlamingRheo]

All these feats are great but why not use this idea, you spend one round studing the opponent and on the next round you score an automatic sneak attack. Also this feat gives +1d6 sneak attack. This feat can only be taken once.

 

[Eternalknight]

Re: My two cents...

This is an interesting thread and when coming up with a system, it should be in line with the Core Rulebooks. So I suggest this.

Legs, Arms & Torso -6 Penalty to Attack Rolls. This new edition has so many bonuses, that the -6 penalty is nothing. The attack roll should also be against the Full AC, so Full Plate +5 doesn't become useless and to keep the rules simple. I'd hate to be the DM to count the various ACs.

Attacking the Head should receive a -10 penalty. As for the results for various hit locations you should use the Table for Damage to Specific Bodyparts in Chapter (3?) of the DMG.

As for Feats, Attacking a specific body part provokes an attack of opportunity, which could be negated with the Called Shot Feat. This would only be useful in melee.

Hmm, not a bad idea. So you suggest getting rid of the feats, making it a part of the combat system, then adding a feat to negate the attack of opportunity? Is that right?

 

[Stargher]

That's right!

If you want, you may take the penalty (makes True Strike more useful), but the damage isn't outrageous.

Let's see if I can remember the penalties... (feel free to correct me)

Hit Location

Legs ==> -2 to Jump, Climb, Swim, Tumble and all other skills that require legs. Cannot run or charge.

Arms ==> -2 to Attack rolls with that hand or if attacking with a two-handed weapon. -2 to all skills using hands.

Head ==> -2 to all skill checks and attack rolls.

So the penalties are just hindrances, but give a taste of tactics. There should be a Fortitude save (DC 15 or damage or Damage +10 or something) to avoid the penalties.