2097
2019-05-26, 08:23 AM
Aim Points
This is my fifth take on making aiming rules for 5e. I just keep trying at this problem, it's like my white whale of house rules...
A big thank you♥ to all who helped criticize & point out problems with the third take on aiming rules (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?587313-Aiming-ranged-attacks-amp-charging-up-spells&p=23889660&viewfull=1#post23889660). I didn't post our fourth take here because it was kinda dependent on some other house rules we use so not as universally applicable to 5e as the third version was and as I hope this fifth version is (which is why I'm posting it here).
That third version, linked above, let you gain one aim point just by spending an action, and then later convert those aim points to extra attack rolls & extra damage; it was weird. Didn't work, for many reasons as pointed out by the fine people here!♥
This new version, you make aiming rolls when you aim and each aim point on an enemy can convert to a point of damage later.
Here is the proposal:
This is only for ammunition & thrown weapons for now, not spells, at least not yet. I'm gonna use "arrow" in the description but could just as easily be dagger, sling bullet, crossbow bolt etc.
How to Aim
To aim, make an aiming roll vs the enemy's AC using your weapon proficiency (so same modifier as you'd use for an attack) and if you make the roll, roll your weapons' damage expression (for example 1d8+3 or whatever) and note that you have that many aim points on that enemy as long as you're keeping your weapon aimed at that enemy. You can only have aim points on one enemy at a time, so you only need to keep track of one pool of aim points. Aiming costs the same action econ as attacks do, so if you have extra attack or multi attack you can aim more. You can also keep aiming over multiple turns to rack up the aim points.
Once you're aiming
Once you're aiming at an enemy, you can do one of two things: shoot, or frame trap. Either choice costs all of your aim points but neither costs any action econ; that means that it does not cost a main action, a reaction, or a bonus action and is as fast as a reaction.
Shoot: Let the arrow fly
You can send the arrow flying and it's becomes an attack that bypasses AC and deals as much damage as the aim points you spent.
Perfect if you know that you could wound or kill the enemy by letting go of the arrow: "I aim at the goblin [roll roll] Oh it only has 7 hp? I let my arrow fly, killing it!"
But you could also let the arrow go earlier even when it's not a killing shot.
Frame trap: Improve a friend's attack
When your friend succeeds with an attack roll vs the enemy's AC, and deals damage to that enemy, you can spend your aim points to add to that damage. Diegetically, if the enemy is trying to avoid being shot by you, it's also harder to avoid the sword attacks.
This makes aiming cool because it's your choice if you want to kill steal (the enemy just lost a bunch of HP dealing with the a sword attack and now here's a lethal arrow to finish the job) or team up (that sword is dangerous enough because of all the aim points you poured into it, so that the sword kills the enemy).
The damage type (for the purps of resistances, vulnerabilites & immunities) of the aim points is still the damage type of the weapon you're aiming with; a monster immune to piercing doesn't care if bows are aimed at it.
Oh, no, I lost track!
You can only keep your aim points as long as you're actively & actually aiming at that one particular enemy. About to lose track of the enemy? (Maybe you need to use both hands or the enemy is leaving or whatever.) Don't worry, you have chance to let the arrow fly if you wish; sure, maybe they can afford the hit points but at least it's gonna cost them something. And maybe you don't want to shoot (maybe you're aiming from hiding at a guard and the guard is leaving because there's a guard shift.... do you let go of the arrow or do you just give up on the aim points? It's your choice. Aiming is always good because it gives you choices.)
Is aiming mandatory?
No. For the most part, aiming has (or at least is intended to have) the same math as attacking. It just looks cooler & can conserve ammo!
There is also a circumstance where it's significantly more powerful to aim and that's when you're hidden. Obv the diegetical explanation of "frame trapping" doesn't always make sense there since there is no awareness over the "threat"; you could rule that you can't frame trap when aiming from hidden, only shoot. In my own game I'm gonna be OK with that, though; justifying it as your sword-swinging pal being able to fight knowing that you have her covered from your hiding spot.
If you're concerned that it's too powerful you can add the following rule:
You roll your stealth check with one d20 for each round you spent aiming and take the lowest of those dice for your roll.
[Which has the same math as having to succeed on a bunch of stealth checks in a row.]
This is my fifth take on making aiming rules for 5e. I just keep trying at this problem, it's like my white whale of house rules...
A big thank you♥ to all who helped criticize & point out problems with the third take on aiming rules (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?587313-Aiming-ranged-attacks-amp-charging-up-spells&p=23889660&viewfull=1#post23889660). I didn't post our fourth take here because it was kinda dependent on some other house rules we use so not as universally applicable to 5e as the third version was and as I hope this fifth version is (which is why I'm posting it here).
That third version, linked above, let you gain one aim point just by spending an action, and then later convert those aim points to extra attack rolls & extra damage; it was weird. Didn't work, for many reasons as pointed out by the fine people here!♥
This new version, you make aiming rolls when you aim and each aim point on an enemy can convert to a point of damage later.
Here is the proposal:
This is only for ammunition & thrown weapons for now, not spells, at least not yet. I'm gonna use "arrow" in the description but could just as easily be dagger, sling bullet, crossbow bolt etc.
How to Aim
To aim, make an aiming roll vs the enemy's AC using your weapon proficiency (so same modifier as you'd use for an attack) and if you make the roll, roll your weapons' damage expression (for example 1d8+3 or whatever) and note that you have that many aim points on that enemy as long as you're keeping your weapon aimed at that enemy. You can only have aim points on one enemy at a time, so you only need to keep track of one pool of aim points. Aiming costs the same action econ as attacks do, so if you have extra attack or multi attack you can aim more. You can also keep aiming over multiple turns to rack up the aim points.
Once you're aiming
Once you're aiming at an enemy, you can do one of two things: shoot, or frame trap. Either choice costs all of your aim points but neither costs any action econ; that means that it does not cost a main action, a reaction, or a bonus action and is as fast as a reaction.
Shoot: Let the arrow fly
You can send the arrow flying and it's becomes an attack that bypasses AC and deals as much damage as the aim points you spent.
Perfect if you know that you could wound or kill the enemy by letting go of the arrow: "I aim at the goblin [roll roll] Oh it only has 7 hp? I let my arrow fly, killing it!"
But you could also let the arrow go earlier even when it's not a killing shot.
Frame trap: Improve a friend's attack
When your friend succeeds with an attack roll vs the enemy's AC, and deals damage to that enemy, you can spend your aim points to add to that damage. Diegetically, if the enemy is trying to avoid being shot by you, it's also harder to avoid the sword attacks.
This makes aiming cool because it's your choice if you want to kill steal (the enemy just lost a bunch of HP dealing with the a sword attack and now here's a lethal arrow to finish the job) or team up (that sword is dangerous enough because of all the aim points you poured into it, so that the sword kills the enemy).
The damage type (for the purps of resistances, vulnerabilites & immunities) of the aim points is still the damage type of the weapon you're aiming with; a monster immune to piercing doesn't care if bows are aimed at it.
Oh, no, I lost track!
You can only keep your aim points as long as you're actively & actually aiming at that one particular enemy. About to lose track of the enemy? (Maybe you need to use both hands or the enemy is leaving or whatever.) Don't worry, you have chance to let the arrow fly if you wish; sure, maybe they can afford the hit points but at least it's gonna cost them something. And maybe you don't want to shoot (maybe you're aiming from hiding at a guard and the guard is leaving because there's a guard shift.... do you let go of the arrow or do you just give up on the aim points? It's your choice. Aiming is always good because it gives you choices.)
Is aiming mandatory?
No. For the most part, aiming has (or at least is intended to have) the same math as attacking. It just looks cooler & can conserve ammo!
There is also a circumstance where it's significantly more powerful to aim and that's when you're hidden. Obv the diegetical explanation of "frame trapping" doesn't always make sense there since there is no awareness over the "threat"; you could rule that you can't frame trap when aiming from hidden, only shoot. In my own game I'm gonna be OK with that, though; justifying it as your sword-swinging pal being able to fight knowing that you have her covered from your hiding spot.
If you're concerned that it's too powerful you can add the following rule:
You roll your stealth check with one d20 for each round you spent aiming and take the lowest of those dice for your roll.
[Which has the same math as having to succeed on a bunch of stealth checks in a row.]