GiantOctopodes
2020-12-22, 10:22 PM
Greetings! I devised a relatively simple-ish hit location system, with the following design goals:
- Expand options for basic attacks with called shots
- Expand the possibilities for disabling an opponent or being disabled, making combat more varied between full HP and 0 HP
- Enhance the ability to visualize what is occurring in combat, and promote better descriptors by the GM
- Make called shots feel viable and impactful but by no means mandatory
I worked on it for a while, and here's where I ended up:
This system applies to vaguely humanoid characters only at this time. Future enhancements may include expanding its scope to creatures with non-humanoid physiology. Each character has 6 hit locations - the Head, Torso, Right Arm, Left Arm, Right Leg, and Left Leg. Each hit location has a HP pool, in addition to the character's overall HP pool. The Torso has 1/2 the character's total HP pool, the limbs have 1/3 of the character's total HP, and the head has 1/4 of the character's total HP. As part of the damage roll for any attack against a relevant character a hit location die is rolled. Based on its results, the character being damaged subtracts the damage of the attack from their overall HP pool, but also subtracts the total damage from the HP pool of any locations hit. If multiple locations are shown on the hit location die, the character being damaged can distribute the damage amongst those locations in a fashion of their choosing. For example, if 12 damage is dealt, and the hit location die shows "both legs", the character can have each leg take 6 damage, either leg take all 12, or anything in between.
Prior to rolling for an attack against a relevant character, the attacker may choose to target a specific hit location, and make a called shot. If they target a specific hit location, and it is shown on the hit location die when rolled, all damage is dealt to the hit location specified. Furthermore, the damage dealt to the hit location's HP pool is doubled, though the damage done to their overall HP pool is unaffected. Finally, there is an additional effect based on the location hit:
Head - The character suffers disadvantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws until the end of their next turn.
Torso - The character suffers one level of fatigue.
Arm - The character drops any items held in their hand
Leg - The character is knocked prone
If a called shot is made, and the hit location in question is not on the hit location die when rolled, then the hit is instead a grazing hit, and does half normal damage. If an attack is being made with advantage, during a called shot the attacker may choose to roll the attack die twice and take the more favorable result, as normal, -or- they may alternately roll the hit location die twice, taking the more favorable result.
Any healing done to a character heals all hit locations by the amount healed, as well as restoring their overall HP pool as normal. If a limb is reduced to 0 HP, it is rendered useless. If the torso is reduced to 0 HP, the character suffers two levels of fatigue. If the head is reduced to 0 HP, the character is rendered unconscious. A hit to a limb already at 0 HP dismembers it. A hit to the torso or head, when they are already at 0 HP, results in the character's death*.
The Hit Location Die is a D12, with the following faces:
1 Head
2 Whole Body (all 6 hit locations)
3 Right Leg
4 Left Leg
5 Legs (Right Leg, Left Leg)
6 Right Arm
7 Left Arm
8 Arms (Right Arm, Left Arm)
9 Upper Body (Right Arm, Left Arm, Torso, Head)
10 Lower Body (Left Leg, Right Leg, Torso)
11 Torso
12 Torso
Overall, the following quantities of each hit location exist on the die:
3 Head
4 Left Leg
4 Right Leg
4 Right Arm
4 Left Arm
5 Torso
*Our campaign is designed such that player death is totally fine. If you are concerned about unexpected death, you may wish to revise this to automatically knocking their HP to 0, possibly with an automatic failure of a death saving throw.
That's the system, our experience with it so far is overall a positive one. On average, taking a called shot is a net decrease in damage done, but it has substantial enough benefits to often be worth it anyway. It makes it easy to execute on strategies like going for the legs on runners, and increases the ability of characters to meaningfully interact with each other during combat, in a way that does not rely on adjudication. Perhaps best of all, I find it makes it very easy to visualize and describe what's happening during combat. If you are going for the head and end up hitting the arm, maybe he raises his arm and blocks the blow early. If you are aiming for the arm and hit the leg, perhaps he dodges mostly out of the way, but the tail end of your attack manages to snag his leg as he retreats. Limbs hang limply and can get knocked off entirely, characters can get knocked out from a lucky blow to the head. All of this adds to the ability to make a combat seem engaging and immersive, and have that reflected on the battlefield.
It does, however, require significant upkeep and maintenance. When using Roll20, I add a 2x3 table to the GM notes for tokens, putting their hit location hp in there and tracking that way. It's not difficult or time consuming, but it does require having all the token's notes open, which requires sizable screen real estate. In person, scratch paper does well enough of course. It's not too bad though, as despite it seeming like it would be a lot to always track 6 additional numbers per character, really the only ones you need to note are those reduced to 0, which happens often enough to matter but not so often that it gets ridiculous, in our playtesting so far. In-combat healing abilities, already incredibly important, become even *more* important using this system, which can be construed as a positive or negative depending on how you feel about it, but it definitely makes a difference.
That's all based on our experiences though, which is one group, and a limited set of levels (3-7) so far. I'd love to know folk's thoughts in theory, sure, but far more, I'd love more practical playtesting if folks are interested. I'm curious how this plays out in others hands, and what arises, good and bad. If it seems like too much upkeep and you don't want to try it, totally fair, but I'd especially love to see things like, does a given hit location feel good or bad to target; does it feel like called shots in general are mandatory or useless; do combats end up being too swingy and random or is it increasing immersion; are certain hp thresholds too high or low; are the die facing representations for a hit location too many or too few; that kind of thing.
I definitely appreciate your time, thoughts, and consideration! Also if any part of this is unclear let me know, I'll answer and also edit the OP to hopefully improve clarity and readability as needed.
- Expand options for basic attacks with called shots
- Expand the possibilities for disabling an opponent or being disabled, making combat more varied between full HP and 0 HP
- Enhance the ability to visualize what is occurring in combat, and promote better descriptors by the GM
- Make called shots feel viable and impactful but by no means mandatory
I worked on it for a while, and here's where I ended up:
This system applies to vaguely humanoid characters only at this time. Future enhancements may include expanding its scope to creatures with non-humanoid physiology. Each character has 6 hit locations - the Head, Torso, Right Arm, Left Arm, Right Leg, and Left Leg. Each hit location has a HP pool, in addition to the character's overall HP pool. The Torso has 1/2 the character's total HP pool, the limbs have 1/3 of the character's total HP, and the head has 1/4 of the character's total HP. As part of the damage roll for any attack against a relevant character a hit location die is rolled. Based on its results, the character being damaged subtracts the damage of the attack from their overall HP pool, but also subtracts the total damage from the HP pool of any locations hit. If multiple locations are shown on the hit location die, the character being damaged can distribute the damage amongst those locations in a fashion of their choosing. For example, if 12 damage is dealt, and the hit location die shows "both legs", the character can have each leg take 6 damage, either leg take all 12, or anything in between.
Prior to rolling for an attack against a relevant character, the attacker may choose to target a specific hit location, and make a called shot. If they target a specific hit location, and it is shown on the hit location die when rolled, all damage is dealt to the hit location specified. Furthermore, the damage dealt to the hit location's HP pool is doubled, though the damage done to their overall HP pool is unaffected. Finally, there is an additional effect based on the location hit:
Head - The character suffers disadvantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws until the end of their next turn.
Torso - The character suffers one level of fatigue.
Arm - The character drops any items held in their hand
Leg - The character is knocked prone
If a called shot is made, and the hit location in question is not on the hit location die when rolled, then the hit is instead a grazing hit, and does half normal damage. If an attack is being made with advantage, during a called shot the attacker may choose to roll the attack die twice and take the more favorable result, as normal, -or- they may alternately roll the hit location die twice, taking the more favorable result.
Any healing done to a character heals all hit locations by the amount healed, as well as restoring their overall HP pool as normal. If a limb is reduced to 0 HP, it is rendered useless. If the torso is reduced to 0 HP, the character suffers two levels of fatigue. If the head is reduced to 0 HP, the character is rendered unconscious. A hit to a limb already at 0 HP dismembers it. A hit to the torso or head, when they are already at 0 HP, results in the character's death*.
The Hit Location Die is a D12, with the following faces:
1 Head
2 Whole Body (all 6 hit locations)
3 Right Leg
4 Left Leg
5 Legs (Right Leg, Left Leg)
6 Right Arm
7 Left Arm
8 Arms (Right Arm, Left Arm)
9 Upper Body (Right Arm, Left Arm, Torso, Head)
10 Lower Body (Left Leg, Right Leg, Torso)
11 Torso
12 Torso
Overall, the following quantities of each hit location exist on the die:
3 Head
4 Left Leg
4 Right Leg
4 Right Arm
4 Left Arm
5 Torso
*Our campaign is designed such that player death is totally fine. If you are concerned about unexpected death, you may wish to revise this to automatically knocking their HP to 0, possibly with an automatic failure of a death saving throw.
That's the system, our experience with it so far is overall a positive one. On average, taking a called shot is a net decrease in damage done, but it has substantial enough benefits to often be worth it anyway. It makes it easy to execute on strategies like going for the legs on runners, and increases the ability of characters to meaningfully interact with each other during combat, in a way that does not rely on adjudication. Perhaps best of all, I find it makes it very easy to visualize and describe what's happening during combat. If you are going for the head and end up hitting the arm, maybe he raises his arm and blocks the blow early. If you are aiming for the arm and hit the leg, perhaps he dodges mostly out of the way, but the tail end of your attack manages to snag his leg as he retreats. Limbs hang limply and can get knocked off entirely, characters can get knocked out from a lucky blow to the head. All of this adds to the ability to make a combat seem engaging and immersive, and have that reflected on the battlefield.
It does, however, require significant upkeep and maintenance. When using Roll20, I add a 2x3 table to the GM notes for tokens, putting their hit location hp in there and tracking that way. It's not difficult or time consuming, but it does require having all the token's notes open, which requires sizable screen real estate. In person, scratch paper does well enough of course. It's not too bad though, as despite it seeming like it would be a lot to always track 6 additional numbers per character, really the only ones you need to note are those reduced to 0, which happens often enough to matter but not so often that it gets ridiculous, in our playtesting so far. In-combat healing abilities, already incredibly important, become even *more* important using this system, which can be construed as a positive or negative depending on how you feel about it, but it definitely makes a difference.
That's all based on our experiences though, which is one group, and a limited set of levels (3-7) so far. I'd love to know folk's thoughts in theory, sure, but far more, I'd love more practical playtesting if folks are interested. I'm curious how this plays out in others hands, and what arises, good and bad. If it seems like too much upkeep and you don't want to try it, totally fair, but I'd especially love to see things like, does a given hit location feel good or bad to target; does it feel like called shots in general are mandatory or useless; do combats end up being too swingy and random or is it increasing immersion; are certain hp thresholds too high or low; are the die facing representations for a hit location too many or too few; that kind of thing.
I definitely appreciate your time, thoughts, and consideration! Also if any part of this is unclear let me know, I'll answer and also edit the OP to hopefully improve clarity and readability as needed.