Variant System: Targeting Areas

[Vorpal word]

Seriously, I think the world of RPGs is overdue for a system that allows attacks to specific body parts. I dunno if there is one that I haven't heard of, but here are just some starting ideas (this is based off D&D).

Sample Targeting Areas:

Head=+4 AC, double damage on hit.
Leg=+2 AC, reduce speed by 1 on hit (no more than 50% penalty per leg).
Hand=+6 AC, drop anything you're holding and -2 penalty with relevant checks.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

For an extra 4 to already trivial touch ACs, I will gladly double my scorching ray damage. Or, you know, power attack for full. Alternatively, quicken true strike.

Honestly, the thing about called shots is: they don't work. DND is not set-up in such a way were the added difficulty is proportionate to the added effect. It just doesn't work well.

Now, maybe adding something special to a critical hit may work out better, but, as is, I would gladly add a trivial bonus for double damage or disarming my opponent. Granted, I'm assuming you mean 3.5 DND and not 4E.

[Solaris]

I agree, either make the hand-shot a save (perhaps turn it into a free disarm attempt? I'd have to look at the book to see if it's not broken) or remove the disarming entirely, just give him a cumulative -2 penalty to attack rolls. With the headshots, I'd transform it into a double crit range (stacks) and/or +4 bonus to confirm the critical. Maybe a daze effect, stunned if crit hit.

[Averagedog]

I actually tried out my own system of called shots. It didn't end well for the PCs or the monsters. In my opinion, something like this should be class features for a sniper type class since its pretty powerful. If its something everyone else has, then the game quickly becomes more unbalanced. Sure it would be cool for RP reasons like "I swing my blade at my opponents head in an over hand chop" as opposed to saying "I swing my sword". when I first conceptualized my own system for this, I imagined that it would encourage people to RP their swings or their shots or their spellcasts, but instead I was met with immediate optimization from some of my players and unpleasant called shots from others (specific groin shots, attempting to discern the anatomy of various humanoid races and non humanoid races... it doesn't end well.)

[Dienekes]

Seriously, I think the world of RPGs is overdue for a system that allows attacks to specific body parts. I dunno if there is one that I haven't heard of, but here are just some starting ideas (this is based off D&D).

Sample Targeting Areas:

Head=+4 AC, double damage on hit.
Leg=+2 AC, reduce speed by 1 on hit (no more than 50% penalty per leg).
Hand=+6 AC, drop anything you're holding and -2 penalty with relevant checks.

Trust me, I love the concept (I'm trying to make one myself) but they don't work for DnD

part of your problem here is that the risk vs reward is far too high on reward. In DnD it is the easiest thing in the world to get a bonus to attack, making at higher levels everyone dealing double damage.

Also, as someone mentioned, touch attacks.

What this would mean in the end is that all fighters who actually get out into battle get nerfed, unless you play the opponents as idiotic. They'll be moving at half speed, taking double damage, and continually drop their weapons while the caster in the back is laughing at it's poor teammate and wondering why he even bothers to bring him along on these missions.

Now if we make an entire system with limited magic and large bonuses to attack are minimal, then we still would have a problem with these since they are in almost all ways superior than a normal attack. I'd suggest increasing the AC bonus and make some sort of DC for major effects.

Something like
Head=+8 AC, add an additional Str bonus to damage. Fortitude save (DC base attack bonus + str) or be stunned for 1 round. [I changed cause I thought double damage was a bit too powerful)
Leg=+6 AC, opponent reduces speed by 5 feet. Reflex save (DC base attack bonus + str) or be knocked prone *many legged rule should be made up*
Hand=+10 AC, opponent takes a -1 penalty to attack. Fortitude save (DC base attack bonus + str) or drop your weapon.

*because of the difficulty to properly aim against smaller targets Large and larger creatures receive a high bonus to the opposed AC of the target

And then make feats based to get these rolls into reasonable levels. This would help to make combat more exciting for the martial character, but again, would require the magic user to be almost non-existent.

And even then, I'm sure there are more problems with this that I haven't thought of

[Reaper_Monkey]

Yeah this is an already well established house rule used in some games, referred to more commonly as "called shots". In general it falls under the same problem as cumulative critical hits (ie, if you roll a natural 20 on a confirmation you bump up the crit multiplier and roll a new confirmation, which if you again roll a natural twenty you get to keep going), which is that although it'll let you cut through some enemies a little quicker, it only takes one mook to get lucky to utterly ruin your character with an unexpected death.

If you really insist on using called shots in some form then perhaps grant is as requiring a feat to master, that way you can scale its power with a feat and not every enemy in the world has the chance to aim for your head and remove it without thinking.

[Shpadoinkle]

Seriously, I think the world of RPGs is overdue for a system that allows attacks to specific body parts.

There are plenty. Try GURPS. Or FATAL, if you're feeling really, really, really masochistic.

The biggest two problems with balancing called shots in D&D is that first of all, the game was built on the assumption that you're already aiming for the most ulnerable part of whoever you're fighting, so any kind of called shot mechanic will feel tacked on and artificial, and probably clunky too.

The second and much more difficult problem is balancing it. If you make it too easy to make called shots, or if the effects of a successful one are too good, then that's all anyone will ever make. If you make it too hard, or the payoff isn't worth it, then nobody will ever bother with it unless they already need a 20 to hit anyway.

[Zeta Kai]

There are plenty. Try GURPS. Or FATAL, if you're feeling really, really, really masochistic.

Yeah, WoD also has it in their combat rules. Most systems allow in in some form. D&D is a bit aberrant in that regard, but there are sound mechanical reasons why it's not used.

Have a shpadoinkle day.

[The Demented One]

If you want a combat system that actually has called shots cleanly integrated into it without being overly messy, I'd suggest you take a look at the ORE Games. Reign is probably the closest you could get to a D&D-esque fantasy system, but Wild Talents and Godlike are out there too.

[Solaris]

There are plenty. Try GURPS. Or FATAL, if you're feeling really, really, really masochistic.

... Aaaand there's years of therapy wasted. I'm gonna go to my happy place now, and I'm gonna bring an axe. I'll sing a jaunty tune while I axecre (heehee, puns are funny) all that is good and beautiful so it hurts less when I look at anything that isn't FATAL.