Called Shot Rule

[Orak]

Called Shots

Head: AC +8

A hit to the head automatically threatens a critical hit. Roll again with the same modifiers to confirm. Wearing a helmet prevents a called shot to the head.

Chest: AC + 2

No special effects from hitting the chest. Roll again with the same modifiers to confirm the hit. Wearing body armor prevents a called shot to the chest.

Legs: AC + 4

Movement reduced by ¼ until a DC 15 heal check is made or magical or natural healing has occurred. Roll again with the same modifiers to confirm. Wearing leg armor prevents called shots to the leg.

Arm: AC + 6

-2 penalty to attacks or related skills using the limb. Wearing arm protection prevents a called shot to the limb.

Any ideas/suggestions on improvements?

[Solo]

Possibly overpowered at higher levels.... or with True Strike.

[UglyPanda]

Wrong board. This belongs in homebrew.

[Gerrtt]

Easily avoided by making sure you are wearing armor over all the appropriate areas. The only classes that would be vulnerable to the effects of a called shot are monks and pure arcane casters.

Also you need to describe the minimum effects of having protection to prevent the called shot. Otherwise all classes will be running around with armor class-less helmets, sleeves, tunics, and pants to prevent this from happening to them.

[Ralfarius]

Wait... The called shot to the chest has no special effect, but requires a second roll to 'confirm' the hit as well as adds 2 AC to the target?

[Person_Man]

Horrible idea. We tried this in previous editions, and it didn't work well.

Most enemies don't wear helmets, including almost all non-humanoids. And it's really easy to boost To-Hit, make your attacks Touch Attacks, and/or deny your opponent its Dex bonus. So it'd be pretty easy to crit with almost every attack, except against humanoid meatshields.

For example, I could pick up a Scythe, cast Wraithstrike, and make a full attack against an dragons head. Almost every attack would hit, and deal *4 damage.

[de-trick]

I play with a called shot like this

1st)1 round to study oppenent
2nd)roll a attack -4(only one attack)
3rd)DM says what happens to the area you hit

ranges from a small cut(-2 to attack) to cutting the limb off

[tsuyoshikentsu]

Called shots can easily be simulated by any of the following methods:

–Precision damage: This is the biggie. “Precision damage” is a catch-all term for things like Sneak Attack and Skirmish that deal extra damage under certain circumstances, but only to things that have anatomies and care about it. (IE, undead could care less about being stabbed in the liver.) When you sneak attack, you’re stabbing the guy in the nads.

–Dirty Fighting (feat): I believe it’s in Sword & Fist. It’s old, but it works. (It’s also pretty weak, as feats go.)

–Power Attack: Wait, what’s the old standby of bashy-bashies doing here? Well, isn’t taking a penalty on your attack roll to get a bonus to damage exactly what a called shot is doing? The unfortunate side of this is that you don’t get extra damage for being tricky with a dagger. The upside, though, is that when your enemy takes a club to the nads it hurts a lot more if it’s a GREATCLUB.

–Criticals: In my games, I usually respond with “unless you’re using another option, your character is already trying to do that and on a crit he succeeds.” It’s a cop-out, but it does allow me to do some pretty special things. (I actually had players wince when I described a hobgoblin’s scimitar nailing the bard’s brachial artery, and all I said was “he cuts across your inner arm.”)

[AKA_Bait]

Horrible idea. We tried this in previous editions, and it didn't work well.

QFT. Called shots are usually game breaking. Remember, anything you give as a mechanic to your PC's, you should give to your NPC's if you want the world to seem real. Your casters are not going to be happy when they get one shotted by some jerk with a crossbow or catch a scortching ray to the eye and drop.

[Stormcrow]

Sounds great until your in a pirate campaign and the siege engineer PC called shots the other captains head with a ballista. *mutters*