Hit Locations, any feedback?

[Temrek]

I am working on a hit location system for the True 20 system, actually at the request of my players

The goal is to make it as simple as possible and not add any more rolls then currently possible in True20 (including the critical confirmation rolls).

What I have come up with is that each body part recieves a its own defense score wich is equal to the characters reqular defense + the body parts defense bonus (as shown below).

Any hit hits the bodypart with the highest defense the target has as long as the defense is not greater then the body part, attackers can also chose to instead hit a body part with a lower defense then the body part they "hit". The target recieves a penalty to toughness saves depending in where it is hit.

There are no critical hits with this system. Also armor only adds a bonus to the toughness check if it covers the location that is hit. So if someone is dressed in full plate and wearing an open faced helmet, he would get the +8 bonus to toughness saves from the armor as long as the hit is not in his face as that is not protected.

Location Toughness Defense
L. Leg (+0) (+0)
R. Leg (+0) (+0)
L. Arm (+0) (+1)
R. Arm (+0) (+1)
Torso (-2) (+3)
Head (-4) (+5)
Face (-6) (+7)

Injury
Each arm and each leg has its own injury progression. Any penalties to toughness checks only apply to that limb.

If an arm is wounded you must pass a DC 14 fortitude save or drop anything that arm is holding. A wounded arm brings a -4 penalty to all actions done with that arm, and a -1 penalty to defense (instead of -2), you are not stunned and any shield you hold in that arm only provides half its usual bonus to defense (rounded down). A wound on the arm adds a hurt condition to your regular injury progression chart.

If an arm is disabled you cannot use it at all. If an arm is maimed ("dying") it has been hurt so bad it cannot recover naturally (it might even have been cut off!), it grants you a wounded condition on your regular injury progression chart. You must also pass a DC 15 fortitude save or become disabled, if you fail the save by 5 or more you become dying instead).

If a leg is wounded you must pass a DC 14 fortitude save or fall prone. A wounded leg brings a -4 penalty to all actions done with that leg, you are not stunned. If you are bipedal your speed is also halved. A wound on the arm adds a hurt condition to your regular injury progression chart.

If a leg is disabled you cannot use it at all, and you cannot run if you are bipedal. If a leg is maimed ("dying") it has been hurt so bad it cannot recover naturally (it might even have been cut off!), it grants you a wounded condition on your regular injury progression chart. You must also pass a DC 15 fortitude save or become disabled, if you fail the save by 5 or more you become dying instead).

If you suffer a hurt condition from a hit in the head you must pass a DC 12 fortitude save or fall uncouncious. If you suffer a wounded condition you must pass a DC 20 fortitude save or become uncouncious.If you become disabled you must pass a DC 20 fortitude save or become dying.

If you score a hit in the face the target must pass a DC 12 reflex save or lose an eye. If the target loses an eye he must make a DC 15 fortitude save and if it passes the eye recovers after an hour if it fails the eye loss is permanent, loss of all eyes incurs blindness. Each eye loss incurs a -4 penalty on notice checks to spot things and a -2 penalty on dexterity related checks.



Please tell me what you think.

[ddogwood]

This sounds like a good system. Adding hit locations is definitely a way of adding "crunch" to the system, at the cost of simplicity. Personally, I wouldn't want to remember all of the different effects or track the different wound levels for each area, so I probably wouldn't use it.

Your proposal is certainly a logical way of adding hit locations, though.

[Rook]

Instead of "Hit Locations", you might do "Called Shots"

It's a simple set of modifiers

Limb: -2
Head/Vitals: -5
Tiny Target: -10

If any of these locations are unarmored, the opponent doesn't get his armor bonus on his Toughness save. Other effects are left up to the GM. Reduced Speed and DEX for taking a wound in the legs? Penalty to attack and parry defense if an arm is injured?

Dunno if this works for you, but it doesn't add much complexity to the game, and you can pretty much dictate whatever effects you want based on where a PC gets wounded.

[Temrek]

Heh had not expected any replies by now

The problem I see with called shots is that you either hit what you where aiming for or you dont hit at all. No opponent redirecting your attack so it hits him in a less vital area. Also most called shot systems make it harder to hit a limb when limbs are actually the easiest location to hit (arms particulary, speaking from experience here).

[Rook]

I can understand the objection.

Just tossin' ideas around.