Paladinltd/CalledShots

Called shots

Combat is the ultimate display of human ferocity. Often a person doesn’t have time to think only to react: defend, attack and so on.

But for those specifically trained in certain combats can instead use their skill to deliberately target parts of the body to either instantly kill.

Calling shots requires a melee skill of at least three, a valor of three and willpower of seven.

Head

• Soak 2B/1L (skull) -2/-4Paladinltd/CalledShots/Incap

The destruction of the head causes immediate unconsciousness or death

Limbs

Arm-

• Soak 1B/0L (skin) -0/-1/-1/-2Paladinltd/CalledShots/Incap

The destruction of the main arm results when a weapon is being held results in an immediate disarmament. The player cannot pick up weapons with that arm any longer and must instead use the other arm (resulting in the -1 penalty for using the off hand)

Leg

Soak 1B/0L (skin) -0/-1/-1/-2Paladinltd/CalledShots/Incap

The destruction of a leg reduces mobility to 1/3. The destruction of both legs debilitates all movement

Special

For those of us who always wanted to pluck out an eye, or rip out a beating heart and show it to your victim

eye- Soak (None) -1Paladinltd/CalledShots/Incap The loss of one eye will result in a permanent penalty (the flaw one eye), while the loss of both eyes will result in immediate and permanent blindness.

Heart - Soak 3B/1L (Ribcage) -4Paladinltd/CalledShots/Incap The destruction of the heart results in immediate death

Notes

Health levels here indicate the normal seven health levels. If a characters gains more health level through ox-body and such just add them to the limb as well, excepting the heart and eye.

Called shots specifically do not do extra damage. The resultant damage is added to the health levels but it will do no further damage to a character. When incapacitated is reached for a limb it means that that limb is no longer able to be used, not that the subject is incapacitated.

The only exception to the no extra damage rule is the heart and the head. The normal health levels are skipped (also note that you should fill them in with the relevant damage) till the ones listed and incapacitated, at which point the subject is dead.

Further Damage

For mortals, when one limb is incapacitated the damage is marked to the first -2. If a second limb is targeted, no further is dealt (except for the heart and head) until the limb is incapacitated at which point the second -2 is marked. For mortals, when a third limb is incapacitated it is assumed that the character has reached incapacitated. For Exalted any incapacitated limb after the second will incur a further damage point, until incapacitated.

Soak

Mortals can only soak damage with their armor. Exalted can of course soak with their stamina

Armor

There will be occasions when a combatant will be wearing armor in combat. Does this mean Called shots are invalid? Certainly not! The head and eyes aren’t protected by armor but by helmets (discussed below). The heart has full soak of all armor no matter what its strength. Here are your basic rules for soak on the limbs

Light armor: no soak

Medium Armor: half soak (rounded down)

Heavy Armor: half soak (rounded up)

Super-heavy Armor: full soak

Charms and Hearthstones that provide soak will give soak to all limbs and the head. Magic armor will provide full soak for both the limbs and the heart at all times.

Helmets

The head is the most vital part of any normal creature, mortal or exalted. To protect this area in combat many warriors will wear helmets. Helmets give a general soak of 3B/3L though it is assumed that certain helmets will be better or worse.

Logic

obviously there are certain things that are not possible without charms or stunts. For instance you can’t pluck someone’s eye out with a Dire Lance at three feet away. It should be obvious what is and isn’t logic but for all you Storyteller who might want to use this system, a list will be forthcoming

Example: King Arthur comes walking along when he comes across a Black Knight. Barring the way and not relenting, King Arthur challenges him to a duel. King Arthur wins initiative and targets the Black Knights arm. Because the Black Knight is wearing Chain Hauberk (6L/7B soak) we divide his lethal soak, reducing it to three. King Arthur does eight levels of damage, reducing three for soak. The limb reaches incapacitated and thus is completely cut off. Because that was the arm holding his sword the Black Knight is considered disarmed. The next turn King Arthur targets the other arm and incapacitates it. Because it is the second limb incapacitated the second -2 health level is marked. The next turn King Arthur targets the Knight’s leg and incapacitates it. Normally, because the knight is mortal he would be considered incapacitated.