Attacks assume an attacker is aiming for the target’s torso. But sometimes a person might want to aim for a foe’s arm or leg to keep from killing him, or to bypass heavy torso armor. Or a hero might want to shoot the spellbook out of the hands of an evil sorcerer.
- Called shots against something the size of a leg are a −2 penalty to the attack total.
- Smaller targets about the size of a hand or head carry a –4 penalty.
- The eye slits or joints of medieval armor are generally a –6 penalty.
Called shots don’t stack with Concealment. Use whichever penalty is higher. The GM has final say on whether a called shot is appropriate for the situation or target.
Vital Blow
A successful called shot to the head (–4) or other vital area adds +4 to the damage result. If a defender has no vital areas, such as an animated statue, the called shot has no additional effect. Use the Toughness of the affected area and account for any change in armor. A head shot against a foe with no helmet, for example, bypasses armor and causes +4 damage.
Disarm
Called shots may be used to disarm an opponent by shooting his weapon or the hand that holds it. If the attack hits, the victim must make a Strength test versus the damage total to hang onto his weapon. If the attack was aimed at an actual limb and hits (and not just the weapon), damage is applied as well.