Called Shots and Critical Effects

Called Shots
Sometimes a player will wish to strike a particular area on an enemy in order to accomplish a goal (an eye to blind them, their hand to disarm them, etc). This can be done with called shots. First the aggressor must meet all the requirements below to make a called shot. Once these conditions have been met, you can make a called shot. You incur a penalty depending on where you are aiming (see table below). The DM may increase the penalty if the target is moving very fast. Note that pieces of the body not covered by armor do not receive AC bonus from the armor the target is wearing. To hit a specific piece of a body part (hamstring, knee, eyes, etc) then there is an additional -3 penalty.
 * 1) You must be proficient with your weapon in order to attempt a called shot.
 * 2) You may only attempt one called shot per round.
 * 3) You must declare that you are making a called shot at the beginning of your turn, this takes a standard action.
 * 4) You must roll a concentration check (roll a D20 and add your level) with a DC of 13 in order to make a called shot. If this check is failed, you cannot not make any attack this round but you can still move and take free actions. If you have the Weapon Focus feat with your weapon, you do not need to make this concentration check.
 * 5) The target cannot have moved more than 5ft in the round before your attempt. If the target has, you incur a -3 penalty in addition to any other penalties.
 * 6) Making a called shot provokes an attack of opportunity from all enemies other than the target.

Called Shot Penalties Should your attack roll succeed, you automatically score a critical threat and a mild critical effect (see below) even if you fail to confirm the critical threat. If you succeed in confirming the threat and roll high enough to apply a mild critical effect, you apply a moderate effect instead (this does not bump moderate up to serious). If you miss, you miss.

Critical Effects
When you confirm a critical threat, there is a chance that you will score a good hit depending on how much higher than the target’s AC your roll to confirm is. Five above the target's armor class is a Mild Critical Effect, ten above is Moderate, and fifteen above is Serious). If you scored a Critical Effect through making a Called Shot instead of naturally, you use the Armor Class you rolled against for the called shot (which may be different if the area on their body is armored or not) to determine if your confirmation roll was high enough to bump your Mild Critical Effect to a Moderate one, or high enough to score a Serious Critical Effect. If you threaten a critical hit by rolling a natural 20 on your attack roll then roll a natural 20 again to confirm your critical hit you automatically apply a serious critical effect to the body part you struck regardless of how much higher than the target's armor class your roll to confirm was. Below is the body profile for a humanoid, used to determine where you strike them. Unless otherwise noted, the effects from the critical effect last until the target heals at least half the damage that was dealt to them when they received the condition or until a successful Heal check (DC 15) that takes one hour is performed. When the target suffers a critical effect worse than Mild, they also suffer the penalties of all smaller critical effects (for example, when taking a serious critical effect, the target also suffers a moderate and mild critical effect) however multiple penalties to the same thing, such as skill checks or attack rolls, do not stack, simply apply the highest penalty to the target.

Leg (Appendage) – Mild

Effect: The target suffers a -2 penalty to their dexterity bonus to AC (if any) and any skill checks involving the injured leg.

Leg (Appendage) – Moderate

Effect: Reduce the target’s movement speed by half, the target suffers a -8 penalty on any skill checks involving the injured leg, and the target loses all dexterity bonus to AC (if any).

Leg (Appendage) – Serious

Effect: The target must make a concentration check (roll a D20 and add your level) with a DC equal to the damage taken in order to avoid going into shock (target becomes staggered) for one minute. The target falls prone and suffers additional damage equal to the weapon’s base damage (the damage rolled before any modifiers or additional dice, such as sneak attack or the flaming enchantment, are added). The target can retry the concentration check once each round as a standard action to remove the staggered condition.

Arm (Appendage) – Mild

Effect: The target suffers a -2 penalty on all attack rolls and any skill checks involving the injured arm.

Arm (Appendage) – Moderate

Effect: The target suffers a -8 penalty on all attack rolls and any skill checks involving the injured arm. The target must make a Strength check (DC 15) every round or drop any object in the hand of the injured arm.

Arm (Appendage) – Serious

Effect: The target must make a concentration check (roll a D20 and add your level) with a DC equal to the damage taken in order to avoid going into shock (target becomes staggered) for one minute. The target drops anything being help by that arm and is unable to hold anything with it until the critical effect is removed. The target suffers additional damage equal to the weapon’s base damage (the damage rolled before any modifiers or additional dice, such as sneak attack or the flaming enchantment, are added). The target can retry the concentration check once each round as a standard action to remove the staggered condition.

Torso (Body) – Mild

Effect: The target suffers a -1 penalty to attack rolls and any skill checks that use strength or dexterity.

Torso (Body) – Moderate

Effect: The target suffers a -3 penalty to attack rolls and any skill checks that use strength or dexterity. This also slows the target, reducing their movement speed by half.

Torso (Body) – Serious

Effect: The target suffers a -5 penalty to attack rolls and any skill checks that use strength or dexterity. The target dies in a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier unless saved. The target can be saved by having at least half the damage taken from this attack healed or by seeing to the wound, which is Heal check (DC 20) that takes a full round to complete. The target must make a Will Save (DC 20) in order to take any action during this time.

Tail (Abdomen) – Mild

Effect: The target suffers a -2 penalty on attack rolls using the tail and skill checks involving the tail.

Tail (Abdomen) – Moderate

Effect: The target suffers a -8 penalty on attack rolls using the tail and any skill checks involving the tail. If the tail is used as a mode of movement, reduce the target’s movement speed by half.

Tail (Abdomen) – Serious

Effect: The target must make a concentration check (roll a D20 and add your level) with a DC equal to the damage taken in order to avoid going into shock (target becomes staggered) for one minute. The target suffers additional damage equal to the weapon’s base damage (the damage rolled before any modifiers or additional dice, such as sneak attack or the flaming enchantment, are added). The target can retry the concentration check once each round as a standard action to remove the staggered condition.

Head – Mild

Effect: The target suffers a -2 penalty to initiative (can change their place in the turn order if this penalty would bring their initiative to lower the person who goes after them), perception checks, and acrobatics checks to try and balance.

Head – Moderate

Effect: The target must make a concentration check (DC 17) in order to avoid going into shock (target becomes staggered) for one minute and suffers additional damage equal to the weapon’s base damage (the damage rolled before any modifiers or additional dice, such as sneak attack or the flaming enchantment, are added).

Head – Serious

Effect: The target dies in a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier if not saved. The target can be saved by having at least half the damage taken from this attack healed or by seeing to the wound, which is Heal check (DC 20) that takes a full round to complete. The target must make a Will Save (DC 22) in order to take any action during this time.

Example Critical Effects for Specific Targets
Ear

Normal Called Shot Penalty: -11 (might be higher or lower if the ears are different size than normal human ears)

Effect: -5 penalty on rolls involving the ear (primarily the perception skill) and cannot use the ear at all. The target also suffers a -1 penalty on all Charisma based skills. This penalty to skills is removed if the ear is regenerated or replaced in some way. If a critical effect is applied to every ear, the target is deaf.

Eye

Normal Called Shot Penalty: -11

Effect: -5 penalty on rolls involving the eye (primarily the perception skill) and cannot use the eye at all. The target also suffers a -2 penalty on Charisma based skills. This penalty to skills is removed if the eye is regenerated or replaced in some way. If the damage is piercing the target must make a concentration check (roll a D20 and add your level) with a DC equal to the damage taken in order to avoid going into shock (target becomes staggered) for one minute. Also if the damage is piercing, the target suffers additional damage equal to the weapon’s base damage (the damage rolled before any modifiers or additional dice, such as sneak attack or the flaming enchantment, are added). If a critical effect is applied to every eye, the target is blind.

Groin

Normal Called Shot Penalty: -6

Effect: The target is dazed for one round and suffers a -2 penalty on all attacks and reflex saves for 1D6 rounds (including the dazed round).

Hamstring

Normal Called Shot Penalty: -8

Effect: If the attack is bludgeoning it deals normal damage, if the attack is piercing the target’s movement speed is reduced by 15ft and they lose all Dexterity bonus to their AC (if any), and if the attack is slashing the target suffers a -5 penalty on skill checks involving the leg and the target’s movement speed is reduced by 10ft and they lose all Dexterity bonus to their AC (if any).

Hand

Normal Called Shot Penalty: -8

Effect: The target suffers a -5 penalty to all attacks involving the hand and any skill checks involving the hand. The target must make a Strength check (DC 20) or drop anything that is being held by that hand.

Knee

Normal Called Shot Penalty: -8

Effect: Reduce the target’s movement speed by half, the target suffers a -8 on skill checks involving that leg, and the target loses all Dexterity bonus to AC (if any).

Mouth

Normal Called Shot Penalty: -11

Effect: The target suffers a -3 penalty to all attack roll and a -6 penalty to all bluff, diplomacy, intimidate, and perform checks. The target suffers a -2 penalty to Charisma. This penalty to Charisma is removed if the damaged area is regenerated.