A called shot is an attack aimed at a particular part of the body, in the hope of gaining some extra effect from the attack. The smaller or better guarded the area, the more difficult the called shot. A called shot is a single attack made as a full-round action, and thus can’t be combined with a charge, feats like Rapid Strike, multiple attacks with a full-attack action, or semi-automatic weapons fire.
Called shots are divided into three basic difficulty groups: easy, tricky, and challenging. Easy called shots represent large areas of the body, and are made at a –2 penalty. They have relatively minor effects unless a critical hit is scored or massive damage is dealt. Tricky called shots represent either smaller areas, like a hand, or areas a creature protects well, like its head. Tricky shots receive a –5 penalty, and inflict more serious consequences. Challenging called shots represent very small areas like eyes, fingers, or creatures’ necks. They receive a –10 penalty, and successful hits cause significant short-term impairment. Beyond these challenging ratings lie almost impossible called shots that receive a –20 penalty. For called shots against non-humanoid creatures, use common sense and the categories above as guidelines. For example, a flying creature’s wings are treated as arms.
Range and Reach: Called shots work best at close range. Melee called shots are at a –2 penalty if the target isn’t adjacent to its attacker. For called shots made at range, all range penalties due to range increments are doubled.
Critical Hits and Critical Threats: A called shot has the normal chance for a critical hit, and inflicts an extra effect if one is confirmed. The exact effects of a successful critical hit depend on where the target was hit, and are described under Called Shot Effects.
Cover: Cover other than soft cover interferes with a called shot even more than with a normal shot. Double any Reflex Defense bonuses provided by cover that isn’t soft cover. In addition, cover may make certain called shots impossible.
Concealment: The miss chance for a called shot against a creature with concealment increases to 50%. It’s not possible to make a called shot against a creature with total concealment. For effects that function like concealment, a miss chance of 50% or more prevents called shots, a miss chance of 20% increases to 50%, and miss chances of other values are doubled.
Damage Reduction: If damage reduction completely negates the damage from a called shot, the called shot has no effect. If hit point damage does get through, the called shot has normal effects. Damage reduction does not reduce any ability damage, ability drain, penalties, or bleed damage caused by the called shot.
Immunity: Immunity to critical hits protects against the extra effects of called shots. Partial protection, protects the creature as though the called shot were a critical hit.
Stacking: Unless otherwise stated, penalties for multiple called shots do not stack, even if they are to different areas of the body. Ability damage and drain caused by called shots always stacks.
Called Shot Effects
The consequences of a successful called shot vary depending on whether the hit is a normal hit, a critical hit, or a debilitating blow (a hit for 50 points of damage or more). When more than one limb or organ can be affected by a called shot, the attacker can choose the target if desired; otherwise, it should be determined randomly.
Called Shot: An attack aimed at a body part that deals fewer than 50 points of damage results in a normal called shot. Called shots inflict either minor penalties or temporary inconveniences.
Critical Called Shot: When a called shot is confirmed as a critical hit but deals fewer than half the creature’s hit points of damage (minimum 50), a critical called shot results. Critical called shots can cause ability damage, bleeding, and other serious effects.
Debilitating Blow: A called shot that deals half the creature’s hit points of damage (minimum 50) or more (whether a critical hit or not) results in a debilitating blow that has extra effects. A debilitating blow inflicts major consequences and potentially permanent consequences.
Effect Maintenance Checks: Knowledge [Physical Sciences], Magery, Nanite Control, and Psionics made to maintain an effect suffer a -5 penalty if the target making the check has suffered a called shot that could intefere with their ability to maintin that effect.
Healing Called Shot Effects: Some called shot effects render a given location useless until healed. Remedying this condition requires the victim be healed (through any combination of sources) for as many hit points of damage as the called shot caused. If the victim is suffering from multiple wounds of this sort, divide healing equally between them.
Table: Called Shot Locations
| Location | Type | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Tricky | -5 |
| – Ear | Challenging | -10 |
| – Eye | Challenging | -10 |
| – Neck | Challenging | -10 |
| Chest | Easy | -2 |
| – Heart | Challenging | -10 |
| Vitals | Tricky | -5 |
| Arm | Easy | -2 |
| – Hand | Tricky | -5 |
| Leg | Easy | -2 |
Arm
Arms are the manipulating limbs of a creature, including tentacles. Wings are also considered to be arms for purposes of a called shot. Called shots to the arm are easy (–2 penalty).
Called Shot: A called shot to an arm deals no additional damage, but for 1d4 rounds, any attack rolls, ability checks, or skill checks made using the wounded arm take a –2 penalty. A flying creature shot in the wing must make an Acrobatics (DC = your attack roll) check to avoid descending involuntarily.
Critical Called Shot: A critical hit to the arm deals 1d4 points of Dexterity damage and 1d4 points of Strength damage. If your attack roll does not beat the target’s Fortitude defense, this damage is halved (minimum 1 damage to each ability score).. The target also suffers the effects of a called shot to the arm for 1d4 minutes.
Debilitating Blow: A debilitating blow deals 1d6 points of Dexterity damage and 1d6 points of Strength damage. If your attack roll beats the target’s Fortitude defense, then the arm is rendered arm useless until healed. If you beat the target’s Fortitude defense by 5 or more, then arm is severed or otherwise mangled such that only surgery (and possibly cybernetics) can repair it (unless the target has the ability to regenerate limbs). The target also suffers the effects of a called shot to the arm (if the arm remains usable) for 2d6 minutes.
Chest
Called shots to the chest are aimed at the well-protected center of mass of a creature. Called shots to the chest are easy (–2 penalty).
Called Shot: A called shot to the chest deals no additional damage, but any skill checks caused by the hit (such as an Acrobatics check while balancing or a Climb check while climbing) take a –2 penalty.
Critical Called Shot: A critical hit to the chest deals 1d4 points of Constitution damage and moves the target -1 step on the condition track – this movement is considered a persistent condition that requires surgery to remove. If your attack roll does not beat the target’s Fortitude defense, then they do not move down on the condition track. The creature also suffers the effects of a called shot to the chest.
Debilitating Blow: A debilitating blow to the chest deals 2d4 points of Constitution damage and moves the target -2 steps on the condition track – this movement is considered a persistent condition that requires surgery to remove. If your attack roll does not beat the target’s Fortitude defense, then they only move -1 step on the condition track – this movement is still considered a persistent condition that requires surgery to remove. If your attack roll beats the target’s Fortitude defense by 5 or more, the creature’s internal injuries deal 1 point of Constitution damage in any round the creature takes a standard action. The internal injuries can be healed by either a DC 25 Treat Injury check made to perform surgery or by healing as many hit points as the debilitating blow dealt. The creature also suffers the effects of a called shot to the chest.
Ear
Ears are the organs used to hear. Creatures without visible ears generally aren’t susceptible to called shots to that location. Called shots to the ear are challenging (–10 penalty).
Called Shot: A called shot to the ear deafens that ear for 1 round, and imposes a –2 penalty on Perception checks. A creature that loses hearing in all ears is deafened until hearing is returned by way of a DC 20 Treat Injury check made to perform surgery.
Critical Called Shot: A critical hit to the ear deafens that ear for 2d6 minutes and leaves the target only able to take a move or standard action (but not both) for 1 round. The target also suffers the effects of a called shot to the ear for that duration.
Debilitating Blow: If your attack roll beats the target’s Fortitude defense, then a debilitating blow to the ear destroys that ear and stuns the target for 1 round, then leaves it only able to take a move or standard action (but not both) for 1d4 rounds, and deafened until the ear is repaired, usually by way of a cybernetic replacement. If your attack roll fails to beat the target’s Fortitude defense, then the target is deafened until their hearing is returned by way of a DC 20 Treat Injury check made to perform surgery – but their ear is not destroyed and they are not stunned.
Eye
Eyes include whatever organs a creature uses to see. At the GM’s discretion, a called shot to the eye can also target sensory organs such as antennae, potentially negating abilities like blindsense. Generally, a creature can’t be blinded until it has lost all vision in all of its eyes. Creatures with five or more eyes take no penalties from called shots to their eyes until they’re blinded in enough eyes to bring them down a single functional eye, but can still be blinded in that eye by a critical hit or debilitating blow. Called shots to the eye are challenging (–10 penalty).
Called Shot: A called shot to the eye gives all of the target’s foes concealment against its attacks for 1 round and gives it a –2 penalty on Perception checks. If the creature only has one functional eye prior to the called shot, it is blinded for 1 round instead.
Critical Called Shot: A critical hit to the eye costs the target sight in that eye for 1d4 minutes. The target also suffers the effects of a called shot to the eye for that duration.
Debilitating Blow: A debilitating blow to the eye destroys that eye, causes blindness until the condition is removed with surgery to install a cybernetic or similar replacement, and deals 1d6 points of bleed damage. If your attack fails to beat the target’s Fortitude defense, then the eye is not destroyed and instead the target loses sight in that eye for 1d4 hours, and suffers no bleed damage. The target also suffers the effects of a called shot to the eye for 2d6 minutes.
Hand
Hands include most extremities used for fine manipulation. Called shots to the hand are tricky (–5 penalty).
Called Shot: For 1d4 rounds, any attack rolls, damage rolls, ability checks, or skill checks made using the wounded hand take a –2 penalty, including attack and damage rolls with two-handed weapons. In addition, the target takes a –4 penalty to its defenses to resist disarm attempts, and drops its weapon (if any) on an attack roll result of a natural 1.
Critical Called Shot: A critical hit to the hand deals 1d4 points of Dexterity damage. In addition, the target drops anything it is holding in that hand. Items held in two hands aren’t dropped, but the target still loses its grip with the injured hand. The target also suffers the effects of a called shot to the hand for 1d4 minutes.
Debilitating Blow: A debilitating blow deals 1d6 points of Dexterity damage. If your attack beats the target’s Fortitude defense, then the blow renders the hand useless until healed. If your attack beats the target’s Fortitude defense by 5 or more, the hand is severed or otherwise mangled such that only extensive surgery, cybernetics, or similar effects can repair it. Regardless of the results, anything held in the wounded hand is automatically dropped, even items held in two or more hands. The target also suffers the effects of a called shot to the hand (if the hand remains usable) for 2d6 minutes.
Head
Called shots to the head are tricky (–5 penalty), as most creatures show some skill at dodging attacks aimed at their faces. Some creature lack a proper head altogether. Creatures with multiple heads must be hit by called shots to all their heads in a single round to suffer ill effects, and even then, only suffer the least effect that is inflicted on any single head.
Called Shot: A called shot to the head moves the target -2 steps on the condition track.
Critical Called Shot: A critical hit to the head deals 1d6 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma damage (randomly determine which) and leaves the target only able to take a move or standard action on their turn (but not both) for 1d4 roudns. If your attack roll fails to beat the target’s Fortitude defense, then they only suffer the Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma damage. The target also suffers the effects of a called shot to the head for 1d4 minutes.
Debilitating Blow: A debilitating blow to the head deals 1d6 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma damage (roll separately for each), and immediately moves the target to the bottom of the condition track – after 10 minutes they move to the -10 level, but outside aid could move them up the track sooner. If your attack roll does not exceed the target’s Fortitude defense, then the target does not suffer the condition track movement – instead they are only able to take a move or standard action (but not both) on their turn for 1d10 roudns. If you beat the target’s Fortitude defense by 5 or more, the target is rendered senseless by severe brain trauma, causing the target to suffer an amount of Intelligence and Charisma damage sufficient to reduce each of these ability scores to 1 – this damage can only be healed through advanced medical science (extensive cybernetics or something more advanced) or through magic that borders on miracles. The target also suffers the effects of a called shot to the head for 2d6 minutes.
Heart
A called shot to the heart represents an attempt at a killing blow. If the hit isn’t either a critical hit or a debilitating blow, the attempt fails and is just a normal hit. A called shot to the heart can be used for any small, likely fatal location on a creature, such as the only weakness on an unimaginably powerful creature. Called shots to the heart are challenging (–10 penalty).
Called Shot: A called shot to the heart is just a normal hit with no extra effect.
Critical Called Shot: A critical hit to the heart pierces the organ, moves the target to -3 steps on the condition track as a persistent condition that requires surgery to remove, and inflicts 1d4 points of Constitution bleed damage. If your attack fails to beat the target’s Fortitude defense, then the target is instead moved -2 steps on the condition track as a persistent condition and suffers 1 point of Constitution bleed damage. In either case, stopping the bleeding requires either Fast Healing, or any form of healing that heals as many points of damage (from one or more sources) as the original blow dealt, or a successful DC 20 Treat Injury check that takes 1d4 rounds to complete.
Debilitating Blow: A debilitating blow to the heart destroys it, instantly killing any creature that relies on its heart to survive – creatures with multiple hearts can survive this as long as one heart remains. If your attack roll fails to beat the target’s Fortitude defense, the target instead -4 steps on the condition track as a persistent condition that requires surgery to remove, and the target takes 1d6 points of Constitution damage and 1d4 points of Constitution bleed damage. Targets that can survive without a heart automatically suffer the conditions inflicted by a miss versus Fortitude defense.
Leg
Legs are the ambulatory limbs of a creature, including feet. Called shots to the leg have no special effect on creatures with five or more legs. Called shots to the leg are easy (–2 penalty).
Called Shot: A called shot to a leg lowers the target creature’s speed by 2 squares for 1d4 rounds if it has two or fewer legs, and by 1 square if it has three or four legs. In either case, the creature’s speed cannot be reduced below 1 square per round. Called shots to the leg have no effect on creatures with five or more legs. Hitting the same leg more than once has no extra effect, but the speed penalty for hits on different legs stack. Additionally, any skill or ability checks involving movement (such as Acrobatics or Swim checks) take a –2 penalty for 1d4 rounds.
Critical Called Shot: A critical hit to the leg deals 1d4 points of Dexterity damage and knocks the target prone. If your attack does not beat the target’s Fortitude defense, then they are not knocked prone. The creature also suffers the effects of a called shot to the leg for 1d4 minutes.
Debilitating Blow: A debilitating blow to the leg knocks the creature prone. The blow renders the leg entirely useless until the leg is treated by a DC 25 Treat Injury check that requires a full-round action (if the creature making the check has a medical kit, longer if they do not). If you beat the target’s Fortitude defense by 5 or more, the leg is severed or otherwise mangled such that only cybernetics or advanced medical science can repair it. If you fail to beat the target’s Fortitude defense, the target is instead lamed and moves at half speed until the leg is healed, or until it receives a successful DC 20 Treat Injury check that requires a full-round action. A creature with a useless or severed leg moves at half speed if it still has more than half of its legs usable; otherwise, it cannot stand up and must crawl to move. The target also suffers the effects of a called shot to the leg (if the leg remains usable) for 2d6 minutes.
Neck
The neck makes for a difficult but rewarding target. Injuries to the neck keep a creature from speaking easily, and if blood vessels or the windpipe are damaged, such injuries rapidly lead to death. Creatures that lack vulnerable heads generally can’t be attacked in the neck either. Called shots to the neck are challenging (–10 penalty).
Called Shot: A called shot to the neck makes speaking above a hoarse whisper impossible for 1 round. Any attempts to cast an Incantation or True Incantation have a 20% chance of failing outright, as do attempts to activate artifacts and evoke devices.
Critical Called Shot: A critical hit to the neck deals 1d6 points of bleed damage. In addition, if your attack exceeds the target’s Fortitude defense, then the target’s windpipe is crushed and they are unable to breathe or speak, and possibly suffocating. A crushed windpipe can be repaired by healing (from one or more sources) that heals as many hit points of damage as the original hit dealt, or by a DC 25 Treat Injury check to open up a hole into the windpipe. The latter check deals 2d6 hit points of damage, and leaves the creature still unable to speak. If you fail to beat the target’s Fortitude defense, it still suffers the effects of a called shot to the neck for 1d4 minutes.
Debilitating Blow: A debilitating blow to the neck leaves the target unable to speak or breathe and deals 1d4 points of Constitution bleed damage. If you fail to beat the target’s Fortitude defense, they instead suffer 2d6 points of regular (hit point) bleed damage, and the are is only unable to speak and breathe for 1d4 minutes. The Constitution bleed damage caused by a debilitating blow to the neck can only be stopped by healing (from one or more sources) that heals as many points of damage as the original blow dealt, or a DC 20 Treat Injury check that takes 1d4 rounds to complete.
Vitals
The vitals correspond to the abdomen on a humanoid: critical organs not well-protected by bone. Attacks on the vitals can also include dastardly “low blows.” Vitals for non-humanoid creatures can include nearly any location that is relatively hard to hit, poorly protected, and debilitating if struck. Called shots to the vitals are tricky (–5 penalty).
Called Shot: A called shot to the vitals leaves the target -2 steps on the condition track as a persitent condition that lasts for 1d4 rounds. Failure to beat the target’s Fortitude defense reduces this duration to 1 round. While suffering from this condition, the target cannot run or charge.
Critical Called Shot: A critical hit deals 1d4 points of Constitution damage. In addition, the target is cannot attack, cast spells (or more advanced forms of magic), use powers, use formulae, use nanite abilities, or do anything that requires concentration, and can only make a single move action per turn (no standard or swift) for 1d4 rounds and moves -2 steps on the condition track as a persistent condition that lasts for 1d6 minutes. Failure to beat the target’s Fortitude defense means the target only suffers from the Constitution damage and the condition track movement. While the target is suffering from the persistent condition inflicted by this, it cannot run or charge.
Debilitating Blow: A debilitating blow to the vitals deals 1d6 points of Constitution drain, renders it unable to attack, cast spells (or use more advanced forms of magic), use powers, use formulae, use nanite abilities, or do anything that requires concentration, and leaves it only able to make a single move action per turn (no standard or swift) for 1d4 rounds, and moves it -2 steps on the condition track as a persistent condition that lasts for 2d6 minutes. Failure to beat the target’s Fortitude defense changes the Constitution drain to Constitution damage, and reduces the inability to attack/etc to a duration of 1 round. If you beat the target’s Fortitude defense by 5 or more, the target is disemboweled or otherwise horrifically wounded, and takes 1 point of Constitution bleed damage. The Constitution bleed damage caused by a debilitating blow to the vitals can only be stopped by healing that heals as many points of damage (from one or more sources) as the original blow dealt, or a DC 20 Treat Injury check that takes 1d4 rounds to complete. Drain damage to ability scores can only be healed through cybernetics or advanced medical science.