[X] My Assistant

[Garrowolf]

I used a hit location system in SR3 based on the idea that your staging of damage determined the damage level so you rolled on a table based on the damage level. If you have a low damage value then you didn't have a vitals hit. If you have a high damage value then you didn't shoot them in the hand. It eliminated the stupid results that can occur and it didn't give you free extra damage. It was deadly though in that a shot to the brain was death.

I'm not sure how to do it in SR4.

[Crusher Bob]

Easy: for 1-2 damage points, roll on light damage table, for 3-5 roll on moderate table, for 6-8 roll on serious table, for 9+ roll on the deadly table.

[HullBreach]

I dunno, one of the fun bits about hit location in systems is after determining that a hit has occured, the suspensful moment of seeing whether or not that cover is doing the target any good.

I remember one CP2020 campaign where my players were being pursued by a Cyber-phsyco'ed booster who had sprung for body plating. They had been expecting a fight with some poorly armed and armored gang scum and weren't packing anything with much abillity to punch through heavy armor.

This fight just went on and on! This was the first time I've ever had players run dry on ammo mid-fight. Finally one guy landed this perfect hit to the bad guys head with his backup weapon: A Colt Single Action Army.

Hit locations often add to the 'OhshitOhshitOhshit' factor of a firefight. Players SHOULD be scared of getting hit, and I've always felt these systems help keep that threat real.

[nathanross]

Cant agree more, getting shot anywhere sucks. In SR3, the L, M, S, D seperation helped create a more realistic view of damage, but now that we have what amounts to 10hp, I think we need something to give it more substance.

[Crakkerjakk]

I just hate adding extra stuff to combat. I prefer to keep it as streamlined as possible. And plus, if there's hit locations, how do called shots work? Are they mutually exclusive? Or if you shoot a guy with a helmet in the head trying to ignore armor and succeed, where precisely do you hit?

[Garrowolf]

just dont roll for hit location if you make it on a called shot.

Also I dont think that you should use the rule about reducing your dice pool for ignoring armor. Only use hit location and called shots. If they have armor there then it reduces as normal. If it has no armor then it wont help.

It could even make things more interesting in that you could have trauma plates so a vitals hit has a higher armor rating.

[Tomothy]

Called Shots could potentially add to or subtract from the hit location dice roll.

[Garrowolf]

[Tomothy]

Well let's say you have a hit location chart based on D10:
1-2:Legs
3-7:Torso
8-9:Arms
10:Head

And your player says, "I'd like to make a called shot."

You offer them the choice between going for extra damage and aiming for a specific location.

Aiming for a specific location would allow a player to sacrifice dice (max four) from their dice pool to add or subtract from the hit location roll.

So if you have Agility 5 and Pistols 4, you have a dice pool of 9 to hit. You could sacrifice 2 dice giving you a dice pool of 7. Assuming you hit this would allow you to add or subtract 2 from the hit location roll. If you rolled a 4, a torso hit, and your opponent is wearing a leather jacket you might subtract 2 from that to hit him in the leg instead, thus avoiding his armour and potentially immobilising him.

I'm not sure if that is as clear as I would like it to be but I hope you understand.

[Trigger]

d10's???

But this is shadowrun....I don't bring any other dice except my three pounds of d6 to the table....

[psykotisk_overle...]

[evilgenius]

[eidolon]

Mechanically, no hit locations. Dramatically, go nuts. /.02

[djinni]

[eidolon]