Saturday, May 4, 2013

System Mechanics: Attack Land Locations


As stated in a prior post, in MaL where a specific attack lands can affect gameplay in addition to the damage being dealt.  A chop to the back of the neck is going to be more debilitating than one to the shoulder.  A character intending to render a golem incapable of moving but still able to stay animate for study or interrogation would be better suited to attack its limbs rather than its chest.  All attacks can be specifically decided to try for, and unless LP is burned to alter its landing location, the attack will hit where selected.  If one is not selected, it will be chosen at random by dice roll.  The list is below, rolled with 1 d20 if done at random.  All potential locations are supposing that the location chosen is either possible to directly attack, or have a chance to hit while an opponent is in motion depending on their direction.  An opponent directly facing their attacker cannot be hit in the back by that attacker unless they are distracted and turn, or the attacker can rapidly move to the opponent's back in order to strike it instead of the side originally facing the attacker.

01: Forehead/Top of Head.
02: Face.
03: Back of Head.
04: Front of Neck.
05: Back of Neck.
06: Chest (general).
07: Chest or Back (species's heart or other upper vital organ if known or by chance.)
08: Back.
09: Right or Left Shoulder.
10: Right Arm.
11: Right Hand or Wrist.
12: Left Arm.
13: Left Hand or Wrist.
14: Abdomen.
15: Rear.
16: Groin.
17: Right Leg.
18: Right Foot.
19: Left Leg.
20: Left Foot.

Depending on where an attack lands and the type, if may affect how an individual character or creature reacts.  If a character or creature has more than one of a potential land location, such as characters that have four arms, then which of the two left hands is chopped off, for example, is done with a flip of a coin.  This brings up a way attack landing locations affect combat and gameplay.  Any attack that lands with enough power to kill off an opponent either strikes a vital organ or causes them to bleed out or otherwise be mortally wounded.    If an opponent's attack lands without any defense on a character, then that specific attack landing location is dealt with as if it destroyed or detached that area.  If a character's hand or wrist receives full damage to it and the character isn't killed from it, then that character has their hand lopped off.  An attack to a shoulder may likewise have the associated arm lopped off or incapacitated depending on the character's intent.  Due to the nature of various technologies, magics and other abilities, such injuries can be healed if dealt with properly in time, or the body part may be regrown, or replaced.  A pixie with its wings ripped off may find that it can't fly until it uses magic or another ability to heal the wings, or a different method of flying.  Regardless of which body part is injured or removed, there are always individuals or groups that will perform the needed healing, repair or replacement, usually for a price, and not always with satisfactory results...

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