hit location

[steph]

just want others opinions......for a medium fantasy (rare magic, 60 active cost max) do you use the hit location or not or just the called shot
stef the french canadian
excuse my english again

[Old Man]

You can do a lot of damage with 60 active points in FH. We always used hit locations, but I can't tell what the relative power level of your game is just from the active points. What matters is the character point total, not the active points of any particular power. Levels, for example, cannot be measured using active points. If characters start out at over 200 points and there are no additional limitations on levels or stats, then hit locations might not be a good idea. Unless you want the characters to die often.

[Mister E]

I like Hit Locations, as well as Called Shots. We used them both in all the games we play.

In a Fantasy genre game, I would say that it is even more important to use Hit Locaitons, because of the emphasis of equipment in the game. It's also much easier, because you don't have to worry about characer point costs, and can just write in the armor values where you need them.

[Fitz]

I only use hit locations for called shots these days, and activation rolls for armour, but that's because I'm tending towards a "high fantasy" feel for my FH campaign. When I'm running a grittier style of campaign I use hitlocs all the time.

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

hit locations good, stun lotto bad!

[Old Man]

The thing to watch out for with hit locations is that they allow another mechanism for characters to convert levels to damage. That's a good thing, really, but it's abusable with the cheaper levels. We always banned 2-point OCV levels because they were too good with hit locations--a free high shot for eight points, what's the stun lotto on that? Even 3-point levels are a bit too good with hit locations if you let characters buy them without restriction. If you're not careful you'll wind up always confronting the PCs with baddies in head-to-toe 7 DEF plate, or hit-location-free zombies or amoebas.

[Edsel]

We use hit locations for Killing Attacks in almost any game we play fantasy or otherwise. We rarely use hit locations for normal attacks unless there are special circumstances or the player involved wants to use them.

The danger I have seen with hit locations is that some players will start buying penalty skill levels to offset hit location penalties. I usually institute a rule that no player can have more than 4 PSL vs. hit locations.

[Alibear]

I do what Edsel does but I would allow any number of penalty skill levels if it was inkeeping with the character.

[mudpyr8]

We use random locations for named villains but mooks are always hit in the chest (and always hit players in the chest). Called/Placed shots can always be made by anyone, but this keeps things a little more high fantasy since the orcs will always be hitting you in your most armored location.

[Markdoc]

For fantasy games, I always use hit locations.

Not much more to say, really. :D

cheers, Mark

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

one of the four characters has penalty skill lvls for placed shots, and that's only up to the +4 lvl with his sword. It's not too broken i think

[JohnTaber]

We use hit location for weapons but not for magic. I think this rule started from the 1st edition FH book and we never dropped it...

[Mister E]

We use hit location for weapons but not for magic. I think this rule started from the 1st edition FH book and we never dropped it...Makes sense. It's kind of like the Beam limitation for blasting through walls. I'll buy that.

[archermoo]

I pretty much use the hit location chart for all killing attacks, and allow specific targeting for all other attacks, in all genres. I just prefer the chart to the 1D6-1 roll. :)

[Tasha]

I tend to use Hit Locations for all Killing attacks in a Non-Superheroes game.

I hate the Location chart for normal attacks as you end up with half the locations being half stun :(

Tasha :D

[bigdamnhero]

I always use hit location except when running demos and con games or otherwise introducing new players.

As for called shots, we use a house rule that allows players to "pull" their hit location by 1 for every 2 they make their roll by. So if you made your roll by 4, but rolled an 8 (arm) for location, you could pull it to either the chest (10) or the hand (6). Makes location a tad less random. I acknowledge that there are probably players out there who would abuse this, but my group never had a problem with it.

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

cool idea, i'll have to try that

[CourtFool]

It always irked me when the killing shot was delivered to the big toe.

[Killer Shrike]

I dont use Hit Locations for High Fantasy, but I do use it for lower Fantasy. When I do use Hit Locations, I allow players to push the hit location by the amount they made the to hit roll by. This is much more dramatically satisfying IMO. It could be abused by unscrupulous players, but it's up to the GM to control abuse.

On the subject, I reference in passing where I think Hit Locations are appropriate in this document:

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/HighFantasyHERO/campaignToneNotes.shtml