Called Shot With Surprise in 5E

[Hyper-Man]

Yeah, that's why my build is more specific: they have to be unaware for it to do extra damage, not merely from behind.  Someone with Defense Maneuver IV would not suffer the extra damage

 

The total value of Limitations of your version is only -3/4 more than the book version I quoted earlier though.  16 vs 5 Real seems a bit off even with your version costing END. Deadly Blow's 48 Active Points seems a bit high but when you also look at the Weapon Master Talent it makes sense because Deadly Blow will work with either ALL HTH weapons or ALL Ranged weapons.  A HKA or RKA based 'bonus damage' build arguably only works with a specific instance of the same attack*.

 

*Example

The typical Champions Energy Projector with a Framework with multiple versions of the Blast Power with different Advantages and a 'bonus' Blast with Limitations built outside of the Framework that boosts a single slot inside the Framework.  No Limitation is taken for the fact that it only adds to a single slot because that's the only way it can work.  If it were allowed to boost ANY slot then the whole construct becomes a 'partially limited framework' which is illegal.

 

HM

[Christopher R Taylor]

Yeah, technically it should have variable special effect, except this was specifically built for an HKA attack from surprise (a blade) for a rogue.  Its a D&D backstab attack, not some mythical "I get to  hit harder because I bought the feat" attack.

[Lucius]

I stand corrected. My Stun numbers were off by 1/2 IF the target was surprised out of combat.

 

From 6e2 page 50

 

Thanks for the catch Lucius,

 

HM

Thanks for tracking down and quoting the citation. We now know that IN COMBAT the penalties for called shots are NOT halved.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary is threatening to kick me in the head if I don't get off the internet and get stuff done.

[Hyper-Man]

Yeah, technically it should have variable special effect, except this was specifically built for an HKA attack from surprise (a blade) for a rogue.  Its a D&D backstab attack, not some mythical "I get to  hit harder because I bought the feat" attack.

 

The Variable Special Effect Advantage would still not accomplish the goal of making this a truly universal ability that works with any HKA weapon. Variable SFX has no effect on the rules of how a Partially Limited Power works with a Framework*. 

 

*Free weapons in a heroic game (where no character points are directly spent) are functionally equivalent to a Framework of different attacks.  A Partially Limited bonus attack would only work with one of them.

 

HM

[Christopher R Taylor]

The Variable Special Effect Advantage would still not accomplish the goal of making this a truly universal ability that works with any HKA weapon

 

 

No, I was just thinking that if someone has a dagger with weird magical effects on it, that would better simulate varieties of attacks a rogue might wield.

[Ninja-Bear]

Whats weird (unless its changednin 6th) is that if you have deadly talent built for HKA you would have to rebuy it for HA.

[Hyper-Man]

Whats weird (unless its changednin 6th) is that if you have deadly talent built for HKA you would have to rebuy it for HA.

 

That's the beauty of it. In 6e it would work with a HA based weapon too because the damage bonus is based on CSL's.

 

*Edit

The core Talent write up should really have emphasized this and used +3DC instead of later referring to HKA and RKA.

 

From post 19 of this thread:

16    Sneak Attack: Deadly Blow:  +1d6 (Talent) (Only Works With Blows Struck From Behind Or Against Surprised Targets)

[Notes: Created as Talent per 6e1 page 113 and CC page 40]

 

16    Sneak Attack (Deadly Blow): +6 CSL's with HTH Combat (48 Active Points); Limited Power Only To Increase Damage & Only With Weapons (-1), Conditional Power Only Works With Blows Struck From Behind Or Against Surprised Targets (-1)

[Notes: Created using Talent Creation rules in 6e1 page 447]

 

 

HM

[g3taso]

 I like the sneak attack iterations, particularly the +6 CSL's with HTH Combat and the Limited Power Only To Increase Damage & Only With Weapons (-1) modifier