Targeted hit locs. vs. DCV

[cyst13]

I've always had a problem with the way that targeting a hit location subtracts from your OCV. I understand the logic that a character in a fight will protect his head and trunk to the best of his ability, but when the defending character is unable to block hits, it's still just as difficult to target hit locs. Example: a blinded and immobile man is DCV 0, but if you target a punch to his head, you still receive a -8 to your OCV. A normal OCV 3 man will only have a 6- to punch this guy's head. I've gotten around this by ruling that targeted hit locs. add to the defender's DCV rather than subtracting from the attacker's OCV. This happens before other DCV modifiers. So a defender with a natural DCV 3 who has his head targeted is DCV 11. [3+8 = 11] If he is prone, blinded or otherwise has his DCV halved, he is DCV 6 when having his head targeted. [(3+8)/2 = 6] A DCV 0 defender (e.g. totally surprised or unconscious) is still DCV 0 when targeted. [(3+8) x 0 = 0]. I think this both allows for a greater sense of realism as well as providing extra incentive for knocking your opponent down in H2H combat. Whaddya all think?

[BNakagawa]

maybe in HtH, but not necessarily at range... Out of combat or no, a head is still harder to hit than a person at range.

[dugfromthearth]

hit location penalty is halved in certain instances - non-combat and I think stunned characters.

 

so in the case of your example it would be only -4 to hit the head.

[BNakagawa]

that is true, but it still gives you a situation where an OCV 3 normal has only a 50% chance of hitting the head of an unconscious person.

[Trebuchet]

There have always been some quirks to the Hero combat system, such as the amusing fact that it's harder to hit a hex (DCV 3) than it is an unconscious man in the same hex (DCV 0) even though by definition (FREd pg. 247) a hex is twice as large as a man. Go figure.

[Chris Goodwin]

The rule used to be that if a target was DCV 0, all Hit Location penalties were halved. The "surprised out of combat" bit came from the rule that characters who were surprised out of combat were DCV 0.

 

I'd say just house rule it so that in all situations Hit Location penalties are halved for a DCV 0 character.

[Rebar]

harder to hit a hex (DCV 3) than it is an unconscious man in the same hex (DCV 0)

 

This works much better when you consider ranged targetting.

 

The rationale is that it is easier to target - and therefore successfully hit - a specific target than an undefined area on the ground.

 

Imagine how hard it would have been in LXG for Quatermain to judge Sawyer's aim if he weren't shooting at buoys.

[dugfromthearth]

targetting an adjacent hex is DCV 0

 

a hex is DCV 3 at range