Hit the Torso by 5+, hit the vitals instead...

[Xplo]

Originally Posted by chris1982

There might be some instances where you do not want to hit the vitals but the torso only (e.g. hurt but not kill).

IRL, using a potentially lethal attack to hurt someone just enough to disable him is always a gamble. Aiming for the torso but definitely not the vitals really shouldn't be an option in any realistic game.. or, at best, it should come with a hefty hit penalty.

Originally Posted by Gudiomen

I wouldn't buy by 3+, exactly because that's the to-hit penalty. What motivation is there to try to hit the vitals on purpose, if you'll get the hit for free just attacking the torso?

I think the point that those in favor are trying to make is that there shouldn't be any such motivation; (almost) all torso shots are aimed at center mass, and are thus actually vitals shots anyway.

I can see it both ways, really. Gritty realistic games should probably treat torso shots that hit by 3 or more as vitals hits, and vitals shots that miss by 3 or less as torso hits. Other games can use the existing rules; this makes it impossible that hostile NPCs will ever hit the vitals, as long as you don't let them target the vitals to begin with, lets people attempt that silly "shoot, but not to kill" thing that was alluded to above, and gives a slightly greater edge to highly skilled characters (who can afford to aim at the vitals deliberately, and not have to worry as much that their less-skilled opponents will get in a lucky shot).