GURPS Low-Tech: Instant Armor

[DanHoward]

It isn't just about size. It is also about how close it is to the attacker and how much it moves around. In general, even though the target area is smaller, the thigh is easier to hit than the shin; the shoulder and upper arm are easier to hit than the forearm. IMO -3 to hit all of these locations would be a resonable simplification.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

It isn't just about size. It is also about how close it is to the attacker and how much it moves around. In general, even though the target area is smaller, the thigh is easier to hit than the shin; the shoulder and upper arm are easier to hit than the forearm. IMO -3 to hit all of these locations would be a resonable simplification.

Those factors should already be fully represented in the X in 6 sub-location hit mechanic.

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Those factors should already be fully represented in the X in 6 sub-location hit mechanic.

They had to be kept general enough to use on animals too.

[demonsbane]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

It isn't just about size. It is also about how close it is to the attacker and how much it moves around. In general, even though the target area is smaller, the thigh is easier to hit than the shin; the shoulder and upper arm are easier to hit than the forearm. IMO -3 to hit all of these locations would be a resonable simplification.

I agree with this, but what a pity: first, because this isn't in the Instant-Armor sourcebook nor in any other official release, and second because, unless I'm missing something (which is likely), the High-Tech's rules Bruno quoted in her last post seems to go against this approach.

For instance, the shoulder "sublocation" (a 6 in a d6) would be targetted with a -4 penalty, while the forearm (1-3 in a d6) would be significantly easier to target.

Originally Posted by Bruno

(. . .) This is for targeting "any in this list that are uncovered", rather than a specific location, but it looks like an area that covers 1/6 is -4, an area that covers 2/6 is -3, an area that covers 3/6 is -2 and an area that covers 4 or 5 in 6 is -1.

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by demonsbane

I agree with this, but what a pity: first, because this isn't in the Instant-Armor sourcebook nor in any other official release, and second because, unless I'm missing something (which is likely), the High-Tech's rules Bruno quoted in her last post seems to go against this approach.

For instance, the shoulder "sublocation" (a 6 in a d6) would be targetted with a -4 penalty, while the forearm (1-3 in a d6) would be significantly easier to target.

Either one would work. You could apply a penalty of -3 to hit the upper arm or shoulder. Or you could apply a penalty of -4 to hit either of them separately and -3 to hit the whole area. The upper arm and shoulder add up to 2/6 which is the same as the thigh (-3 to hit). So that could work too. The difference is only 1 point and there are no special effects for hitting the upper arm or shoulder so it doesn't really matter much.

[GodlessRose]

I have a question about pectorals. Since they only protect the vitals and (sometimes) upper chest, what do I do about attacks that deliberately target the chest? (As opposed to attacks for which hit location is rolled.) Since the rules do not normally distinguish between upper and lower chest, how do I know which is hit?

[DanHoward]

I suppose you'd roll 50-50 to see which you'd hit. The chest (areas 9-10) as a whole has no penalty to hit but if you wanted to specifically target area 9 or area 10 then the penalty would be -1 just like the abdomen (area 11).

[GodlessRose]

Thanks for the clarification. Seems a little cumbersome, though. I may house-rule pectorals a bit to simplify things.

[GodlessRose]

Another question on pectorals. I am using the expanded hit location rules in Martial Arts. I hit a pectoral-wearing character in the upper chest from the front with an impaling attack. The attack misses the pectoral - maybe I took the -2 to -4 penalty to avoid it, or maybe I rolled 1d to see if the pectoral protected against the attack, and it didn't.

Do I then roll 1d to see if the vitals are hit, as per MA137? Or does the roll have to be made before determining if the pectoral protects? (In the latter case, the full pectoral DR would always apply to vitals hits, unless using the targeting chinks in armor rules.)

[DanHoward]

The whole point of wearing a pectoral is to cover the vitals. The only way to hit the vitals is to go through the DR or to use the chinks in armour rule to try and target the vitals around the armour. If a pectoral is worn then there is no way to randomly hit the vitals without also hitting the pectoral. If you want to avoid the armour then you aim for a different part of the body such as the back or abdomen.