Aiming

By KelYco, in Rules Questions

When a PC want to aim to the opponen's head: the rules say regarding Aim " If the character spends one maneuver aiming to do this, their next combat check suffers image.png.bd42f1968d1d2834da12b38f42005de1.png . If they spend two consecutive maneuvers aiming, the combat check suffers image.png.ba3c9a8d749336277e070189ac9a6c96.png instead."

OK. Let's say, the PC have 3 uncancelled image.png.0693082b4689f818510d80e7151889d5.png . Does he deal damage as usual or because he targets the head and he succeed, there is extra damage like uncancelled image.png.0693082b4689f818510d80e7151889d5.png x2 ?

I can't find specific damage rule when aiming vital target.

There isn't extra damage. It's not for getting extra damage it's for shooting the chain holding the draw bridge, or hitting the remote control in the villains hand, etc

Ok so there is no way (rules) to deal extra damage because shooting (Aiming) the head ?

Yesterday, my players wanted to shooting directly the target's head. I give them 2 setback dice and multiply x2 the damage. Is it too much ?

How to you manage these players actions?

If people are looking to one shot targets with head shots and such that's handled via the critical hit system. They need to focus on low crit ratings, stacking crit hits and crit activations, and things like vicious. They can narrate the kills however they want. There's Talents for adding damage to hits via SP and such, as well as selecting critical hits. The ability to have a more finessed, lethal hit, is pushed out to something more than just basic aiming.

Edited by 2P51

I see. We have more an old fashion way of playing and not familiar yet with Genesys subtleties as Talents, Critical hits activation...

Thank you for the reminder 2P51 . ? ?

NP, njoy

Another thing to keep in mind is that when you aim and add a blue or two, you are most likely going to do more damage due to the possibility of the boost dice generating successes and/or advantages. Which in turn will help deal more damage (more successes) or Critical Injuries (via advantages).

Just because there is no implicit damage boost from aiming doesn't mean that aiming itself doesn't increase damage.

They way I handle this is I always assume my players are going for the kill shots. So it's assumed then when players are firing, it's at the head or heart. No need to use an aim mechanic. If they exceed the target's wound threshold, then they blasted their head off.

The second clause of Aim (quoted by the OP), confused me for a while too. As it doesn't explicitly define the benefits for the penalty it has you suffer. I'm used to parsing much more explicit systems (like Champions/HERO and Pathfinder)

However the impression I've come to is that Aiming is how you are intended to perform most attacks with unusual secondary outcomes (such as disarming, or immobilizing a target). Such effects should probably be limited to the scope of the effects generated by spending between one and three advantage, based on the fact that both the aim maneuver and Table 1.6-2 (spending advantage and triumph) list "hobble"/"hobbling" the target as a possible result.

As a GM, I would allow Aiming for the head to have the following potential benefits:

• One target hit by your next attack is disoriented for one round (and stacks with other sources of disorientation).

• If the target isn't wearing a helmet, ignore any Defense or Soak provided by the target's armor (but not weaponry or active spells).

• If the target is wearing a helmet, it (or rather the armor it represents) should take some amount of damage, or the attack might knock the helmet off entirely; allowing subsequent hits targeting their head to ignore the defense and/or soak it provided as above.

Edited by Cantriped

If the player is merely trying to deal more damage when they say "I aim for the head," then use the Aim maneuver to give a boost. The increase chance for more successes (damage) or advantages (crits/weapon qualities/other effects) is most likely to help them achieve that goal.

If the player is trying to yield some other thematic result from aiming for the [head]/[arm]/[leg]/[groin]/[foot], then ask for a specific effect they are going for, and then use the setback. Personally I would advise considering applying a 1p crit for a single round for 1 setback, and a 2p crit for 1 round for 2 setback.

If the player is trying to immediately kill an opponent by attempting this, remind them it is a game with a narrative focus, an d that killing some key NPC so unceremoniously undermines that. If the target is a minion, remind them that crits kill minions, so a boost die helps achieve that. Also, remind them that if it were so easy to kill a target by aiming for the head, their opposition would do the same. And that never works out well for the party.

Thank you for all these ideas.

Good point to remind players how the critical rating works, that minions die from critical injury, that having few image.png.b9835c8011c16fb30b475581f4e97f5f.png may trigger Disoriented effects, or assume that players always try to kill in one shot!

I keep in mind the idea when a player want to do a head shot, he aims by adding 2 setbacks. If he succeeds and trigger a critical injury, he gains a vicious 2 quality due to the head shot. (it 's just an idea).