Called Shots: How do you handle descriptions of attacks that specifically target an area of an opponent’s body and…

Called Shots: How do you handle descriptions of attacks that specifically target an area of an opponent’s body and…

Called Shots: How do you handle descriptions of attacks that specifically target an area of an opponent’s body and still reconcile that with the Ranger’s Called Shot move? The presence of The Ranger’s Called Shot almost seems to indicate that other characters can’t normally describe where they hit, but that seems to go against the spirit of Dungeon World in which you describe the kind of stunt/attack/etc that your character is attempting. Thoughts, opinions, or experience welcomed!

9 thoughts on “Called Shots: How do you handle descriptions of attacks that specifically target an area of an opponent’s body and…”

  1. Follow the fiction. What do they have to do to make the called shot? Does it leave them open to the enemy while they maneuver to take the shot? Defy Danger. Do they need to identify a weak point? Discern Realities (or Spout Lore, maybe). Can they just do it? Then they do it.

    The Ranger’s move makes that maneuver reliable. They always know how to trigger it, and they know what’s likely to happen. For everyone else, it’s a different gamble every time.

  2. For example, let’s say you try to stab me in the eye. What’s likely is you’ll stab my hand (when I raise my arms to protect my face) or maybe the side of my head (when I snap my head away from the knife) or maybe across my eyelid (if I’m really slow and it gets that far). But to actually stab me in the eye you’ll have to get in position somehow. Maybe wrestle me to the floor and pin my arms and hold my head in place and such. During which I’ll be fighting you like crazy. So it’s all kinds of parts and pieces of action to make it happen.

    But for the Ranger, they can just go for it, in one smooth move. Scary.

  3. John Harper So you are saying you would likely need more rolls to get your desired outcome if you are not a Ranger using Called Shot? Or that perhaps it would only work on a roll of 10+ and otherwise would result in what you mentioned above? I just want to make sure the players feel empowered to describe what they are doing and it make a difference. Thanks!

  4. It doesn’t even has to happen on a 10+. If it does then because you are a fan of the character. When you H&S on a 10+ you get to deal damage without being attacked back. Any additional effect you get out of the attack is basically gravy. Yes there should be a result in the fiction because you just hacked at the orc queen and she is wounded now but you don’t get to determine the kind/effect of wound as a player. With called shot you do. 

  5. Tim Franzke Interesting… so if a player does not have Called Shot, you would not allow them to attempt to attack a specific area of an enemy? I sort of feel this goes against the principles of DW in some ways but I can also see why you would rule that way with the existence of Called Shot and not trying to take the Ranger’s spotlight. Would you allow the players to attack specific parts of say, a large creature, but not a human sized creature? Just curious. I know different people run the game differently and I am just trying to get a handle on it to see how I feel about different styles. Thank you!

  6. No way! Of course they can attempt to damage a specific body part/location. With a messy weapon this becomes pretty effective too. But if they have success with that depends on the monster(tags) and principles. It is not guaranteed that it works. 

    See John Harper s post.  

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