Re: [CP] Head Shots

GreedySmurf wrote:

> Next question is a more stylistic one than a hard rules issue, and that is
> head shots.
>
> I should point out that I'm a player in this new game not the GM, but I can
> still see a problem here with our game. I would estimate that about 8 out of
> every 10 attacks made by a PC is declared as a head shot. the other 2 out of
> every 10 is a fully auto burst.
>
> If you are happy with a hollywood style game this is fine, but when almost
> every bad guy goes down with a hole in the head it starts to get a bit
> ridiculous. And if the GM decides turnabout is fair play, the PC's aren't
> going to last very long. Well even shorter than usual maybe :-)
>
> I guess two points, does anyone do anything different than the standard -4
> to called shots, and do you apply the double damage before or after applying
> the SP of any head armour?
>
> Cheers.
>  
Here's how I play it:

First off, making a head shot is a cold thing to do. Not only is it a 
kill shot, so your character better be hard boiled, but it's also 
something that takes time to aim for, so doing it in the middle of a 
blazing gun battle takes (proverbial) balls of steel.

I usually require an Empathy check vs medium difficulty, where success 
means you can't make yourself make the shot. Cool check vs 
easy/medium/difficult to take the extra half second to aim. The latter 
check is adjusted based on the intensity. Obviously a sniper or similar 
is not going to have trouble with any of these, but in a normal combat 
situation, it works. I'm also not terribly stringent on the checks. I 
only make them roll Emp once or twice a session, Cool a bit more often, 
especially if the rof has been raised recently. And if it's particularly 
bloody I may dock a humanity point or two*.

I also use the Blackhammer hitlocation table 
(http://www.ambient.ca/cpunk/hitlocations.html), which makes it harder 
to hit the head. The other bonus is that headshots in normal combat 
become more rare.

And if your players ever get cocky, drop an elephant on them.