Specified Targets (Called Shots)

SPECIFIED TARGETS
Sometimes your character wants to direct an attack at a particular part of an opponent. You might need to target an object carried by an opponent to achieve a specific effect. Your character might want to shoot a gun-wielding robber in the hand, for example, or swing a tire iron to hit an opponent in the head. The Storyteller imposes penalties to your attack draw based on the size of the intended target. A torso region might be at –1, a leg or arm –2, a head –3, a hand –4 and an eye (or the “off” button of a machine) –5. If no successes are gained, the attack misses altogether. A Narrator determines the secondary results of a successful attack, beyond simple damage inflicted. A successful Strength + Athletics draw might be required for a victim to hold onto a held object, with a penalty to the effort equal to the damage from the attack. A successful attack on a body part might ignore armor (see p. 227), because none is worn there. A blow to the head with a blunt object that normally inflicts bashing damage might inflict lethal damage, or stun the victim (see p. 230). A shot to an eye might impair ranged attacks due to loss of depth perception. Crippling both eyes causes an opponent to fight blind.

There are NO set bonuses for performing called shots. Don't hesitate to ask an ST what benefit a called shot may have on a particular attack, but do not expect any particular bonus, because there is no set bonus.

Since we're on the topic and it's probably going to come up sometime, this means shooting a vampire in the head without an ST does not make it do lethal, right? There's a suggestion in the red book on page 242, but I think that's the only mention of 'headshots'.

[talk about firearms doing bashing while arrows/thrown do lethal since they impale the vampire]
"The exception for firearms has its own exceptions, though. If someone puts a high-caliber gun to a kindred's head and blows most of his brains out, that's certainly lethal damage. Storytellers should exercise their own judgement in cases like this."

Also, do crossbows do bashing or lethal against vampires? It's half way between a bow and a gun.

My feeling, generally, is that unless there are pretty extraordinary circumstances, guns ought to just do bashing damage, and called shots shouldn't be too impactful. You don't want to overcomplicate the game for newer people and this sort of thing can be pretty intimidating for a more casual player.

One of the virtues of the system is the (relative) simplicity and low speed of the combat. Without crazy bonus damage from a weapon or called shots or fighting styles like in oWoD MET*, you can't one-round someone and that is a Good Thing for everyone.

*Two MP5s with two-gun-kata spec to attack with each gun dealing 2 levels of lethal each, +1 level of lethal for headshot +1 level of lethal for full auto = 8L in one round potentially. Before celerity. oWoD MET balance! I did it, and I apologize for nothing.

Yeah. An ST could decide to make a particular headshot do lethal for some reason, if they wanted to, but it shouldn't be expected. Expect guns to be bashing against vampires.