MGT Only: Are all Aimed Shots also Called Shots?

[Spinward Scout]

Police Officers are taught to shoot for Center Mass.

I'm really wondering if any Aimed Shot is technically a Called Shot.

And should you have to say what you are Aiming at? Other than just 'the Target'?

Or is that the only difference between an Aimed Shot and a Called Shot? That you Call what specifically you are Aiming at?

What do you think?

 

[kilemall]

What I do is allow players to put their skill level to either the to hit, hit penetration or hit location.

Since the hit location goes up in damage the higher up the chart, extremities are 1D, center mass is 2D and head is 3D. Penetration compares Striker pen to armor and yields -3D to +3D, in either case seeking to do greater damage.

If the shooter is concentrating on the perfect hit, they may have less of a chance to hit at all.

Pluses for aimed fire particularly surprise fire should be considered.

 

[Daidoji Dave]

Aiming in Mongoose Traveller is just aiming, just the +1 (or more if you do it successively) to hit. Nothing else, you don't have to, or even get to, pick a body part.

Called shots are not a thing in Mongoose Traveller core rules anyway.

So I guess I can see why you're asking, if you're wondering if called shots don't exist because Aiming is synonymous with it, but the answer is still no. Aiming is just Aiming.

My general impression of MgT is it's written more in natural language than in the rules-legalese of, say, Pathfinder or late edition D&D. Which means that, while they can still be unclear, you'll rarely go wrong taking something that is clear at face value, and rarely get it right by wondering what they're really trying to say. What they're really trying to say with "Aiming is a +1 to hit for each successive Minor Action" is "Aiming is a +1 to hit for each successive Minor Action - and that's all."

Also, remember that Effect adds to damage, so if you do hit above the target number after aiming you are getting a plus to damage as well already. There's no intention of a way to double up on that plus to damage.

Kilemall, what edition(s) are you using Striker with? It's crossed my mind before to dig into Striker for Mongoose and seeing if I could reconcile them, but it's always seemed like a major project and I haven't gotten to it.

Police Officers are taught to shoot for Center Mass.

At least partly because accuracy notoriously degrades from the range to live fire, even for skilled marksmen, so aiming for center mass is not so much a way of sniping the heart as it is a way of trying to just hit something on the target. Center mass contrasts with "just shoot them in the leg"/"shoot the gun out of their hand," which is a recipe for misses and stray bullets.

All of which is to say, aiming for center mass is almost the opposite of a called shot, just a strategy for hitting anything at all.

 

[kilemall]

Aiming in Mongoose Traveller is just aiming, just the +1 (or more if you do it successively) to hit. Nothing else, you don't have to, or even get to, pick a body part.

Called shots are not a thing in Mongoose Traveller core rules anyway.

So I guess I can see why you're asking, if you're wondering if called shots don't exist because Aiming is synonymous with it, but the answer is still no. Aiming is just Aiming.

My general impression of MgT is it's written more in natural language than in the rules-legalese of, say, Pathfinder or late edition D&D. Which means that, while they can still be unclear, you'll rarely go wrong taking something that is clear at face value, and rarely get it right by wondering what they're really trying to say. What they're really trying to say with "Aiming is a +1 to hit for each successive Minor Action" is "Aiming is a +1 to hit for each successive Minor Action - and that's all." And, remember that Effect adds to damage, so if you do hit above the target number after aiming you are getting a plus to damage as well already. There's no intention of a way to double up on that plus to damage.

Kilemall, what edition(s) are you using Striker with? It's crossed my mind before to dig into Striker for Mongoose and seeing if I could reconcile them, but it's always seemed like a major project and I haven't gotten to it.

I’m using CT Striker. It’s a bit of conflation of armor pen equals greater damage, but I like the unique differing range effects and lesser pen/tohit together.

I don’t see that it would be worth it- a lot of the simulation of differing weapons are already in that Merc gun equipment book which allows you to build your own as a bonus. Kind of a redo of the same fluff in MgT1 CSC but a bit better.

MgT vehicle build is way easier too, I just use MgT2, decide on a looks good armor value and slap on Striker weapons, done.

Just as an impression, I get the idea that Fire Fusion and Steel and MgT1 Vehicle are similar. I can easily be wrong.

 

[McPerth]

I'm speacking on memory, so take all this post with a grain of salt...

In MT, while there were no aiming rules, it was clarified in a Digest Q&A that aiming could be done by using cautious task rules; you spend a round aiming and, if determination roll was made, you lower your task one difficulty cathegory.

OTOH, there were rules for pinpoibnt shoot, where you attacked at -2 DM but, if you hit, armor was halved. I guess that's what could be named a called shoot.

Of course, you could do both at once, and so you ahve better possibilities at your called shoot, but if you were good enough, a called shoot needn't to be aimed, and you could aim without calling your shot (e.g. against unarmored, or lightly armored target where calling shoot would not give you any advantage).

See also that this -2 DM meant (again in MT) half damage (as in MT each 2 rolled over the target number meant doubling damage, and even meant an auto damage point regardless armor), so the pinpoint (called shoot) was not always a good option (mostly against either unarmored or heavily aromerd targets)...

 

[mike wightman]

There was no -2DM, you had to achieve an exceptional success. The damage was the same as any other exceptionsl success.

Pinpoint Location: If desired, a unit can specify that he
is going for a pinpoint location on a target in an effort to hit
a more vulnerable location. If an exceptional success hit is
achieved (see Penetration and Damage, below), treat the
target’s armor as one half of normal when computing
penetration and apply all the usual effects of exceptional success.
Otherwise, the shot failed to hit the intended location
and is resolved as normal.

Exceptional Success: If the task roll (including DMs) exceeds
the roll needed for success by:
2+ ................... apply damage points x 2 (a minimum of 1)
4+ ................... apply damage points x 4 (a minimum of 2)
8 + ................... apply damage points x 8 (a minimum of 4)
If a weapon normally causes 3 points of damage at this range
when it penetrates cloth armor, an exceptional success of 2+
would cause the weapon to inflict 6 points of damage.
Because of the minimums, it is possible for a weapon that
ordinarily has zero penetration to inflict damage points upon
achieving exceptional success.

 

[infojunky]

What I do is allow players to put their skill level to either the to hit, hit penetration or hit location.

Since the hit location goes up in damage the higher up the chart, extremities are 1D, center mass is 2D and head is 3D. Penetration compares Striker pen to armor and yields -3D to +3D, in either case seeking to do greater damage.

Related... I just figured out a new way to use my collection of d12 hit location dice..... With my mod of the AHL/Striker penetration rules...

 

[McPerth]

There was no -2DM, you had to achieve an exceptional success. The damage was the same as any other exceptionsl success.

As I said, I talked by memory and it would be faulty...

Thank you for the clarification