Vitals are a hit location defined in Basic Set, including the heart, lungs, and kidneys.[1] Impaling and piercing type attacks have their wounding increased to x3 if they hit the vitals, and tight-beam burning attacks do x2.[1]
Tactics[]
"With my apologies." -- Spy, Team Fortress 2
Vitals are typically at -3 to hit, but a single hit can potentially end a fight completely. Characters with high DX and skill are likely to use targeted attacks against foes' vitals.
Who Has Them[]
"You are huge! That means you have HUGE GUTS!" -- Doom Guy
Most living things have vitals somewhere (varying on the physiology), but some types of supernatural monsters simple don't. Homogenous and Diffuse creatures have no vitals by default, but some Unliving objects technically have vitals in the form of engines or key components.
Optional: Minimum Damage[]
in 2012 Douglas Cole suggested in http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.php?p=1368344&postcount=14 to require some minimum damage to reach the vitals which makes complete sense because of muscle or even ribs getting in the way
DR then injury then Vital Injury
Optional: Crushing Damage[]
MA137 allows crushing hits to vitals (not allowed in basic set) but it doesn't offer an increased wound modifier. Instead it allows Knockdown rolls without needing to be a Major Wound, and something which is an MW takes a -5, much like a hit to the groin.
- this is inherited from the 3e system's basic rulebook which 4e's basic rulebook didn't incorporate, page 110 had:
- "Vital organs cannot be targets except with an impaling attack.
- (Exception: A punch or kick to the solar plexus or groin may be played as a crushing attack to the vitals.)
- 3e's was more brutal though, because unlike 4e's MA there was no reduced wounding modifier, so it would've gotten the x3 modifier!
Critical Hits[]
MA139 has Vitals Wounds Table
3e Stuff[]
3e had kidneys as a separate location, MA49, which gave a 1.5 multiplier for crushing. This was left out of 4e