simple combat question

RosenMcStern said:
Also, do not forget that the chance your opponent leaves an opening that you try to exploit is factored in the d20 roll, and an opening in the leg is more likely than one in the head.

That's open to interpretation, the way I see it, what is factored into the D20 roll is the amount of physical area each location has rather than an opening.

Its all just speculative though.. :) Who knows...

-V
 
Originally in RQ1/2 the random locations were described exactly as exploiting what was left open. There were rules for aimed shots at a penalty, but 'base' combat involved striking where the opponent left an opening. Hence the random location.

Granted in those days combat was a 12 second round and everyone but the most skilled only got 1 attack a round, so the attack roll (and indeed the entire combat round) was much more abstracted. The rolling for attack and parry may have felt like you were rolling for each swing and block, but in fact it represented the odds of landing a meaningful blow among potentially many blows, feints and parries over the course of a 12 second round. If you were determined to hit a particular you were less likely to land a blow in that 12 second time frame - hence the penalty for aimed shots.

As RosenMcStern points out historically leg hits were common, and from my (admittedly limited) experience with simulated combat legs are hit frequently as they are the harder to defend. It's not that I want to hit my opponents legs - I'd love to take his head off in one clean blow - it is that I can hit his legs, and would be a fool not too given the opportunity.
 
I doubt if there's any way to know if those historic leg hits were the result of deflections off shields or defensive weapons, or against mounted opponents where the legs would be the primary target.
 
If they were the result of deflected hits, then the hit location table is realistic, as it takes into account the fact that you aimed at vitals but the target deflected the blow to the leg.
 
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