Okay GMs and players, this is the optional rules set for deciding hit locations randomly. Using these rules, ponies don’t have to choose their targeting location, and the torso (or center of mass) is no longer the default target.
These rules break up the anatomy of creatures starting at the top and working their way down based on approximate proportion of surface area exposed (i.e. what’s there to be shot at). The direction that they’re facing relative to their combatant is taken into account in terms of which of the four tables is being used.
Roll d% for each hit, and the corresponding location on the table below is where the target was hit. If the target doesn’t have the resulting location (e.g. you rolled wings while shooting at an earth pony), use the location listed below it on the table (horn-> head, wings ->torso). For the purposes of legs and wings, odd on the die hits the left side, even on the die hits the right side unless stated otherwise. If a character is maimed and the attack would have hit the maimed location, roll again. If a character rolls better than the MFD required to their target, they may choose to move their result on the table 10% for every MFD step better than the target MFD they made.
Table XXVII: Random Hit Locations
Location
(firing from the front)
D% Die Roll
Location
(firing from the side)
D% Die Roll
Horn
97-100
Horn
96-100
Head
86-96
Head
81-95
Wings
72-85
Wings
51-62
Torso
41-71
Torso
37-50, 63-80
Legs, Fore
7-40
Legs, Fore
19-36
Legs, Back
1-6
Legs, Back
1-18
Location
(firing from the back )
D% Die Roll
Location
(firing from above)
D% Die Roll
Horn
99-100
Horn
95-100
Head
89-98
Head
80-94
Wings
77-88
Wings
41-60
Torso
41-76
Torso
21-40, 61-79
Legs, Fore
--
Legs, Fore
11-20
Legs, Back
1-40
Legs, Back
1-10
This table set is optimized for ranged combat. If using this chart to determine hit locations in melee, add 10% to your die roll to represent the decreased chance of hitting the lower regions.
As random hit locations are an optional rule set, we’ve also created another, easier to remember set of random hit locations based on race. Everypony loves having options, after all. The tables are labeled according to race, and the die rolled varies depending on the creature you’re targeting. This system is regrettably limited when it comes to general scenarios for creatures like Manticores and radscorpions, or when robots become involved. It also doesn’t represent the proportional size of these locations relative to each other in proportions that are consistent between species. In the case of oddly shaped monsters, similar tables will be provided alongside stat blocks in the Monsters, Mutants, Manticores and More section.
Similarly to the previous tables, these are optimized for ranged combat. When engaged in close combat you should add 1 to your die rolls to represent the location you’ve actually hit. In this system, every MFD step made above what is necessary to hit the target can be used to shift the location by 1 number up or down on the d20.
Please note that in both of these options for random-targeting, smaller locations (notably genitals, eyes, and weapons) are not included on the random locations charts. Such locations can still be targeted at their normal MFD penalties with a called shot.