Due to the limitations of a 2 die range, we have revised the GURPS hit location table a 3 die range. Originally appearing on the GURPS Reference Screen, we present the new table here for those of you who have not yet purchased the screen.
Random Location is used when a part of the body must be randomly chosen as a target (for instance, by falling rocks or an arrow fired from far off). Roll 3 dice to determine what part of the body was hit.
Hit Penalty shows the subtraction to skill when attacking that part of the body of a foe. Note that armor may also give a body part extra passive defense. See Armor Tables in Charts and Tables.
Major Damage is the effect of a serious wound on the body part.
| Random Location |
Body Part | Hit Penalty (Subtract from Attack Skill) |
Result of Major Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or less |
Brain | -7 | See notes 1 and 4. |
| 5 | Head | -5 | No DR; no special damage results, but critical hits go to Critical Head Blow Table. |
| – | Eyes | -9 | See note 2. |
| – | Eyes (through helm's eyeslits) | -10 | As above. Armor does not protect! See note 2 below. |
| 6 | Shield (far) arm 3 | -4 | Damage over HT/2 cripples arm. Excess damage is lost. |
| 7 | Hand (roll for left or right) | -4 | Damage over HT/3 cripples hand. Excess damage is lost. |
| – | Shield (left) hand | -8 | As above. |
| 8 | Weapon (near) arm 3 | -2 | As for shield arm. |
| 9-11 | Body (i.e., torso) | 0 | No special results. |
| 12 | Far leg 3 | -2 | Damage over HT/2 cripples leg. Excess damage is lost. |
| 13, 14 | Near leg 3 | -2 | As above. |
| 15, 16 | Foot (roll for left or right) | -4 | Damage over HT/3 cripples foot. Excess damage is lost. |
| 17 or more |
Vital organs (in torso) | -3 | Impaling weapons and bullets that penetrate armor do triple damage, not double. 4 |
| Weapon | (see Attack Mods) | -3 to -5 | Weapon may fall or break. |
1. If the brain is hit, the skull provides a natural DR of 2. This is in addition to any armor, Toughness, etc., the victim possesses. The victim is stunned on hits over HT/3, and knocked out on hits of over HT/2.
2. More than 2 hits of damage blinds the eye. An impaling or missile hit (if the weapon is under 1 inch across) gives an automatic brain hit, as above; skull's DR does not protect! If the target is wearing a helm, only a missile or thrusting attack can hit the eye; such a hit bypasses both the skull's DR and the helm's DR.
3. The table is designed to distinguished between the arms of a man carrying a shield. If a shield is not present, and neither arm is nearer, roll randomly to determine which arm (or leg) is hit.
4. Crushing blows to the brain or vitals require the victim to make a roll against HT to avoid knockout (see Injury on the Reference Screen, or Knocking Someone Out, p. 6, RP 9). If the brain or head is the target of a swung hand weapon, of if the vitals are the target of a bullet or impaling attack, a roll that misses by only 1 is treated as a hit to the torso.
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