Aim

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The ability to hit an aimed location depends on skill training and other factors. For melee attacks, Combat Maneuvers and Ambush skills are needed. For ranged attacks, Perception is the main factor when firing in the open, and Perception and Ambush are weighted equally for hidden sniping. For Limb Disruption (708), Spell Aiming is used for targeting limbs.

AIM (verb)

This is the help menu for the verb AIM. For details on verb usage, please see Verb:AIM.

USAGE: AIM {location}    Sets your default aiming preference
       AIM CLEAR         Clears your default aiming preference
       AIM RANDOM        Same as AIM CLEAR
       AIM LIST          Produces a list of aimable locations

You're currently attempting to aim at the neck of your target on each firing or ambush.

Roundtime (melee weapons)

Main article: Base weapon speed

Whether one is attacking from hiding or in the open, aiming adds three seconds to an attacker's weapon BASE roundtime. This additional roundtime may be mitigated in the normal way via agility and dexterity bonuses down to the minimum aimed roundtime of the particular weapon used. The minimum aimed roundtime of a weapon differs from the normal minimum roundtime of that weapon as follows:

Weapon base speed Normal Min. RT Min. Aimed RT
1 3 4
2, 3 4 5
4+ 5 6

Other Limitations

Any condition that prevents a character from attacking normally will prevent this verb from working, as will attempting to aim at a nonexistent (e.g., the legs of a worm) or already severed body part.

Size disparity can also prevent aiming at specific body parts. Large characters will not be able to aim at specific parts of small critters (e.g., a human cannot aim at specific parts of a spiked cavern urchin). Furthermore, no character can aim at a part of a creature that, because of size limitations, is out of his or her reach (e.g., a dwarf cannot aim at the head or neck of a giant that is standing up). The use of longer weapons can somewhat mitigate this.

Success and Failure (melee weapons)

The factors that influence the chance of successfully attacking the body part aimed for include:

  • difficulty of the particular body part targeted (smaller and more critical parts of the body are harder to aim for)
  • the difficulty modifier for the weapon used (larger weapons are harder to aim)
  • difference in attacker and target level
  • the attacker's Ambush skill
  • the attacker's Combat Maneuvers skill (when aiming from the open, as opposed to from hiding)
  • any eye or bleeding head wounds the attacker may have
  • formula for aiming success: Aiming Success

Failure to hit the desired body part will result in attacking a different part of the target's body, or, at low skill levels, may result in the attacker being unable to find an opening for an attack yet still incurring roundtime.

Aiming Formula: Melee and Hurling

An initial d100 is made. If you roll <= 5, you auto fumble. If you do not auto fumble, the d100 roll is used in the skill check:

MIN(95, (Skill + Stats + Weapon Modifier)/2) + Area modifier + Target Status + d100 = Result

Note: Level is not taken into account for aiming success chance. A comparison between Target size and attacker size is included in the area modifier.

Silent Strike reduces aiming chance by 50% at rank 1 and scales down to 10% at rank 5 (10% per rank).

Result

> 100: Success
<100 and >66: you miss the location but still find an opening to attack
<=66: You fail to find an opening

Skill

Melee

Aiming from hidden = Ambush Bonus
Open aiming = TRUNC((CM Bonus + Ambush Bonus + 1) / 2)

Hurling

TRUNC(TRUNC((cman + ambush + 1) / 2) * (3 / 2))
Effectively the same as Melee * 3/2

Stats

Melee

Dex Bonus + TRUNC((Int Bonus + 1) / 2)

Hurling

Int bonus + TRUNC((Dex Bonus + 1) / 2)

Weapon Modifier

Varies based on weapon. Large/slow weapons have more penalty. Small and maneuverable weapons have a bonus.

Table added at the bottom of the page

Area Modifier

Head: -10
Neck: -15
Arms: +10
Legs: +15
Hands: +5
Eyes: -25
Other: 0
  • Predator's Eye adds into the calculation as part of the location modifier.
  • The area modifier is also modified by attacker/target size. Attacking a target bigger than attacker is easier, a target smaller than attacker is more difficult.

Target Status

Kneeling/Sitting/Prone: +10 if head/neck/eyes, +25 otherwise.

Example

202 CM + Lance (-50 aim) aiming at the head,

 d100 = 84
 Skill = ((302 + 0 + 1) / 2) = 151
 Stats = (20 + (22 + 1) / 2) = 31
 Attacker modifier = 0 
 Weapon Modifier = -50
Result = MIN(95, (Skill + Stats + Weapon Modifier)/2) + Area + Target Status + d100 = MIN(95, (151 + 31 - 50)/2) - 10 + 0 + 84 = 140
140 > 100 = Success

Aiming Formula: Ranged

Below is copied from Discord, formatting to come:

d100, <= 25 automatic failure
rolling a 1 is a major fumble and shot flies wide of the target, otherwise you just miss your locaton

Base Skill:
    Hidden = TRUNC((Perception Ranks + Ambush Ranks) / 2) + TRUNC(Ranged Weapons / 4)
      Open = TRUNC(Perception Ranks / 2) + TRUNC(Ranged Weapons / 4)

Location Penalty:
     Head: 10
     Neck: 12
    Limbs: 2
    Hands: 5
    Torso: 2
     Eyes: 20

Penalty = ((3 * Target Level * Location Modifier) / Base Skill)

Target Status:
Prone/Sitting: -10

Size Mod (target):
      Tiny: -10
     Small: -5
    Medium: +5
     Large: +15

Spells (on attacker):
    607: -20
    613: 15 + (Ranger ranks over 13)
    404: +5
    412: -10
   1001: -10

Crossbow:
    Standing: +5
    Kneeling: +20

+sighting

> 100 = Success
>= 50 minor failure, missed location but shot succeeds
< 50 major failure, shot flies wide of the target


Example: 2x perception + 2x ranged firing from open at left eye. Target is level 100 and normal size (0 modifier)
d100 = 50
Base aim skill = TRUNC(202 / 2) + TRUNC(202 / 4) = 151
Left Eye penalty = ((3 * 100 * 20) / 151) = 39
Area adjusted skill = 151 - 39 = 112
Sighting = 0
Final skill = Adjusted Skill + d100 = 112 + 50 = 162 > 0 = success

Weapon Modifier Table: Melee

Weapon Aim Modifier Reach (ft)
dagger 25 0ft
falchion -5 1ft
handaxe 0 1ft
main gauche 5 0ft
Scimitar 5 1ft
rapier 15 1ft
broadsword 0 1ft
short sword 10 0ft
longsword 0 1ft
fist 10 0ft
tiger claw 25 0ft
club 10 1ft
war hammer 10 1ft
mace 5 1ft
morning star -5 1ft
whip -25 2ft
battle axe -25 2ft
flail -40 2ft
war mattock -20 2ft
quarterstaff -5 2ft
Runestaff -10 2ft
two-handed sword -30 2ft
javelin -50 2ft
lance -50 3ft
spear -10 2ft
spear (2h) -20 3ft
military pick -25 2ft
awl pike -55 3ft
claidhmore -30 2ft
backsword 0 1ft
estoc 0 1ft
bastard sword (1h) -15 2ft
bastard sword (2h) -5 2ft
crowbill 5 1ft
flamberge -10 2ft
hammer of kai -35 3ft
jeddart-axe -35 3ft
ball & chain -35 2ft
pilum 0 2ft
naginata -25 3ft
cestus 10 0ft
paingrip 10 0ft
razorpaw 10 0ft
knuckle-duster 10 0ft
hook-knife 25 0ft
blackjack 15 0ft
knuckle-blade 10 0ft
yierka-spur 20 0ft
troll-claw 5 0ft
fist-scythe 10 0ft
jack-blade 10 0ft
katar 10 0ft
katana (1h) -10 2ft
katana (2h) -5 2ft
maul -20 2ft
sai 10 0ft
trident -10 2ft
trident (2h) -20 3ft
whip-blade 10 1ft
jab (UCS) 10 0ft
punch (UCS) 5 0ft
grapple (UCS) -5 0ft
kick (UCS) -10 0ft