MOG Mechanics: Pain (Improvised called shots to the groin, now a sound strategy!)

[Man_Over_Game]

People like adding flair to their attacks, and sometimes, the existing rules don't really support the mechanics of some actions (I kick him in the knee!). However, most called-shot systems add their own list of rules, mechanics and slow down the game, and implementing a new system to inflict negative conditions to an enemy can sometimes impede on existing mechanics, such as with the Battle Master Fighter's Superiority Die.

So as a solution to all these things, I came up with the Pain system.

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The Rules:

Pain is a new mechanic that works similarly to Exhaustion, in stacks, and can also sum with Exhaustion for a resulting effect on the Exhaustion table (so 2 Pain and 1 Exhaustion results in the third bullet on the Exhaustion table). However, if someone's sum of Exhaustion + Pain reaches 6 stacks while having less than 6 stacks of Exhaustion, the character is unconscious rather than dead.

You can inflict Pain on your foes by making a Called Shot at the enemy by spending your Bonus Action, which is a special maneuver made by hitting an enemy with your next attack from the Attack Action in the same turn. On a hit, a Called Shot deals half damage (rounded down), but forces the target to make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for your Called Shots is equal to the damage dealt by the attack + your proficiency bonus. If the target fails the Constitution Saving Throw, they receive a stack of Pain, plus another stack of Pain for every 5 they failed the DC by.

If someone takes an action to make a Medicine check with DC 10, they can remove a stack of Pain from an afflicted adjacent target, and can remove an additional stack for every 5 more on the Medicine check that they made past 10. Otherwise, all stacks of Pain are removed upon taking a Short Rest or healing to full health. If a creature's maximum HP is reduced due to Pain and are healed to their current Maximum, they lose as many Pain stacks as it takes to no longer have their Hit Point Maximum reduced by Pain.

Pain reflects heavy stress due to intense battle and can be afflicted through other means, including things like suffering a critical hit, reviving after the dying status, or other scenarios that your DM may say are applicable.

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For reference, here is the Exhaustion table:

1. Disadvantage on ability checks
2. Speed halved
3. Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws
4. Hit point maximum halved
5. Speed reduced to 0
6. Death

This will allow players to have an alternate method of crippling enemies, being able to snipe them from afar or by breaking them down in a melee arena deathmatch. I originally came up with this idea from this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...hout-any-magic), and this quote:

So, today i was watching critical role and a pit fight encounter presented itself for barbarian of the party, grog. And travis willingham described awesome moves like thunderclapping both ears, shoving thumbs in eye sockets, aiming kicks to kneecaps to bust knees and a whole lot of moves. All these moves for rolling 1d4/2+STR MOD equal of dmg and nothing else.

Now, normally those moves would deafen, blind, make you limp and so on in real life. But they would also bring a ton of pain. But since dealing a lot of dmg and dropping a control effect on a foe will be too strong i would like to implement these physical effect in a game that i'm DMing currently in a balanced way. So that not only casters or battlemasters are the only CC guys in the game. (yeah i know you can shove, trip, push/pull but there are a lot of CC's in the game and if a pin costs enemy half his movement speed to get up a busted kneecap might do something similar.)

So what are your advices on this issue how should i implement these mechanics in the game. How should the save be like how should i calculate the DC of such attacks. Should they be an action or an attack action.

Pls keep in mind that although i'm aiming these to be realistic, priority is to make them balanced. Any idea is welcome :)

Which inspired me to create a new system that allowed combatants to cripple targets in combat to add a new level of tactics for players. Considering the first major concerns of Exhaustion don't kick in until turn 3, and the requirement for a Bonus Action restricts Called Shots to be once per character per turn, this means that it would take an effective 3 turns to start implementing some of the more serious concerns with Pain/Exhaustion.

This works exceptionally well since most combats end around turn 4. This means that Called Shots become a niche pick, best used with group planning, but not inherently better than dealing direct damage. Due to the fact that healing from full health removes Pain, and Called Shots deal less damage, being able to stay at full HP is a good counter to Pain.

Consider the Pain system, and what it can provide for your table.