WOIN Question about targeting held items

[TheEternalMan]

Hello all! Just had a quick question about targeting items held by people. Im trying to re-create the Shatter spell using the WOIN magic system, but im not sure how targeting would work. Im assuming it would be a MAG vs MELEE DEFENSE that would then do damage to the item with the items hp and soak. But are there any other factors? Would it be something like a called shot with magic? Can you even do a called shot with magic?

Thanks!

 

[lichmaster]

Which version of the shatter spell are you trying to recreate? The 5e version is an AOE that does pure damage, the 3e version damages crystalline creatures or destroys small objects.
If you wanted to recreate the former, I'd go mag vs Vital or Melee. The second one maybe a pure static DC to cast the spell against small objects, or Mag vs Vital or Melee for crystalline creatures.
If you wanted to target a specific held item it could make sense if you wanted to do a called shot, but even a normal attack may make sense IMO. Maybe the called shot is harder but if it hits it guarantees that you damage a specific object, while the non called version will damage one randomly chosen object, with probabilities depending on size (armor most likely, then shield, then weapon, for instance)

 

[lichmaster]

Now that I think of it I need to re-read the guidance for defenses in general and Vital in particular. All of the above could also target Ranged, if it's a ranged attack, so I'm quite unsure

 

[TheEternalMan]

Specifically the 3e version that can damage objects. The defense would be however your hitting it, ie if its a touch spell it would be melee or from a distance it would be ranged. It would only be vital if the spell was an AOE. My question is more in the line of do called shots work for magic since none of the other standard things like adding damage dice or doing conditions do, since those are calculated when your making the spell by adding mp and such not when the dice are rolled like an attack.

 

[lichmaster]

Yep, right. Then I'd say it's not possible, thus no penalty but also no other effects

 

[TheEternalMan]

Yea thats what i was leaning towards. After a bit of digging into this and some other systems there seems to be a hard "don't do it if its in a characters hands" rule. Which i can understand. So iv decided to keep the purpose of the spell but just limit it to being used on items not carried.

Thanks for your help though! Talking it out helped me think it through!