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Go for the Eyes! $2.95
Average Rating:4.8 / 5
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Go for the Eyes!
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Victor N. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/18/2022 20:20:39

Love these options - they add a lot more interest to combat. I hope the author comes out with another volume covering more monsters!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Go for the Eyes!
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Adam H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/14/2019 10:39:49

Have your players ever wanted to call their shots? "It's running away. Hit 'em in the leg!" or "That dragon is ready to getting ready to breathe fire. Aim for its neck!" Well, now they can.

What Is This? Go For the Eyes is a rules supplement that presents over 60 high-CR monsters hand-picked from three different D&D hardcovers, now with options to disable or destroy specific body parts. There are also all-new creature traits that are usually activated once a monster takes a certain amount or a certain kind of damage.

Is It Any Good? Yes! We give it 4.5 out of 5 stars for its clean layout, sound mechanics, huge assortment of monsters, and new creature traits. You wouldn’t know it beforehand, but traits are a big reason why you should buy this supplement. What’re traits? Think of them as dormant monster features that roar to life under the right conditions. For example, when a behir takes a certain amount of lightning or thunder damage, it can redirect that energy as a reaction to shock the unfortunate character in its clutches or belly. That’s a cool mechanic that can shift combat dynamics mid-battle.

Any Drawbacks? This isn't for low-level campaigns, since all the monsters presented here are too tough for level 1-10 heroes. There's also no Table of Contents for easier navigation. Also, don't think this will make fighting monsters any easier. The way it works, if you disable or destroy a monster's body part, that awakens a rage or new ability in them that makes them just as tough as before. That being said, it's easy to ignore the monster’s retributive ability if your players don't find called shots to be very rewarding.

We are giving Go For the Eyes a rating of 4.5 stars. Its flaws are simply overwhelmed by all the battle-ready awesomeness found in its pages. If you DMs are looking for something to surprise veteran players or to amp up the fun of combat for everyone, this supplement certainly fits the bill. For the full review, please visit https://t.co/nXEMvMWwCs?amp=1



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Go for the Eyes!
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Ciaran O. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/26/2019 18:23:56

This is an excellent supplement, the rules are both simple and intuitive and make combat much more dynamic. My players are always trying to do this anyway, so its great to have some handy rules to refer to. I am going to use it in our Storm Kings Thunder campaign - these new rules will fit perfectly when fighting the giants and dragons in that campaign!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Go for the Eyes!
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Justin H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/17/2019 17:53:43

This awesome supplement was a main topic on our podcast Crit Academy. Listen here for full discussion. We absolutely had a blast with Go for the Eyes. This handles an age old questions..."Why can't I chop that off or stab it there?" Being able to use a knowledge check to identify a weakness, or feature of the beast that can be the focus of gaining the upper hand is fantastic. For example a dragon's breath weapon is bar none one of the most ferocious feature it has. This supplement provides rules for that barbarian who asks "If I smash its throat in...then it can't breath fire right?" What player wouldn't love that? One of the coolest things is that its done in such a way that it actually makes the battle more dynamic and even punishing. If you attack the giants legs to bring him down to your level for instance, once he's on his knees, he now has a cleave attack. Which is just damn clever.

That being said, I do think there are some inherent risks. While the book gives you a massive selection of rules, I could totally see it leading to..well you let me cut off the beholders eyestock, why can't i chop off the berserkers arm? Cause...well players do that kind of stuff. I also was originally concerned with CR balace, but in the few instances I've used it, it surprisingly didn't make the encounters easier or anymore difficult, which was a concern I did have. That being said, this is a fantastic supplement and is a must buy in IMO. Great work Alex.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Go for the Eyes!
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Bryan H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/21/2019 11:13:11

While mechanically balanced (the DCs and thresholds required to do called shots are of the appropriate range for the CR values of these creatures), I think the system falters because of a failure spiral.

A monster like a Beholder is designed to be a challenge, and that's listed as a CR value. This tells us what the average damage, defenses, and hp of the monster are. By allowing players to disable/destroy components of the monster, which thus disables/destroys their ability to exist at that CR, it makes the monster an easier fight. That is, by succeeding in attacking these components, players become more successful against the creature. Some (but not all) of the monsters have drawbacks to destroying body parts that mitigate this.

That being said, if your players are CRAVING called shots, this is an excellent way to do it. Each monster is presented with a variety of options for called shots and that unique attention to detail makes each called shot shine. If I had to make one suggestion for the author: don't put multiple monsters on the same page. That way, while running an encounter, it's easier to focus on the relevant information for that monster. It's an organization thing, and not actually anything I'd bemoan.

I rate the product based on what it IS and not what it isn't, and so I give it 4/5 for providing called shots to monsters. It's a good supplement with a solid selection of monsters but I don't think this style of game is for every table. It has a good selection of monsters, although your players might not like when they come across monsters that aren't in here unless you can improv called shots well. It doesn't QUITE fit with 5e design sensibilities but it doesn't impede with them either, so you have nothing to lose in trying it out to see if it suits your table.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Go for the Eyes!
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Brad R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 10/23/2018 09:56:33

See my full review here: https://youtu.be/Pqi6-RlZvxs In short though, this isn't just a simple supplement on how to hack monsters and creatures to bits, but rather an in depth analysis of specific creatures, creating tactical opportunities with possible risks for your D&D game.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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