HMK Combat - Location zone question

Reading through HMK combat section. The hit location rules have me scratching my head a bit. Please correct me if I am off here.
As I understand it, if you aim for a zone other than head, you apply the ZD roll starting at the first number of the targeted zone.
So, if the attacker targets torso (4-7) with a broadsword (ZD d6):
1 = 4 (torso)
2 = 5 (torso)
3 = 6 (torso)
4 = 7 (torso)
5 = 8 (legs)
6 = 9 (legs)
So if a lower zone (higher ZD#) is targeted, it is now impossible to randomly hit any upper zone (lower ZD#)? With my example above, the attacker could never hit the defenders arms?
This seems unrealistic, since the arms are either horizontally adjacent or in front of the torso, thus making unintended arm hits quite common during fighting. Neck or head hits should also have some probability with a torso attack.
Is my interpretation incorrect?
Thanks,
Bill
Low Aim
Per the rules as written, yes. Such a strike would incur the -10 aim penalty and then would start at Zone 4, just as you described.
If you're familiar with HMg, its -10 Low Aim strike still retains a 4% chance of hitting the Forearm/wrist. This could essentially be replicated in HMK by limiting the lowest ZN that can be aimed for as ZN3 (3 to 8), or perhaps allowing lower aim zones, but at a steeper penalty. For instance, -5 per additional aim ZN below 3, such that the RAW low aim you described could still be attempted, but at -20 (Very low, lunging aim).
Thank you
Roger that, sir.
Appreciate the quick response.
-Bill
ZN options
Sure, Bill—I'd love to hear about what you try out and how it goes.
Why Aim?
I was going to ask something related, too, but I'll just keep it here b/c it's topical. Serious question: With the penalties associated with Zone Aiming, and with the possibility of falling out-of-zone... Why Zone Aim to begin with? It seems to me that Zone Aiming isn't so much as "I really want to hit his legs," but more for "I really DON'T want to hit his head." Do I have that wrong? If so, I'd appreciate some examples and clarification.
Zone Dice
The "risk" of the die roll falling out of zone is more of a player error that should never really happen unintentionally. All you have to do is select the proper ZN that ensures the die roll results do not go beyond the ZN range: max ZN7 for a d4, max ZN5 for a d6, and max ZN3 for a d8 against a 10 ZN target.
The Zone Die/Number mechanic is designed primarily as a way to instill proper scaling between different creature sizes in a tidy (non-exception inducing) manner. Your d6 ZD broadsword makes striking any part of a Vlasta (3 ZN) more difficult, while the same d6 broadsword all but ensures automatic zone placement on a Hru (40 ZN). These flexible ZD also help model the advantages/disadvantages produced by height differences (a human striking the Hru's head) and by combatant positioning (striking a cow from behind simply involves counting your sword's d6 ZD result backwards, from 10 to 9 etc).
The secondary design element that opens up with this ZD approach is modelling a new measure of control of various weapons (d4 punch, d6 sword/axe, d8 polearm). Furthermore, notice here that a larger ZD is not always a disadvantage—the longer d8 polearm allows for potential unpenalized leg strikes (because of the 8), whereas the d4 punch—while more "focused" in its smaller 1-4 spread (increasing the chance for head strikes)—would cause a leaning/lunging -10 aim penalty for attempting punch strikes to the legs, if both combatants are standing.
The HMK -10 Aim penalty that applies when players "move" the ZD around the target ZN mimics to a certain extent the penalties of the old Aim High/Arms/Mid/Legs columns. But this is only a tertiary design goal (if that): such broad zone or area aimed strikes are covered more overtly in HMK by the Precision TA (where your better aim results from a well-executed strike—from a TA).
All of the above dynamics—many never modeled previously in HM—are possible without any additional die roll to the traditional (lengthy!) HM sequence of combat strike resolution. At the table (real or virtual), players are simply substituting the initial d10 of the old d100 roll, that would be applied to one of the various Location columns, with a d4/d6/d8/d10—paired right alongside the d10 LN roll—and all at the very same moment in the sequence. Instead of rolling a d10 and d10 to render the old d100 location roll, you're now rolling a d4 and d10 for your punch (or d6 and d10 for swords etc).
Very cool!
Very interesting en enlightening, thanks for the detailed explanation!