Mutable progression of skills

[Malevolution]

Specifically, I want to "fix" the sniper skill path by removing or modifying its 2nd level. A chance of knockdown is potentially the worst thing for a sniper aside being a Glowing One, since knocking down the victim of a non-fatal headshot most often removes their head (if not their entire body) from the sniper's sight. And let's be real; as snipers, we're not looking to whittle down an enemy's health by pinpointing their ankles; we want crits, every time, all the time.

[Fantafaust]

That's actually super easy, but might you have a suggestion of an alternative for the knockdown effect? After all, you'll still want the perk rank to do something.

EDIT: My suggestions are either making sniper shots have the same 15 percent chance to stagger an enemy instead of knock them down, OR, a 25 percent reduction in damage resistance to your sniper shots.
Alternatively, I might be able to make the stagger from headshots only but still let you knock them down if you shoot them in the legs? Less sure about that one though