Kavon
Explorer
Sure, let's never try to change something to fit our own style of gaming because it starts to bog down the game if you do it too much.. Like I said, depends on how you like to handle things.Do you realize how many things in the game can be solved with a "minimal amount of bookkeeping"? Now, solve all of them, and what do you get? A whole lot of bookkeeping!
Sure, for any particular single issue, the bookkeeping isn't a major burden. So, for your game at home, go ahead. But as a policy for designers, reducing bookkeeping by shaving here or there makes sense.
We're talking about a really insignificant piece of bookkeeping here. Something that only comes up when a character levels up (which, let's be honest here, in 13th Age only happens 9 times).
I understand your point when considering it from a designer's point of view, but there's nothing stopping anyone from making it an optional method of handling it(which, again, they seem to be quite open to in 13th Age, with the casual notes on the sides)