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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FormerlyHemlock" data-source="post: 6923866" data-attributes="member: 6787650">Yes, they can be very effective. But they'll be less effective than some other guy in the same role (e.g. Fighter 5/Rogue 10+, or Fighter 1/Sorlock X), which means that the Fighter class per se has no real reason to exist from a design perspective.Today, pure Fighters are the best archers and the best greatsword/greatclub-wielders. They aren't the best at shield bashing and they aren't the best at tanking. That doesn't mean you can't play a sword-and-shield fighter and have a great deal of fun--but when we put our game designer hats on, it is easy to see why Sharpshooter/GWM are written the way they are, because they help create a niche.Edit: another way to accomplish the same thing would be to use a large number of magic-immune monsters in your campaign, like old-style golems and old-style Mind Flayers. If you do this then "being very good with weapons" will be a niche again, with Fighters and Rogues as the two prominent examples, with the bonus effect that sword-and-shield Fighters will be just as much or more in demand than greatsword Fighters. So, if you eliminate Sharpshooter/GWM headshot benefits, be sure to adjust your campaign in other ways to compensate.</blockquote>