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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Eldritch_Lord" data-source="post: 5518021" data-attributes="member: 52073">The problem isn't RAW vs. RAI, the problem is the added rolls, the cascade of rulings, and the arbitrariness.  If every time you describe an axe attack as smacking the defender's knuckles with the haft you add a Dex and Con check into the mix, combat slows to a crawl.  If you already use plenty of tactics and positioning, as most groups including mine do, you're adding extra rolls and modifiers on top of flanking/high ground bonuses, status conditions, and other fiddly bits, and the return on that extra complication just isn't worth it.Regarding the cascade of rulings: So you can smack someone's hand to hinder them until healed.  Great.  What exactly are the penalties?  If it's something numerical, you need to figure out how big the penalty is; that might take a few tries to get right.  If it makes the hand completely useless, that's far too good for such little effort, so people will start describing their attacks the same way to try to get that benefit, so again you need to fiddle with it.  Once you decide on the penalty, how do you fix it?  Natural healing?  Cure spells?  Regeneration spells?  Every little decision requires some thought on balance level and fun factor, plus you have to remember previous rulings so you're consistent, and so on.  Again, the extra effort just isn't worth it.Regarding arbitrariness: A right-handed person blocking a lefty, or the reverse, imposes a -2 penalty on attacks.  Assuming you've already done the pondering from above as to whether that's a good penalty, how do you apply it for the faceless mooks the PCs will probably face?  If you assume most people are right-handed, then (A) the only time a mook would ever be a lefty is when you want to give your righty PCs a -2 penalty and (B) lefty PCs basically gain a constant +2 AC for their opponents' penalty.</blockquote>

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