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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ProfessorPain" data-source="post: 4645065" data-attributes="member: 82012">You make some interesting points. What is your background? I agree, and in my post I mentioned fighting with a knife is a whole different ball game than say a bat. But I think most of your example applies to stealth weapons like knives. I have some experience with training in knife combat (no actual knife combat experience). Fightiing with knives requires precision because it is a very close range, but also a very deadly weapon (which already makes it very different from D&D if you look at the damage a dagger does). But a longer range melee weapon, like a bat, responds more to the users' strength. Also, combat between armored knights is actually a little closer to the boxing scenario, because the armor allows you to fight while exposing yourself. And boxers don't open themselves up as much as you might think. Getting hit might not be lethal, but it will cause you to lose or get knocked out. Boxers are trained to be very conservative in their movements. If you watch a boxing match closely you will see this. And I think the closer two boxers are to each other in size and strength, the more significant this skill becomes. It is even significant when one boxer is greatly (but not overwhelmingly) smaller and weaker than the other. In fact, boxing is all about not exposing yourself. That is why boxers keep their shoulders high against their neck, keep their hands up, don't lift lift their chin when they punch, always fight with open eyes looking forward, bring their hands back immediately after strikin, etc. It may be a sport. But losing kills your career and your income. And even though it is usually not lethal, there is always the potential for death in the ring. Hence the referee commands "Protect yourselves at all times." So even in combat sports, where the stakes are much lower than in real life combat, the principle you bring up is important.  I also think you are raising the issue of knowledge and experience verse raw talent. Clearly, if you know where to hit someone, you can do a lot more damage with a lot less fuss. And I think D&D caters to this position by making levels so important.</blockquote>

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