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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pauln6" data-source="post: 9215563" data-attributes="member: 6777422">Many heroes in literature use smaller or less efficient weapons like quarterstaffs or daggers.  The argument seems to be that character concepts are 'peanalised' due to inflicting a few points less damage due to more limited weapon choices without balancing the limitations against other benefits. I think the logic behind it is more that, when implementing classical interpretations of halflings for example, it's silly for a 3ft halfling with half the body mass of a half orc to have Str20, while at the same time, acknowledging that, in a different fantasy setting, people may want to do that.  So, rather than banning outright, like 1e where Tolkien heavily influenced concepts and halfling Str was capped at 17, they allow it but acknowledge that it goes against the grain of the classical interpretation by making it fractionally less efficient.  This is a compromise. There is also the issue that 35 or 30 DPR only matters if the monster has more than 30hp, so some of the penalty is only on paper.Dex-based characters are more likely to be knocked prone and often feel more vulnerable in our campaign.  The strength based characters are more resilient.  There are definitely pros and cons.Mobility and novas seems to be the biggest dividing issues for our characters but we do have players experimenting with all sorts of less efficient weapons, so maybe this is why complaining that a halfling can't use a longbow as a deal-breaker is such a head scratcher to me.I've been playing the game for 40 years so I've seen the drift as new fantasy genres become mainstream and the game was tweaked to incorporate those genres and the differences between races / heritage have narrowed again and again, and become more modular.  I do worry that any flavour is being removed in favour of mechanics as if characters are code in the matrix rather than variations on classical themes.That said, if they had the core rules and then said and here are optional chassis that you can apply for certain types of campaign, I am perfectly fine with that.</blockquote>

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