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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 6263207" data-attributes="member: 19675">&quot;Should?&quot;&nbsp; Tough question.The answer is yes if, for instance, one wanted to build a D&amp;D barbarian who has taken a vow that he will only fight with spoons.*Because PC design is, mechanically, all about the allocation of scarce resources, and weapon choices &amp; the like are resources in D&amp;D.&nbsp; And not all choices are equal.There are plenty of fighter feats out there.&nbsp; At low levels, a power attack and monkey grip are mechanically similar.**&nbsp; As you level up, though, power attack is obviously mechanically superior.&nbsp; But only monkey grip lets you use an oversized weapon. For some, that tradeoff is worth it, for some it isn't.Towards the end of 3.5Ed, I came up with the concept of the Mage-Brute.&nbsp; Simply put, that's a full-casting arcanist who wears heavy armor and uses a martial weapon.&nbsp; He doesn't do much combat casting of spells, but finds other ways to use his magical abilities.&nbsp; (I'm not talking Pun-pun or any Polymorph-based builds, I'm talking about playing this way from 1st level, usually in campaigns with limited sourcebooks.)Mechanically, it is a TERRIBLE choice: you're always short on HP (less so if you multiclass), the class-defining abilities are gimped, your BAB suffers, your feat choices are essentially dictated to you.&nbsp; Spell choices for such PCs will be...interesting.&nbsp; You're never going to be the party's Merlin/Elminster/Gandalf/Angel Summoner...nor their Fafhrd/Conan/Roland/Aragorn.&nbsp; You are neither fish nor fowl.But I tell you what- they're cool to play!&nbsp; The look on everyone's face when your 1st level PHB sorcerer in scale mail with a maul advances to one end of a skirmish line...and breathes lightning at the foes, killing most of them?&nbsp; Priceless.* if you want all options to be equally badass, you need a system like HERO.&nbsp; In HERO, your spoon barbarian could have equal ability to smack people around with spoons as another PC with a claymore.&nbsp; Or a gun.&nbsp; Or a plasma rifle.&nbsp; Tht same spoon could also let him fly and teleport if you designed it that way, because &quot;spoon&quot; has no mechanical meaning in the game, its just a descriptor.** though, it should be noted that monkey grip does not have a Str min, so can be taken by even weak-armed PCs.&nbsp; For them, MG is a superior- indeed one of the ONLY- alternatives to PA for getting a little melee damage boost like that.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 6263207, member: 19675"] "Should?" Tough question. The answer is yes if, for instance, one wanted to build a D&D barbarian who has taken a vow that he will only fight with spoons.* Because PC design is, mechanically, all about the allocation of scarce resources, and weapon choices & the like are resources in D&D. And not all choices are equal. There are plenty of fighter feats out there. At low levels, a power attack and monkey grip are mechanically similar.** As you level up, though, power attack is obviously mechanically superior. But only monkey grip lets you use an oversized weapon. For some, that tradeoff is worth it, for some it isn't. Towards the end of 3.5Ed, I came up with the concept of the Mage-Brute. Simply put, that's a full-casting arcanist who wears heavy armor and uses a martial weapon. He doesn't do much combat casting of spells, but finds other ways to use his magical abilities. (I'm not talking Pun-pun or any Polymorph-based builds, I'm talking about playing this way from 1st level, usually in campaigns with limited sourcebooks.) Mechanically, it is a TERRIBLE choice: you're always short on HP (less so if you multiclass), the class-defining abilities are gimped, your BAB suffers, your feat choices are essentially dictated to you. Spell choices for such PCs will be...interesting. You're never going to be the party's Merlin/Elminster/Gandalf/Angel Summoner...nor their Fafhrd/Conan/Roland/Aragorn. You are neither fish nor fowl. But I tell you what- they're cool to play! The look on everyone's face when your 1st level PHB sorcerer in scale mail with a maul advances to one end of a skirmish line...and breathes lightning at the foes, killing most of them? Priceless. * if you want all options to be equally badass, you need a system like HERO. In HERO, your spoon barbarian could have equal ability to smack people around with spoons as another PC with a claymore. Or a gun. Or a plasma rifle. Tht same spoon could also let him fly and teleport if you designed it that way, because "spoon" has no mechanical meaning in the game, its just a descriptor. ** though, it should be noted that monkey grip does not have a Str min, so can be taken by even weak-armed PCs. For them, MG is a superior- indeed one of the ONLY- alternatives to PA for getting a little melee damage boost like that. [/QUOTE]

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