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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FireLance" data-source="post: 3525981" data-attributes="member: 3424">I'm an interpreter that just happens to agree with the literalist reading of the rules about 99% of the time. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Of course, as Corsair pointed out, it is vitally important to know what the literalist reading of the rules says first, before deciding whether or not to change them, and why.Examples:1. Lances used in one hand when mounted. Literalist reading: A lance is a two-handed weapon, and does not become a one-handed weapon even when used in one hand while mounted. Thus, it continues to get 1-1/2 Strength bonus to damage rolls and 2-for-1 Power Attack. My change: A lance wielded in one hand is effectively treated as a one-handed weapon for the purpose of Strength bonus to damage and Power Attack. A Large longsword is normally a two-handed weapon for a Medium wielder, but it does not gain the higher Strength bonus and Power Attack damage ratio when wielded in one hand with Monkey Grip (although the feat does specifically call out that the amount of effort required to wield the weapon does not change). If you don't gain the benefit with Monkey Grip, you shouldn't gain the benefit with a lance while mounted. 2. Cleaving off an AOO Literalist reading: The wording of the Cleave feat states that you get an extra attack whenever you drop an opponent. Hence, you get the extra attack when you drop an opponent on an AOO. My change: When you use Cleave on an AOO, you can make one extra AOO in that round. Barring certain contrived scenarios, this is more of a flavor issue than a balance issue. An AOO is an additional attack against an opponent who has dropped his guard. Cleave is simply an additional attack. For me, the flavor of an AOO trumps the flavor of Cleave, so you can't get an additional attack against an opponent who has not dropped his guard. When the original attack is an AOO, Cleave grants an additional AOO.In addition, there are other rules which are simply vague or unclear, and there is no consensus on the proper "literalist" meaning. Examples:1. Monks and Improved Natural Attack A monk's unarmed strike is treated as a natural weapon for the purpose of "effects" that enhance or improve natural weapons. It is unclear whether a feat is an "effect" or whether only the benefit of a feat is an "effect". If the former, a monk may take Improved Natural Attack and increase the damage of his unarmed strike. If the latter, a monk may take Improved Natural Attack and increase the damage of his unarmed strike, but only if he has another natural weapon to satisfy the prerequisite of the feat. 2. Fighting with two weapons It is unclear whether the two-weapon fighting penalties apply when you wield a weapon in your off hand, or when you use the weapon in your off hand to make an extra attack. If the latter, a character with a BAB of +6 could make one attack with a weapon in his primary hand and an iterative attack with a weapon in his off hand without taking two-weapon fighting penalties.</blockquote>

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