"Common Sense" approach to rules (RACSD)

[Darrin]

Rule 19: Disagree, this is blatantly against RAW and RAI

Can you please please please explain to me how RAW would handle this, because I'm trying to follow RAW (or rather RA(not)W) as I see it implemented in the Monster Manual:

1) Giants, large elementals, and humanoid constructs get two slam attacks. This is straight-up RAW from the SRD: "Large creatures with arms or arm-like limbs can make a slam attack with each arm."
2) They lose these attacks in their stat blocks when wielding manufactured weapons.
3) A medium-sized humanoid with a slam (Warforged, Doppelganger) is wielding a two-handed weapon. By RAW, what happens to his slam attack?

If you want straight-up RAW, by the stat block, a Warforged loses his slam attack (and does not get it as a secondary attack) if he's wielding a spear (two-handed weapon).

The best example I can find of a medium-sized humanoid that keeps its slam attack is the Sample Woodling in MM3, which keeps its slam as a secondary attack when wielding a scimitar (one-handed weapon).

So... I fail to see how what I've written is "blatantly against RAW and RAI". As far as I can tell, my text matches pretty much every stat block I can find in the MM1-5.

#19 Disagree. This is pretty much RAW. A creature with a slam attack that could use a weapon loses his slam attack anyway.

Please show me the RAW where it says this.

Yes, it's confusing, but we have no rules that say anything about when you "lose" the ability to attack with a natural weapon. Ok, fine, slams + melee weapons are kind of a corner case that doesn't come up often, but it could definitely use some clarification.

We have RAW that says large-sized humanoids with slam attacks use their arms. Rule 018 covers those, arms occupied = no slam attacks. How do we address the slam attacks for medium-sized and smaller?