[RPG] My players want extra effects from their attacks. How to do

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I'm DMing for a group of 4 players, that are currently at level 3. Two of them have played a fair bit of 5e before, and two of them are new. I'm also new to DMing, though generally familiar with the rules of 5e.

One of the new players is playing a Way of the Long Death Aarakocra Monk. She has been trying to get creative in combat, which I think is great! The problem is I'm not exactly sure how I should adjudicate some of her requests in a way that won't break the game. Some examples of what I mean:

Can I make an unarmed strike and use my talons to scratch the enemy's eyes and blind them?

I attack them in their Achilles' heel and cripple them so they can't walk?

Now I know that the RAW answer is "No, you can't try that." But that's such a boring answer and I really hate to feel like I'm shutting down anything that isn't just plain and simple attacks. In general, any time I say "No, you can't do this", I feel like I'm shutting down my player's fun.

Like I said, I like that she's trying to be creative in combat, but if an unarmed strike can potentially blind an enemy, that's incredibly strong. And if the PCs can do this to enemies, it's fair game for enemies to do this to PCs as well. I can think of some house rules to balance it off the top of my head (Higher AC to hit a small target, enemy can make a constitution saving throw to avoid the effect, etc.) but I don't want to worry about proper balance while we're in the middle of a combat.

What's a good way for me to empower my players and make them feel like they actually have these choices in combat rather than shutting them down, but without breaking the game?

Best Answer

There is a clear way to do this, with no homebrew needed.

Have her respec into a way of the open hand monk.

This class can do debuffs similar to what you mentioned.

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can manipulate your enemy’s ki when you harness your own. Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on that target:

It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. It must make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, you can push it up to 15 feet away from you. It can’t take reactions until the end of your next turn.

Let's examine her requests.

Can I make an unarmed strike and use my talons to scratch the enemy's eyes and blind them?

Yes you can! You can remove reactions, so they can't attack of opportunity you. This is very like blinding. If you want to flavour removing reactions as blinding them, that won't change game balance.

I attack them in their Achilles' heel and cripple them so they can't walk?

Yes you can, you can knock them prone.

At level 5 they get stunning strike, which has even more possibilities.

Starting at 5th Level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon Attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be Stunned until the end of your next turn.

Do you stop their heart? Vulcan nerve pinch them? Slice their hand off which has no combat effect if they use a one handed weapon? Shout at them so rudely they start crying? There's so many fun ways to flavour being stunned for a round.

I'd also suggest including more trash mobs in fights, so they get to flex their power. While having a very important foe crippled in movement would be an issue, if some random goblin hobbles away from them at 5 feet a round after having their heel ripped out combat balance won't be impacted much and they can sate their need for gore.

They could also take the Martial Adept feat, which offers many useful benefits similar to these such as trip attack.

Trip Attack

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to knock the target down. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone.

With feats or alternative class benefits you can offer to upgrade these features later if you want to.

The main issue is her current class build is poorly set up to accomplish what she wants. Pick the right way, and it's easy.

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