Paws for thought; what can claws do?

[ericthecleric]

Apologies for the terrible pun, but I have a serious question.

For a clawed humanoid-shaped creature such as trolls and many fiends, I'd assume that the claws can do anything that hands can do.

For intelligent quadruped-shaped creatures, such as dragons, lammasus, and sphinxes of all varieties, matters become a little more complicated. Dragons, lammasus and androsphinxes can cast spells and use spell component pouches (although a lammasu has Eschew Materials). I would expect that such creatures can't wield weapons or shields, or undertake stonemasonry work, but that they can draw, read a book, and write a letter. What else can and can't they do?

[ericthecleric]

Bump

[Lich Bard]

There are two issues here, I think. The claws, which are essentially very long (and strong) nails, and the different shape of the clawed appendage. When the appendage is humanoid (hand)I wouldn't expect any problem, except the claws were extreme. But with dragons and etc, they don't have hands, they have paws, or some other stuff. Thus, by having a different shape, they can do different things. And maybe they have different ways of doing what we can do with our hands.

They can't wield a sword, because they lack a thumb, but they can do other stuff too. Did you know that elephants paint? And they don't even use their hands/legs/paws/claws/etc!