When it comes to houses, whenever possible I find it best to stick to the prescriptive rules of the IRC. The IRC is what the plan reviewer expects, the contractor/subcontractors is/are (sort of) accustomed to building, and what the inspector is accustomed to seeing. Any deviation from the "norm" is asking for issues. Of course, we can't always follow it because, as jersey points out, we're the exception. When something doesn't fit, we get to come up with an alternative solution. The thing is, though, that the alternative solution needs to be as good or better (in terms of reliability) than what they would have gotten with a prescriptive build. So if the code says "you can't do this", we can't wave our engineering judgement around and say you can. Even if you feel that a ledger can support the point load with a standard bolt pattern, I think it usually best to not do that.
So....for ledgers, I think it best to treat it like a multi-ply beam. Check out guidance from your favorite LVL manufacturer for flush framed side loads. They give requirements for additional fasteners in the vicinity of the side load to ensure that load is transferred through and carried by all plies of the beam. A similar thing can work here, but be warned: those LVLs are generally assumed to be torsionally stable. In other words, they have sheathing fastened to them or they are held in place by joists sitting on them and fastened and whatever blocking arrangement. Your ledger isn't quite the same. Make sure you're not relying on a bunch of tension perpendicular to the grain to keep this thing in place.
