Difference between revisions of "Extra Player and Weapon Sizes (5e Variant Rule)"

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m (Final edit; added a feat to pair with some of the play-test changes and suggestions.)
m (Some cleaning based on the new clarification.)
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;Reach
 
;Reach
 
Longer weapons grant their wielder more control and the ability to engage from a safer distance. With a change in size, this use is greatly affected.
 
Longer weapons grant their wielder more control and the ability to engage from a safer distance. With a change in size, this use is greatly affected.
*An Enlarged weapon with this property cannot be wielded by creatures of Small size or below.
 
 
*A Reduced weapon only applies this property when wielded by a Tiny size creature. Otherwise, the weapon uses the Versatile property and deals its original damage when used with two hands.
 
*A Reduced weapon only applies this property when wielded by a Tiny size creature. Otherwise, the weapon uses the Versatile property and deals its original damage when used with two hands.
  
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;Thrown
 
;Thrown
 
Weapons created and balanced to be easily aimed and thrown are almost as acutely affected by the change in size as other ranged weapons are.
 
Weapons created and balanced to be easily aimed and thrown are almost as acutely affected by the change in size as other ranged weapons are.
*An Enlarged weapon only applies this property when wielded by a creature of Medium size or larger. Otherwise, it has the Versatile property instead, dealing its increased damage when wielded in two hands.
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*An Enlarged weapon only applies this property when wielded by a Large creature. In the hands of a Medium size creature, it has the Versatile property instead, dealing its increased damage when wielded in two hands.
 
*A Reduced weapon has no additional modification; it's damage die is reduced one step.
 
*A Reduced weapon has no additional modification; it's damage die is reduced one step.
  
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An adaptable weapon with moderate size to facilitate its wide range of uses will be greatly affected by a change in size or weight.
 
An adaptable weapon with moderate size to facilitate its wide range of uses will be greatly affected by a change in size or weight.
 
*An Enlarged weapon only applies this property when wielded by a Large size creature.
 
*An Enlarged weapon only applies this property when wielded by a Large size creature.
*An Enlarged weapon with this property exchanges this property for the Two-Handed property when wielded by a Medium size creature. Creatures Small size or below cannot wield this weapon.
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*An Enlarged weapon with this property exchanges this property for the Two-Handed property when wielded by a Medium size creature.
 
*A Reduced weapon only applies this property when wielded by a Tiny size creature.
 
*A Reduced weapon only applies this property when wielded by a Tiny size creature.
 
*A Reduced weapon with this property exchanges this property for the Light property when wielded by a Small size creature. Creatures Medium size or larger cannot wield this weapon.
 
*A Reduced weapon with this property exchanges this property for the Light property when wielded by a Small size creature. Creatures Medium size or larger cannot wield this weapon.

Revision as of 19:37, 16 January 2020

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Author: Max7238 (talk)
Date Created: November 21st, 2019
Status: WIP
Editing: Clarity edits only please
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Extra Player and Weapon Sizes

This rule is to aid in player character creation, as well as add persistent effects and item properties to facilitate the use, of creatures with the Large and Tiny size categories. Please consider these things when/if a player decides to use a homebrew race that is larger than Medium size or smaller than Small size. Included below are suggested changes to rules such as cover, sustenance, use of ability scores, as well as customizing existing weapons for use by a larger or smaller character.


Large Player Characters

Large sized monsters receive a slew of benefits, and going beyond that can create even more imposing threats - but a player needs to be able to stand side-by-size with their fellows, in story and in combat. For this reason, the following considerations should be made for Large-size characters.

  • Large creatures have double the carrying capacity (PHB p. 176).
  • Large creatures require four times the food and water of Medium creatures (DMG p. 111).
  • Large creatures need much bigger objects to hide behind for cover (PHB p. 196).
  • Large player characters have a harder time moving aside for a Dexterity saving throw to avoid an effect (-1 for each extra space they occupy in an effect that causes the saving throw).
  • Large player characters have an easier time pushing, pulling, lifting, and breaking objects (add the character's proficiency to these checks if they do not already do so as a result of a class feature, for example).
  • Large weapons (DMG p. 278) should not apply to player characters. Please see the below weapon properties for an alternative.
  • Large player characters do not have innate reach; they must wield a weapon with the Reach property as normal.
  • Large player characters cannot be mounted by other creatures of Medium size or smaller, even if they are willing.
  • As size increases by 10 times, mass increases by 100 times. Large player characters' weight should be accounted for, and they have vulnerability to falling damage.

Tiny Player Characters

Tiny sized monsters are generally less imposing, but harder to notice and have the option to travel through smaller spaces. Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of their ability to travel long distances without help, as well as their ability to damage significantly larger foes. The following considerations should be made for Tiny-size characters.

  • Tiny creatures have half the usual carrying capacity.
  • Tiny creatures require 1/4 the food and water of Medium creatures (DMG p. 111).
  • Tiny creatures find cover easier (PHB p. 196), and can share the space of another creature.
  • Tiny player characters have an easier time moving aside for Dexterity saving throws to avoid an effect (+1 for each space between them and the epicenter).
  • Tiny player characters have a harder time pushing, pulling, lifting, and breaking objects (subtract half the character's proficiency for these checks).
  • Tiny weapons (DMG p. 278) should not apply to player characters. Please see the below weapon properties for an alternative.
  • Tiny player characters must share the space of a creature to execute melee attacks against them, unless using a weapon with the Reach property, as listed below.
  • Tiny player characters can use creatures that are Small or larger as a mount, though the creature must still be tamed or willing.
  • As size decreases, mass decreases. Tiny player characters' weight should be accounted for, and they have resistance to falling damage.

Feats and Miscellaneous

Other rulings may appear at a table using player characters outside the usual size range. A Sentinel feat on a Large size character, for example, locks down a much larger area - which may lead the DM to adjudicate that such a player character cannot use the feat. A Tiny size character, in contrast, would gain much less use from it, as once their foe leaves the 5 foot square they occupy, they may not be able to reach the foe to execute their opportunity attack without a Reach weapon. These fringe cases should be what makes such characters fun to use, not frustrating for the table; players and their DMs should discuss these possibilities before using characters of abnormal sizes, and reach an understanding about how these changes may affect the game.
Outside of combat, size may also cause other problems. A Large size character might need to squeeze through doors, and a Tiny size character might need to spend extra movement to go up and down typical staircases as if they were climbing or traversing difficult terrain. Large size characters might seem more imposing, leading the DM to confer a bonus to Intimidation checks for such a player; also, by the same token, a Tiny size player may find it harder to intimidate because of their size.
All in all, players should not feel as though their choice to play an abnormally sized character has ruined their experience. The benefits and penalties should be reasonable and rational - common sense should supersede rules where appropriate, after all. Specific homebrew races will require these considerations, but, once established, should ultimately integrate well in almost any setting.

Weapon Properties

The following weapon property modifications should be considered for player characters outside the normal size range.

New Properties

The following two properties are added by this variant rule:

Enlarged

A weapon with this property has been up-sized with a larger user in mind; as such, creatures that are Small size or below cannot wield this weapon. Weapon weight and cost will be increased based on the setting, as determined by the DM. As a general suggestion, doubling both would be the most simple solution. This increase in size will have other various effects based on the weapon's other properties, explained below, but one universal change exists: the weapon's damage die is increased by one step. This also applies to unarmed attacks by Large creatures who do not have a class or race feature that already modifies their unarmed damage, and functions as shown below.

  • 1 → 1d4 → 1d6 → 1d8 → 1d10 → 1d12 → 2d6 → 2d8


Reduced

A weapon with this property has been down-sized with a smaller user in mind; as such, creatures that are Large size or larger cannot wield this weapon. Weapon weight will be decreased, but cost may be increased based on the setting, as determined by the DM. As a general suggestion, weapon weight should be cut in half, but the cost should remain the same; less material is used, but greater finesse is required to achieve the same resulting lethality. This decrease in size will have other various effects based on the weapon's other properties, explained below, but one universal change exists: the weapon's damage die is decreased by one step as shown below.

  • 2d6 → 1d12 → 1d10 → 1d8 → 1d6 → 1d4 → 1


Existing Properties, Modified

The existing weapon properties may be modified if the above additions are applied:

Finesse

A normally well-balanced and precise weapon may become unwieldy once it reaches a certain size. In the right hands, a larger or smaller version of this weapon will still flow with grace, but in others it may either be too heavy or lack the required mass to be sufficiently deadly.

  • An Enlarged weapon can only apply this property if wielded by a Large size creature.
  • A Reduced weapon cannot apply this property when wielded by a creature larger than Small size.
  • For a Medium-sized creature wielding either one, this property is ignored.
Heavy

Weapons already made for those with a certain measure of strength become even more cumbersome. Large weapons made larger become more problematic for their usual wielders, but such weapons that are down-sized become much more manageable by all.

  • An Enlarged weapon with this property can only effectively be wielded by a Large size creature. A Medium size creature can only attack once per turn with this weapon, and creatures Small and below cannot use this weapon at all.
  • A Reduced weapon that normally has this property can be wielded by any creature Tiny size or larger, and only apply this property if wielded by a Tiny size creature.
Light

Weapons with a smaller grip and less weight may be ideal in certain situations, but changing their weight can limit who can take advantage of their smaller size.

  • An Enlarged weapon can only apply this property if wielded by a Large size creature.
  • A Reduced weapon with this property cannot be wielded by a creature Medium size or larger.
Range

Weapon size will not only affect the cost of ammunition, but may affect range as well. Heavier projectiles don't travel as far, and a smaller launcher has less force to transfer to a projectile, even if it is lighter.

  • Enlarged or Reduced weapons require specialized ammunition, which may have a price, adjusted by the DM, or rarity assigned.
  • An Enlarged weapon only has the same range as its normal counterpart when used by a Large size creature; otherwise, both its optimum and long range are reduced by half. A bow requires much more strength and mass to draw, and a crossbow's extra weight makes it hard to handle.
  • Uniquely, a Reduced weapon with this property will incur one of two penalties: it must either have its damage die reduced by one step, or it must have both its optimum and long range reduced by half. A lighter projectile will deal less damage, but can be launched about as far, but maintaining projectile size in a smaller launcher will reduce range. The penalty is applied based on the weapon and its construction, as decided by the DM.
Reach

Longer weapons grant their wielder more control and the ability to engage from a safer distance. With a change in size, this use is greatly affected.

  • A Reduced weapon only applies this property when wielded by a Tiny size creature. Otherwise, the weapon uses the Versatile property and deals its original damage when used with two hands.
Special

Lances and nets are uniquely affected by changes in size, as they are already given certain considerations.

  • An Enlarged lance has the Heavy property applied to it as well, and therefore receives the effects of the property on an Enlarged weapon as described above.
  • A Reduced lance has a reach of 5 feet, and gains the Versatile property, dealing its original damage when used with two hands.
  • An Enlarged net is unaffected.
  • A Reduced net cannot apply its Special property on a creature Medium size or larger; such creatures are not restrained when struck by such a small net.
Thrown

Weapons created and balanced to be easily aimed and thrown are almost as acutely affected by the change in size as other ranged weapons are.

  • An Enlarged weapon only applies this property when wielded by a Large creature. In the hands of a Medium size creature, it has the Versatile property instead, dealing its increased damage when wielded in two hands.
  • A Reduced weapon has no additional modification; it's damage die is reduced one step.
Two-­Handed

Weapons meant to be used in two hands are already larger than their brethren, so a change in size will alter their purpose.

  • An Enlarged weapon with this property gains the Heavy property if it didn't already have it, and therefore receives the effects of the property on an Enlarged weapon as described above.
  • A Reduced weapon only applies this property when wielded by a Tiny size creature. Otherwise, it has the Versatile property instead, dealing its original damage when wielded in two hands.
Versatile

An adaptable weapon with moderate size to facilitate its wide range of uses will be greatly affected by a change in size or weight.

  • An Enlarged weapon only applies this property when wielded by a Large size creature.
  • An Enlarged weapon with this property exchanges this property for the Two-Handed property when wielded by a Medium size creature.
  • A Reduced weapon only applies this property when wielded by a Tiny size creature.
  • A Reduced weapon with this property exchanges this property for the Light property when wielded by a Small size creature. Creatures Medium size or larger cannot wield this weapon.

Feat: Oversized Weapon Mastery

Prerequisites: Medium size, 16 Strength

You have adapted to the bulk and immense weight of larger weapons, learning to manipulate their size and momentum. When you attack with a weapon that has the Enlarge and Heavy properties, you can attack more than once in a turn. An Enlarged weapon counts as weighing half as much in your inventory due to your acclimation to carrying it with you.


Back to Main Page5eVariant Rules

AuthorMax7238 +
Canontrue +
Identifier5e Variant Rule +
RatingUnrated +
SummaryRules to help include PCs that are Large to Tiny in size. +
TitleExtra Player and Weapon Sizes +