Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Orenmir 12-04-07, 03:25 PM	A medium race with PB wielding a reach weapon.... Reach = 10' or 20'? RAW states a reach weapon doubles your normal reach to 10'. RAW also states that with PB, you can use a weapon 1 size category larger than yourself. A reach weapon for a large race extends 20'. Which is right? [I apologize if this is a tired subject. The search feature is currently broken.]
Marcus Majarra 12-04-07, 04:23 PM	A reach weapon for a large race extends 20'. This is incorrect. A reach weapon appropriately sized for you doubles your natural reach. The size of the weapon doesn't determine reach. For example, a centaur wielding a large spiked chain still enjoys only a 10' reach (since the centaur's natural reach is 5 feet). As such, characters with Powerful Build, even when wielding larger weapons, enjoy no better reach. The answer is 10'.
Orenmir 12-04-07, 04:52 PM	A Giant that threatens 10' out with his unarmed strike can be equipped with a Large Lance that will extend his reach to 20' out. The Giant's natural reach is 10'; the Large Lance represents a 10' extension of reach. Put that same Large Lance in the hands of a Goliath and suddenly the weapon only represents a 5' extension of reach? The weapon hasn't changed in any way; it hasn't become shorter. Why the 5' reduction? I do undestand that I left out the 15' option, which now seems the most reasonable to me. GIANT = 10' natural reach + 10' large weapon w/reach = 20' GOLIATH = 5' natural reach + 10' large weapon w/reach = 15'
Marcus Majarra 12-04-07, 06:07 PM	Because reach isn't based on the weapon; it's based on the creature's natural reach. As I have already pointed out, a centaur wielding the same lance has only 10 feet of reach. The weapon has no influence over this.
Orenmir 12-04-07, 06:18 PM	So, a Goliath Barbarian can use a large lance (that grants him the same reach as a medium lance) and threaten only 10' out. But as soon as he mountain rages, the same lance now grants him a 20' reach. What if a large race wields a medium lance? 20' reach? What if a huge race wields a medium lance? 20' reach? I know it all sounds correct in the RAW; it just doesn't seem logical to me.
Marcus Majarra 12-04-07, 07:50 PM	So, a Goliath Barbarian can use a large lance (that grants him the same reach as a medium lance) and threaten only 10' out. But as soon as he mountain rages, the same lance now grants him a 20' reach. Correct. It's not the weapon as much as how well the wielder can use it. What if a large race wields a medium lance? 20' reach? What if a huge race wields a medium lance? 20' reach? No reach would be gained, as the weapon is not appropriately sized for the creature. The fact that the larger creature takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls for each difference in size category with the medium weapon is evidence of this.
Wih 12-04-07, 09:30 PM	Reach Weapons Glaives, guisarmes, lances, longspears, ranseurs, spiked chains, and whips are reach weapons. A reach weapon is a melee weapon that allows its wielder to strike at targets that aren’t adjacent to him or her. Most reach weapons double the wielder’s natural reach, meaning that a typical Small or Medium wielder of such a weapon can attack a creature 10 feet away, but not a creature in an adjacent square. A typical Large character wielding a reach weapon of the appropriate size can attack a creature 15 or 20 feet away, but not adjacent creatures or creatures up to 10 feet away. Note: Small and Medium creatures wielding reach weapons threaten all squares 10 feet (2 squares) away, even diagonally. (This is an exception to the rule that 2 squares of diagonal distance is measured as 15 feet.) Emphasis mine. Reach doesn't add an amount to your threatened squares, it doubles it (or in the case of a Whip, triples it). Also, you only get the benefit of the reach if the weapon is appropriately sized, so if it's of the wrong size and you're taking the -2 per size category, you don't get the reach (so no weilding 2 small-sized spiked chains).
mvincent 12-05-07, 12:40 PM	A medium race with PB wielding a reach weapon.... Reach = 10' or 20'? RAW states a reach weapon doubles your normal reach to 10'. RAW also states that with PB, you can use a weapon 1 size category larger than yourself. A reach weapon for a large race extends 20'. Which is right? From the 3.5 FAQ: [I]"The powerful build racial trait (found in the goliath entry in Races of Stone and the half-giant entry in Expanded Psionics Handbook) spells out exactly when the character is treated as one size larger than normal: 1. Whenever subjected to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check. This includes grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts. 2. When determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size can affect him. This includes improved grab and swallow whole. 3. When determining what size of weapons the character can use. That’s it. The character isn’t treated as one size larger when determining space, reach, Hide check penalty, or for the purpose of qualifying for anything that requires size." and "A human (Medium) wielding a Large or larger reach weapon could attack a creature 10 feet away (but no further)"