I am interested in the interaction between the various feats, item enchantments, and spells that alter weapon size, and the size weapon that one is able to use effectively. I have always love those characters in graphic novels and fighting games that wield insanely proportioned weapons and would like to allow that flavor for my PCs but don’t want it to get out of hand.
Monkey Grip, Strong Arm Bracers, Enlarge Weapon spell, Powerful Build trait, and with regard to ranged weapons, I also thought I saw an Enlarge Ammo enchantment somewhere that would allow a bow or similar ranged weapon to fire arrows of one size larger, or maybe it increased their size upon launch no sure.
Anyway, how are these supposed to interact and stack or not stack as the case may be, and are there any cool house rules you might suggest to allow, but still keep this sort of weapon resizing in check.
==Aelryinth
Be advised that increasing weapon size in D&D is not a good idea. Unlike fighting games (or Ginormo Sword), you don't get bigger reach from having a bigger weapon. (This alone makes the appeal from other sources essentially nil in D&D.) Furthermore, most actual increases to weapon size (as opposed to "deal damage as if one size larger", like Mighty Wallop) come with an attack roll penalty, meaning more of those big attacks will miss, which actually translates into less damage overall. Finally, the damage gain from enormous investments in massive weapons actually pales compared to the Power Attack feat, particularly if you dedicate the same investment into improving that.
Still, if your DM went with that, it might actually be worth taking a -2 to AB if you got 15ft reach, for the sake of AoOs (though it would only be at 15ft, which would have its own issues, if you didn't use e.g. a spiked chain). Means you can move up to hit people and they can't hit you without provoking unless they also have reach, since 5ft-stepping isn't enough.
Probably, just getting an Enlarge Person spell is better, but there you go.
==Aelryinth
In this case, it also didn't sound like the original poster was majorly concerned with damage output, more with the aesthetics of the thing. (Though I suspect he would like it to work as well as possible.)
...a Huge creature wielding a guisarme has a 15' reach, which is why a Huge guisarme is listed as having 15' Reach.
Oh, so you mean to say it's saying that a Huge guisarme is +15ft reach, on top of your normal 5ft? That would make sense I guess; then a Large reach weapon would be 10ft + 5ft for 15ft reach.
I'm actually not seeing why powerful build and monkey grip don't stack.
I would say it's the fact that one lets you weild weapons on size large with less penatly, whilst the other lets you do it with no penalty. Reducing your penalty is useless when the penalty is already removed. The thing is that both are linked to your actual size. Powerful Build lets you count yourself as one size category larger for some things, but not for determining the effects of Monkey Grip. Thus, Monkey Grip still only affects Large weapons, the same as Powerful Build.
Note that this interpretation would suggest that a Half-Giant can't use weapons two sizes larger with the normal penalties. He's not actually considered Large for the purposes of weapons, he can just use Large weapons without penalty.
Easiest way to get ludicrous weapons is probably the Titan bloodline.
Yup (Titan Bloodline Pixie, yay!) though I agree, it should be one category larger (and probably for all weapons). If bloodlines actually made sense anyway I'd worry more about how badly that bit was written, but the whole thing is a mess anyway.
Oh, so you mean to say it's saying that a Huge guisarme is +15ft reach, on top of your normal 5ft? That would make sense I guess; then a Large reach weapon would be 10ft + 5ft for 15ft reach.
No, no, no. A melee weapon is either reach or non-reach. A wielder threatens an area within his natural reach (5' for a Medium creature). Wielding a weapon with reach - regardless of that weapon's size - causes you to threaten an area up to twice your natural reach, but not within your natural reach.
A human wielding (clumsily) a Gargantuan glaive only threatens within 10' (and not within 5'). A titan wielding a Tiny glaive threatens from 15' to 30', but not within 15'.
This is stupid, yes, but it's how the game works - the size of a weapon does not affect how far away you can strike with it (only a weapon's reach/no-reach quality affects that, and how it affects it is a function of the wielder, not the weapon). This is the first thing I said about big weapons upthread, you'll note.
I would say it's the fact that one lets you weild weapons on size large with less penatly, whilst the other lets you do it with no penalty. Reducing your penalty is useless when the penalty is already removed. The thing is that both are linked to your actual size. Powerful Build lets you count yourself as one size category larger for some things, but not for determining the effects of Monkey Grip. Thus, Monkey Grip still only affects Large weapons, the same as Powerful Build.
Note that this interpretation would suggest that a Half-Giant can't use weapons two sizes larger with the normal penalties. He's not actually considered Large for the purposes of weapons, he can just use Large weapons without penalty.
Entirely correct, and the bolded bits are bolded because they're important and well-said. Both Monkey Grip and Powerful Build give you the ability to wield weapons above your size category. They do not, however, actually change what size category you are, or are treated as. That's why they don't stack.
). I've shot them down myself in the past and I can see both for and against using them, I'm just saying, if your DM allows it then it makes quite a difference.Since I'm away from a races of stone at the moment I'll just use the half giant's entry from the SRD for the sake of my argument.
Show
Powerful Build: The physical stature of half-giants lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever a half-giant is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him.
A half-giant is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
A half-giant is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
No, no, no. A melee weapon is either reach or non-reach. A wielder threatens an area within his natural reach (5' for a Medium creature). Wielding a weapon with reach - regardless of that weapon's size - causes you to threaten an area up to twice your natural reach, but not within your natural reach.
A human wielding (clumsily) a Gargantuan glaive only threatens within 10' (and not within 5'). A titan wielding a Tiny glaive threatens from 15' to 30', but not within 15'.
I understand that a weapon is "reach" or "non-reach" but I've always been under the impression that wielding a "reach" weapon for a smaller sized creature does NOT confir the reach property. This is to say that a human warrior couldn't just "pick up" a halfling sized Longspear or Glaive and then use it to threaten those squares 10' away. Given time and information I'm not sure where it was but I'm pretty sure it is out there somewhere.
While a smaller reach weapon do not give you reach a larger reach weapon doesn't give you any additional reach. That human with an ogre's longspear still just reaches out 10' with it. If someone has trouble understanding the concept you may just want to think of it as that smaller character really needing to "choke up" on the weapon to have any chance at wielding it effectively.
I suppose that makes sense, but I still see it odd considering how powerful build and monkey grip are worded. I guess it would come down to the order of operations due to the wording of the feat and powerful build.
Since I'm away from a races of stone at the moment I'll just use the half giant's entry from the SRD for the sake of my argument.ShowPowerful Build: The physical stature of half-giants lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever a half-giant is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him.
A half-giant is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.