Discussion:Oversized Weapon Reach...

What's the Reach for Oversized Weapons?

72.177.105.112  05.14.2008

When the feat Money Grip came out, I thought my prayers were answered. But now I have a major question. If, say, a human fighter wielded a Large Greatword (with the feat of course), would he use the typical reach for a medium creature? If the ogre that previously owned that weapon had a ten foot reach, shouldn't the weapon give a similar reach since the item is bigger? I remember reading that a weapon is 2 size categories smaller than its wielder when it's light, 1 if its a one-handed, and the same size if it's two-handed. Since a large creature is 10x10 with 10ft. natural reach, I think the weapon should have a 10 ft. reach as well. Any thoughts?

P.S. When I say reach, I'm meaning the kind similar to spiked chain: 10 ft. reach as well as adjacent striking distance. Maybe a penalty for adjacent attacks?

Eiji 21:56, 14 May 2008 (MDT)

By RAW.... no. And yes, it is silly to think that if a Pixie with a reach of 0ft manages to hold a colossal greathammer their reach is.... 0ft.

I've made a houserule like that with reach equally the size of the weapon's normal user. So a human with a Large Greatsword has 10ft, a Huge Greatsword 15ft, a Huge Lance 30ft (double the Huge Greatsword). The thing you have to watch out for is having a Giant Weapon optimization and stretch the limits, because having a 60ft threat range for all the AoOs is really unbalancing. 10ft is less so... also, without the right feats, that Huge Lance and it's 30ft range becomes useless in 15 ft and less, like how a lance becomes useless 5ft and less normally. So watch the balance, and you can use this houserule so the weapons will make sense via a vis reach. RAW won't give you any reach.

72.177.105.112  05.16.2008

OK, after much though and user input, I think I've figured out a good set of house rules.

• Melee weapons have a range equal to the size of the object, larger if the wielders natural reach is bigger.

• Reach weapons have a range of (Item Size)x2. So a large long spear can strike squares 15 and 20 feet away, but not 10 or adjacent. A large Spiked Chain strikes from adjacent to 20 ft.

• A -2 penalty to adjacent attacks if the reach is increased further than the wielder's natural reach.

• Players need to succeed on a DC 15 Dex. check to make an attack of opportunity against adjacent enemies. No such check is required against further away enemies.

• If a player wielding a 10ft. reach hafted melee weapon succeeds on a DC 18 Strength check when striking an adjacent enemy, they are bull rushed out to the 10ft. strike limit.

• If the wielder of a larger melee weapon has the cleave feat and they fell an enemy, they automatically strike all creatures adjacent to the now dead creature.

Feel free to post any ideas or corrections!

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