D&D 5E I think that there's an issue with squeezing.

HabitualErrant · Aug 21, 2014

The PHB states that a creature can squeeze through a space (at half speed) big enough for a creature one size smaller than it. The trouble is that a Small creature takes up the same space as a Medium creature, which is presumably to make working with a grid easier when you have a mixed party of Humans, Elves, Halflings, Gnomes, etc. but the end result is that the only PCs which can fit through a gap smaller than 5` wide are the Halflings and Gnomes.

I'd consider this a deliberate feature which allowed the sneaky Halflings to get to places a larger race can't, but a real world human can fairly easily fit down a 2` or even 1` corridor if they have to. I usually support abstract ideas over realism if they enhance the gameplay, but this just seems to push it a bit too far for me.

Anyone out there got thought, a fix, or will you just be ignoring it and ruling if a PC can fit somewhere case-by-case?

(For those with the PHB, it's on p.192 for reference.)

UngeheuerLich · Aug 21, 2014

HabitualErrant said:
The PHB states that a creature can squeeze through a space (at half speed) big enough for a creature one size smaller than it. The trouble is that a Small creature takes up the same space as a Medium creature, which is presumably to make working with a grid easier when you have a mixed party of Humans, Elves, Halflings, Gnomes, etc. but the end result is that the only PCs which can fit through a gap smaller than 5` wide are the Halflings and Gnomes.

I'd consider this a deliberate feature which allowed the sneaky Halflings to get to places a larger race can't, but a real world human can fairly easily fit down a 2` or even 1` corridor if they have to. I usually support abstract ideas over realism if they enhance the gameplay, but this just seems to push it a bit too far for me.

Anyone out there got thought, a fix, or will you just be ignoring it and ruling if a PC can fit somewhere case-by-case?

(For those with the PHB, it's on p.192 for reference.)

As with movement speed, squeezing is something you ahould only use in combat. With heavy armor and a weapon it is not that easy to squeeze through smaller gaps.

Out of combat just use common sense. Require someone to take off their armor and so on. And when using a grid, you usually have 5ft squares in which you fight. It is fairly uncommon to have a need to squeeze as a human sized creature.

13garth13 · Aug 21, 2014

I just want to say, apropos of nothing....

....that after reading the thread title, I wanted to respond with The Champ's voice, "I said, pardon?!"

That is all

Cheers,
Colin

Plaguescarred · Aug 22, 2014

Another issue is that tiny creature can't squeeze through a space that is large enough for a creature one size smaller than it since there's no size smaller than tiny

CapnZapp · Jul 12, 2017

As I see it, a corridor or tunnel can be made for medium-sized or small (or tiny, or large etc) creatures.

A small tunnel fits small creatures perfectly. A human will need to "squeeze".

A tiny tunnel can be entered by a small creature (by squeezing), but a human can't follow at all.

Without magic, that is. See the Whorlstone Labyrinth from Out of the Abyss for an example of how 5e handles this.

Staccat0 · Jul 12, 2017

CapnZapp said:
As I see it, a corridor or tunnel can be made for medium-sized or small (or tiny, or large etc) creatures.

A small tunnel fits small creatures perfectly. A human will need to "squeeze".

A tiny tunnel can be entered by a small creature (by squeezing), but a human can't follow at all.

Without magic, that is. See the Whorlstone Labyrinth from Out of the Abyss for an example of how 5e handles this.

This is exactly how I think about it and I haven't found any issue with it in practice. If I need something to be more nuanced than that, I can just say it is and let the player go through.

CapnZapp · Jul 13, 2017

Specifically, I'm interpreting the rules to talk about size, not space.

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

Warmaster Horus · Jul 13, 2017

HabitualErrant said:
...but a real world human can fairly easily fit down a 2` or even 1` corridor if they have to...

Try that with a 50" chest in plate armor.

In any case it's a DM ruling dependent on the space, time and characters involved.

CapnZapp · Jul 14, 2017

Mulling this further, I have formed my opinion: the fact medium-sized creatures doesn't gain anything from squeezing (they can squeeze, only that's for 5ft wide spaces) is something that needs errata.

To my surprise, noone has called the Sage on it. Or at least I can't find it.

For example:

Has the Sage answered the following question "what size is the space a medium-sized creature can squeeze through? 2,5 ft wide or what?"

(Then, when Crawford replies "5ft wide" we can say "that's absurd. When's the errata?")

CapnZapp · Dec 1, 2018

Still no dev that have had to answer for this?

D&D 5E I think that there's an issue with squeezing.

HabitualErrant

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UngeheuerLich

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13garth13

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Plaguescarred

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Staccat0

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Warmaster Horus

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