D&D 5E Large Size PCs?

[Charlaquin]

Is it though?

That seems to be what the developers think. I mean, they could easily have said the UA centaurs were large but could only use weapons sized for medium creatures due to their humanoid torsos if that was the main problem. They made them medium anyway, because taking up a 10-foot square in combat is still OP even without large weapons.

 

[Yunru]

That seems to be what the developers think. I mean, they could easily have said the UA centaurs were large but could only use weapons sized for medium creatures due to their humanoid torsos if that was the main problem. They made them medium anyway, because taking up a 10-foot square in combat is still OP even without large weapons.

Is it though?
What advantages does it offer?
How do they offset the disadvantages of taking up more space so massively?

 

[Charlaquin]

Is it though?
What advantages does it offer?
How do they offset the disadvantages of taking up more space so massively?

Primarily a much larger threatened area. A medium creature threatens 8 spaces, or 24 with a reach weapon, not to mention the three additional spaces it physically occupies compared to a medium creature. A large creature threatens 12 spaces, or 32 with a reach weapon. This gives them a great deal more battlefield control, as they don’t need to spend as much movement to threaten enemies and take much more movement to avoid, allowing them to easily deny large areas.

 

[Yunru]

Primarily a much larger threatened area. A medium creature threatens 8 spaces, or 24 with a reach weapon. A large creature threatens 12 spaces, or 32 with a reach weapon. This gives them a great deal more battlefield control, as they don’t need to spend as much movement to threaten enemies and take much more movement to avoid, allowing them to easily deny large areas.

If alao gives them a great deal less control, as enemies now have so much more space to move around in inside your reach.
It also creates more space for enemies to get adjacent to you.

 

[plisnithus8]

From what I remember, the designers mentioned a large character being too useful blocking things like hallways and doors.

 

[77IM]

Having DMed for a Large PC over the course of 16 levels (level 5 through level 20), the amount of space they take up in combat is a total non-issue.

 

[Charlaquin]

Having DMed for a Large PC over the course of 16 levels (level 5 through level 20), the amount of space they take up in combat is a total non-issue.

Good to know! Thank you!

 

[epithet]

On the principle that being Large provides a benefit, and that "large" races were balanced for Medium characters, I took a shot a few weeks ago at coming up with a feat that a character could use to purchase a size increase. This is a first stab at it, not playtested at all--so far none of my players have shown a desire to play a biggun.

BIG
Prerequisite: Strength 14 of higher, Constitution 12 or higher, and a racial trait (such as Powerful Build) that counts you as one size larger for determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Your size is Large, and you count as Large for all purposes. Your size provides you with the following benefits and challenges:
• You can use a Medium two-handed melee weapon in one hand, and when you use a Medium versatile weapon in one hand it does damage as if wielded with two hands. You can use most Medium two-handed melee weapons with two hands (as if they were versatile,) and when you do you add 1d4 to the weapon’s damage.
• A spell or other effect centered on you can be centered on any of the four squares you occupy. You can change which square an effect upon which you are concentrating is centered on as part of your turn or when you take a reaction.
• Your maximum strength and constitution scores are both 22. If another trait or feature raises your maximum strength or constitution above 20, your maximum score is two higher than that trait or feature provides.
• Your maximum dexterity score is 18. If another trait or feature lowers your maximum dexterity below 18, your maximum score is two lower than that trait or feature provides.
• You require 4 times as much food and water per day as a Medium size character.
• Armor made for Medium humanoids will not fit you unless it is magical. Armor made for Large humanoids or Large giants costs four times the equivalent armor made for Medium humanoids, and it weighs twice as much. Armor made for a Large centaur (which consists of most of a Large humanoid suit and most of a suit of barding) costs six times the equivalent armor made for Medium humanoids, and weighs three times as much.
• You can wriggle into some spaces large enough for a Small creature. While wriggling through a Small space, you are Restrained, but you can use your action on your turn to make a DC 10 dexterity (Acrobatics) check to move 5 feet. You must doff any bulky armor before wriggling into a Small space.​

 

[jasper]

Add to spell the following. Spell you cast. Other wise I thought of 3 ways to tick dms.
Who tracks food and water? I have people griping when I make the track arrows in the jungles of chult. epithet

 

[Dessert Nomad]

I don't get why the designers are so loath to create large PC races but created one class/subclass that spends most of its combat time as a large creature. Moon druids with their 2 wildshapes per hour tend to spend most of most combats after 2nd level in a large or huge form, and all druids starting at 5th level can summon batches of large creatures. Moon druids don't hit any equipment problems since they use a beast form, but that seems like a minor thing to base such a large decision on.

Primarily a much larger threatened area. A medium creature threatens 8 spaces, or 24 with a reach weapon, not to mention the three additional spaces it physically occupies compared to a medium creature. A large creature threatens 12 spaces, or 32 with a reach weapon. This gives them a great deal more battlefield control, as they don’t need to spend as much movement to threaten enemies and take much more movement to avoid, allowing them to easily deny large areas.

A level 6 moon druid can turn into a huge creature with a 10' reach (Giant Constrictor Snake), with a 5th level spell slot any druid can summon 2 of them. And with a 3rd level spell slot any druid can get a pack of 8 weaker large creatures (horses and giant owls for example), or two 52 hp large creatures with 15' reach. The thing is, just threatening an area doesn't actually 'deny' it - in a lot of cases you offer less control than other characters because your reach is so big; an enemy can move anywhere it wants in your reach without provoking AOOs. If they do provoke AOOs, only one of them does because you only get one reaction. Having a large threatened area is just not that amazing.