D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Why Enlarge PERSON?

[JoelF]

Does anyone have any idea why they changed enlarge and reduce to only affect humanoids?

This is actually 2 questions: a) why only humanoids, it seems pretty silly to have a different spell to enlarge a horse, treant or dragon. b) What about enlarging or reducing objects? It was always a great strategy to enlarge a closed door to make it harder for pursuers to open, or reduce a brick to weaken a wall.
I'm considering making a new 0 level spells to enlarge and reduce items for these types of effects.

JoelF

 

[Kae'Yoss]

For doors, just use Arcana Lock or Hold Portal.

 

[JoelF]

>For doors, just use Arcana Lock or Hold Portal.

Yes, but it made the enlarge spell just a bit more versatile - even if the bonus wasn't as good as what hold portal or arcane lock was, having a single spell available that had multiple uses is always a plus....but 3.5 seems to break these spells into multiple ones in general. Plus, you could use enlarge to create a suitable barrier to an empty doorway or corridor if there was a table in the room, etc.

 

[drnuncheon]

Why Enlarge Person? because it actually moves you up a size category, and being able to Enlarge, say, a Gargantuan creature to Colossal is a bit much for a 1st level spell.

J

 

[ThirdWizard]

Poor half-ogre barbarian/cleric won't be able to benefiet from his own strength domain spell and make himself Huge.

 

[kreynolds]

Poor half-ogre barbarian/cleric won't be able to benefiet from his own strength domain spell and make himself Huge.

Why is that? The Giant Blood thing?

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Why is that? The Giant Blood thing?

More the them-being-giants thing. Half-ogres have the Giant type.

 

[Technik4]

I don't have any sympathy for half-ogres unless you took 2 levels of giant class.

Technik

 

[Plane Sailing]

perhaps because it makes it easier to adjudicate? The whole enlarging and reducing of objects had the potential of getting out of hand and gaining benefits from a spell far beyond what the spell is designed for. As a DM I'd have happily disallowed both of the examples which you gave for instance.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Poor half-ogre gets no respect.

He is an NPC though.

Something bugs me about enlarge person, though, that just makes it seem overpowered for a first level spell... ¬_¬