Half-Giant's reach and whips

[Cybern]

Why would I want to use a whip? It ain't for the touch ability, but the character I was talking about is a trick monkey, and the whip's role is part cool, part trip attack.

 

[masternone]

The way I have always used reach is this:
Tiny or smaller: 0 - Natural reach (usually 0 + I cannot think of a weapon sized for a tiny creature that has reach)
Medium or Small: 0 + weapon reach – Natural Reach + weapon reach (weapon reach listen in the players hand book includes a medium creatures natural reach i.e. a halberd is listed as 10’ reach so its weapon reach is 5 )
Large: 0 + (weapon reach + 5) – Natural Reach + (weapon reach + 5)

Keep in mind some weapons have the restriction of not being able to be used with your arms pulled in close.

 

[AGGEMAM]

The way I have always used reach is this:
Tiny or smaller: 0 - Natural reach (usually 0 + I cannot think of a weapon sized for a tiny creature that has reach)
Medium or Small: 0 + weapon reach – Natural Reach + weapon reach (weapon reach listen in the players hand book includes a medium creatures natural reach i.e. a halberd is listed as 10’ reach so its weapon reach is 5 )
Large: 0 + (weapon reach + 5) – Natural Reach + (weapon reach + 5)

Fortunately the actual reach rules aren't that complicated

 

[Piratecat]

Masternone, welcome to the boards! Be aware that the font you chose is really hard to read, which may discourage people from reading your posts. Also, you may not want to put your email address in your sig; doing so makes it more likely to be picked up by email-harvesting bots. Your call either way.

This thread makes me want to create a half-giant psiwarrior lasher.

 

[Cybern]

That's exactly what I want to do, Piratecat. And I always wanted to play a character that uses a whip. Now's my chance. But I wonder, about the whip being used as a touch attack, you can do that??? I tought melee touch attack had to be done with hands, and not weapons!

Please light my way...

 

[Count Arioch the 28t]

It syas that the half giant's reach is that of a medium sized creature.

therefore, a half giant's whip deals 1d4 damage, but only has a range of 15'.

And if tripping and disarming your opponent at range is useless, then I have a bridge in New York I could sell you.

 

[Cybern]

Hahahahah!

I haven't said it was useless, but I understood that people used the whip to touch, and by that I understood as to "melee touch". And I think that the rules do not mention melee touch attack being made with anything else but hands. That's why I asked the question.

My question is about the reach. Reach weapons double the normal reach of creatures: Medium 5+5, Large 10+10 etc. But a whip is different, it has a stated reach of 15'. Just as the ranged weapons are, but a whip is no longer a ranged weapon! Assuming this includes the normal 5' of a medium creature, then it's 10' more, or a total of 3 times the normal reach. Would that be a better example to illustrate my enigma? A whip is longer than a creature is tall. A large whip (length = X) is to a large creature (ex.: frost giant = 15') what a medium whip is to a medium creature (human = 6'). Then why would a huge creature (Titan = 25') have a reach of 25' (15' natural + 10' flat for the whip) ?? It seems wrong.

So, would you give only 5' more reach per size category, the medium sized having a 5' freebie? Or would you give it 3x the normal reach (3x15' = 45') ? Or simply add 10' per size greater than small (med 15', large 20', huge 25') ?

While a 45' long reach would seem abnormal, we have to remember that the titan (actually a half-giant with an augmented expansion power for huge size) who wields it is 25' tall or more! And this same titan wields a 25' long greatsword, which should not be longer (or equal) than the reach of his whip (25' as stated earlier, 15' + 10').

This ruling isn't in the PHB, I guess, because it would reduce the whip's (and other reach weapons') usefulness to small characters... the same way that a small longspear has 10' reach, even tough it is about double the size of a halfling (6'?).

 

[AGGEMAM]

As I already stated the most correct ruleswise and logically would be tripling the natural reach with whips just as other reach weapon doubles natural reach.

Of course, YMMV

Btw, please note that the reach rule has special consequences for creatures smaller than small sized.

 

[Bloodstone Press]

As I already stated the most correct ruleswise and logically would be tripling the natural reach with whips just as other reach weapon doubles natural reach.

I agree.

I also agree that a giant with a whip would be cool. I've already done the "giant with spiked chain" thing and my players hated it. They couldn't get within 20 feet of the giant without provoking an attack of oppertunity. Of course, the giant had levels, feats, magic items and friends, too.

 

[Cybern]

Did that giant thing with spiked chain... only I did it wrong. I used an ogre, 1st level ranger, who could wield 2 spiked chains (at -4), a CR 3 overall. No one was able to get to him, and he killed an entire crew of 20, and the players barely escaped (3 2nd level characters).

Now I'm thinking different, but definetly a tripping monster freak. With a pixie and a ½-dragon, I won't stand out that much.