D&D 5E (2014) Large Reach

[Haldrik]

I know having Reach, and likewise being Large, was hugely unbalancing in D&D 3e.

Remind me again why?

Would the same problems of Reach still be true now in D&D 5e?

 

[aco175]

I recall 3e having an attack of opportunity when a creature left the square within reach. So, if I could reach 10ft or 2 squares I would get an attack before the enemy got close enough to attack me at 5ft away. Now if I could reach 15ft (3squares) I used to have 2 attacks. I would think 5e simplified things with only 'reach' and not break it down more.

 

[Seramus]

Only with PAM, and even then it's still a single attack unless you are Cobalt Soul monk. So not really a problem. "More damage" is rarely ever a problem unless it's dramatically more than another player who is also trying to deal damage (and they feel bad about it).

 

[Oofta]

I recall 3e having an attack of opportunity when a creature left the square within reach. So, if I could reach 10ft or 2 squares I would get an attack before the enemy got close enough to attack me at 5ft away. Now if I could reach 15ft (3squares) I used to have 2 attacks. I would think 5e simplified things with only 'reach' and not break it down more.

The AOO issue was the biggest problem in 3.5. Melee fighters couldn't get close to large creatures without getting smacked around unless they could tumble.

 

[Haldrik]

Tumble.

Heh. I remember "breakdancing" being part of the problem.

 

[Haldrik]

So, can D&D 5e simply make a Large player-character species, ... and it is balanced?

In Dark Sun, the Half-Giant is between 12 to 16 feet tall, and over 1600 pounds.

There is no way around it. This is a Large character. At least.

So, fine in 5e?

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

Large by itself already has plenty of advantage; you block a larger area and threaten 12 spaces around you. Equip a large long spear and bam, you're now threatening 22 spaces.

Bit of a mixed bag though, a mob can get lots of attacks on you because of your big frontage, and they're free to run riot once within your enormous reach. Pair up with a medium ally to overlap space that threaten OA.

 

[Haldrik]

I figure it is easy to gain Advantage against a Large creature?

 

[billd91]

I never considered reach the problem - something with a lot of reach should be dangerous to approach.

There were, however, serious problems with how stats, well - Strength really, modified with size in 3e. Each step up from Medium, when designing monsters, was +8 for Strength. That made them grappling gods when it came to grabbing a PC and hampering them. It also meant that, in at least some cases, there was a widening gulf in effectiveness between melee and ranged attacks - which made giants kind of weird. Up close, they packed a nasty punch, but one of their big threats from 1e/2e was throwing big rocks so that they were a threat at range too. That wasn't really true in 3e because their Dex stayed flat or got worse based on size (compared to someone smaller) while their Str skyrocketed - kind of unbalancing their traditional role in the D&D adventuring universe.

 

[Undrave]

Heh. I remember "breakdancing" being part of the problem.

Break out the Hip-hop-kido!