Creatures with 10' reach & multiple natural attacks

[MerakSpielman]

I really should know this, being a DM and all.

Anyway, Trolls have a reach of 10'. They have 2 claw attacks and a bite attack.

Do they use all these attacks from 10' away? Do they threaten the spaces 10' away with their claws, and the spaces 5' away with their bite? Do they threaten the 5' away spaces at all (after all, characters with a 10' reach weapon usually don't)? Do opponents moving to spaces next to the Troll suffer an AoO? Is it from a claw or a bite?

I think you see where I'm going with this. It's not just for trolls, either, they're just a convenient example. So what do you think?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Natural reach is inclusive - they can reach 5'-10' like a spiked chain.

And unless specified differently for each weapon (like a Kraken, say), it's the same reach for all of them. Trolls can bite out to 10'.

Yes, you provoke an AoO for closing, and it will generally be the primary attack - claw, for a troll.

-Hyp.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Wow, I had to wait 3 whole minutes...

You're slowing down, Hyp. Must be those new mod duties.

 

[Hypersmurf]

You're slowing down, Hyp. Must be those new mod duties.

Well, I've gone from actively reading one forum, browsing a second, and occasionally dropping by two or three others... to actively reading about seven, and browsing a bunch more...

-Hyp.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I can understand why the designers went for simplicity in basically giving the same reach for all weapons of a creature with natural weapons in most cases, but it really bothers me - the troll is a great example. I can see the troll having long reach with its long arms, but unless they have grown snakelike necks, how on *earth* do they get a 10ft reach with their bite?!?

I'm not suggesting it is worth changing, but it just seems so bizarre.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The troll is a great example. I can see the troll having long reach with its long arms, but unless they have grown snakelike necks, how on *earth* do they get a 10ft reach with their bite?!?

They lean

-Hyp.