Enlarge Person

[nittanytbone]

Who are you suggesting would fall prone? The newly enlarged person or the person that was next to the person before he got enlarged?

Olaf the Stout

The newly enlarged person would fall prone.

This is the same thing that happens on a failed bullrush -- suppose there are two orcs standing side by side. You try and shove #2 out of the way, but fail, ending your movement (inadvertantly) in orc #1's spot. You, the aggressor, then fall prone.

The same thing happens in a failed overrun attempt when you end in the same square as someone else.

Seems like a fairly reasonable parallel to me -- If you end your turn in someone else's space, you fall prone.



The other option would be running with this line in the spell:

If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, the creature attains the maximum possible size and may make a Strength check (using its increased Strength) to burst any enclosures in the process. If it fails, it is constrained without harm by the materials enclosing it— the spell cannot be used to crush a creature by increasing its size.

So, you could make opposed STR checks for the enlarging character vs. the surrounding characters. If the enlarging character fails, then they don't get any bigger (it is "constrained without harm by the materials enclosing it"). If the enlarging character succeeds, the surrounding ones are bullrushed back 5'.

 

[Starglim]

The subject expands into an area that includes his original space and is legal for him to occupy, if he can.

If he can't avoid some of the squares in his new space having creatures in them, I'd say that's OK until either his turn or the other creatures' turn came up - then the creature whose turn it was would have to move (or bull rush away the obstacle) by the end of its turn so as not to occupy the same space. Nobody would fall prone. A creature may not end its turn in the same space as another creature.

If any creatures attempted an action or were attacked while in overlapping spaces, I'd treat them as grappled, except that they could get out of the grapple simply by moving (on their turn or when they otherwise had an action available).

If the enlarged subject can't expand into a space that's clear of inanimate objects, that's also OK, but he is squeezing until he moves to a clear area.

 

[TheGogmagog]

The Enlarged character could simply be considered squeezing until his turn comes up...

-Hyp.

Third vote for this. A Large creature can fit in a 5x5 square he just can't fight effectively. Just as you can easily fit four medium size characters in a 5x5 square. No one is going to make combat actions until they move into an open space, (no opposed strength check to move away).

 

[borc killer]

The Enlarged character could simply be considered squeezing until his turn comes up...

-Hyp.

/agree

That is how we do it.

 

[Nail]

...and I think that's how we'll do it (squeezed until turn) if it should ever come up.

What about bigger size changes? Like polymorphing into a Huge or larger creature? What if the big creature could fit in the room, but only if the other occupants were pushed out?

 

[Wolfwood2]

So, you could make opposed STR checks for the enlarging character vs. the surrounding characters. If the enlarging character fails, then they don't get any bigger (it is "constrained without harm by the materials enclosing it"). If the enlarging character succeeds, the surrounding ones are bullrushed back 5'.

That doesn't really make sense, though, since the surrounding characters don't fill those entire 5' squares. That's just their combat space, the room they need to swing swords and such. It's not physically constraining in the same way a wall is.

I would give the surrounding characters whose spaces the Enlarged character has just expanded into attacks of opportunity, since he just entered their squares.

Then I'd have the enlarged character fall prone.

So enlarging while surrounded is not a good idea.

 

[bestone]

If the target being enlarged is surrounded by enemies....

The spell states that if iniffecient space is available, that it basically attains the maximum size it can get withing the space provided, and thats that, BUT! also goes on to say it may make a strength check to burst any enclosure. In this case, i think i'd rule opposing creatures as an "enclosure" and do an opposed strength check. If the opposing creatures win, the enlargement is halted. If they dont, they are pushed out of the way and the creature enlarges to its maximum potential.

If the target being enlarged is surrounded by friends....

Well basically the same as above, except the friends could willingly let him push them out of the way

Simple, and effective

 

[Bad Paper]

The Enlarged character could simply be considered squeezing until his turn comes up...

yes, this is what we do. I also am sure to strongly suggest to the player that his turn involve some amount of moving ... over here, for example. Or over here. Or right there!

 

[IanB]

That's the only option IMO.

Either that, or the spell just fizzles.

 

[airwalkrr]

When a creature is enlarged so that he occupies the square of other creatures, I treat it the same as creatures who become conscious while others are standing on top of them. Their first action on their next turn requires that they move away from their current position to one that is legal. This is true whether the enlarged creature or a creature in the space goes next. An enlarged creature who has only two options (engulfing an unwilling target or engulfing empty space) always takes the path of least resistance. You cannot intentionally choose to occupy the squares of your enemies if there is plenty of empty space to expand into otherwise.