Hey, I ordered this chainmail in a size 4!

[Bront]

How do you implement size rules for magic items? Do you just assume that everything is sized appropraitely for who ever wants it? Do your magic items magicaly refit for the wearer? Do you allow easy conversions of items (Medium Dagger = Small Shortsword, etc)?

Personaly, I've always allowed for items to resize for the user, so a +1 longsword could be a +1 small longsword, and if sold to someone else of medium size, will grow to a +1 medium longsword. (I only allow this shift for 1 size catagory, usually between small and medium.

Thoughts or comments are appreciated.

 

[Arkhandus]

In 3rd Edition, far as I know, magic items resize themselves appropriately for the user, but I can't recall if that's just magic armors or if it applies to all magic items......I'm pretty sure it's all, but I know for certain that magic armor at least resizes in 3E. I run it so every magic item resizes as needed.

 

[domino]

According to the 3.5 SRD, magic armors and weapons are about the only things that DON'T resize to fit.

For any given item, there's a 30% chance it's small, 60% chance it's medium, and 10% chance it's "other."

 

[demiurge1138]

The way I run it, miscellaneous wearable magic items resize to fit. Magic armor resizes down only (as in, magic armor made for a Medium creature will become Small, but not the other way around; this is because one of my rules-lawyer players realized that it'd be cheaper to always make Small armor, then size it up with magic). Magic weapons do not resize.

Demiurge out.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

I let most items resize to fit with in their size category. That means most +1 longswords in my game resize to fit comfortably in your hand. But not to such a degree as to help a halfling wielder.

 

[The Souljourner]

Miscellaneous items resize. Arms and armor do not. A +1 equivalent enhancement on either allows resizing as a standard action.

By resize I assume you mean PC/NPC sizes (small, medium, large, huge...). For people of the same size... unless it is a race-specific or otherwise unique item, it fits whoever uses it. I don't know that anyone wants to deal with anything more specific than that (sorry, your chest is 36", but the chainmail was made for someone with a 34" chest... it just won't fit). However, if it's the Under King's special dwarven platemail... it's probably not gonna fit the nancy pants elf.

As for weapons, I use the standard 3.5 DMG rules... a shortsword is not a small longsword. The handle would be too big and it wouldn't be weighted correctly nor sharpened correctly.

-The Souljourner

 

[Goolpsy]

I play with Armors Resize, as well as rings, boots, and other such items etc. But not weapons...

 

[Quasqueton]

RAW: Armor and weapons do not resize to fit wearers/wielders of other size categories. All other magic items do. (As said before me by others here.)

I wonder why, though. If anyone can wear a belt of giant strength, or a ring of protection +3, why can't anyone wear chainmail +2 or wield a longsword +1? What was the design thinking for this rule (either way)?

Since this is the house rules forum, I'll add that my house rule is that (any) magic items resize only within their crafted size category.

Quasqueton

 

[Spatzimaus]

I've never allowed ANY resizing, period. Even within a size, we restrict this sort of thing IMC.

I wonder why, though. If anyone can wear a belt of giant strength, or a ring of protection +3, why can't anyone wear chainmail +2 or wield a longsword +1?

This can be rationalized pretty easily.

Belts "resize" in that you can buckle them at a different spot. Cloaks are fastened with a rope or chain that can be adjusted in a similar way. While rings are often designed for an individual's fourth finger, someone with hands a bit larger or smaller could wear that same ring on a different finger. And so on; the key is that in most of these cases, there's really only one measurement to fit to, whether it's finger size, neck size, or waist size, so it's easier to make them adjustable from the start than to custom-fit each item. And, you can always rationalize this for size changes; the giant's ring becomes the halfling's bracelet, and so on.

Clothing, on the other hand, is custom-fit to a specific person (or at least a specific build), with far more spots where a correct fit is needed. This is especially true of the plate armors, but even looser armors or clothing have this problem. My brother's 3 inches shorter and a bit skinnier than me; we can share belts, ties, etc., but there's no way he could fit into my jeans. In a world of baggy tunics it wouldn't be much of an issue, of course, but rigid armors are a bit more specific.
Now, I'd easily house-rule that someone could get armors adjusted to them by a tailor without disrupting the enchantment, but there's no way you could easily change a Human's platemail to anything that would fit a Halfling.

 

[Quasqueton]

This can be rationalized pretty easily.

Wasn't asking for a rationalization. Was asking about the design concept for the rule. It is an obviously intentional rule decision, so I'm curious as to the reasoning for the decision.

While rings are often designed for an individual's fourth finger, someone with hands a bit larger or smaller could wear that same ring on a different finger.

You can't convince me that a halfling's [non-size-altering] ring will fit *anything* on an ogre.

Quasqueton