How can I walk softly and carry a BIG sword?

[Half-Orc Bonanza]

Weapon of Choice means i can use a weapon that isn't light in my off hand...example you pick Weapon of Choice: Longsword, you'll be able to hold longswords in your off hand...and with other weapons that aren't 2 handed or light...
but wait, isn't a greatsword, to a medium character, a 2 hander? so if a Goliath is counted as one catergory larger, that means he should be able to wield a great sword...
Large Creature + Large Weapon = OMFG look at that Barbarian run at us

 

[Hypersmurf]

Weapon of Choice means i can use a weapon that isn't light in my off hand...example you pick Weapon of Choice: Longsword, you'll be able to hold longswords in your off hand...and with other weapons that aren't 2 handed or light...
but wait, isn't a greatsword, to a medium character, a 2 hander? so if a Goliath is counted as one catergory larger, that means he should be able to wield a great sword...
Large Creature + Large Weapon = OMFG look at that Barbarian run at us

He's not counted as one category larger; rather, he can wield weapons designed for a creature one size category larger without penalty.

A Medium Greatsword is not a weapon designed for a creature one category larger; it's designed for a creature the same size category as the Goliath. Powerful Build has no effect.

A Large Longsword, on the other hand, is designed for a creature one category larger. That's where Powerful Build comes in handy.

A Huge Longsword is not designed for a creature one category larger; it is designed for a creature two categories larger. Powerful Build has no effect.

-Hyp.

 

[Half-Orc Bonanza]

well, the only way i could have a greatsword one handed is if i put Balanced on it for 15000 gold. WIth it, i could wield what normally is a basic 2 hander into a 1 hander...would that work

I am still confused though, i thought that it meant Greatsword to a Medium is 2 handed...so with Powerful Build, i would've assumed it was 1 handed cuz i read in the 3.5 rule books about a 2 handed weapon, like a Orcish Double Axe, an ogre can hold that 1 handed, and it is a large creature...this is weird really, so in other words, all i can do for 2 greatswords is have them both Balanced and i can lay the beatdown
and into that rule, that means a Large Greatsword can be used by a Goliath without Monkey Grip or the penalty?

 

[Hypersmurf]

well, the only way i could have a greatsword one handed is if i put Balanced on it for 15000 gold. WIth it, i could wield what normally is a basic 2 hander into a 1 hander...would that work

Has that been updated for 3.5, or are you talking about the A&EG version?

I am still confused though, i thought that it meant Greatsword to a Medium is 2 handed...so with Powerful Build, i would've assumed it was 1 handed cuz i read in the 3.5 rule books about a 2 handed weapon, like a Orcish Double Axe, an ogre can hold that 1 handed, and it is a large creature...

In 3.5, there are two things you need to know about a weapon.

1. What size category of creature is it designed for?
2. For those creatures, is it light, one-handed, or two-handed?

For the Goliath (Medium creature with Powerful Build), Powerful Build only applies if the answer to question 1 is 'Large'. Similarly, Monkey Grip only applies if the answer to question 1 is 'Large'.

Normally, a Medium creature considers both a Medium greatsword and a Large longsword to be two-handed weapons.

If he has Monkey Grip, the Medium greatsword is still a two-handed weapon. But since the feat affects Large weapons, he only considers the Large longsword a one-handed weapon.

Without the feat, they're treated the same. With the feat, one of them is treated differently to the other.

and into that rule, that means a Large Greatsword can be used by a Goliath without Monkey Grip or the penalty?

Right - it's considered a two-handed weapon, so he can use it with both hands.

(The wording of the Powerful Build ability doesn't make that clear, and reading it in isolation, that's not how I'd rule. But the sample half-giant in the XPH wields a Large Greatsword, so it appears that when they say 'Wield weapons designed for a creature one size cateogry larger without penalty', they mean 'Wield weapons designed for a creature one size cateogry larger without penalty and without changing its designation of light, one-handed, or two-handed'.)

-Hyp.

 

[Arkhandus]

Yeah. Powerful Build allows a half-giant or goliath, despite being Medium-sized, to wield a Large Greatsword two-handed at no penalty. Or a Large Longsword one-handed at no penalty.

I have no idea what the Weapon of Choice feat is or what book it's from. Your description doesn't seem to make sense, since character cans already wield a one-handed weapon in their off-hand (they'd just take a slightly higher penalty on attack rolls for two-weapon fighting that way).

Balanced is a magic weapon quality from Arms & Equipment Guide, which is a 3.0E book and thus it may need revising for 3.5E play. I don't know if the designers of 3.5 would really want that quality to be used on a 3.5E weapon or not without revising it first. *shrug*

As written though, that quality would allow a half-giant or goliath to wield two Large Greatswords, one in each hand, it seems. Probably why that kind of combo of 3.0 + 3.5 material is broken. :\

Bold emphasis mine in the below SRD quotes. Half-Giants and Goliaths are able to use weapons designed for larger creatures, without penalty, as though they were one size larger, which would suggest they also treat them as light, one-handed, or two-handed as per a creature one size larger. Otherwise it wouldn't really be a benefit, and pretty pointless to include. Although it's a tad vague, it does imply that they can use such weapons without suffering the normal drawbacks for doing so.

Powerful Build: The physical stature of half-giants lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger.
*snip*
A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty.

The measure of how much effort it takes to use a weapon (whether the weapon is designated as a light, one-handed, or two-handed weapon for a particular wielder) is altered by one step for each size category of difference between the wielder’s size and the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed. If a weapon’s designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, the creature can’t wield the weapon at all.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

so were is this airy mountain, rushing glen...?

Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren't go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And grey cock's feather!

Down along the rocky shore,
Some make their home,
They live on crispy pancakes
Of yellow tide-foam;
Some in the reeds
Of the black mountain-lake,
With frogs for their watch-dogs,
All night awake.

High on the hill-top
The old king sits;
He is now so old and grey
He's nigh lost his wits.
With a bridge of white mist
Columbkille he crosses,
On his stately journeys
From Slieve League to Rosses;
Or going up with music
On cold starry nights,
To sup with the Queen
Of the gay Northern Lights

They stole little Bridget
For seven years long.
When she came down again
Her friends were all gone.
They took her lightly back,
Between the night and morrow;
They thought that she was fast asleep,
But she was dead with sorrow.
They have kept her ever since
Deep within the lakes,
On a bed of flag-leaves,
Watching till she wakes.

By the craggy hill-side,
Through the mosses bare
They have planted thorn trees
For pleasure here and there.
Is any man so daring
To dig up one in spite,
He shall find the thornies set
In his bed at night.

Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren't go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And grey cock's feather!

 

[Hypersmurf]

Bold emphasis mine in the below SRD quotes. Half-Giants and Goliaths are able to use weapons designed for larger creatures, without penalty, as though they were one size larger, which would suggest they also treat them as light, one-handed, or two-handed as per a creature one size larger. Otherwise it wouldn't really be a benefit, and pretty pointless to include. Although it's a tad vague, it does imply that they can use such weapons without suffering the normal drawbacks for doing so.

Well, normally, a Medium creature can wield a Large weapon.

a/ He takes a -2 penalty.
b/ He increases its designation 1 step.

As written, "A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty" counteracts point a, but it doesn't address point b at all.

But given that the sample half-giant wields a weapon he would normally be incapable of wielding due to point b, it seems it was the intent...

-Hyp.

 

[Elethiomel]

Well, normally, a Medium creature can wield a Large weapon.

a/ He takes a -2 penalty.
b/ He increases its designation 1 step.

As written, "A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty" counteracts point a, but it doesn't address point b at all.

But given that the sample half-giant wields a weapon he would normally be incapable of wielding due to point b, it seems it was the intent...

Increasing the designation 1 step may be interpreted as a "penalty". Note that it doesn't say "without the -2 penalty to hit", which would be unambiguous, but "without penalty".

 

[Hypersmurf]

Increasing the designation 1 step may be interpreted as a "penalty". Note that it doesn't say "without the -2 penalty to hit", which would be unambiguous, but "without penalty".

A penalty is a defined D&D term - a negative modifier to a die roll.

-Hyp.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

John Q. Mayhem, you got me all wrong, i mean whats your real location. You were looking for a game...

nice song poem though