D&D 5E Large Reach

[Northern Phoenix]

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?

If you have to do this, i'd give them Large sized space but use the MM "Centaur rule" which gives them regular sized weapons and reach. That'll keep it balanced.

 

[Haldrik]

If you have to do this, i'd give them Large sized space but use the MM "Centaur rule" which gives them regular sized weapons and reach. That'll keep it balanced.

The Centaur has human-length arms and horse-length back-kick, and obviously lacks extra reach.

But Large human-shaped creature probably does have extra reach. At least with a Large longsword or spear one probably does.

 

[Haldrik]

Does extra reach matter in 5e?

A character only has one reaction per turn. Thus there is only one opportunity attack, regardless whether the target is near or far.

Moreover, a target can only suffer an opportunity attack if EXITING reach. So a creature who engages to attack the Large character cannot suffer an opportunity attack from the Large character. Only a target that is trying to flee can. And even then, if two or more are trying to flee reach, only one of them can be hit.

Is there something that I am missing?

As far as I can tell, Large Reach is balanced in 5e.

 

[Oofta]

There are other large creatures that do not have more than 5 ft reach. Ogres are one example.

 

[Haldrik]

There are other large creatures that do not have more than 5 ft reach. Ogres are one example.

That is probably meant to suggest the clumsiness of the Ogre?

Hitting hard but missing often is something that D&D mechanics doesnt actualize well because Strength includes both attack and damage.

 

[Oofta]

I didn't do an extensive search, but the only large size monster I found that had reach was the Oni, and they use a Glaive.

Looks like a creature has to be huge before they get it? Maybe?

 

[Haldrik]

I didn't do an extensive search, but the only large size monster I found that had reach was the Oni, and they use a Glaive.

Looks like a creature has to be huge before they get it? Maybe?

So seems like a Large player character might have extra reach if using a Large spear, for example?

... That seems fine?



Or maybe it just doesnt matter until Huge, and that seems fine too.

 

[Oofta]

So seems like a Large player character might have extra reach if using a Large spear, for example?

... That seems fine?



Or maybe it just doesnt matter until Huge, and that seems fine too.

At a certain point I'd just use a glaive and call it a "big spear that's too clumsy to throw".

 

[Haldrik]

At a certain point I'd just use a glaive and call it a "big spear that's too clumsy to throw".

That is probably the kind of "lance" that is in weapons table: a long spear.

But the name always makes me think of the other kind of "lance", the one that the mounted armored knights sport with.



Can a Large character use a two-handed weapon one-handed? As if versatile?

 

[jgsugden]

There are two issues: Large. Reach.

In 5E, they have been reluctant to give PCs a large size. The large size makes dungeon navigation difficult, nd is actually a liability from the point of PCs being gang tackled (which is more impactful in 5E due to bounded accuracy). You can get a large size with a few techniques (includig the enlarge spell, wildshape, polymorph spell), but no creature, including the centaur, have a basic large size.

Reach is less of an issue. Bugbears have reach on their turn, they have reach weapons, etc...

When you combine the factors to create large reach (which I saw a lot with an Eldritch Knight that used the enlarge spell), you do not actually get that much benefit absent the polearm master feat and a polearm. There are wildshape/polymorph forms that are large (or huge) and have reach, but are not unbalancing, for example.

All in all, large reach is fine so long as it is not permanent. If it is, it may make the creature a bit hard to maneuver and a bit vulnerable to crowd damage.