D&D 5E Large Size PCs?

[Elon Tusk]

Does anyone know the reason why there are no large sized PC races?
Is just designer preference?
Goliaths and firbolgs would seem to make much more sense as large instead of having Power Build.

There is an enlarge spell and Guardian Soul for rangers and the Giant Growth for mystics (growing even huge), maybe other ways to grow large I am not thinking of.
Is it the size that it takes up? Or that the large weapon damage doesn't seem to be consistent?

Would you guys want a large PC? I think I would.
Pros and cons? Suggestions on how it would work?

 

[Jester David]

Buying armour, fitting into dungeon, the broken potential of using Large weapons from ogres and the like. Requiring extra food and water.
I imagine some of it is just residual concern from 3e/ 4e.

 

[Elon Tusk]

So someone is making large armor already. Plus PCs already buy both small and medium armor.
Are we saying a medium size dwarf and medium size goliath and wear the same armor?

As far as large weapon damage, just add negative(s) for being large.

The residual excuse just seems weak.

 

[Jester David]

So someone is making large armor already.

Monsters don't need to worry about starting wealth. Players do.
And there are already rules for the price of large armours (barding for horses).

Are we saying a medium size dwarf and medium size goliath and wear the same armor?

No, but that's getting nit picky.
As a DM I wouldn't allow it to fit, but that's a ruling. Making it a hard rule would be much trickier. But their bodies are close enough in size. The difference is a couple hundred pounds: 150 vs 300. Opposed to the 1,200-1,600 pounds a true Large size creature would be.

As far as large weapon damage, just add negative(s) for being large.

When you start adding weaknesses to balance a strength, that leads into the territory of power gaming.

Generally, it ends up being a mental weakness to balance the physical strength; but this just means the player designs a character that doesn't use the associated weakness, while non-standard characters are penalized. So you end up making wizards extremely inoptimal while barbarians are overly strong, and can't easily play against type.

The weapon thing is just tricky. The designers can handwave Powerful Build and not specify that Large PCs double the weapon damage dice, and that's unique to monsters. But that just opens the door for players to ask "can I pick up the ettin's weapons?" It's a trap. And it just gets funky to say the PC ogre isn't as strong as the monster ogre and isn't able to wield weapons as large.
I mean, how do you balance an extra 1d8 or 1d12 damage? With Extra Attack...

Plus, as mentioned, they're likely wary after 3e. Reach was killer with large creatures, and that's something to also be considered. And in 4e, close bursts were that much larger with Large creatures. I think that's made them wary...

 

[Jester David]

Oh, and once you introduce a Large creature to the game, it's a finite amount of time before a Small or Medium creature decides to try and ride her, potentially getting the benefits of Mounted Combat...

 

[Elon Tusk]

Monstrous players do need to to concern themselves with starting wealth, and it seems like the designers have already begun adding weaknesses to balance strengths using negative ability scores with kobolds and orcs.

The Enlarge spell does grant extra damage for weapons that grow, but Giant Growth and Guardian Soul seem not to.
I'd like to see that fixed when they get officially published.
In fact, I'd like to see a large PC Unearthed Arcana race just to have people try to play test it.

 

[Elon Tusk]

Oh, and once you introduce a Large creature to the game, it's a finite amount of time before a Small or Medium creature decides to try and ride her, potentially getting the benefits of Mounted Combat...

Would that be different than a gnome riding a minotaur now?
What specific benefits would a rider receive?

 

[Lanliss]

Oh, and once you introduce a Large creature to the game, it's a finite amount of time before a Small or Medium creature decides to try and ride her, potentially getting the benefits of Mounted Combat...

"Finite" here meaning "About 2 seconds." Unless you are playing a Berserker in spiked armor. That might push the deadline up a bit.

 

[Jester David]

Would that be different than a gnome riding a minotaur now?
What specific benefits would a rider receive?

The benefits of the Mounted Combat feat for one. Advantage on all attacks on Medium or smaller creatures, Evasion for the mount, and the ability to shift the target of attacks to you.
So you can evenly divide hit points. And the Large creature can eschew armour for offense and not worry about being hit, while the rider goes full tank or damage mitigation.

You can imagine a rogue on a barbarian, getting fast movement but negating the advantage on attacks on the "mount" and perpetual sneak attacks.

It's different than a gnome on a minotaur (or goliaths) as minotaurs are still Medium, so they don't grant a size advantage to the rider over as many opponents.

But, at the end of the day, the game is yours. If you want Large minotaurs, trolls, and ogres the add them to your game...

 

[Elon Tusk]

The difference is a couple hundred pounds: 150 vs 300. Opposed to the 1,200-1,600 pounds a true Large size creature would be.

I'm curious where you are getting these numbers; I've tried looking in the DMG, MM, & PHB.
Are these your estimates or RAW?

I did find on p. 120 of Volo's that a bugbear can weigh up to 488 pounds, significantly more than 300.