New FAQ entry on mis-sized reach weapons

[Christian]

OK, I'm just about ready to bring back the 3.0 weapon sizing rules at this point ...

A reach weapon doubles its wielder's natural reach, but only if the weapon is at least of an appropriate size for the wielder. Wielding a "too-small" reach weapon grants no reach ... A human wielding a Small reach weapon would gain no reach from the weapon.

So a halfling with a Small longspear can strike opponents 10' away with it; but a human wielding that same Small longspear can only strike opponents 5' away.

Um, OK. I'll take that under advisement ...

 

[Len]

OK, I'm just about ready to bring back the 3.0 weapon sizing rules at this point ...

Or you could ignore the FAQ and stick with the 3.5 rules.

So a halfling with a Small longspear can strike opponents 10' away with it; but a human wielding that same Small longspear can only strike opponents 5' away.

Halflings have long arms.

 

[Coredump]

OK, I'm just about ready to bring back the 3.0 weapon sizing rules at this point ...





So a halfling with a Small longspear can strike opponents 10' away with it; but a human wielding that same Small longspear can only strike opponents 5' away.

Um, OK. I'll take that under advisement ...

The FAQ is trying to stop dual weilding small reach weapons.... I would just not allow dual weilding small reach weapons...

 

[Hypersmurf]

So a halfling with a Small longspear can strike opponents 10' away with it; but a human wielding that same Small longspear can only strike opponents 5' away.

Um, OK. I'll take that under advisement ...

The problem is that logically, a Small creature should have a smaller natural reach than a Medium creature. If a Small creature had 2.5' reach, 5' with a reach weapon (and if the system catered for 2.5' squares), it would make perfect sense that a Small reach weapon would not grant a Medium creature 10' reach.

As it stands, however, the FAQ ruling is illogical when it comes to Medium creatures and Small reach weapons.

I'll stick to a modified-for-3.5 Savage Species system for reach weapons and be happy.

-Hyp.

 

[Christian]

In 3.0, of course, all reach weapons were size Large, and couldn't be used by Small creatures, so this didn't come up ... What's the system you use, Hyp?

 

[Len]

I'll stick to a modified-for-3.5 Savage Species system for reach weapons and be happy.

There are so many rulesets for weapon size that everyone should be able to find one that makes them happy.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

If I could ask, what's the difference with the Savage Species reach weapon rules?

 

[Goolpsy]

according to 3.0 reach weapon system thingii.. the reach weapon would have to be at least medium size (compared to a normal human) which is twohanded small in 3.5

So theres no way the reach weapon would be reach for a medium creature too..

 

[Hypersmurf]

The Savage Species system had a good idea, that was phrased confusingly.

Translated, though, and updated for 3.5:

A reach weapon 'shifts' the wielder's natural reach outward by a distance equal to the natural reach of the creature it is designed for.

A Medium human has a natural reach of 5'; he threatens one square at 5'. A Medium reach weapon shifts his natural reach outward by one square, so he threatens one square at 10'.

A Large ogre has a natural reach of 10'; he threatens two squares at 5' and 10'. A Large reach weapon shifts his natural reach outward by two squares, so he threatens two squares at 15' and 20'.

If the Medium human wields a Large reach weapon (Monkey Grip, perhaps), it shifts his natural reach outward by two squares, so he threatens one square at 15'.

If the Large ogre wields a Medium reach weapon, it shifts his natural reach outward by one square, so he threatens two squares at 10' and 15'.

Tiny creatures are an exception; a Tiny creature with a Tiny reach weapon threatens at 5' but not its own square; the reach of creatures larger than Tiny is unaffected by a Tiny reach weapon.

-Hyp.

 

[Zandel]

I like that rulling.... I'll be using that one.