Size Pluses to AC and 'To Hit'

[dvvega]

I've always been a little confused regarding size modifications to AC and 'To Hit'.

I understand everything is based on Medium being the "0-point" and adjusted from there.

So small gives +1 AC and -1 'To Hit' against Medium.

A small vs small evens out those modifications, so no problem there.

I move to Large ... it is -1 AC and +1 'To Hit' against Medium (whatever the numbers are).

So vs Small it is what?

Do I just use the stas for each size?

So effectively Large is +0 AC vs Small and +0 to hit and the Small is +0 AC vs Large and +0 To Hit? This is after tallying up the modifications.

Is this correct? Essentially a Small vs Large is the same as a Medium vs Medium?

Is that what they're trying to do?

 

[Steverooo]

Small critters' adjustments vs. Medium stack with Mediums' adjustments vs. Colossal, or whatever... If a Small attacks a Large, he gets the same adjustment as a Medium attacking it, plus his +1 AC vs. its attacks, and his +1 to hit it.

 

[Hypersmurf]

You've got something backwards.

A Small creature has +1 to AC and +1 to all attack rolls (against anyone, of any size).

A Medium creature has +0 to AC and +0 to all attack rolls.

A Large creature has -1 to AC and -1 to all attack rolls (against anyone, of any size).

So, assuming two 1st level Commoners with 10 Dex, 10 Str, and no armor:

If they're Medium, we have +0 Attack Bonus vs 10 AC. Hits on a roll of 10 on a d20 - 55% chance.

If they're Small, we have +1 Attack Bonus vs 11 AC. Hits on a roll of 10 on a d20 - 55% chance.

If they're Large, we have -1 Attack Bonus vs 9 AC. Hits on a roll of 10 on a d20 - 55% chance.

With two creatures the same size, the modifiers cancel out.

A Small creature vs a Large creature: +1 Attack Bonus vs 9 AC. Hits on a roll of 8 - 65% chance. It's easier for a halfling to hit an ogre than to hit another halfling - it's like aiming at the broad side of a barn.

A Large creature vs a Small creature: -1 Attack Bonus vs 11 AC. Hits on a roll of 12 - 45% chance. It's harder for an ogre to hit a halfling than to hit another ogre - it's like aiming at a cat.

-Hyp.

 

[TracerBullet42]

You've got something backwards.

A Small creature has +1 to AC and +1 to all attack rolls (against anyone, of any size).

A Medium creature has +0 to AC and +0 to all attack rolls.

A Large creature has -1 to AC and -1 to all attack rolls (against anyone, of any size).

So, assuming two 1st level Commoners with 10 Dex, 10 Str, and no armor:

If they're Medium, we have +0 Attack Bonus vs 10 AC. Hits on a roll of 10 on a d20 - 55% chance.

If they're Small, we have +1 Attack Bonus vs 11 AC. Hits on a roll of 10 on a d20 - 55% chance.

If they're Large, we have -1 Attack Bonus vs 9 AC. Hits on a roll of 10 on a d20 - 55% chance.

With two creatures the same size, the modifiers cancel out.

A Small creature vs a Large creature: +1 Attack Bonus vs 9 AC. Hits on a roll of 8 - 65% chance. It's easier for a halfling to hit an ogre than to hit another halfling - it's like aiming at the broad side of a barn.

A Large creature vs a Small creature: -1 Attack Bonus vs 11 AC. Hits on a roll of 12 - 45% chance. It's harder for an ogre to hit a halfling than to hit another ogre - it's like aiming at a cat.

-Hyp.

Wow...that was very...apt.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Yeah, the whole point is not to have to compare the sizes of the two creatures involved. Instead, the system is designed so that the relative bonuses to attack and AC do that for you.

So it's not like you have attack and AC bonuses "vs Small" or anything of that sort.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Wow...that was very...apt.

Um?

-Hyp.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

A Small creature vs a Large creature: +1 Attack Bonus vs 9 AC. Hits on a roll of 8 - 65% chance. It's easier for a halfling to hit an ogre than to hit another halfling - it's like aiming at the broad side of a barn.

A Large creature vs a Small creature: -1 Attack Bonus vs 11 AC. Hits on a roll of 12 - 45% chance. It's harder for an ogre to hit a halfling than to hit another ogre - it's like aiming at a cat.

Right.

At first glance this might seem like an unreasonable advantage for Small critters vs. Large. However your typical Large creature has a 20+ Str compared to the ~10 for Small creatures. The stingy standard size mods to Str (e.g. Enlarge Person, etc.) for upping the size category twice will give the Large creature a +4 bonus Str advantage. Factor in the difference in damage for bigger weaponry and it is easy to see why it is extremely rare to see small PCs designed to fight on the front lines and why some players are tempted by Large races.

Small races do have potential as archers but the lower damage remains problematic.

 

[hobgoblin]

small spellcasters