Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 5590221" data-attributes="member: 3448">Size modifiers can create weird dynamics; in general, allowing a wider range of size modifiers will make characters more powerful, because players can build a character optimized to take advantage of the benefits and to avoid the pitfalls.In particular, very small PCs make for deadly spellcasters (especially with an orientation towards rays), and to a lesser degree rogues.&nbsp; I would greatly fear the 3e tiny warlock (or ray oriented wizard).&nbsp; The key is that if they can avoid taking substantial damage penalties (i.e. by casting spells instead of using weapons, or by relying on sneak attack damage instead of weapon damage to make their attacks effective) then they get a +2 to all attacks and a +2 to AC (compared to a medium creature) for free.&nbsp; Of course, they're very vulnerable to grapples, but even so.&nbsp; For the rogue approach, you should also expect huge stealth scores.&nbsp; That said, the inability to flank and reach 0 really hurts a tiny rogue.&nbsp; You might build a rogue sniper--relying on stealth to get sneak attack on ranged attacks.&nbsp; That's probably actually an interesting build to play, with both major benefits and major penalties, at least until improved invisibility makes them death incarnate.I don't think it's impossible to balance them, but you'll need to balance based on an assumption that they'll be getting a bunch of bonuses from size.&nbsp; As I said, it's the tiny wizard/sorcerer etc. that is likely most abusive (even the halfling wizard is surprisingly powerful).&nbsp; And then there's the stat question.&nbsp; If you give them a +Dex -Str sorta build, you make the size modifiers even worse:&nbsp; they're even less effective in melee combat, which they don't do anyway, and they get even higher AC and ranged touch (or ranged) attack rolls.&nbsp; -Con does provide some balancing value, but it creates real glass cannons.It's not impossible, but you need to be aware and be careful.&nbsp; (And conversely, most melee non-rogue builds (and maybe even the rogues because of the lack of flanking) will be crippled by being tiny.)</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Cerebral Paladin, post: 5590221, member: 3448"] Size modifiers can create weird dynamics; in general, allowing a wider range of size modifiers will make characters more powerful, because players can build a character optimized to take advantage of the benefits and to avoid the pitfalls. In particular, very small PCs make for deadly spellcasters (especially with an orientation towards rays), and to a lesser degree rogues. I would greatly fear the 3e tiny warlock (or ray oriented wizard). The key is that if they can avoid taking substantial damage penalties (i.e. by casting spells instead of using weapons, or by relying on sneak attack damage instead of weapon damage to make their attacks effective) then they get a +2 to all attacks and a +2 to AC (compared to a medium creature) for free. Of course, they're very vulnerable to grapples, but even so. For the rogue approach, you should also expect huge stealth scores. That said, the inability to flank and reach 0 really hurts a tiny rogue. You might build a rogue sniper--relying on stealth to get sneak attack on ranged attacks. That's probably actually an interesting build to play, with both major benefits and major penalties, at least until improved invisibility makes them death incarnate. I don't think it's impossible to balance them, but you'll need to balance based on an assumption that they'll be getting a bunch of bonuses from size. As I said, it's the tiny wizard/sorcerer etc. that is likely most abusive (even the halfling wizard is surprisingly powerful). And then there's the stat question. If you give them a +Dex -Str sorta build, you make the size modifiers even worse: they're even less effective in melee combat, which they don't do anyway, and they get even higher AC and ranged touch (or ranged) attack rolls. -Con does provide some balancing value, but it creates real glass cannons. It's not impossible, but you need to be aware and be careful. (And conversely, most melee non-rogue builds (and maybe even the rogues because of the lack of flanking) will be crippled by being tiny.) [/QUOTE]

Verification