Step = Reach

[BluWolf]

This post was inspired by an errant comment from another thread and i'm not sure this has been covered before. If it has I apologize.

Has anyone thought of or discussed the idead of making an opponents "5'-step" = to his reach?

So it would look like this:

Size: ---------Natural Reach--- Step
Small------------- 5---------------- 5
Medium---------- 5-----------------5
Large-------------10---------------10
Huge--------------15---------------15
Gargantuan-----20----------------20
Colossal----------25---------------25
*this reflects tall creatures not long, but you see my point.

Anyone?

 

[CRGreathouse]

The giant will make full attacks every round, while the party members will only take a single attack and provoke AoO at the same time. This will happen with every Large (tall) creature, and with every Huge+ creature.

Giving all characters the same number of attacks (1) will lessen the power of the main multiattackers: barbarian, fighter, paladin, and ranger (and arguably monk) in favor of the 3/4 attack combat characters, mainly the rogue and cleric. It will increase the effectiveness of the already-powerful Spring Attack and decrease the power of medium and heavy armors, oft-considered weak before this change.

If this doesn't bother you, go for it.

 

[trentonjoe]

Wow!

I don't remember it being covered before and I think it is a great idea. Clearly, it is a GIANT advantage to big creatures (yes bad pun intended). I am wondering if this would make Fire Giants and above almost unbeatable, though, because fighters would never be able to get off a Full round attack.

I think it is a great idea but I think it may upset game balance and awful lot.

Please let me know if you play test it. I am real interested in the results.

 

[mac1504]

I like the idea, and actually our group is working on this idea as a house rule.

The only problems I think is that some creatures have greater reaches than their size indicates (can't think of any examples off the top of my head) and this wouldn't seem to logically fit into your rule.

The rule we are looking into using in our group is based solely on size. So if there is a Huge or Gargantuan creature that creature is allowed to take a 10' step as their "5' step".

A Collosal creature is able to take a 15' step as their "5' step".

I think this works pretty well, since it is relative to the creature's size.

mac1504

 

[BluWolf]

I know it seems to make logical sense but I have to agree with CRGreathouse. It would make realy big creatures damn powerful.

I guess this can be considered a campaign style issue as well. If you want the big guys to be very intimdating and incredibly powerful you should try it.

Remember, any rule that makes things more deadly favors monster/NPCs more than PCs.

I already ran one experiment letting a player run a Large sized Half-Ogre that size CAN be a huge unbalancing issue. I no longer allow the feat Big brute because of this.

If anyone tries it let me know how much carnage gets reaped.

 

[Infinite Monkey]

I like the idea very much. To tone it down a bit, I would say that any creature that moves past you further than you '5 foot' step still generates AOOs.


E.g. two medium fighters are fighting. Fighter 1 moves 5', which is not greater than the other fighters step, so he doesn't generate AOOs.

A medium-size fighter is fighing and Ogre (10' reach, so 10' step). The Ogre takes a full-attack action and then makes his 'free' step and moves 10' away from the fighter. Because this is greater than the fighters 5' step size the figher still gets an AOO. The Ogre still gets the movement for 'free', but generates an AOO.

This further simulates the relative quickness and speed of a smaller opponent.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Big brute

Is this a feat I haven't heard of, or is it S&F's Large and In Charge?

 

[BluWolf]

No, CRGreathouse. I don't remember where I found it. Maybe even on these boards. It basically turns a PC into a large creature. I am disallowing it for now for the Half-Ogre race in my campaign. I don't want the half-ogre to be an adjusted race and I think having access to this feat should give, at a minimum, a +2 ECL.

Big Brute (Special)
You are over 8 feet tall and/or over 500 lbs.
Prerequisite: Str 18+, Con 16+, Descend from a race that is Defined as Large as per MM, must be taken at 1st level.
Benefit: You are a Large creature. -1 to AC and attack rolls and a ?4 to Hide checks. Increase unarmed damage to d4, +4 to Grapple, 10 foot reach, and the ability to use Large weapons one handed and Huge weapons two handed.

 

[Belares]

I like the idea as "larger than Man-size creatures" are usually tougher as well as not faster but longer in stride. If you think about it can a human outrun a giant that is 15' tall due to its stride? Think about a olympic runner then add 7-14+ feet taller and WOW you have a pretty good distance runner. It should only be fair that maybe not large but huge on up should be given that advantage. I did notice in monster description the face/reach of a Huge giant is 10x10/15ft. then it should get a 10' "free" step. Just my 2 cents.

 

[CRGreathouse]

It should only be fair that maybe not large but huge on up should be given that advantage. I did notice in monster description the face/reach of a Huge giant is 10x10/15ft. then it should get a 10' "free" step. Just my 2 cents.

Out of curiosity, how much did you add to their CR becasue of this?