Why are Apes size Large?

[mvincent]

The War Ape is an official, medium sized D&D miniature (in both chainmail and DDM). I'm not sure why a regular ape is listed as large. Possible, it was simply this way in AD&D. Maybe it's listed 6' height assumes it is not standing erect.

 

[blargney the second]

Remake the ape as a medium animal with Powerful Build.

 

[Sejs]

More importantly, why the hell do apes have claws?

 

[mvincent]

More importantly, why the hell do apes have claws?

As I recall, they were originally called 'carnivorous Apes' in AD&D, and I believe they were originally based on the carnivorous Apes from the Conan series. This picture could probably serve as a notable example of one.

 

[Storyteller01]

According to the SRD, "an adult male ape is 5½ to 6 feet tall and weighs 300 to 400 pounds." This is about right for the largest primates in the real world.

So why is that size Large?

I am 6'5" tall and over 300 pounds. I've got a good reach, but it sure as hell ain't 10 feet.

Is this a screw-up? What wins, the stat-block or the size description?

Same reason dwarves are medium. Different build (longer arms [reach], walking and running on all fours instead of bipedal [ten foot space they use to fight in], and such) gives some bonuses best explained with a size increase.

 

[mvincent]

Same reason dwarves are medium.

So dwarves are kinda like very small apes?

 

[Storyteller01]

Some would say so.

 

[bestone]

So dwarves are kinda like very small apes?

Omg i've never laughed so hard in my life

 

[IanB]

That's a great catch! I think the Large size is a mistake.

If it was a simple typo, the stat block would be inconsistent and probably would have been corrected in the 3E->3.5E transition, or in errata; it isn't and wasn't. The ape was fully designed as a large creature for some reason or another.

If I remember, I'll check my 1E and 2E monster books later and see if they have apes as size L.

 

[EyeontheMountain]

If it was a simple typo, the stat block would be inconsistent and probably would have been corrected in the 3E->3.5E transition, or in errata; it isn't and wasn't. The ape was fully designed as a large creature for some reason or another.

If I remember, I'll check my 1E and 2E monster books later and see if they have apes as size L.

I think the ape should be large. Large is a great tactical advantage for a melee/grapple combatant, and an ap@e is surely larger than 90% of humans. Count in that that size is mostly muscle and it makes sense.