Weapon Sizes


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Here's the text on p141 of the core rulebook.

Weapon Size:
Weapon Size: Every weapon has a size category. This designation indicates the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed.
A weapon’s size category isn’t the same as its size as an
object. Instead, a weapon’s size category is keyed to the size
of the intended wielder. In general, a light weapon is an
object two size categories smaller than the wielder, a one-
handed weapon is an object one size category smaller than
the wielder, and a two-handed weapon is an object of the
same size category as the wielder.
Inappropriately Sized Weapons: A creature can’t make
optimum use of a weapon that isn’t properly sized for it. A
cumulative –2 penalty applies on attack rolls for each size
category of difference between the size of its intended wielder
and the size of its actual wielder. If the creature isn’t proficient
with the weapon, a –4 nonproficiency penalty also applies.
The measure of how much effort it takes to use a weapon
(whether the weapon is designated as a light, one-handed,
or two-handed weapon for a particular wielder) is altered
by one step for each size category of difference between
the wielder’s size and the size of the creature for which the
weapon was designed. For example, a Small creature would
wield a Medium one-handed weapon as a two-handed
weapon. If a weapon’s designation would be changed to
something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by
this alteration, the creature can’t wield the weapon at all.

Now this has drawn some debate between me and another player. He plays a gnomish warrior and we have been getting a lot of medium sized weapons. He thinks that a medium one-handed weapon would have a -2 penalty because it's inappropriately sized. I say that, since a one-handed medium weapon is considered a one size category smaller, a small character could wield it two-handed without penalty.

I want to wield a large greatsword, dealing 2d8 instead of 2d6 damage, taking a -2 penalty on attack rolls for it being inappropriately sized for my medium character. He says that I won't be able to wield it at all, because I would need three hands to wield it since it's a two handed weapon one size larger than myself.

My question is, when is a weapon inappropriately sized?


While a Halfling Short Sword might be about the size of a human dagger it is shape and balanced differently. So a Human using it suffers a -2 penalty when wielding it.

Your Large Great Sword could not be used by a Human as it is to oddly balanced. A human could use a Large Long Sword Twohanded at a -2 penalty.

Liberty's Edge

Weapons have two properties: Size of intended wielder, and handedness.

If your character's size (in this case small) is less than or greater than the size of the intended wielder (in this case medium) you take a -2 penalty per category of difference (in this case -2).

The handedness just determines whether or not you CAN wield it, as the weapon's handedness changes by one stage per size category difference between intended wielder and actual wielder (it gets harder for smaller characters, and easier for larger characters). If the new wield category is above two-handed, it can't be used by that character.
Light -> One-Handed -> Two-Handed

In this case, you have a small character trying to wield a one-handed weapon designed for a medium-sized wielder. This means that they can wield this weapon two-handed at a -2 penalty to attack rolls.

EDIT: Partially ninja'd!


The other player has it right. Not only do you take a penalty, you also must be able to "hold" the weapon. This means when a gnome wields a medium sized one-handed weapon he gets a -2 penalty and has to hold it with 2 hands.
Your PC cannot wield a large greatsword because it is already two-handed for a large creature. You COULD wield a large mace (with a -2 penalty) or a huge dagger (with a -4 penalty) for example. You would have to hold both of them in two-hands.

EDIT: Ninja'ed. Damn you guys are fast!

Sovereign Court

Waffle_Neutral wrote:
Now this has drawn some debate between me and another player. He plays a gnomish warrior and we have been getting a lot of medium sized weapons. He thinks that a medium one-handed weapon would have a -2 penalty because it's inappropriately sized. I say that, since a one-handed medium weapon is considered a one size category smaller, a small character could wield it two-handed without penalty.

By RAW, the other player is correct. A small character using a medium sized weapon would suffer the -2 penalty.

Personally, when I can, I houserule it away. It creates too much of a headache for the GM to place treasure and make sure it is distributed in such a way that everyone gets a shot at something fit for them.

I find it vastly easier to just follow the weapon sizing rules in terms of the limits of use, rather than the -2 penalty being dumped on sizes.

Waffle_Neutral wrote:
I want to wield a large greatsword, dealing 2d8 instead of 2d6 damage, taking a -2 penalty on attack rolls for it being inappropriately sized for my medium character. He says that I won't be able to wield it at all, because I would need three hands to wield it since it's a two handed weapon one size larger than myself.

A medium creature can't use a large greatsword. A medium size creature can use a large sized light weapon as a one handed weapon, and a large sized one-handed weapon can be used as a two-handed weapon. However, once you get to the large size two-handed weapon things stop. Basically, it's too big of an object to be wielded as a weapon.

This shift goes the other way also. The medium sized creature can pick up a small sized two-handed weapon and use it as a one-handed weapon. Further, they could pick up a small sized one-handed weapon and use it as a light weapon, however if they picked up a small sized light weapon, then it would be too small to be used as a weapon.

Do you want it to be a little more nuanced?

So beyond having weapons be sized for a particular character, the weapon itself occupies space and has its own size to it also!

So for a medium sized creature, the medium sized weapons have a size of:

light: tiny sized object
one-handed: small sized object
two-handed: Medium sized object

These sizes don't actually factor into anything, beyond just letting you know how big the weapon is physically.


size large light crossbows rock because medium creatures can use them with two hands (instead of the standard one)

size large two handed weapons don't work so well, imagine trying to wield a stop sign.

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