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Is it even that great? One of my players expressed interest, and I've been weighing the pros and cons. It doesn't really seem that great overall, and I am vaguely considering giving it to him relatively for free. Mechanically, it would simply act like a permanent enlarge person.
Mechanical Pros:
+2 Strength (+1 Attack and Damage)
10 foot reach
More weapon damage
Mechanical Cons:
-2 Dex (-1 AC, Reflex, Initiative)
-1 AC
-1 Attack
So you are basically getting +1 to +4 damage and 10 foot reach for -2 AC, -1 Reflex, and -1 initiative.
Soft Pros:
A more intimidating, memorable person.
Easier to climb things, reach tall shelves
Ability to grapple larger creatures.
Soft Cons:
Very difficult to find armor and weapons that are the right size!
Need to squeeze through corridors and doors.
Difficult to go unnoticed.
I'm not sure. Any thoughts?
In an older rules set there were more draw backs (like weapons doing more damage to larger creatures)
In that same rules set "half ogre" was a common race for use with barbarians.
The extra HP you got was no match for the fact that the weapons that hit you did so much more damage.
that being said, I don't think there is anything wrong with an ogre sized character in a PC group.
Think Hulk with the Avengers.
In fact can't you do this with a master chymist already? A high level chymist could stay large all the time.
AS far as the weapons and armor draw back, yea why do you think ogres are always swinging clubs and wear hide armor?
Enlarge Person doesn't give the full benefits of being large. I think a normal medium > large increase gives +8 str and +4 con, -2 dex, 10' reach, -1 to hit and ac, and a minus to stealth.
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Look into the psionic half-giant race. They have an interesting take on 'big' that sounds right up your alley.
Weapons and armor would be twice as expensive, which would hurt at 1st level but become less important as time goes on, since masterwork and magic costs don't change.
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Back when I heard about the ARG I considered homebrewing a large race. My idea was Minotaurs, and since they are at home in mazes and tight corridors, I considered making them Large but still only having a reach of 5'. I figured that with Combat Reflexes and all the trip feats, a creature that naturally threatens at 5' and 10' might be too powerful, but I don't see a problem with Large weapon dice and a racial bonus to Strength. He'd be quite the melee bruiser, but martial types could use the help anyway.
Heck, if he's building it to maximize his threatened area, he'd need to put more into Dex to get his feat's worth out of Combat Reflexes. That'd just about balance out the higher weapon dice.
Honestly, I don't see a problem - especially if you match with Large NPCs on the other side. I've always felt that flying and Large characters will end up paying with the fact that they will likely be the first targeted by any ranged folks.
We had a Large pally that played in my last campaign, using the ARG to create a Half Giant race. He had the highest AC in the party but had a maddening time with getting through all the 5ft doors.
Basically if he has the money for an item to reduce his size at will, it is viable. However I think late game his AC will be *nuts*.
Large Monks can be pretty brutish ;)
AC only loses its luster if you don't focus on it a high AC build is nigh untouchable.
but yeah for most PC's their AC almost becomes a mute point in the mid to high levels especially in a party of 5 or 6 where the GM is throwing higher CR monsters at them to challenge them where invariable their attacks rolls have such a high bonus they always hit
in a smaller group vs lower CR monsters, AC can stay relevant longer
The 10 ft reach can easily be exploited with the right feats and weapons. But, many monsters enjoy the same benefit so its not the end of the world. As the DM you might get tired of dealing with it though.
The 10 ft reach can easily be exploited with the right feats and weapons. But, many monsters enjoy the same benefit so its not the end of the world. As the DM you might get tired of dealing with it though.
Ah yes Reach Weapon + natural weapons + combat Patrol + Large = A really big Patrol area
still its not that great it only trigger when people provoke AoO's
Whirlwind attack is pretty much in the same territory
The list of applicable feats to that type of build would go on awhile...
I remember seeing the large pc + reach weapon build done enough in 3.5 that it got cheesy, and honestly I totally prefer small/medium PCs who are capable of growing large on the rare occasion through magic.
At the end of the day the GM can make thing harder for the Large character simple by making him squeeze through dungeons if he feels he needs to crub his power.
For many of the reasons large mounts don't work well everywhere the same can be said of Large PC's