Are small reach weapons still reach weapons?

[Carpjay]

Imagine a goblin (Small creature) using an appropriately sized longspear, which is defined as a reach weapon. The medium weapon/base entry is described as about 8 feet long. But a small-sized weapon, which weighs half as much and is easily wielded by a small creature, must surely be smaller, potentially the same length as, say, a Medium great sword...big to be sure, but not enough to provide reach.

Anyone encountered this, or am I missing a rule somewhere obvious? Common sense tells me no, not reach. Well, unless fighting other small creatures, perhaps, but that invites a whole discussion about changing to, for example, three- or four-foot squares for a small-only battle...I just can't go there, and the specific case, plenty of medium opponents (namely the PCs) are involved.

Thanks--Carpjay

[concerro]

By the rules a reach weapon doubles a character's normal reach. Is it realistic, nope, but that is how it is intended to work in the game.

[0gre]

Yes.

The rules in this case are more built for balance than for realism.

[Set]

Having just written up a size Tiny angelic familiar that uses a longspear (which transforms it's 0 ft. reach to a 5 ft. reach, however unlikely that is), I'd side with allowing it, within reason.

I'd allow it with Small and Tiny (having reach for Small, and gaining the ability to attack foes in adjacent squares for Tiny), since Small creatures already got hosed with reduced damage die, but probably draw a line at Diminutive. A wasp holding a toothpick twice it's body length isn't going to have 5 ft. reach.

Where it becomes really quibbly is dealing with weapons that give even more reach, such as a whip. Should a halfling or goblin with a size small whip really have a 15 ft. reach? No idea. I can see myself arguing both sides of that, but would probably just let it slide.

[Carpjay]

Okay, I can take that for small creatures, because they occupy the same five-foot square a medium creature does.

The rule of a reach weapon doubling a creature's reach actually scales pretty well for the diminutive and fine creatures as, well...zero doubled is still zero! A tiny creature...well, it will never come up. And for large's 10-foot reach weapon, it more than just extends it to 15...it doubles to 20? I know this interacts with its natural reach, but I can look that up later.

Thanks, both...I have a rule to work with now that I must have read right past, and it supports my goblins having long weapons to stick my players.

Edit: Just saw the last post from Set: More good stuff, including my uncertainty with tiny...your solution works for me just fine, and of course I agree with the really teensy critters staying at zero.

[Abraham spalding]

Please note that a medium creature using a small reach weapon still has reach even if he is using it one handed, he simply takes a -2 to hit with it for improper sizing.