Cosmetic Size Rules

[Soluzar]

I was wondering just how serious the rules on height and weight were in PFS play. To me it always seemed to be a case of just picking what was right for your character. The issue has zero effect on just how a character performs. Much like gender, it's a purely image based choice.

I've been working on making an Oread brawler or possibly monk. I took a closer look recently and realized that oreads top out at 5 feet tall. It's almost as if they are walking rocks that look like dwarves. This kinda spoiled the idea I had running of a very tall, muscular character.

I guess my question is can I just make the guy 6'4" and just ignore the race height/weight table? I'm not gaining any kind of benefit off of it. In the end he is still going to be a medium sized creature.

[Dhenn]

As to whether or not you are allowed to go over or under racial min/max for these issues, I really can't say.

There are, however, a couple of times I've seen a mechanical impact come into play. Certain traps (in multiple seasons) are triggered when a character of X lbs or more steps on them. It's not common enough that I'd worry too much about it either way, though.

[Merm7th]

I'm playing my first female character because of the physical differences. I'm playing a verminous hunter with a mantis mount. I'm human with undersized mount and a wand of ant haul. I still need to be a small framed female for the mantis to be able to fly with me. The smallest human male is too heavy.

[GM Lamplighter]

You have to be within the normal range of height and weight for your PC. That is a core rule and nothing in PFS changes them.

[Nefreet]

Indeed. Stick within your racial limits. For both height, and weight.

Otherwise we'll have to allow the 1,000 pound Bloatmage someone wanted at one time, and that thread got rather lengthy.

[Auke Teeninga]

Wear tall heels and vertical stripes so you seem larger!

Oh, and find smaller friends! Nothing makes you look larger than some halflings or gnomes next to you!

[Andrew Christian]

It may seem arbitrary, but there are traits that have height as a prerequisite.

[CathalFM]

GM Lamplighter wrote:

You have to be within the normal range of height and weight for your PC. That is a core rule and nothing in PFS changes them.

I have to say just from a personal preference, its also slightly tiring when everyone has that special snowflake character. Oh yes I am a dwarf, but I am a 7ft tall one, and the last of my village and I was the sole survivor of a deadly curse and am fated to save the world.

[WiseWolfOfYoitsu]

I know a 7+ foot dwarf, but he's also permanently enlarged... 40k shoulder slot items can do that. Aka - Juggernaut's Pauldrons

[Hmm]

Merm7th wrote:

I'm playing my first female character because of the physical differences. I'm playing a verminous hunter with a mantis mount. I'm human with undersized mount and a wand of ant haul. I still need to be a small framed female for the mantis to be able to fly with me. The smallest human male is too heavy.

I have to agree that the physical differences become completely non-cosmetic when you are dealing with mounts, especially flying ones. A few pounds becomes an enormous difference when you have to deal with light encumbrance.

Hmm

[Imbicatus]

This can also save you some pain though if you are too heavy for a harpy to fly away with.

[Merm7th]

Andrew Christian wrote:

It may seem arbitrary, but there are traits that have height as a prerequisite.

I have a character with the trait bred for war. It gives you a bonus to combat maneuvers and intimidate, and requires a height greater then 6 feet.

[Ascalaphus]

On the other hand, being as lightweight as possible can be useful for Small cavaliers. For some reason the light/medium load thresholds on Medium animal companions are pretty tight. Shaving off 10lbs by going for the minimum weight for your race (and sex!) can make a real difference.