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I'm just wondering how one would rule the "double the weight" mechanics of large items versus the +2 Str for a size change.
Example: Medium Character with Full Plate 50 pounds. And other gear totaled up to be right at his STR light load. Let's say 18 Str with 50 pounds of additional gear.
Size change to Large, he's now carrying 100 pounds of armor and (presumably) 50 pounds of gear. 150 pounds. Str 20 is just 133 max light load though, so now they're over burdened?
The reason this came up was more because I have a player who's race building with a large starting character who doesn't want to be overburdened every second of every day. They can shape change into small or medium humanoids. So they could put on lighter gear from say a small creature, and then shape change.
The other issue with a starting character is cost as well. Double price for large? I'll take a medium weapon and armor please. And change on up to large after donning it.
The weight may be the same as large, but do I keep the price break? All knowing that when anything is removed it turns back to medium size if bought that way.
And the other thing they have is a large bow (double cost and weight)... which, when fired from a small frame, does large damage as it reverts to regular size. Which is a cool effect.
Thoughts?
Per the Core Rulebook, pg. 169:
Bigger and Smaller Creatures: The figures on Table 7–4 are for Medium bipedal creatures. A larger bipedal creature can carry more weight depending on its size category, as follows: Large ×2, Huge ×4, Gargantuan ×8, Colossal ×16. A smaller creature can carry less weight depending on its size category, as follows: Small ×3/4, Tiny ×1/2, Diminutive ×1/4, Fine ×1/8.
So your size large, Str 20, bipedal character in question would have a light encumbrance maximum of 266 lbs., not 133 lbs. He wouldn’t be encumbered by his armor being double the weight, or even by his other equipment totaling up to 100 lbs. (instead of the 50 lbs. it is while size medium).
The costs associated with size large equipment, however, are what they are. What can I say, you’re using more iron to make a size large suit of full plate than you would for a size medium suit of the same armor.
Also, unless you're getting inferior troll-quality equipment, you're probably needing a master craftsman to be able to accurately scale up normal armor to fit a large human(oid). For lore purposes.
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And the other thing they have is a large bow (double cost and weight)... which, when fired from a small frame, does large damage as it reverts to regular size. Which is a cool effect.Thoughts?
Id doesn't work that way.
Melee and projectile weapons deal less damage. Other magical properties are not affected by this spell. Any reduced item that leaves the reduced creature’s possession (including a projectile or thrown weapon) instantly returns to its normal size. This means that thrown weapons deal their normal damage (projectiles deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them).
What matter for the arrow is the size of the bow that fires it, not the original size of the bow.
You know, I completely get that the designers of the spells in question wanted them to be balanced toward one another, but it’s a bit irritating that this is achieved so inconsistently.
Enlarge Person has any enlarged item that leaves an enlarged creature's possession (including a projectile or thrown weapon) instantly return to its normal size, making thrown and projectile weapons deal their normal (smaller-sized) damage.
Reduce Person, on the other hand, has projectiles deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them, which means that they maintain their reduced size.
I mean, it’s not like there aren’t 1st level spells that allow a caster to do 20-30 damage (more, with the appropriate feats), or even worse in terms of ability damage. I wish the developers had erred on the side of the rule of cool on this one, and allowed for both Enlarge Person and Reduce Person to gain the desired effect… if only over higher caster level.
It’s also ironic that while Enlarge Person makes the target roughly proportional in terms of melee damage, both it and Reduce Person seek to mitigate ranged combat… something this rules set isn’t otherwise terribly worried about. I mean, Reduce Person trying to keep you from inflicting an extra 1-2 points of damage per arrow, on average, is kind of hilarious considering that the entry level Mounted Combat rules allow a mounted character rider to get a full attack with his bow even while his mount takes a run action.