[3.5e] Small Size - Ad or Disad?

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Hi there!

One of my players wants to play a child or young teen. I am thinking
of suggesting "size: small" for the character, but I'm not sure
whether this would be an advantage or disadvantage.

With warrior types, small is mostly bad, but this is a changeling
bard.

What do you think?

What other modifiers would be appropriate AND balanced?

Regards

Hal
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Halzebier wrote:
> Hi there!
>
> One of my players wants to play a child or young teen. I am thinking
> of suggesting "size: small" for the character, but I'm not sure
> whether this would be an advantage or disadvantage.
>
> With warrior types, small is mostly bad, but this is a changeling
> bard.
>
> What do you think?
>
> What other modifiers would be appropriate AND balanced?

Small characters are pretty much balanced by the rules as far as advantages
and disadvantages go, unless you want to be a combat monster. Reduced weapon
size and movement rate is compensated for quite adequately by bonuses to AC,
attack and Hide checks, and reduced carrying capacity is countered by gear
sized for your character being significantly lighter.

--
Mark.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Halzebier wrote:
> Hi there!
>
> One of my players wants to play a child or young teen. I am thinking
> of suggesting "size: small" for the character, but I'm not sure
> whether this would be an advantage or disadvantage.
>
> With warrior types, small is mostly bad, but this is a changeling
> bard.
>
> What do you think?
>
> What other modifiers would be appropriate AND balanced?

The BESM D20 rules suggest giving child PC's a -2 Str and Small size.
But that's a point based system.
Perhaps give him a +2 in another stat to balance it?
Small size they (and usually I) consider to be equally rewarding
and punishing, unless, as you say, you want to be a combatant.
Even then we've played some nasty combat heavy halflings, but you
often need to concentrate on Dex and Weapon Finesse.
Go for more hits and getting hit less, rather than relying on
massive damage and heavy armor.
They way we often see it, a Small character has already written off
Str (usually) and damage dice, so he can dump the stat or points he'd
use there into Dex or Con and exceed the big guys in agility,
lightly armored AC's, and HP.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Halzebier wrote:
> Hi there!
>
> One of my players wants to play a child or young teen. I am thinking
> of suggesting "size: small" for the character, but I'm not sure
> whether this would be an advantage or disadvantage.
>
> With warrior types, small is mostly bad, but this is a changeling
> bard.
>
> What do you think?
>
> What other modifiers would be appropriate AND balanced?
>

Small is a serious handycap especially if you take the str and con away
from a base medium race. Don't forget all the handycaps of small -
lower carying capacity, lower grapple & trip checks, slower speed.

- Justisaur.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

On Sat, 19 Mar 2005 13:47:32 -0000, "Mark Blunden"
<m.blundenATntlworld.com@address.invalid> wrote:

>Halzebier wrote:
>> Hi there!
>>
>> One of my players wants to play a child or young teen. I am thinking
>> of suggesting "size: small" for the character, but I'm not sure
>> whether this would be an advantage or disadvantage.
>>
>> With warrior types, small is mostly bad, but this is a changeling
>> bard.
>>
>> What do you think?
>>
>> What other modifiers would be appropriate AND balanced?
>
>Small characters are pretty much balanced by the rules as far as advantages
>and disadvantages go, unless you want to be a combat monster. Reduced weapon
>size and movement rate is compensated for quite adequately by bonuses to AC,
>attack and Hide checks, and reduced carrying capacity is countered by gear
>sized for your character being significantly lighter.

And carrying capacity becomes (almost) irrelevant once you have access to
portable holes....


--
Hong Ooi | "COUNTERSRTIKE IS AN REAL-TIME
hong@zipworld.com.au | STRATEGY GAME!!!"
http://www.zipworld.com.au/~hong/dnd/ | -- RR
Sydney, Australia |
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Halzebier wrote:
> Hi there!
>
> One of my players wants to play a child or young teen. I am thinking
> of suggesting "size: small" for the character, but I'm not sure
> whether this would be an advantage or disadvantage.
>
> With warrior types, small is mostly bad, but this is a changeling
> bard.
>
> What do you think?
>
> What other modifiers would be appropriate AND balanced?

-2 Wisdom.

"It's easy to deceive a child..."

- Ron ^*^
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

justisaur@gmail.com wrote:

> > One of my players wants to play a child or young teen. I am thinking
> > of suggesting "size: small" for the character, but I'm not sure
> > whether this would be an advantage or disadvantage.
> >
> > With warrior types, small is mostly bad, but this is a changeling
> > bard.
> >
> > What do you think?
> >
> > What other modifiers would be appropriate AND balanced?
>
> Small is a serious handycap especially if you take the str and con away
> from a base medium race. Don't forget all the handycaps of small -
> lower carying capacity, lower grapple & trip checks, slower speed.

However, there's also +1 to attack and AC, and attack and AC by
definiton come up more often than grapple and trip: you have to hit or
be hit to trip or grapple.

In all, I'd say being Small is a neutral trait, by itself. It often
(always, for PC races?) comes with a Str penalty, though, and it's that
which makes Small races sub-optimal warriors, more than the Smallness
itself, I think.


--
Jasin Zujovic
jzujovic@inet.hr
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"Jasin Zujovic" <jzujovic@inet.hr> wrote in message
news:MPG.1ca7a6b48c54020d9899f0@news.iskon.hr...
> justisaur@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> > One of my players wants to play a child or young teen. I am thinking
>> > of suggesting "size: small" for the character, but I'm not sure
>> > whether this would be an advantage or disadvantage.
>> >
>> > With warrior types, small is mostly bad, but this is a changeling
>> > bard.
>> >
>> > What do you think?
>> >
>> > What other modifiers would be appropriate AND balanced?
>>
>> Small is a serious handycap especially if you take the str and con away
>> from a base medium race. Don't forget all the handycaps of small -
>> lower carying capacity, lower grapple & trip checks, slower speed.
>
> However, there's also +1 to attack and AC, and attack and AC by
> definiton come up more often than grapple and trip: you have to hit or
> be hit to trip or grapple.
>
> In all, I'd say being Small is a neutral trait, by itself. It often
> (always, for PC races?) comes with a Str penalty, though, and it's that
> which makes Small races sub-optimal warriors, more than the Smallness
> itself, I think.
>
>
> --
> Jasin Zujovic
> jzujovic@inet.hr

Of course you can always build your Small race warrior as a dex warrior. I
know my Rogue/fighter/invisible blade/master thrower Halfing stands up just
fine toe to toe and only has an 11 strength.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"Decaying Atheist" <harker@coxdot.net> wrote in message
news:8Bk%d.66022$7z6.18308@lakeread04...
>
> "Jasin Zujovic" <jzujovic@inet.hr> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1ca7a6b48c54020d9899f0@news.iskon.hr...
>> justisaur@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> > One of my players wants to play a child or young teen. I am thinking
>>> > of suggesting "size: small" for the character, but I'm not sure
>>> > whether this would be an advantage or disadvantage.
>>> >
>>> > With warrior types, small is mostly bad, but this is a changeling
>>> > bard.
>>> >
>>> > What do you think?
>>> >
>>> > What other modifiers would be appropriate AND balanced?
>>>
>>> Small is a serious handycap especially if you take the str and con away
>>> from a base medium race. Don't forget all the handycaps of small -
>>> lower carying capacity, lower grapple & trip checks, slower speed.
>>
>> However, there's also +1 to attack and AC, and attack and AC by
>> definiton come up more often than grapple and trip: you have to hit or
>> be hit to trip or grapple.
>>
>> In all, I'd say being Small is a neutral trait, by itself. It often
>> (always, for PC races?) comes with a Str penalty, though, and it's that
>> which makes Small races sub-optimal warriors, more than the Smallness
>> itself, I think.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Jasin Zujovic
>> jzujovic@inet.hr
>
> Of course you can always build your Small race warrior as a dex warrior. I
> know my Rogue/fighter/invisible blade/master thrower Halfing stands up
> just fine toe to toe and only has an 11 strength.


Sorry forgot to mention a 22 dex, and level 11 with a nice mix of throwing
feats, and sneaky attacks.
The only problem is undead and constructs don't suffer the same wrath due to
immunities.
 
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