using large/huge weapons (3.5)

[heymejack]

whats the best way to do it?

I like the half-ogre, like the idea of being large, but the LA+2 sucks a little.
goliaths seem weird to me, big rock dudes?
half-giant works, but i'd have to give up the psion stuff, cuz it doesn't exist in our campaign.

then of course there is the monkey grip feat, and strong arm bracers. can these things stack? could i be a goliath with monkey grip and wield a huge weapon? or have both the item and the feat? if not, where does it say that, i can't find it in complete adventurer or races of stone, and i don't have the other books.

thanks for the help

[hamishspence]

Dragon 314's Half-Ogre template (probably reprinted on Crystalkeep) is one good way- only LA +1, increases your size category by 1.

If your DM is OK with Pathfinder templates, Giant Creature is also LA +1, increases size by 1:

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/monsters/monsterAdvancement.html

And I think Half-Goristro (variant half-fiend, on WOTC site) is another good size-booster.

Also- goliaths aren't made of rock- they just look very slightly rocky in texture- but are still flesh and blood.

in Magic Item Compendium, Strongarm bracers don't stack with Powerful Build.

And Monkey Grip is famous for being a very bad feat.

So- better, maybe, not to start with Goliath, and not to use Monkey Grip.

[Harris the Ford]

monkey grip?

[Prime32]

monkey grip?A feat which gives you +1 to +3.5 damage in exchange for a -2 penalty on attacks, and cannot be turned off without switching weapons.

Compare to Power Attack (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#powerAttack) with a two-handed weapon.

[gomipile]

A Psychic Warrior/Psion/Wilder with the Expansion power and wearing Strongarm Bracers can wield a huge weapon starting at level 1, and a Gargantuan Weapon starting at manifester level 7. Once you are manifester level 3, you can increase the duration of large size+huge weapon from rounds per manifester level to 10 minutes per manifester level, and at manifester level 9 the duration of huge size+gargantuan weapon to 10 minutes per manifester level.

If your character starts out as a Half Ogre, increase all of the above size categories by 1, allowing the use of a Colossal weapon starting at manifester level 7. That does *not* work with races with powerful build. Powerful build just replaces the Strongarm Bracers, and is thus not worth the level adjustment in this case.

Note that the weapon you buy is only 1 size category larger than your character, Expansion enlarges it along with you, just like Enlarge Person. Also, since the level you can do this stuff at is governed by manifester level, a wilder can get these tricks sooner than other classes. A wilder with Martial Weapon Proficiency: Greatsword could hit pretty hard with his weapon.

[gallagher]

A Psychic Warrior/Psion/Wilder with the Expansion power and wearing Strongarm Bracers can wield a huge weapon starting at level 1, and a Gargantuan Weapon starting at manifester level 7. Once you are manifester level 3, you can increase the duration of large size+huge weapon from rounds per manifester level to 10 minutes per manifester level, and at manifester level 9 the duration of huge size+gargantuan weapon to 10 minutes per manifester level.

If your character starts out as a Half Ogre, increase all of the above size categories by 1, allowing the use of a Colossal weapon starting at manifester level 7. That does *not* work with races with powerful build. Powerful build just replaces the Strongarm Bracers, and is thus not worth the level adjustment in this case.

Note that the weapon you buy is only 1 size category larger than your character, Expansion enlarges it along with you, just like Enlarge Person. Also, since the level you can do this stuff at is governed by manifester level, a wilder can get these tricks sooner than other classes. A wilder with Martial Weapon Proficiency: Greatsword could hit pretty hard with his weapon.

now combine that with earth power so you can take the cost down by 1 when touching the ground, and you are a bit ahead of the race.

[gomipile]

now combine that with earth power so you can take the cost down by 1 when touching the ground, and you are a bit ahead of the race.

But does it allow you to manifest a power that would normally cost 1 point more than your effective manifester level?

[herrhauptmann]

But does it allow you to manifest a power that would normally cost 1 point more than your effective manifester level?

OP says no psionics.

Get a [heavy] weapon from Magic of Faerun, gold or platinum. Your weapon now counts as one size larger.
Large creature + Bracers =huge weapon
Large creature + bracers + [heavy] weapon =Gargantuan weapon.

If you had psionics, you could manifest expansion, and get to huge with a colossal, and later expand yourself up to gargantuan (from Large base) with a Colossal+ weapon.

[TaintedLight]

Personally, I'm a big fan of Greater Mighty Wallop from Races of the Dragon. 1 casting and your weapon is primed all day long. 3rd level sor/wiz spell, and it makes your weapon deal damage as though it were one size category larger per 4 caster levels to a maximum of Colossal. The only downside is that it works only on bludgeoning weapons, but that never stopped my Warforged Paladin 2/Sorcerer 4/Abjurant Champion 5 from meting out mighty justice with his bare hands :).

[herrhauptmann]

Personally, I'm a big fan of Greater Mighty Wallop from Races of the Dragon. 1 casting and your weapon is primed all day long. 3rd level sor/wiz spell, and it makes your weapon deal damage as though it were one size category larger per 4 caster levels to a maximum of Colossal. The only downside is that it works only on bludgeoning weapons, but that never stopped my Warforged Paladin 2/Sorcerer 4/Abjurant Champion 5 from meting out mighty justice with his bare hands :).

Minotaur greathammer then. 3d6 as a large weapon.

[heymejack]

seems like monkey grip gets better when you're talking about the spiked chain. the difference in reach is pretty sick.

[TaintedLight]

Minotaur greathammer then. 3d6 as a large weapon.

Why stop at 3d6? Take it all the way up to Colossal with CL boosters for a grand total of 8d6 per swing. You're like a glaivelock but with better options than just invocations. The only downside compared to glaivelock is the fact that your attacks aren't touch. (Though you can kind of fix that with true strike/wraithstrike...)

[Greenish]

seems like monkey grip gets better when you're talking about the spiked chain. the difference in reach is pretty sick.Except that using a larger sized reach weapon doesn't give you any more reach.

[Edit]:
Why stop at 3d6? Take it all the way up to Colossal with CL boosters for a grand total of 8d6 per swing.I think he meant to start with the 3d6.

[heymejack]

i don't understand how using a large reach weapon doesn't give you large reach. does it say that somewhere in the rules? seems to me, a goliath using a large spiked chain gets large reach. is that not the case?

[Prime32]

i don't understand how using a large reach weapon doesn't give you large reach. does it say that somewhere in the rules? seems to me, a goliath using a large spiked chain gets large reach. is that not the case?Reach is based on the wielder, not the weapon. Reach weapons like polearms double the wielder's reach.

The half-ogre in that one strip? He was cheating.

[gomipile]

Reach is based on the wielder, not the weapon. Reach weapons like polearms double the wielder's reach.

The half-ogre in that one strip? He was cheating.

Because it makes perfect sense for a colossal creature to be able to reach twice as far with a fine-sized longspear (which is close to 1/2" long) as he can with a colossal greatsword.

[Greenish]

Because it makes perfect sense for a colossal creature to be able to reach twice as far with a fine-sized longspear (which is close to 1/2" long) as he can with a colossal greatsword.Stretched to extremes, the rules can be rather absurd. They're still the rules. You can ask your DM to houserule it so you can have your insane reach combo.

[Spiryt]

Because it makes perfect sense for a colossal creature to be able to reach twice as far with a fine-sized longspear (which is close to 1/2" long) as he can with a colossal greatsword.

People are generally speaking about half Goristro Goliath wielding ridiculously oversized chain and you find that non sensible ?

Generally in D&D medium greatsword has as much range as freaking kukri in the first place.

That's simple system and making it more detailed will usually only brake it more, IMO.

[herrhauptmann]

Reach is based on the wielder, not the weapon. Reach weapons like polearms double the wielder's reach.

The half-ogre in that one strip? He was cheating.
How was he cheating? Large from Halfogre, and wielding a reach weapon, he should've had a 20ft reach. Now he did mess up his AOO rules, Roy should've only eaten 1 AoO per charge.


Because it makes perfect sense for a colossal creature to be able to reach twice as far with a fine-sized longspear (which is close to 1/2" long) as he can with a colossal greatsword.
Like the titan bloodline pixie? Proficiency with a colossal or gargantuan warhammer despite being 3 inches tall? Rules don't always make sense in the game, we know this. Trying to add another rule to fix that first problem isn't a fix, it'll just open up a different abuse elsewhere.

[heymejack]

so a goliath with a spiked chain gets 7.5 foot reach? where can i find this in the rulebooks?

[Greenish]

How was he cheating? Large from Halfogre, and wielding a reach weapon, he should've had a 20ft reach. Now he did mess up his AOO rules, Roy should've only eaten 1 AoO per charge.He only did one AoO per charge, but had a feat to move away after that, forcing Roy to charge again. : You're right, he claimed two AoO for the movement (also got the reach wrong).

so a goliath with a spiked chain gets 7.5 foot reach? where can i find this in the rulebooks?No, what makes you think that? A goliath with a spiked chain has 10' reach.

[hamishspence]

The Stand Still feat might have enabled him to do it though- I think that was mentioned in one of the threads.

What book's that feat in?

[Greenish]

The Stand Still feat might have enabled him to do it though- I think that was mentioned in one of the threads.

What book's that feat in?Expanded Psionic Handbook and SRD. [Edit]: Not that it'd have netted him the second AoO. Hold the Line would work though.

[aeauseth]

I didn't see Strongarm Bracers (MIC) mentioned as an alternative to monkeygrip.

Doens't stack with Goliath. I don't think it stacks with Monkeygrip either.

You can also Enlarge yourself to use larger weapons. MIC has a belt.

[Greenish]

I didn't see Strongarm Bracers (MIC) mentioned as an alternative to monkeygrip.It was mentioned in 1st, 4th and 7th replies. :smallamused: