Reach with a large weapon?

[olejars]

I'm making a Githzerai Warblade that wields a large katana two handed and was wondering if I had reach because of its size? Also, would taking monkey grip be over kill or necessary.

[Hirax]

Wielding larger weapons does not increase your reach. Monkey grip is not worth it.

[tyckspoon]

No. Reach is a function of the wielder's size and the weapon's special tags or lack thereof. It has absolutely nothing to do with the weapon's size. (This is just one of the many weird things that happens when you start using weapons sized differently from the wielder.)

Whether or not you need Monkey Grip or a similar effect (tip: Strongarm Bracers. Magic Item Compendium. Completely destroys any reason to take Monkey Grip, and there wasn't a lot of good reason to start with) depends on how you want to wield the sword and how many penalties you're ok with taking. If you have Exotic Weapon Proficiency, you could wield a normal-sized katana one-handed. Making it Large means you have to wield it two-handed, and you take a -2 penalty for using a mis-sized weapon. If you're ok with that, then no, you don't need any other enabling ability. If you don't want to take the Exotic Proficiency feat or you want to get rid of the penalty (or you want to be capable of wielding the thing 1 handed sometimes) then you do.

[olejars]

No. Reach is a function of the wielder's size and the weapon's special tags or lack thereof. It has absolutely nothing to do with the weapon's size. (This is just one of the many weird things that happens when you start using weapons sized differently from the wielder.)

Whether or not you need Monkey Grip or a similar effect (tip: Strongarm Bracers. Magic Item Compendium. Completely destroys any reason to take Monkey Grip, and there wasn't a lot of good reason to start with) depends on how you want to wield the sword and how many penalties you're ok with taking. If you have Exotic Weapon Proficiency, you could wield a normal-sized katana one-handed. Making it Large means you have to wield it two-handed, and you take a -2 penalty for using a mis-sized weapon. If you're ok with that, then no, you don't need any other enabling ability. If you don't want to take the Exotic Proficiency feat or you want to get rid of the penalty (or you want to be capable of wielding the thing 1 handed sometimes) then you do.


I'm starting at an ecl of 3 so I guess taking EWP: Katana would be better with the Warblades Aptitude since I could change it in the future when I have access to the magical items.

[Coidzor]

I'm making a Githzerai Warblade that wields a large katana two handed and was wondering if I had reach because of its size? Also, would taking monkey grip be over kill or necessary.

If you can wield a medium bastard sword as a one-handed weapon you might be able to do so with a large one without special assistance in the form of strongarm bracers or monkey grip.

[Claudius Maximus]

How are you wielding a large katana without already having these things?

[Cog]

How are you wielding a large katana without already having these things?
Probably badly.

[olejars]

How are you wielding a large katana without already having these things?

Wielding a katana with two hands is a martial proficiency which a warblade already has. So either way I needed the exotic weapon proficiency or monkey grip to use a large version of the weapon two handed.

[Cog]

If you're spending a feat on using the weapon and you're still taking a penalty to your attacks with it, it's probably time to consider a different weapon.

[olejars]

If you're spending a feat on using the weapon and you're still taking a penalty to your attacks with it, it's probably time to consider a different weapon.

Nah, it fits the character well. Some people care more about fluff than optimizing.

[Cog]

If your fluff is that your character would rather carry around an awkwardly oversized weapon that makes him less effective in combat, you should probably say so from the start.

If it's just the fluff you care about, though, why can't you use a greatsword's stats and just say "It's really a honking great sword"?

[Gavinfoxx]

Just get EWP: Jovar, and AFTER you get some strongarm bracers, get a large one. That WILL NOT get you reach, but it will give you a nice big weapon.

If you want a reach weapon, make sure you get Enlarged Personed, or just get, you know... a Reach Weapon.

If you care about getting size multipliers to a USEFUL amount, than there are faaaarrrr better ways to do this.

They involve spells, though.

[Greenish]

If your fluff is that your character would rather carry around an awkwardly oversized weapon that makes him less effective in combat, you should probably say so from the start.To be fair, the original post mentions Monkey Grip and katana. :smalltongue:

[olejars]

Just get EWP: Jovar, and AFTER you get some strongarm bracers, get a large one. That WILL NOT get you reach, but it will give you a nice big weapon.

If you want a reach weapon, make sure you get Enlarged Personed, or just get, you know... a Reach Weapon.

If you care about getting size multipliers to a USEFUL amount, than there are faaaarrrr better ways to do this.

They involve spells, though.

Jovars are fun, but the group I game with is all about versimilatude.

DM: So how'd you get the jovar
ME: I got it off of a celestial whilst being ECL 3....

I'd get shot down so quick. Maybe later on in the game when planar travel becomes a reality. And size wasn't a deal breaker for me, I was just curious if I would have reach or not. ;-)

[Tokiko Mima]

As a funny aside, you can take a major titan bloodline, which at 12th level grants 'Use oversized weapon (Ex)' as the titan special ability. This is the ability to wield a gargantuan two handed warhammer without penalty. This would be a weapon sized for creatures between 32 and 64 feet tall.

As a medium sized humanoid, you would still only have a 5' reach with this weapon. :smalltongue:

The same is true on a smaller scale. If you are a tiny sized creature.. no matter how big your actual weapon is, you have a reach of 0.

[Greenish]

ME: I got it off of a celestial whilst being ECL 3....How is it unrealistic for your extraplanar guy to have a weapon popular 'round the planes? :smallconfused:

[Edit]: Also, "all about verisimilitude" doesn't shout "katana-using githzerai" to me.

[Gavinfoxx]

Jovars are fun, but the group I game with is all about versimilatude.

DM: So how'd you get the jovar
ME: I got it off of a celestial whilst being ECL 3....

I'd get shot down so quick. Maybe later on in the game when planar travel becomes a reality. And size wasn't a deal breaker for me, I was just curious if I would have reach or not. ;-)

Yea, to get reach, you need either some graft that extends your arms (I forget what it's called, I think there might be a feat for it somewhere), a reach weapon, or to be size large or larger...

Weapon size has nothing to do with reach.

[Boci]

Jovars are fun, but the group I game with is all about versimilatude.

DM: So how'd you get the jovar

They are commonly available ever since a blacksmith manages to recreate one from paitniongs of celestial battles. Took him ages and as such he has his name casts into the blade of every one he makes.

Edit: If you want reach wihtout a reach weapon you can get them, but most of the low level ones has flavour and penalties attached to them. Two come to mind:

Inhuman reach: Requires some abbaration feat, -2 to hit for reach as a large reacture.

Deformity (tall) Same deal, but is a vile feat so requires you to be evil, -1 to AC and -2 to hide checks.

[olejars]

How is it unrealistic for your extraplanar guy to have a weapon popular 'round the planes? :smallconfused:

[Edit]: Also, "all about verisimilitude" doesn't shout "katana-using githzerai" to me.

When you start out with nothing on the material plane, kinda hard to just make one appear. Besides, Diamond Mind doesn't have the jovar as one of its weapons.

[Boci]

When you start out with nothing on the material plane, kinda hard to just make one appear. Besides, Diamond Mind doesn't have the jovar as one of its weapons.

Favoured weapons matter little. Ask your DM if hes okay with having the design of the weapon having spread to the material plane.