Enlarge Person OR Reduce Person OR Neither?

[RoboEmperor]

Enlarge Person
+1 STR
+Weapon Damage
-2 AC (1 size, 1 dex)

Reduce Person
-1 STR
-Weapon Damage
+2AC (1size, 1 dex)

No changes in AB, because the STR bonus/penalty and size bonus/penalty cancels each other out

From my calculations, Enlarge Person grants 2-4 damage overall for a two-handed weapon (+1 or 2 damage from STR, depending if the +1 makes it even), while Reduce person is opposite.

In my case though, the difference between Enlarge Person and Reduce person results in a 5 damage difference, 6.5 DPS difference, and 4 AC difference. Further calculations reveal Enlarge Person will do about 20% more damage compared to the Reduce Person. 20% is lowered to about 15% with about -5, +10 power attack involvement.

So in conclusion, for a two-handed melee-er, which is more important? 4 AC or 5 damage? Or neither?

[Urpriest]

The reach and space are the most important contributions of Enlarge Person. How invested are you into tripping?

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Enlarge person also tends to increase reach, when means being able to hit people in melee without them returning the favor. As such, for a melee brute, enlarge wins out. For casters, reduce person offers them an increase chance to hit with ranged attacks. For rogues and other sneak attackers with weapon finesse and TWFing, reduce is probably better, as the damage lost due to strength difference is negligible compared to precision damage.

[RoboEmperor]

The reach and space are the most important contributions of Enlarge Person. How invested are you into tripping?

Absolutely no investment into tripping.
How does reach increase via enlarge person? Like... greatsword have increased range? How bout one-handed weapons?


Enlarge person also tends to increase reach, when means being able to hit people in melee without them returning the favor. As such, for a melee brute, enlarge wins out. For casters, reduce person offers them an increase chance to hit with ranged attacks. For rogues and other sneak attackers with weapon finesse and TWFing, reduce is probably better, as the damage lost due to strength difference is negligible compared to precision damage.

Ok, so you're saying damage + reach > 4 AC for melee. Again, how would reach increase? Is it only for large weapons? Or does size of weapon not matter, only your size?

[Urpriest]

Absolutely no investment into tripping.
How does reach increase via enlarge person? Like... greatsword have increased range? How bout one-handed weapons?



Ok, so you're saying damage + reach > 4 AC for melee. Again, how would reach increase? Is it only for large weapons? Or does size of weapon not matter, only your size?

The size of the weapon is completely irrelevant. You're a Large(Tall) creature, so you have 10 foot natural reach with any (non-reach) weapon, same as any other Large(Tall) creature.

[RoboEmperor]

Alright! Thanks! I'll definitely go enlarge person.