How big can it get and still be useable?

[Starchild7309]

OK so I am in need of a semi random encounter. I have the story for the guy, but I need you all to help me with this premise:

I want a medium sized bad guy, no higher than CR 12 with as big of a melee weapon as possible and still be able to hit accurately. I would prefer it not be a reach weapon if at all possible as he will be fighting a group that loves to swarm and moves fast. This is 3.5, all standard books are eligible, Dragon compendium is ok, but no other dragon mag or 3rd party.

I would love to hear your ideas on how to get a truly massive and intimidating weapon wielded by a medium creature. Also, if you can think of any tricks or specific ideas that might go along with this I would be open to most of them. Thanks in advance.

[Extra Anchovies]

Monkey Grip from Complete Warrior, maybe? Lets you take -2 on attacks to wield weapons one size category larger as if they were of your size (e.g. use a Large greataxe as a two-handed weapon). If your baddie takes Monkey Grip, along with EWP (Warmace), he might be able to use one made for Huge-sized creatures as a two-handed weapon. Warmace is a one-handed weapon if you have EWP with it (1d12/x2, -1 to AC when wielding it), so with Monkey Grip he could use a Large warmace (3d6/x2) as a one-handed melee weapon with a -2 penalty. If that's not enough, you could give him a Huge warmace (usable as a two-handed weapon, again at -2), which hits for 4d6+1.5*Str. Might be taking a penalty of more than -2 with the Huge warmace, though, and his ability to use it is a fairly liberal reading of the weapon size rules in conjunction with Monkey Grip.

ETA: To make him a level 12 opponent just give him 12 class levels.

[Kamai]

Half-giant gets you powerful build, which lets you get weapons 1 size up, and it should stack with Anchovies' suggestions.

Edit: If this is 3.5 and not Pathfinder, there are a couple of weapons, like the spiked chain, that are reach and threaten within the whole reach.

[Flickerdart]

The Titan Bloodline (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm#titan) grants creatures the ability to use a Gargantuan warhammer without penalty.


Half-giant gets you powerful build, which lets you get weapons 1 size up, and it should stack with Anchovies' suggestions.
It doesn't - both Monkey Grip (which is terrible, use Strongarm Bracers instead) and Powerful Build let you wield weapons one size larger than you are, which means a Medium creature just has two abilities letting it wield Large weapons.

[Extra Anchovies]

The Titan Bloodline (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm#titan) grants creatures the ability to use a Gargantuan warhammer without penalty.


It doesn't - both Monkey Grip (which is terrible, use Strongarm Bracers instead) and Powerful Build let you wield weapons one size larger than you are, which means a Medium creature just has two abilities letting it wield Large weapons.

Thanks for the tip on Strongarm Bracers, I've never been the best at finding magic items to fill certain roles. And I completely second the Titan Bloodline suggestion; not only does it give access to bigger weapons (at 12th level exactly, in fact), but it would certainly make for a unique encounter.

[Starchild7309]

Thanks, it would seem that the titan blood line is just what I am looking for. So just so I understand it, with the major blood line the character at Lvl 12 would be 9 levels of whatever and 3 blood line levels correct?

[Flickerdart]

Thanks, it would seem that the titan blood line is just what I am looking for. So just so I understand it, with the major blood line the character at Lvl 12 would be 9 levels of whatever and 3 blood line levels correct?
Precisely. You may wish to give the character levels in a class with level-based benefits, so that the bloodline progresses them.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Thanks, it would seem that the titan blood line is just what I am looking for. So just so I understand it, with the major blood line the character at Lvl 12 would be 9 levels of whatever and 3 blood line levels correct?

No, skip the bloodline levels entirely, there's no drawback for not taking them on an NPC. Just give him twelve levels of whatever and call it good.

[Flickerdart]

No, skip the bloodline levels entirely, there's no drawback for not taking them on an NPC. Just give him twelve levels of whatever and call it good.
Except, y'know, you don't get the benefits.

[Arael666]

Strongarm bracers, cheap and lets you use a weapon one size category larger than you. It's basicaly the monkey grip feat but in form of an item and without the annoying -2 penalty.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Except, y'know, you don't get the benefits.

That's right, I was thinking it was just an XP penalty.

In any case, bloodline levels don't increase your character level, they don't even count for how much xp you need to level up, but they don't count toward gaining the next level of your Bloodline benefits. He would need twelve actual class levels to get the Oversized Weapon ability from it, in addition to his Bloodline levels. The benefits of a major bloodline are so minor I wouldn't give it more than a +1 CR increase, though.

[Starchild7309]

OK so I looked into it more and the bloodline doesn't really help. It gives me oversized weapon, but since I am starting with a medium sized creature that only brings it up to large sized weapon. The titan gets the gargantuan warhammer because he is huge. I am guessing there is no way to get a medium creature with a huge or bigger weapon thats at least fairly accurate. At least not within the rules of 3.5. I could go with the strong arm bracers to get to large, but thats about as far as I can see it going. Any other ideas?

[Extra Anchovies]

OK so I looked into it more and the bloodline doesn't really help. It gives me oversized weapon, but since I am starting with a medium sized creature that only brings it up to large sized weapon. The titan gets the gargantuan warhammer because he is huge. I am guessing there is no way to get a medium creature with a huge or bigger weapon thats at least fairly accurate. At least not within the rules of 3.5. I could go with the strong arm bracers to get to large, but thats about as far as I can see it going. Any other ideas?

Well, you *are* the DM. What you say goes, and there's not much way for the PCs to determine exactly how an NPC is able to do some task or another, so they won't really question it if you give him the bracers, bloodline, and/or some combination of feats and give him a weapon for a Huge creature.

[Zaq]

The Enlarge Weapon spell (Complete Scoundrel) lets you bump up a weapon by 1 size category. It won't stack with other magical increases, but if you're already wielding a Large weapon by means of Monkey Grip/Powerful Build/Strongarm Bracers, it'll make it Huge.

Greater Mighty Wallop (Races of the Dragon) doesn't increase the size of the weapon itself, but it does increase the damage as though the size had increased, and unlike most other sources of weapon biggification, it applies several effective size increases. You're the GM, so you'd be totally within your rights to say that Greater Mighty Wallop increases the visual size of the weapon as well as the damage (though don't let it get extra reach or anything, or else the PCs will want to use it too).

[Giddonihah]

There's a spell that increases Blunt weapon Damage by several size categories. Its name escapes me at the moment, but you could easily fluff it as literally increasing a weapons size several categories but without all the issues with wielding it.

edit: Mighty Wallop. To justify you just take this flavor "The head of the weapon you touch is suddenly encased in a filmy halo that only you can see, extending out from the weapon to a distance of several inches." and switch the 'only you can see' part out, or just make it a growth effect.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

OK so I looked into it more and the bloodline doesn't really help. It gives me oversized weapon, but since I am starting with a medium sized creature that only brings it up to large sized weapon. The titan gets the gargantuan warhammer because he is huge. I am guessing there is no way to get a medium creature with a huge or bigger weapon thats at least fairly accurate. At least not within the rules of 3.5. I could go with the strong arm bracers to get to large, but thats about as far as I can see it going. Any other ideas?

The Major Titan Bloodline (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm#titan) gives you "Use oversized weapon (Ex)" which functions "As the titan special ability." Let's look at the Titan (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/titan.htm) ability of the same name:

Oversized Weapon (Ex)
A titan wields a great, two-handed warhammer (big enough for Gargantuan creatures) without penalty.

A character with this bloodline can wield a two-handed warhammer sized for a Gargantuan creature without penalty. Gargantuan, not up one size. A diminutive size Psicrystal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/psicrystal.htm) could use this to wield a gargantuan wooden mallet, preferably pulled from a glove of storing in the style of Animaniacs.

[Flickerdart]

OK so I looked into it more and the bloodline doesn't really help. It gives me oversized weapon, but since I am starting with a medium sized creature that only brings it up to large sized weapon. The titan gets the gargantuan warhammer because he is huge.
No. The text of the ability is "A titan wields a great, two-handed warhammer (big enough for Gargantuan creatures) without penalty." It makes absolutely no difference what size the titan is. This is very clearly intended because the Change Shape ability says "A titan can assume the form of any Small or Medium humanoid. The titan retains its oversized weapon special attack regardless of form."

Since a Medium-shaped Titan still keeps the Gargantuan hammer, there's no reason to disallow the bloodline from getting Oversized Weapon as written.