Reincarnation help

[tim01300]

Quick question about reincarnation. A player in my game went from a elf to a goblin when he was reincarnated. His strength was 16 as an elf. When he comes back he loses -2 strength for being a goblin so he is at 14. Does he lose another -4 for being a small creature now? Putting him at 10? I thought no, but players say yes?

[Seclora]

Pretty sure that you don't. Goblin Str modifier is almost certainly calculated with their size in mind. The size modifiers for abilities are more for enlarge/reduce person and monster creation rules.

Unless they really desperately wanted to enfeeble themselves, in which case they're welcome to cut their own throats, metaphorically speaking.

[Malimar]

I don't see a size penalty to strength mentioned under the goblin's racial traits (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/goblin.htm). I don't see any mention of size penalties under the reincarnate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/reincarnate.htm) spell. The Size Increases (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#sizeIncreases) section only appears to apply to improving a monster by advancing its hit dice.

Ask your players to point out where, exactly, it says that you gain a strength penalty when Reincarnate changes your size. I think they will find themselves unable to do so.

[Chronikoce]

Tell him to compare making a goblin at level 1 and the elf at level 1. You don't take the racial -2 Strength and then apply a further strength penalty due to size. You just build your character assuming your die roll/point buy number then adjust using the racial stat modifiers.

[KillianHawkeye]

Ask your players to point out where, exactly, it says that you gain a strength penalty when Reincarnate changes your size. I think they will find themselves unable to do so.

^ Yeah, pretty much this.

Your players seem to be getting confused by other rules that don't apply in this situation.