Improvised Weapons: The Bigger the Better?

[Slipperychicken]

I want to make an 18 strength goliath barbarian with tavern brawler who uses big improvised weapons. He has a carry capacity of 540 pounds (18*15=270, and being a goliath doubled it to 540. He can lift 1080. When he hits 6th level, his carrying capacity will double again while raging), so carrying the objects shouldn't be a problem. Each fight, he'll pick up the biggest object in reach (up to and including tables, counters, beds, and other enemies) and use them to brutalize his enemies. This has lead me to some questions which don't seem to have been properly addressed by the rules. I already know the ultimate answer is "ask your DM", but I want to come to him with some kind of reasonable guidelines.




How would you translate carrying capacity into the size/weight of objects which can be used as improvised weapons? Bear in mind that this character is proficient with improvised weapons.

Would you assign damage dice greater than 1d4 for large improvised weapons? What kind of damage die would a chair do? What about a table? Or a bed? The rules say 1d4 for any object which doesn't resemble a weapon, but that doesn't seem to take big weapons like tables into consideration.

What size or weight of improvised weapon makes it worthy of the "Heavy" or "Two-Handed" tags?

How would you adjudicate an attempt to pick up a still-living enemy and swing it like a weapon at other enemies? How about throwing it? What if the enemy was small-sized?

[Giant2005]

For 1,2, and 3, I'd just eyeball it and judge it on a case by case basis. If Improvised Weapons was your entire thing, I'd let the damage scale all the way to a maximum of 2D6 - I'd basically use the stats of weapons for your damage and just figure out which weapon properties to attribute based on the size, density and shape of the improvised object.
As for number 4, I think I'd stick with the 1D4+strmod (And all relevant bonuses - Rage I am looking at you) damage but apply it to both opponents for each attack but if either of them has an AC high enough to dodge your attack roll, then you hit neither of them. And of course the person you are using as a weapon needs to be grappled and that grapple must be maintained.

[Gritmonger]

Consider that the bench and/or table that the character is swinging was not built for battle - it was built to sit on. Besides the ergonomic characteristics of use, there is how much damage it can withstand while doing damage - I might houserule that if the strength damage is twice or more the rolled damage, the object is destroyed by the impact. At 18, this means any time the character gets a 1 or 2 on the d4 roll, they are destroying both the item and doing damage to the opponent. A bit more spectacular as well, and means they can't lay about with one item and consider building a holster for a table.

Consider also that what a character can effectively swing as a weapon is not nearly as heavy as what they can carry and lift. Pare it down to 1/10th of Carry to figure roughly what they could swing and lay about with. So, 27 or 50 odd pounds. That might mean Small characters of the weight range of hobbits or gnomes might be usable as weapons.

If you want to heft and drop items, as in tossing a heavy object instead of swinging it like a sword or club, the classic in bar brawls where an enemy is tossed onto a bar or table, the range would be 10' and the damage still about the same, while if you're tossing something near your carrying capacity you could treat it like a minor deadfall trap and throw a Dex save in there or take extra damage from crushing.

[Ralanr]

I don't the the second bear totem requires rage to use. I don't think any of the six level totems do.