Enlarge/Reduce Questions

[Stone-Ears]

So for ease, the Spell description is below



Level: 2nd

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range/Area: 30 ft

Components: V, S, M *

Duration: Concentration 1 Minute

School: Transmutation

Attack/Save: CON Save

Damage/Effect: Buff


You cause a creature or an object you can see within range to grow larger or smaller for the duration. Choose either a creature or an object that is neither worn nor carried. If the target is unwilling, it can make a Constitution saving throw. On a success, the spell has no effect.

If the target is a creature, everything it is wearing and carrying changes size with it. Any item dropped by an affected creature returns to normal size at once.

Enlarge. The target's size doubles in all dimensions, and its weight is multiplied by eight. This growth increases its size by one category-- from Medium to Large, for example. If there isn't enough room for the target to double its size, the creature or object attains the maximum possible size in the space available. Until the spell ends, the target also has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. The target's weapons also grow to match its new size. While these weapons are enlarged, the target's attacks with them deal 1d4 extra damage.

Reduce. The target's size is halved in all dimensions, and its weight is reduced to one-eighth of normal. This reduction decreases its size by one category--from Medium to Small, for example. Until the spell ends, the target also has disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. The target's weapons also shrink to match its new size. While these weapons are reduced, the target's attacks with them deal 1d4 less damage (this can't reduce the damage below 1).


My questions are as follows

1. Can I cast enlarge on myself?
Answer as I think it is: Seems to be no because it has a range of 30 feet and I'm not sure if that includes self

1A. If I can indeed cast enlarge on myself, does my reach become 10' instead of the normal 5'?

2. If I have a weapon that is thrown, does it retain its enlarged form or does it shrink back down to normal?
2A. Would a weapon that is larger be more likely to hit its target?

3. Would you recommend this spell for an eldritch knight fighter? If so, under what circumstances. If no, why not?

[Aett_Thorn]

So for ease, the Spell description is below



My questions are as follows

1. Can I cast enlarge on myself?
Answer as I think it is: Seems to be no because it has a range of 30 feet and I'm not sure if that includes self

1A. If I can indeed cast enlarge on myself, does my reach become 10' instead of the normal 5'?

2. If I have a weapon that is thrown, does it retain its enlarged form or does it shrink back down to normal?
2A. Would a weapon that is larger be more likely to hit its target?

3. Would you recommend this spell for an eldritch knight fighter? If so, under what circumstances. If no, why not?

1) Yes, you can target yourself

1A) No, since the spell doesn’t say that you do, and I don’t think that a larger reach is inherent in gaining a larger size.

2) Not sure, but I would say that it retains its size until after the attack lands, at which point it reverts to normal size.

2A) No, it doesn’t gain any bonus to hit.

3) Sure. An extra 1d4 damage on each attack, when you may have a bunch of attacks, can be very helpful.

[Stone-Ears]

1) Yes, you can target yourself

1A) No, since the spell doesn’t say that you do, and I don’t think that a larger reach is inherent in gaining a larger size.

3) Sure. An extra 1d4 damage on each attack, when you may have a bunch of attacks, can be very helpful.

1) Suhweeet
1A) Bummer, I was kinda hoping it did since, if i'm not mistaken, creatures of a size large has 10' reach so I thought that might be the case here as well even if the spell did not say so

3) You raise a good point, with multiple attacks, that 1d4 could very well add up very quickly and can be the difference between a dead baddie vs a very angry, very hurt baddie that wants your blood

[Aett_Thorn]

1) Suhweeet
1A) Bummer, I was kinda hoping it did since, if i'm not mistaken, creatures of a size large has 10' reach so I thought that might be the case here as well even if the spell did not say so



Take that part of my answer with a grain of salt. I’m away from book right now, so might be mistaken on that part. Attack reach is usually spelled out per attack, but I might not be remembering a section of the book that gives more general rules.

[Stone-Ears]

Take that part of my answer with a grain of salt. I’m away from book right now, so might be mistaken on that part. Attack reach is usually spelled out per attack, but I might not be remembering a section of the book that gives more general rules.

It's a reasonable thing to err on the side of only going for what the spell explicitly states. I just thought it odd that it didn't state this in the description of the spell so I was wondering if that was one of the things that was either assumed already to be known or assumed that all properties of being large would be conferred to the target.

I'm thinking of taking this for my second non-evocation or abjuration spell when I'm able to do so because it seems like fun to just grow in size and start wailing on my enemies and would also make me effectively the tank of an already super tanky party because it seems like if somebody just doubled in size right in front of you, you'd either be intimidated or try to kill me first and take care of the biggest threat (literally)

[Contrast]

3. Would you recommend this spell for an eldritch knight fighter? If so, under what circumstances. If no, why not?

Keep in mind its a concentration spell so you'll be needing to make a concentration check every time you're hit. It's a lot better to have cast on you than it is to have cast it yourself generally.

I would personally tend to encourage more utility or situational spells personally for your unrestricted options that might help you in a situation you'd otherwise struggle in as a fighter (Invisibility, Suggestion, Spider Climb, Misty Step, Alter Self, Detect Thoughts, Flock of Familiars are some examples) but a lot of that depends on how good your Int is as to if save spells are a viable option and the type of campaign you're in.

On the other hand if you want to occasionally just get huge and smash things, the spell is great and you'll have a great time using it :smallbiggrin:

[Quoz]

Great for grapplers (can now grab huge creatures, and have advantage). I also once used it to one shot a boss. He was doing a dramatic entrance, being carried by a pair of gargoyles onto our airship that was trying to cross over a lava moat.

[holywhippet]

I'd like to add an extra question based on this posting I started on Stack Exchange: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/154216/does-the-reduce-option-from-the-enlarge-reduce-spell-cause-a-critical-hit-to-do

It was my thought that, if you are enlarged, then the 1d4 bonus damage would, on a critical hit, become 2d4. But, by the same logic, if you were reduced, then, on a critical hit, you'd do 2d4 less damage.

There seems to be a lot of differing opinion about this though. Some people think yes, others think no, and the reasoning for each varies.

What does everyone else think?

[Aett_Thorn]

I'd like to add an extra question based on this posting I started on Stack Exchange: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/154216/does-the-reduce-option-from-the-enlarge-reduce-spell-cause-a-critical-hit-to-do

It was my thought that, if you are enlarged, then the 1d4 bonus damage would, on a critical hit, become 2d4. But, by the same logic, if you were reduced, then, on a critical hit, you'd do 2d4 less damage.

There seems to be a lot of differing opinion about this though. Some people think yes, others think no, and the reasoning for each varies.

What does everyone else think?

I was initially going to say yes to the Enlarge part of this, and no to the Reduce part, but looking over the spell again, I think that it would be yes to both. The spell causes the weapon itself to do more or less damage, adding damage dice to the weapon, which would be doubled. Including the damage dice that is removed from the attack’s damage.

[Stone-Ears]

I'd like to add an extra question based on this posting I started on Stack Exchange: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/154216/does-the-reduce-option-from-the-enlarge-reduce-spell-cause-a-critical-hit-to-do

It was my thought that, if you are enlarged, then the 1d4 bonus damage would, on a critical hit, become 2d4. But, by the same logic, if you were reduced, then, on a critical hit, you'd do 2d4 less damage.

There seems to be a lot of differing opinion about this though. Some people think yes, others think no, and the reasoning for each varies.

What does everyone else think?

I do feel like on a hit, that if you crit then the attack roll + the 1d4 damage would be doubled after summing up the extra damage to the original attack roll.

So if you rolled a 7 with a d8 and a 4 with a d4 you'd get 11 and then multiply that by 2 for 22 damage on the critical hit. This is how my table does it so I'm not sure if that's conventional or common with other tables.

Or are you saying that the Crit would have, in my example, a d8 and 2d4, sum that up and double it?

EDIT: Going back on the rules, it seems my DM just does this to speed up the process because we have a 2 players that take f******* forever to take their turns so disregard the doubling. I think It is reasonable to do 2d4 because the rogue gets to do it in the following excerpt:


When you score a critical hit, you get to roll extra dice for the attack’s damage against the target. Roll all of the attack’s damage dice twice and add them together. Then add any relevant modifiers as normal. To speed up play, you can roll all the damage dice at once.

For example, if you score a critical hit with a Dagger, roll 2d4 for the damage, rather than 1d4, and then add your relevant ability modifier. If the Attack involves other damage dice, such as from the rogue’s Sneak Attack feature, you roll those dice twice as well.

source of information: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Combat#content

[RickAllison]

Not all Large creatures have extended reach, it’s definitley on a per-creature basis. You may have doubled weapon length, but much of that is used in controlling your space.

If your DM uses the variant encumbrance rules, Enlarge + Grapple/climbing can cripple a ton of creatures. Turns out that carrying capacity doesn’t scale as fast as weight does (8x mass for Enlarge, which is the same multiplier for Gargantuan creatures), so 300 pounds climbing on even Tiamat’s or the tarrasque’s back will cripple their ability to function.

[Stone-Ears]

Not all Large creatures have extended reach, it’s definitley on a per-creature basis. You may have doubled weapon length, but much of that is used in controlling your space.

If your DM uses the variant encumbrance rules, Enlarge + Grapple/climbing can cripple a ton of creatures. Turns out that carrying capacity doesn’t scale as fast as weight does (8x mass for Enlarge, which is the same multiplier for Gargantuan creatures), so 300 pounds climbing on even Tiamat’s or the tarrasque’s back will cripple their ability to function.

Darn, I was hoping it also made reach a bit longer so that as an Eldritch Knight fighter I can wail on more things, further away, and hurt more.

Seems like Misty Step or Haste would be a better use of a 2nd level spell. I don't grapple with this character though it does give me ideas for future characters.

[Contrast]

Haste would be a better use of a 2nd level spell.

Haste would be an amazing use of a 2nd level spell, what with it being a 3rd level spell and all :smallwink:

[NNescio]

Haste would be an amazing use of a 2nd level spell, what with it being a 3rd level spell and all :smallwink:

Sometimes I miss 3.Xe with variable spell levels that depend on which class list the spell came from.

(Trapsmith had Haste as an L1 spell while most other people get it as an L3.)

Then I remember the old Artificer (who can arbitrarily emulate any spell from any class list and craft it into a magic item) and balk.

[RickAllison]

Sometimes I miss 3.Xe with variable spell levels that depend on which class list the spell came from.

(Trapsmith had Haste as an L1 spell while most other people get it as an L3.)

Then I remember the old Artificer (who can arbitrarily emulate any spell from any class list and craft it into a magic item) and balk.

I love crafting characters and would totally play that. My Pathfinder character was a druid who gave up a domain or companion to have potion-crafting. Vaporous Potions feat so I could throw them, reflavored the potions into food, and I was the Chef Who Yeets. It was amazing.

[Stone-Ears]

Haste would be an amazing use of a 2nd level spell, what with it being a 3rd level spell and all :smallwink:

Big oof, that's a good catch. I think I mixed it up accidentally with a list of spells I saw was suggested for EKs to take on another site. The only similar one I could take and might take is expeditious retreat.