Longest Reach I could possibly get with a melee weapon

[kiwi5ucker]

I'm building a new character and I want it to be really silly, and so far the character is a lvl 1 bugbear fighter with a halberd. with bugbears long arms, reach from the halberd, and then occasionally lunge from the martial maneuver. thats 20 ft you can swing a halberd away from you, and with polearm master you can hit them with an opportunity attack whenever somebody comes within 15 ft of you. the rest of the character is just a breastplate for stealth to get the extra 2d6 in as many combats as possible. Is there any other ways in other classes through multiclassing I could get even longer range? I want to make it as absurd as possible

[Theaitetos]

The Enlarge/Reduce spell increases your size by 1 category (Medium --> Large), so you can cover a lot more ground with that long reach.

[MrStabby]

Depending on your meaning of weapon, thorn whip or spiritual weapon spells could work.

Otherwise I think the battlemaster might have a lunging attack?

[Dienekes]

I'm building a new character and I want it to be really silly, and so far the character is a lvl 1 bugbear fighter with a halberd. with bugbears long arms, reach from the halberd, and then occasionally lunge from the martial maneuver. thats 20 ft you can swing a halberd away from you, and with polearm master you can hit them with an opportunity attack whenever somebody comes within 15 ft of you. the rest of the character is just a breastplate for stealth to get the extra 2d6 in as many combats as possible. Is there any other ways in other classes through multiclassing I could get even longer range? I want to make it as absurd as possible

Just a reminder, Bugbear’s long arms and Battlemaster’s lunge don’t work on Opportunity Attacks.

[Zetakya]

It doesn't add extra reach, but the synergy with Sentinel makes it an obvious pick.

Edit: Also Tunnel Fighter fighting style, if you are allowed that UA.

[carrdrivesyou]

I might suggest the Rune Knight fighter UA if its allowed at your table. Giant's Might increases your size by one category, increasing reach by 5ft. This stacks with Enlarge/Reduce, so have your friendly wizard put that up if possible. Take the Martial Adept feat, grab Lunge.

Here's the math:
Bugbear base: 10ft
Reach weapon: +5ft
Giant's Might: +5ft
Enlarge Person" +5ft
Lunge: +5ft

So that's a 30ft range on your turn (not including OP attacks) with your halberd. It's a bit resource intensive, and a bit obnoxious, but it works.

[JackPhoenix]

I might suggest the Rune Knight fighter UA if its allowed at your table. Giant's Might increases your size by one category, increasing reach by 5ft. This stacks with Enlarge/Reduce, so have your friendly wizard put that up if possible. Take the Martial Adept feat, grab Lunge.

Here's the math:
Bugbear base: 10ft
Reach weapon: +5ft
Giant's Might: +5ft
Enlarge Person" +5ft
Lunge: +5ft

So that's a 30ft range on your turn (not including OP attacks) with your halberd. It's a bit resource intensive, and a bit obnoxious, but it works.

Giant's Might doesn't give you extra reach. Neither does Enlarge Person.

[MaxWilson]

I'm building a new character and I want it to be really silly, and so far the character is a lvl 1 bugbear fighter with a halberd. with bugbears long arms, reach from the halberd, and then occasionally lunge from the martial maneuver. thats 20 ft you can swing a halberd away from you, and with polearm master you can hit them with an opportunity attack whenever somebody comes within 15 ft of you. the rest of the character is just a breastplate for stealth to get the extra 2d6 in as many combats as possible. Is there any other ways in other classes through multiclassing I could get even longer range? I want to make it as absurd as possible

A Bugbear Battlemaster 3/Moon Druid 4 could wildshape into a Giant Octopus and grapple things with its tentacles from 25' away via Lunging Attack.

At Battlemaster 3/Moon Druid 17 you could Shapechange into a dragon and hit things 30' away with your tail.

That's the best I can do for you--I got nothing else to add. : (

[kiwi5ucker]

Giant's Might doesn't give you extra reach. Neither does Enlarge Person.

It does make your character wider and longer, effectively increasing the area in which your character can reach. I drew it out on paper and it basically gave you 16 more blocks in a square grid system when you went from medium to large

[carrdrivesyou]

It does make your character wider and longer, effectively increasing the area in which your character can reach. I drew it out on paper and it basically gave you 16 more blocks in a square grid system when you went from medium to large

While I understand the arguments against it, I strongly advocate RAI over RAW in this instance. Your character's reach ought to be determined beginning from the start of your own space; therefore, the larger you are, the further you reach.

[Brawnspear]

If you have access to the latest Mystic UA, the Giant Growth Discipline gives +5 ft reach when you are focused on it, it's 2 cost power gives an additional +5 ft reach, and it's 7 cost power gives +10 ft reach. To stack on top of a polearm wielding bugbear you get 20 without cost, or 25 when you enlarge yourself, or 30 when you enhugify.

[kiwi5ucker]

If you have access to the latest Mystic UA, the Giant Growth Discipline gives +5 ft reach when you are focused on it, it's 2 cost power gives an additional +5 ft reach, and it's 7 cost power gives +10 ft reach. To stack on top of a polearm wielding bugbear you get 20 without cost, or 25 when you enlarge yourself, or 30 when you enhugify.

Using this UA you cang get:
normal: 5ft
long arms: +5ft
polearm reach: +5ft
lunge: +5ft
focus on growth disipline: +5ft
giant form dicipline: +10ft and become huge
enlarge spell, after using the giant form dicipline: become gargantuan

this gives you a range of 30ft, 35 while lunging, and makes your character 4 by 4. very gamey, silly, and a lot of fun

[Man_Over_Game]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Fist of the Fire Snake, from Four Elements.

+10 to reach for the turn, better than the polearm's +5.

[kiwi5ucker]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Fist of the Fire Snake, from Four Elements.

+10 to reach for the turn, better than the polearm's +5.

thats because i forgot that subclass exists because its so so bad. that would be a decent option for this if mystic didnt give me 15 feet and a bunch of other really really good options for abilities, and since its only prerequisite is INT, a bugbear character only needs to invest in STR and INT and maybe some CON to be viable. adding wisdom into the mix will be difficult

[JackPhoenix]

It does make your character wider and longer, effectively increasing the area in which your character can reach. I drew it out on paper and it basically gave you 16 more blocks in a square grid system when you went from medium to large

Not really. It increases the area covered by the reach, true, but it doesn't allow you to reach any further from your space. It's just that you take more space yourself.


While I understand the arguments against it, I strongly advocate RAI over RAW in this instance. Your character's reach ought to be determined beginning from the start of your own space; therefore, the larger you are, the further you reach.

Your reach *is* determined by the space you occupy. However, that doesn't give you extra reach when you're larger, as reach isn't determined by creature size, and bigger area covered by your reach isn't the same thing as longer reach.

[Theaitetos]

Not really. It increases the area covered by the reach, true, but it doesn't allow you to reach any further from your space. It's just that you take more space yourself.

Your reach *is* determined by the space you occupy. However, that doesn't give you extra reach when you're larger, as reach isn't determined by creature size, and bigger area covered by your reach isn't the same thing as longer reach.

Does your reach cover more area when your size is bigger? Yes. Thus, your reach is longer. {Scrubbed}

[Man_Over_Game]

Does your reach cover more area when your size is bigger? Yes. Thus, your reach is longer. Don't be a pedant.

Is "Reach" how much area you can threaten, or is "Reach" how far away an enemy can be to attack them?

5e uses the second interpretation in pretty much everything that mentions the word "reach".

Not saying the original suggestion isn't relevant for a "reach" build, but saying someone is only "technically right" would have more impact if something implied they were wrong. Most Large creatures have a Reach of 5 feet, not 7.5 or 10.

[JackPhoenix]

Does your reach cover more area when your size is bigger? Yes. Thus, your reach is longer. Don't be a pedant.

It's not. Enlarged ogre rune knight using Giant's Might (if there was such a thing) may be gargantuan creature, covering 30'x30' area between the space it occupies (20' square) and its 5' reach, but a halfling with a pike (and Polearm Master/Sentinel, OAs that stop movement when something enters his reach) would be able to poke it to death in melee without the fear of retaliation if he takes few steps back each round. The ogre's reach would also allow it to attack enemies in 20 5' spaces, while the halfling's would allow it to attack 24 5' spaces, even though the entire area is only 25'x25'.

While such scenario is unlikely to come up in actual game, it should be sufficient proof that increased size is not the same thing as extra reach.

[GentlemanVoodoo]

I'm building a new character and I want it to be really silly, and so far the character is a lvl 1 bugbear fighter with a halberd. with bugbears long arms, reach from the halberd, and then occasionally lunge from the martial maneuver. thats 20 ft you can swing a halberd away from you, and with polearm master you can hit them with an opportunity attack whenever somebody comes within 15 ft of you. the rest of the character is just a breastplate for stealth to get the extra 2d6 in as many combats as possible. Is there any other ways in other classes through multiclassing I could get even longer range? I want to make it as absurd as possible

Class wise look at the hunter ranger. The level 7 feature has the option to hit more than one target in an attack.

[Theaitetos]

Does your reach cover more area when your size is bigger?


It's not.

{Scrubbed}

[JackPhoenix]

{Scrub the post, scrub the quote}

Good idea. Wait, 24 squares for 10' reach is still more than 20 squares from being 3 size categories larger... I guess reach is better for increasing threatened area than increasing size, just like I've said. Are you sure I'm the one who should be rerolling ability checks?

[Galithar]

Good idea. Wait, 24 squares for 10' reach is still more than 20 squares from being 3 size categories larger... I guess reach is better for increasing threatened area than increasing size, just like I've said. Are you sure I'm the one who should be rerolling ability checks?

But increasing both is even more betterer.

Also Jack is right... Reach is the distance between the edge of your space and the farthest space you can hit. Increasing the space you occupy allows you to threaten more spaces but it certainly doesn't increase your reach. The thread title is "Longest reach..." Not "How to threaten to most area in combat" so while mentioning the benefito of increasing size are valid, it's NOT increasing your reach at all.

[Belzique]

Unearthed Arcana's Primeval Guardian conclave for the ranger has an increase in reach of 5 feet as part of its 3rd level feature Guardian Soul. Ranger has horrible multiclass requirements though.

Unearthed Arcana's Giant Soul origin for the sorcerer also has an increase in reach of 5 feet as part of its 14th level feature Rage of Fallen Ostoria, but that's a very high level and it only lasts for 1 minute (1/SR).

[Theaitetos]

Does your reach cover more area when your size is bigger?


Also Jack is right...

{Scrubbed}

[Galithar]

{Scrub the post, scrub the quote}

Covering more area and increasing reach are not the same thing. Your failure to understand that reach is a game statistic separate from size doesn't change anything.

[col_impact]

Avernus has something that permanently gives a boost to reach.

[RSP]

Just pointing out that asking a Wizard party member to constantly cast Enlarge on you probably puts you in the running for worst friend/party mate ever: have you seen what else they’re capable of with their Concentration?

[Theaitetos]

Covering more area and increasing reach are not the same thing. Your failure to understand that reach is a game statistic separate from size doesn't change anything.

Does your reach cover more area when your size is bigger?

[Galithar]

Does your reach cover more area when your size is bigger?

Repeat yourself all you want. The actual question is "Can you hit a target that is farther away from you when your size increases" the answer in without question NO. Quit trying to move the goalposts.

Edit: No one has argued that you can't cover more area (I've actually explicitly stated you can) but that doesn't change your REACH at all.

[BurgerBeast]

Does your reach cover more area when your size is bigger?

Yes, but your reach is not increased.

Reach is linear.

The area increases, but area is not reach.

{scrubbed}

[HolyDraconus]

Doesn't the whip have better range than the polearm?

[Theaitetos]

Repeat yourself all you want.

{Scrubbed}


Yes

Thanks. {Scrubbed}

On-topic:
A sorcerer's Distant metamagic can come in handy if you're using spells like Booming Blade with your long reach weapon, as the spell range would otherwise limit the max distance you can hit. Similarly, the Spell Sniper feat can help in this situation as well.

[truemane]

Metamagic Mod: Closed for Review

[truemane]

Metamagic Mod: Thread re-opened. Everyone please remember that accusing people of arguing in bad faith is against the Forum Rules, as is name calling, as is equating a disagreement with not reading or understanding a post.