Rune Knight Weapons and Size Increase

[Dragonsonthemap]

When the Rune Knight increases their size, "everything they're wearing" also becomes Large, and they get a once-a-turn damage bonus. Do their weapons also count as Large, and do they therefore also deal more damage, in addition to the damage bonus specifically noted in the ability? Or is that ability damage bonus replacing the bonus for using a Large weapon?

[PhantomSoul]

When the Rune Knight increases their size, "everything they're wearing" also becomes Large, and they get a once-a-turn damage bonus. Do their weapons also count as Large, and do they therefore also deal more damage, in addition to the damage bonus specifically noted in the ability? Or is that ability damage bonus replacing the bonus for using a Large weapon?

They get exactly and only the damage bonus described (just like the Enlarge/Reduce spell gives only and exactly the damage bonus it describes).

[stoutstien]

When the Rune Knight increases their size, "everything they're wearing" also becomes Large, and they get a once-a-turn damage bonus. Do their weapons also count as Large, and do they therefore also deal more damage, in addition to the damage bonus specifically noted in the ability? Or is that ability damage bonus replacing the bonus for using a Large weapon?

There really isn't a weapon size/Damage relationship like past editions. The DMG uses giant weapon literally as a game reason for a Npc to deal X damage. It adds the damage it says in the feature much like the enlarge/reduce spell does.

[hitchhike79]

There really isn't a weapon size/Damage relationship like past editions. The DMG uses giant weapon literally as a game reason for a Npc to deal X damage. It adds the damage it says in the feature much like the enlarge/reduce spell does.

Its actually under powered a bit for the Rune Knight, each attack should do more vs just 1d6 a round.
Even more so when you go gargantuan... you should literally be hitting like a house, having massive push when you hit anything as well


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 attack with them deal 1d4 extra damage.

[Zhorn]

As a house rule, I've always been inclined to make size-modifying buffs add a damage dice of the weapon's type (be it enlarge, giant's might, or other) in such a fashion to be more consistent with the DMG monster weapon size rules, to a minimum of a 1d4 increase.
This is mostly for my preference on having a consistent ruling, so when stuff happens in game I'm only remembering one rule rather than 4+ different rules.

[stoutstien]

Its actually under powered a bit for the Rune Knight, each attack should do more vs just 1d6 a round.
Even more so when you go gargantuan... you should literally be hitting like a house, having massive push when you hit anything as well


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 attack with them deal 1d4 extra damage.

RKs bonus damage from Giants might is small but I'd rather it be that and have all the other toys it's get than it just being any other fighter subclass that just does more damage.

[Kwinza]

Just gonna say this;

Increasing your size in 5e is in every way a nerf and I have no idea why anyone ever does it.
The sum total of the changes are, you do a tiny bit more damage and take up 4 times the space.
In practical terms, you become 4 times as likely to be hit but you become no tankier and the tiny damage buff is nowhere near enough to compensate for that.

[stoutstien]

Just gonna say this;

Increasing your size in 5e is in every way a nerf and I have no idea why anyone ever does it.
The sum total of the changes are, you do a tiny bit more damage and take up 4 times the space.
In practical terms, you become 4 times as likely to be hit but you become no tankier and the tiny damage buff is nowhere near enough to compensate for that.
RK deal with incoming damage quite well. Between resistance, redirecting attacks, adv/disadv manipulation, hard CC, and beging a fighter they want NPCs to target them.

You also increase the types of NPCs you can lock down with grappling and just basic area denial.

[Contrast]

I have no idea why anyone ever does it.

I mean most importantly, its cool. I like it when my characters do things that look/sound cool.

As noted though RKs get a lot of defensive abilities (including BPS resistance) that means its often good tactics to encourage enemies to target you instead of other people in the party. Plus your zone of control for reach/generating opportunity attacks is much larger which has positive synergy with things like Sentinel and PAM (if you're using a reach weapon your area of influence for attacks just went from a 15ft cube to a 25ft cube) which are pretty popular fighter feats.

[hitchhike79]

Just gonna say this;

Increasing your size in 5e is in every way a nerf and I have no idea why anyone ever does it.
The sum total of the changes are, you do a tiny bit more damage and take up 4 times the space.
In practical terms, you become 4 times as likely to be hit but you become no tankier and the tiny damage buff is nowhere near enough to compensate for that.


Your not wrong.

BUT, if your DM plays by the rules the Rune Knight can wreck face using the large size to grapple medium and small things and throwing them around with the Advantage on Str Checks.
If they design maps with large drop offs or deep rivers/lakes they learn quickly how bad the RK can make their scenarios by dropping someone off a ledge or punting them into a river.
AND if your DM is awesome the intimidation of a giant sized Gnome/Dwarf/Lizardfolk... etc should be at advantage.
THEN lets talk about your reach now that your large sized, you have doubled the amount of area you can cover to hit things or if your using the sentinel feat, stop people from moving around you.
LASTLY you can double up... get someone to enlarge you and then do your RK ability and be come HUGE!
Things get crazy from there in the right scenarios where you can get that big.

Yes its not perfect to get big, but who doesnt love to Hulk out now and then.

[Hytheter]

Being large also doubles the size of the choke points you can hold.

[Chronos]

Getting hit more is exactly what "being more tanky" means. You're a fighter: You should already have good armor and HP. Which does you no good if enemies are targeting the squishy wizard instead of you.

[Chronic]

Getting hit more is exactly what "being more tanky" means. You're a fighter: You should already have good armor and HP. Which does you no good if enemies are targeting the squishy wizard instead of you.
As you said, it's not a bug, it's a feature.

[CMCC]

Treantmonk did a vid on this exact topic.

Sometimes size increase increases damage. In this case it does not.

[Glorthindel]

I mean most importantly, its cool. I like it when my characters do things that look/sound cool.

My Dragonborn Conquest Paladin keeps a couple of Enlarge potions just for this reason, because when you want to be Intimidating, a 12-foot tall Dragonborn is going to cause some soiled trousers.

[Sigreid]

Will let you wrestle with Huge and eventually Gargantuan opponents though if you want to go full WWE in your campaign.

[BerzerkerUnit]

The actual rule is “DM ruling.”

A player that uses giant’s might and drinks an enlarge potion, the wrestles the fire giant’s great sword away from them will do however much damage the DM thinks is right.

In a climactic fight with the fire giant king? I’d be inclined to let you have the full 8d8 per hit, right up until you say you’re going to hire a bunch of goons to cart it around with you, then it’s hax and I’m going to just kill your PC and have you roll up something else to try and break.

There’s no rule in Giant’s might that details weapon size increase doing more damage, same for Enlarge/Reduce. There’s a flat die bonus representing your greater mass.

However, it also isn’t made clear in the MM exactly how monster weapon damage scales. It seems to be double/double again if Fire Giant Greatswords and Ogre Great Clubs are to the measure.

[Person_Man]

Just gonna say this;

Increasing your size in 5e is in every way a nerf and I have no idea why anyone ever does it.
The sum total of the changes are, you do a tiny bit more damage and take up 4 times the space.
In practical terms, you become 4 times as likely to be hit but you become no tankier and the tiny damage buff is nowhere near enough to compensate for that.

Battlefield control. In Dungeons and Dragons, a lot of combat occurs in dungeons, or other narrow passages. Getting bigger can make it extremely difficult for enemies to attack your allies standing behind you.

Also, as a matter of practical game design, size increases in some previous editions were completely broken, and also very confusing and fiddly. Presumably the devs knew this, and purposefully kept it simple. See also, the Grapple rules.