Using Smaller Sized Characters as Weapons

[shadowdemon_lord]

I have a character in the Living Arcanis campaign who now gets to have an enlarge person spell cast on him as part of his suite of rage abilities. Now, I've been toying with various ideas for how to use/abuse the advantages of being large (mainly thinking about the spiked chain) for a while now. But it just occured to me that I could do something else with this character, start weilding NPC's as weapons! Being a rage tank, this character of course has an astronomical grapple check (it's +29 at 13th level, and can go to +33) I was wondering what the rules for picking up enemy combatants and swinging them around are.

[Kyeudo]

Look at the Throw Enemy line of feats, because thats the closest rules I can think of to dealing with an NPC as a weapon. I like the style, but its hard on the rules.

[Ne0]

...an awesome idea!
Well, it's definitely an improvised weapon. But apart from the aforementoined Throw enemy feats, I think you'll have to be houseruling a large part. If you do find a good system for this, please post it on here!

[Toliudar]

You could also check out the "Really Throw Anything" ability of the Hulking Hurler from Complete Warrior. Grapple and do damage one round, take out a square 40' away the next.

[shadowdemon_lord]

I was hoping for rules a bit more core oriented. Guess I should have specified that. Living Arcanis is put on by a third party publisher, so they make all their own rules. WotC told them they couldn't use the splat books anymore when they converted to v3.5. Still, I'll look at the improvised weapons rules. It might work as in, intiate a grapple, grapple again to get into a situation where you can be holding the smaller character as a weapon. This wouldn't really do much to restrict spell casting I guess (althought might require concentration checks, maybe use the casting defensively mechanic?). The damage dealt would go to both the target and the weapon :). That's the sweet part. I bet if I got a judge to agree on the exact mechanics of this, I could pile on massive damage. I power attack with the human that I'm weilding in two hands .

[MCerberus]

I think you'd need to take Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Short People) or take the -4.

[nobodylovesyou4]

well, it would definitely be bludgeoning, probably around 1d8-1d10 damage, but it does damage to both. that sounds fair to me.

[BardicDuelist]

We always ruled it this way, but keep in mind that this IS NOT RAW, and is based on DM arbitration:

ONCE GRAPPLING

1. Successful Grapple check allows you to lift enemy (if your Str allows, check table in PHB to see if you can lift your enemy).

2. Make ranged attack roll (maximum distance is 5xStr modifier), ranged incrimant is 5ft. Thrown Person's Dex modifier is a penalty to the roll (becaue they squirm). For every 5 ranks in tumble the person being thrown has, take annother -1 penalty. -4 for being improvised as well.

3. Damage equals 1d8 per size category of thrown person after small (small 1d8, medium 2d8, etc) +1.5 Str. If hit and target is within one size category of thrown person, target and thrown person fall prone in adjacent squares. Both thrown person and target take damage.

It was meant to be difficult, but the knockdown effect is considered the payoff in this situation.

[Lochar]

Grapple check to not be in a grapple yourself gives a -20 modifier, and you must grapple someone at least 1 size category yourself.

I'd rule that their total weight must be less that your light load.

Damage would be a d6 per every 30 pounds or so and deals lethal damage to both weapon and target.

Shorties wearing metal armor deal d8, take subdual damage, but are paralyzed for one round per two points of damage they cause from the armor banging them around.

[daggaz]

Yeah, you are gonna have a hard time doing this, mostly cuz they will (and deserve) to fight back the whole time.

First win the grapple. Then I would say you need to pin them. Then I would say you need to be at least two sizes larger than the oppenent, and they have to be light enough that your str can handle picking them up over your head. (not that you will do that, its just a good weight limit). Then you could start swinging them as an improvised weapon (bludgeon damage to both them and the target), except each round you will need to roll a grapple check to maintain the grapple, and you will need to take a penalty because you aren't really grappling them effectively anymore... I would say the -20 thing mentioned above (this SHOULD be hard). Also, there isnt anything you can do to stop them from attacking you with a light weapon in the meantime. If you want to actually move with them, you need to go back to the moving in a grapple rules, and do that.

[shadowdemon_lord]

Thanks guys, I think you've given me a good framework to work with. I'll see just how viable it is.