Large creatures, reach, and polearms

[Ancalagon]

Hello.

I am planning an encounter for my game and I am struggling with a rules aspect.

The party will be fighting giant like foes. What is the reach for a large humanoid? For a huge one?

If they are wielding a reach weapon like a pike, how much more reach do they gain? Could a huge pike give you more than an extra 5 feet?

Thanks,

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[Oofta]

Reach is always specified in the monster's stat block.

For example, Fire Giant
Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (6d6 + 7) slashing damage.

As far as reach for giant pikes, etc I'd simply follow the same type of rule they have for damage dice in the DMG under custom monsters

Big monsters typically wield oversized weapons that
deal extra dice of damage on a hit. Double the weapon
dice if the creature is Large, triple the weapon dice if it's
Huge, and quadruple the weapon dice if it's Gargantuan.
For example, a Huge giant wielding an appropriately
sized greataxe deals 3dl2 slashing damage (plus its
Strength bonus), instead of the normal dl2.
​

So 20 ft for large, 30 for huge, etc

 

[jasper]

All giants are huge and have 10 feet reach. A pike gives you 5 feet. So that 15 feet with a medium size pike. I would have no problems with a huge pike giving 10 feet of reach. So a giant with a huge pike would have 20 feet of reach.
ogres are large and have a 5 foot reach. OUCH!
edit. I like the other guys post more better. How playing in blood bowl for the new jersey giant, Gerry Giant with his 20 foot pike. ouch ouch ouch

 

[Oofta]

All giants are huge and have 10 feet reach. A pike gives you 5 feet. So that 15 feet with a medium size pike. I would have no problems with a huge pike giving 10 feet of reach. So a giant with a huge pike would have 20 feet of reach.
ogres are large and have a 5 foot reach. OUCH!

Good point about ogres. I've never understood why they only have 5 ft reach myself ... I guess they're just big enough to qualify as large.

So I should amend my statement ... base it on the reach the creature currently has and look at the multiplier for their standard weapon. The fire giant doubles normal reach for a sword so a halberd would also double, a stone giant has 15 ft reach with a club so 30 feet with the halberd.

 

[jasper]

I missed that stone giants are the only ones with 15 feet reach with giant club. So the question now is does a giant club have reach. Or do those weird stoners have very lanky arms?

 

[aco175]

You can give them their grid size in reach. Medium characters are 5x5 and gain an extra 5ft reach. Large creatures are 10x10 on a grid and gain 10ft reach. A huge creature 20ft.

 

[jaelis]

End of the day, I don't think there are any rules for how larger creatures interact with reach weapons. So do what seems best!

 

[Sunseeker]

You can give them their grid size in reach. Medium characters are 5x5 and gain an extra 5ft reach. Large creatures are 10x10 on a grid and gain 10ft reach. A huge creature 20ft.

This is how I always thought it worked.

 

[Ancalagon]

This is how I always thought it worked.

That is the thing that baffles me: where is the rule? I can't find it.

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[GMMichael]

That is the thing that baffles me: where is the rule? I can't find it.

Rulings, not rules.

Or, the GM asks: what ruling would make for the best scene?