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For example, suppose that the BBG is a Fighter that uses an oversized (Large) Estoc (threat range 18-20) and has taken Improved Critical to make it 15-20/x2. Entering said BBG's appropriately ominous oversized room, the party notices what appears to be a Gargantuan sword in the corner. Combat starts. BBG uses an item that gives him Giant Form II, as a Storm Giant.

BBG is now Huge with the ability to pick up the Gargantuan Estoc and wield it as long as he uses 2 hands. AFAIK his threat range is still 15-20 but the Estoc's point is likely nearly the size of a medium creature's torso.

A similar dissonance exists between Medium creatures and Tiny or smaller creatures as well as an inverse when a tiny creature attempts to perform a devastating attack on something magnitudes of size larger than themself.

My question is, are there any rules that affect your ability to land critical threats when the difference between size of weapon and target are so exaggerated?

Ifusaso
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1 Answers1

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No, there isn't

The fact that the weapon is Huge or Gangantuan is already reflected in the weapon's damage. Because the weapon's damage is higher, whenever a critical hit is scored the resulting damage will also be higher.

For example, a Medium estoc deals 2d4 points of damage (average 5) and possesses an 18-20 critical range. A critical hit deals 4d4 damage (average 10). If the weapon's size is increased to Gargantuan, it deals 2d8 points of damage (1d10 Large, 2d6 Huge, etc.) (average 9), and on a critical hit it deals 4d8 points of damage (average 18).

The weapon's average damage is nearly twice that of the Medium version. This is the result of the weapon being larger than normal.

Remember that a hit does not mean that the weapon's pierced through the target's chest (aka impaling). That would most likely be the last hit that bought the target bellow 0 hp, but how you describe and roleplay attacks are left at GM discretion.

A greataxe is also normally as large as a medium-sized creature's chest, but when you score a critical hit, this "desvastating" attack is reflected on the higher critical multiplier (x3), so what would deal 1d12 (average 6), will now deal 3d12 (average 19). Which, if this is enough to kill the target instantly, will probably result in the kind of scene you had in mind.

ShadowKras
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  • Great answer. I believed I knew already, but I was just thinking it funny that a piercing weapon (whose high threat rate is based on it being easier to try to impale things) doesn't get altered when it's larger or against a small target and wanted to make sure there weren't rule(s) I was missing. One small thing, the damage dice for Estoc were off, based on this answer or more simply this chart (see Falchion) – Ifusaso May 03 '17 at 23:32
  • The answer i linked shows the up-to-date chart. 2d4 counts as 1d8 on the chart. – ShadowKras May 04 '17 at 00:30
  • I used the same chart... you missed one aspect, the instructions. (Read as: good willed sarcasm) Each size increase goes up 2 slots on the chart, when you start at 1d6 or greater. – Ifusaso May 04 '17 at 03:55