Size#
A creature or character’s size affects its attributes, its Grapple and Stealth stats, how much space it takes up during combat, and how attack damage is calculated against it. Smaller characters are harder to hit, and larger characters hit harder.
Most characters are Medium size by default. A character’s size is typically determined by their species or other character features. Some traits, abilities, or conditions may temporarily change a character’s effective size.
How Size Affects a Character#
Size influences characters along three separate paths:
- Attribute modifiers — Larger characters gain STR and lose AGI; smaller characters lose STR and gain AGI. This represents raw physical capability.
- Stat modifiers — Grapple and Stealth receive flat modifiers on top of any changes caused by the attribute shifts. These represent how size physically affects handling and visibility, independent of strength or agility. Larger characters are harder to hide and more commanding in a grapple; smaller characters are the opposite.
- Combat & geometry — Size determines how much space a character occupies on the battlefield, their normal melee reach, and the damage dice used when they attack or are attacked.
Character Size Chart#
| Tiny | Small | Medium | Large | Huge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expected Height | < 2 ft | 2-4 ft | 4–8 ft | 8–16 ft | > 16 ft |
| Space Occupied | ¼ space (2.5ft square) | 1 space (5ft square) | 1 space (5ft square) | 4-spaces (10ft square) | 9-spaces (15ft square) |
| Normal Melee Reach | Occupied space only | 1 space (5ft) | 1 space (5ft) | 2 spaces (10ft) | 3 spaces (15ft) |
| STR Modifier | −4 | −2 | — | +2 | +4 |
| AGI Modifier | +4 | +2 | — | −2 | −4 |
| Grapple Modifier | −4 | −2 | — | +2 | +4 |
| Stealth Modifier | +4 | +2 | — | −2 | −4 |
Occupied spaces: Smaller creatures can pass through spaces occupied by allies and enemies that are two sizes larger than them (still provoking opportunity attacks). Characters of similar size cannot pass through enemy spaces, but can pass through allies. Tiny creatures can remain in spaces occupied by enemies, and must occupy the same space as their opponent when making melee attacks. The number of tiny creatures that may enter a space is left to GM discresion. Tiny creature’s ability to climb, fly, or otherwise swarm an opponent may allow a several of them to enter an occupied space. A single tiny creature does not occupy a large enough space to prevent a larger creature from passing through a 5ft space, but multiple tiny creatures in the same space may.
Size in Combat#
Size affects combat directly though damage, reach, and action modifiers
Damage dice.
Base damage dice are determined by the size of the attacker relative to the defender:
| Attacker vs. Defender | Damage Die |
|---|---|
| Two or more sizes smaller | 1d4 |
| Same size or ±1 size | 1d8 |
| Two or more sizes larger | 1d12 |
Bonus Dice — Attack rolls that beat the target by 10 or more gain an additional damage die.
Extreme Damage — Damage from attacks made by creatures two or more sizes larger than the target is treated as extreme damage of its type, and causes an automatic 1 VIT loss per damage die after damage is resolved. This VIT loss occures even if the attack did not reduce DEF to zero, and does not cause DEF to reset.
Space and reach. The space occupied and melee reach values on the chart above determine how a character positions on the battlefield and who they can strike in melee. Some creatures have modified space and reach compared to the sizes present on the chart.
Handling and visibility. The Grapple and Stealth modifiers apply whenever those stats are rolled — not only in combat, but most often during it.
Related#
- Attributes — the attributes that size modifies.
- Stats — Grapple and Stats — Stealth — the derived stats size affects directly.
- Combat — Damage Dice — how size comparison determines damage.