Benefits of being big

[kingcheesepants]

So with rune knight, path of the giant barbarian, the enlarge spell, the cape of enlargement, there are more ways to have a large, huge, or gargantuan PC than ever. Aside from being able to grapple things your size or smaller, the increase in aura sizes and the modest damage boosts that most of the enlargement options grant; what other benefits do you get from being giant? I feel like there should definitely be some more things that being big does for you but the official rules leave it (as many things) up to the players and dm to figure out for themselves.

So what sorts of things do you think that being huge should do for you?

[stoutstien]

Cover and area denial are worth mentioning.

[RSP]

Cover and area denial are worth mentioning.

In line with area denial: if two size categories smaller or larger, area denial goes away.

[Damon_Tor]

One passage in the DMG implies that large and larger PCs can use weapons made for large and larger creatures, weapons which tend to deal more damage. For example, a large PC could pick up a minotaur's axe, which is a 2d12 weapon.

However, this is controversial, as the DMG isn't "player facing" and thus amy rules in it aren't supposed to apply to PCs. Or something.

[JLandan]

5e has never handled size change particularly well.

Becoming larger gives advantage on Str checks, but doesn't help melee damage modifiers.

The +1d4 damage to weapons for a creature under enlarge spell is pitiful compared to the multiple dice weapons giants get for being large.

Even under enlarge or Giant's Might, a PC cannot use weapons for larger creatures, only their own made ever so slightly bigger.

Giant's Might gets +1d6 to one attack for becoming large. Increasing to +1d8 at 10th level and +1d10 at 18th level. (When you are huge, but still only plus one die, on one attack, while other huge creatures have three dice weapons on all attacks.)

Powerful Build lets a PC carry more, but is of no use for combat or wielding larger weapons.

[Damon_Tor]

Even under enlarge, a PC cannot use weapons for larger creatures.

I'll need a page citation for that.

[sithlordnergal]

Even under enlarge or Giant's Might, a PC cannot use weapons for larger creatures, only their own made ever so slightly bigger.

They can absolutely use weapons for larger creatures. Page 278 of the DMG states "A creature has disadvantage on attack rolls with a weapon sized for a larger attacker. You can rule that a weapon sized for an attacker two or more sizes is too big for the creature to use at all". If you have a Large Glaive from an Oni, its sized to be used by Large creatures. You can drop the weapon in order to prevent it from growing with you, turn Large Size, pick it up, and now you can use it without Disadvantage because your size is Large.

[JLandan]

I'll need a page citation for that.

DMG page 278

"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 3d12 slashing damage (plus its Strength bonus), instead of the normal 1d12.

A creature has disadvantage on attack rolls with a weapon that is sized for a larger attacker. You can rule that a weapon sized for an attacker two or more sizes larger is too big for the creature to use at all."

The DMG accounts for oversized weapons in the section on monster stat block design. The second paragraph could apply to PCs I suppose.
Under the descriptions for enlarge and Giant's Might say nothing about wielding oversized weapons.
Barbarian's Path of the Giant subclass has the Giant's Havoc feature with the sub-feature Giant Stature. It doesn't say anything at all about becoming large, just that you become large. Nothing about carry capacity, weapon damage, Str increase/damage or reach.

I rule as DM that bigger is bigger. No +1d4 for enlarge, I go x2 dice. Same for anything else that makes you bigger. Large gives +5' reach.
I also rule Powerful Build for medium characters allows weapons to be considered one category lighter (regular are light, heavy is regular, large are heavy, etc. and light weapons are like toys).

[RazorChain]

5e has never handled size change particularly well.

Becoming larger gives advantage on Str checks, but doesn't help melee damage modifiers.

The +1d4 damage to weapons for a creature under enlarge spell is pitiful compared to the multiple dice weapons giants get for being large.

Even under enlarge or Giant's Might, a PC cannot use weapons for larger creatures, only their own made ever so slightly bigger.

Giant's Might gets +1d6 to one attack for becoming large. Increasing to +1d8 at 10th level and +1d10 at 18th level. (When you are huge, but still only plus one die, on one attack, while other huge creatures have three dice weapons on all attacks.)

Powerful Build lets a PC carry more, but is of no use for combat or wielding larger weapons.

My group follows the dmg for better or worse and uses "common sense" on ability checks.

So a large creatures doubles the damage dice and gains a advantage on str checks against creatures that are smaller than them.

Small creatures have limit on weapons, can't use heavy weapons and tiny creatures have their weapons reduced by a damage dice....so a tiny shortsword does 1d4 dmg.

[sithlordnergal]

DMG page 278

"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 3d12 slashing damage (plus its Strength bonus), instead of the normal 1d12.

A creature has disadvantage on attack rolls with a weapon that is sized for a larger attacker. You can rule that a weapon sized for an attacker two or more sizes larger is too big for the creature to use at all."

The DMG accounts for oversized weapons in the section on monster stat block design. The second paragraph could apply to PCs I suppose.
Under the descriptions for enlarge and Giant's Might say nothing about wielding oversized weapons.
Barbarian's Path of the Giant subclass has the Giant's Havoc feature with the sub-feature Giant Stature. It doesn't say anything at all about becoming large, just that you become large. Nothing about carry capacity, weapon damage, Str increase/damage or reach.

I rule as DM that bigger is bigger. No +1d4 for enlarge, I go x2 dice. Same for anything else that makes you bigger. Large gives +5' reach.
I also rule Powerful Build for medium characters allows weapons to be considered one category lighter (regular are light, heavy is regular, large are heavy, etc. and light weapons are like toys).

The second paragraph is what allows it. You could commission an oversized weapon as a PC since that paragraph makes it clear weapon damage is dependent on the size of that weapon. Additionally, a PC can naturally use oversized weapons, they just have disadvantage. You lose that disadvantage if you are the proper size for the weapon. I.E. a Large creature can use a Large weapon without Disadvantage. Both abilities make you Large. Meaning you can use them without Disadvantage

[Schwann145]

Enlarge specifically says that your weapons grow to match your size. Wouldn't it be reasonable to rule that this makes them a "large" weapon and would therefore double the damage die, as a base, and then the spell adds an additional +1d4?

So you Enlarge the Barbarian, their greataxe grows with them and now does 2d12 (because that's what large greataxes do) and then the spell adds 1d4 for a total of 2d12+1d4+Mod?

[kingcheesepants]

In regards to weapon sizes, it certainly talks about large or larger creatures adding extra dice to their weapons in the DMG but as none of the player enlargement options say anything about that, you will at the very least need to talk to the DM about it. As a DM I'm usually pretty chill but I wouldn't allow a spell like enlarge or a feature like giant's havoc to add more dice in addition to (or even instead of) the listed damage increases. I might be willing to consider the player looting or crafting a large weapon that does that. I'd definitely be willing to have giant sized improvised weapon take on the stats of a huge maul or greatclub or similar though, for example if a huge player picked up a tree he could use that as a 3d8 greatclub, or if a gargantuan player picked up a building that might be considered a maul that does 8d6.

I'm not really looking for in depth discussion on the weapon rules though, let's just take it as understood that there are rules for big weapons but they'll need DM input. I'm more interested in your takes on what sort of more creative or cool things being giant would enable you to do. For example I mentioned using buildings and trees as improvised weapons. Another thing that might be considered is getting a bite and swallow attack (just going full attack on titan with it). Perhaps bodyslamming enemies that are 2 sizes or more smaller than you would do a lot of damage and automatically pin them. What are some other things to try?

[animewatcha]

I was to understand 5e wanted to avoid the sizing fiasco of 3.5e with say normal monk wielding Colossal+++ size effective size dealing enough damage to down a dragon in 1 or 2 hits.

[stoutstien]

I was to understand 5e wanted to avoid the sizing fiasco of 3.5e with say normal monk wielding Colossal+++ size effective size dealing enough damage to down a dragon in 1 or 2 hits.

And the other end of the spectrum where you become so small that you basically become unhittable.

For a game who's iconic enemy, that is in the title, us generally larger than what the players are typically going to be, it really doesn't handle size discrepancy well.

[firelistener]

You can always reach the top shelf without a stepstool. Very useful!