Path of Strength: Size change?

[pawsplay]

Strength III increases your size by one category. Why? Do powerful Priests of the gods of Strength all mysteriously become 9' fall at some point? How does that affect armor?

[drnuncheon]

Strength III increases your size by one category. Why?

It's a very obvious manifestation of the particular god's power that grants a lot of bonuses with regards to strength-based tasks without being as abusable (or uninteresting) as a straight bonus to the stat.

Do powerful Priests of the gods of Strength all mysteriously become 9' fall at some point?

Not if they're pech…

…or ogres…

…or if they choose to focus on the other paths the gods in question give.

I also doubt it's a mystery - I'm sure the priests know exactly where the blessing is coming from.

How does that affect armor?

Check the bottom of Table 4.17 on p174 - r you could get a set of Giant-crafted armor.

[Morgenstern]

If it helps any, the technical tipping point for size categories for a humanoid is 7 1/2 feet tall, standing fully errect.

I'd think pursuit of The path of Strenth and gods who offer it pretty clearly favors a Herculean-sort of ideal .

[Crafty_Alex]

Strength III increases your size by one category. Why? Do powerful Priests of the gods of Strength all mysteriously become 9' fall at some point? How does that affect armor?

If it helps, your size category changes, but your height doesn't technically have to...your space/reach doesn't! Increasing Size does a lot of things for a character: he can carry, lift, and drag more; his Wounds increase; and he gains benefits to Trip/Grapple/Bull Rush he didn't have before. Morg's example of Hercules is a great one...and pretty much where my mind is as well.

[pawsplay]

You know, I sort of had that notion, but my brain could not quite get around the idea of increasing size without increasing footprint. I also wasn't sure if this would affect armor and weapon use in some way.

[pawsplay]

Strength III increases your size by one category. Why? Do powerful Priests of the gods of Strength all mysteriously become 9' fall at some point? How does that affect armor?

If it helps, your size category changes, but your height doesn't technically have to...your space/reach doesn't! Increasing Size does a lot of things for a character: he can carry, lift, and drag more; his Wounds increase; and he gains benefits to Trip/Grapple/Bull Rush he didn't have before. Morg's example of Hercules is a great one...and pretty much where my mind is as well.

In researching this, I've discovered that Size would affect you in combat, and would make your armor heavier (x3 weight).

[Daedalus]

In researching this, I've discovered that Size would affect you in combat, and would make your armor heavier (x3 weight).

For most aspects of size, being Larger is a benefit in combat, due to opposed physical skills and weapon scale; also carrying capacity increases as if Strength were 5 higher.  You also have access to the "large only" Giant craftsmanship, as well as the Rootwalker craftsmanship. 

It only doubles carrying capacity for Strength values between 10-15, but as long as the character isn't pushing limits in their normal size, they shoudn't be pushing it too hard with their new weights, depending on armor type.  Tripling does seem a little severe, but backpacks, level-to-level Strength boosts and the eventual Path V benefit should defintely take the burden off of the Priest's shoulders, so to speak.

[pawsplay]

The severity is of less concern to me than the character suddenly needing Large scaled armor, suggesting, again, a character upwards of 7 1/2 feet tall or at least outstanding girth.

[Khaalis]

If it helps, your size category changes, but your height doesn't technically have to...your space/reach doesn't! Increasing Size does a lot of things for a character: he can carry, lift, and drag more; his Wounds increase; and he gains benefits to Trip/Grapple/Bull Rush he didn't have before. Morg's example of Hercules is a great one...and pretty much where my mind is as well.

Ok, I am a bit confused here.  How are you determining what "increasing size" does and does not do?  I thought you used the table "Table 5.4: SIZE" on p217 which states footprint changes to 3x3.

[Morgenstern]

The footprints on that table are maximums for that category. If you are bigger than 1x1 but no larger than 3x3 you're probably Large. Characters that are 1x1 and Larger are breaking the 7.5 foot ceiling. That's why giants can range from about 8-15 tall and still be classified as Large.

[pawsplay]

So, are the priests becoming giant-sized or not? Large-scaled armor?

[Crafty_Alex]

So, are the priests becoming giant-sized or not? Large-scaled armor?

Their footprint and reach do not change, but they *can* get taller (depends on how you skin it for your game). As a Large sied character, they will need large scaled armor.

[drnuncheon]

The severity is of less concern to me than the character suddenly needing Large scaled armor, suggesting, again, a character upwards of 7 1/2 feet tall or at least outstanding girth.

Depending on how you run it, the character could have been getting bigger (and/or buffer) slowly as he advanced in the ranks of the priesthood, so he's had time to adjust his existing armor and plan for finally tipping over the threshold to Large.  Or maybe he gets his size change after a night spent in solitude and vigil at a shrine to his god, after which he emerges with appropriately-sized weapons and armor.

[Crafty_Alex]

Or maybe, if the character is really that cheap, you don't take the 3rd Step on the Path of Strength It's not like you MUST take it...but the cost of armor is quite minor compared to the advantages of gettin' bigger.

[pawsplay]

The severity is of less concern to me than the character suddenly needing Large scaled armor, suggesting, again, a character upwards of 7 1/2 feet tall or at least outstanding girth.

Depending on how you run it, the character could have been getting bigger (and/or buffer) slowly as he advanced in the ranks of the priesthood, so he's had time to adjust his existing armor and plan for finally tipping over the threshold to Large.  Or maybe he gets his size change after a night spent in solitude and vigil at a shrine to his god, after which he emerges with appropriately-sized weapons and armor.

So I take it what you're saying is that there does not appear to be a canonical answer as to whether this is a virtual, actual, or cinematic increase in size, nor whether it it is immediate or gradual.