Are there any official rules for tiny characters in 5e?
I have a player who is wanting to play a Sprite character. I have found what seems to be a balanced race build here, but I can't find any official rules for how to handle a tiny character, which is not surprising, since this race is homebrew.
- For added context: my player is not the type to try to exploit the
rules for combat advantage, he wants to play a Sprite because he read
the entry in the Monster Manual and thought it would be fun to
role-play one. For a class he is trying to decide between a Ranger or
an Oath of the Ancients Paladin.
I found some homebrew ideas, here and here, but I am not totally sold on their suggestions. I was wondering if there is something in the actual rules of 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons that I have missed.
The main problem I have with the suggestions above is from a standpoint of verisimilitude. I just can't picture a tiny creature (probably about a foot to a foot and a half tall) being able to wield a longsword that nearly twice as tall as they are, even if they had to use two hands. Even using normal daggers would be cumbersome, since the grip would have such a large girth compared to their tiny hands.
Is adapting from 3.5e to 5e a good option?
Have you tried applying the old size adjustment rules from 3.5e (swapping a Str penalty for a Dex boost, increasing AC and to-hit, bonus to stealth, etc.) in a 5e context? I may just like those rules because they were what I used the last time I had to deal with this situation. Are there any pitfalls or potential unbalance that I may not be seeing if I go with this approach?
Is there a more 5e way to do things?
Is there a better way to do this that fits more seamlessly in 5e game mechanics?
Would there be any special considerations for getting Advantage or Disadvantage if you are a Tiny character, for example?
Best Answer
The only special rule for tiny characters that I could find is the following (DMG 278):
He would also be able to move through spaces occupied by hostile creatures as if it were difficult terrain (PHB 191):
He is also unable to grapple medium creatures (PHB 195):
And if you're playing with carrying capacity rules, he would be able to carry less (PHB 176):
Otherwise, I don't see any glaring issues that arise purely from having a smaller size.