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I thought I saw this rule in an official D&D 5e rulebook, but now that I'm looking for it, I can't find anywhere. I'm pretty sure it was an optional/alternative rule, like in a little sidebar in the DMG or something.

The rule stated that if the size difference between two creatures was 3 or more size categories (so Medium to Gargantuan for instance), that the smaller creature would not be able to do any melee attack damage because their weapons would be too ineffective.

So my question is - is there such a rule in D&D 5e?

PS - I'm aware of the weapon damage increase/decrease rule for weapon sizes, but that's not what I'm asking about, I want to know specifically if there's a rule that states that a smaller creature can't harm a larger creature if there's the size difference is too great.

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When do the rules care about relative sizes?

While there are lots more rules about how one's absolute size interacts with the world, these are the only ones I could find where interactions between creatures are governed by their relative size differences:

Normally an intervening creature provides cover but not obscurement. Lightfoot halflings are obscured by creatures of one size or more larger.

You can move through a hostile creature's space only if the creature is at least two sizes larger or smaller than you. Any halfling can move through the space of a creature of one size larger or more.

The target of your grapple must be no more than one size larger than you. When you move, you can drag or carry the grappled creature with you, but your speed is halved, unless the creature is two or more sizes smaller than you.

The target of your shove must be no more than one size larger than you.

A willing creature that is at least one size larger than you and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount.

The only ones of these rules that relate to combat are grappling and shoving, where relative size affects who you can target. No rule says you can't damage a larger opponent.

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I'm not aware of any such rule or optional rule. There is a rule that creatures two sizes apart (e.g. medium vs huge) can occupy the same space, and there's an optional rule for doing a Colossus Climb on a much larger creature, but nothing about dealing reduced damage to very large creatures. Big creatures generally are more resilient by dint of having lots of hit points, not because of any special rule about being resistant or immune to melee damage.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Bigger creatures might have more hp, but they do have larger hd. \$\endgroup\$
    – Kirt
    Feb 16 at 22:39
  • \$\begingroup\$ A bigger hit die doesn't make the creature more resilient. Total HP is what matters, whether that comes from hit die size, hit die count, or a high con score (all of which big creatures tend to have). \$\endgroup\$
    – Darth Pseudonym
    Feb 16 at 22:56
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    \$\begingroup\$ Yes, all true. What I'm saying is that larger creatures tend to have more hp, more HD, and higher con scores, as design principles. But the size categories do set the size of the HD, as a rule: tiny, d4 to gargantuan, d20. \$\endgroup\$
    – Kirt
    Feb 16 at 23:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ I'm aware of the various ways HP show up on a monster's stat block, but none of that matters to the answer I was giving, so I don't see what you're getting at. \$\endgroup\$
    – Darth Pseudonym
    Feb 16 at 23:30
  • \$\begingroup\$ I think your answer is fine - I'm not trying to contradict it, just clarify. You say "Big creatures generally are more resilient by dint of having lots of hit points," and that is correct. It is generally true that big creatures have more hp, but it is not a rule. However, it is a rule that larger creatures have larger HD. I'm just pointing out a distinction between tendencies vs. rules. \$\endgroup\$
    – Kirt
    Feb 17 at 7:20

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