Nah, if you are a small race there is no way to get around it without having advantage yourself creating a neutral roll.
Most people, including myself, just ignore that rule through because it's almost the only mechanical change between being small or medium. Besides, if I want to play a shortstack barbarian wielding a weapon larger than them I should be allowed to!
Enlarge/reduce would make you a medium-sized halfling (three-quarterling?) Also, there's a pretty good chance the next revision of the rules in a couple of years is going to do away with that restriction, so maybe just wait it out. Or you could have your DM make you a reach weapon that isn't heavy. Right now, the whip fits that criteria, but it really isn't the vibe I'm getting from your post.
Heavy weapons never sat well with me. What do small races gain from being excluded from the best weapons? There are some grappling, squeezing, and moving through enemy spaces rules that apply to character size too (losing the option to grapple lard creatures, gains squeeze through a 2.5 foot space, gain the ability to move through large creature's spaces, but losing ability to move through tiny creatures). Over all small creatures lose combat effectiveness but gain some mostly meaningless movement options.
Heavy weapons never sat well with me. What do small races gain from being excluded from the best weapons? There are some grappling, squeezing, and moving through enemy spaces rules that apply to character size too (losing the option to grapple lard creatures, gains squeeze through a 2.5 foot space, gain the ability to move through large creature's spaces, but losing ability to move through tiny creatures). Over all small creatures lose combat effectiveness but gain some mostly meaningless movement options.
This is a vestige from 3e when all weapons had sizes imo. So if you were a medium creature, you could use a medium weapon (longsword) with one hand, a large weapon with two hands (greatsword) or dual wield a small weapon (short sword). But there were other mechanical advantages to being small then, like a +1 to AC and to hit, so it was more balanced.
Heavy weapons never sat well with me. What do small races gain from being excluded from the best weapons? There are some grappling, squeezing, and moving through enemy spaces rules that apply to character size too (losing the option to grapple lard creatures, gains squeeze through a 2.5 foot space, gain the ability to move through large creature's spaces, but losing ability to move through tiny creatures). Over all small creatures lose combat effectiveness but gain some mostly meaningless movement options.
Halflings can move spaces occupied by Medium creatures, not just Large creatures.
I guess this ability would definitely be lost if you wanted to be big and strong enough to use a heavy weapon.
The other option would be to start as a Medium sized race, like a human, if you wanted to wield heavy weapons.
Heavy weapons never sat well with me. What do small races gain from being excluded from the best weapons? There are some grappling, squeezing, and moving through enemy spaces rules that apply to character size too (losing the option to grapple lard creatures, gains squeeze through a 2.5 foot space, gain the ability to move through large creature's spaces, but losing ability to move through tiny creatures). Over all small creatures lose combat effectiveness but gain some mostly meaningless movement options.
Halflings can move spaces occupied by Medium creatures, not just Large creatures.
That is a racial trait of just halflings, not a rule for all small sized creatures.
It does not have reach, but what else do you expect when you take a small creature? That is what being small is all about, the lack of reach. If you are looking for a small character capable of using a reach weapon, take a whip and forget about Polearm Master.
In all games groups often chose to ignore rules and or change them so in your group if this is one of them go for it.
But in general I think things matter and differentiate what your PC can and cannot do well or poorly. For me size is one of those things...just like I do not have only 1 weapon for each category or 1 spell for each level that does damage, etc.
The short answer is to just use a spear, gaining the benefits of PAM while sacrificing reach. I think looking at raw combat mechanics, the tradeoffs for being a small race might not be perfectly balanced, but I've found that having a small group member tends to open up a lot more RP and exploration doors than it closes.
I think the base rules make a ton of sense for the baseline aesthetic of the game, but you won't be breaking the game by simply allowing the 'oversized anime weapon' cliche and just giving your 3 foot tall halfling a 12 foot pike.
Is there any way to counteract the disadvantage halflings get for using a heavy weapon?
im trying to make a halfling pole-arm-master using glaive, halberd, or pike not roll with disadvantage on there OA
Nah, if you are a small race there is no way to get around it without having advantage yourself creating a neutral roll.
Most people, including myself, just ignore that rule through because it's almost the only mechanical change between being small or medium. Besides, if I want to play a shortstack barbarian wielding a weapon larger than them I should be allowed to!
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Enlarge/reduce would make you a medium-sized halfling (three-quarterling?) Also, there's a pretty good chance the next revision of the rules in a couple of years is going to do away with that restriction, so maybe just wait it out. Or you could have your DM make you a reach weapon that isn't heavy. Right now, the whip fits that criteria, but it really isn't the vibe I'm getting from your post.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Heavy weapons never sat well with me. What do small races gain from being excluded from the best weapons? There are some grappling, squeezing, and moving through enemy spaces rules that apply to character size too (losing the option to grapple lard creatures, gains squeeze through a 2.5 foot space, gain the ability to move through large creature's spaces, but losing ability to move through tiny creatures). Over all small creatures lose combat effectiveness but gain some mostly meaningless movement options.
You could go rune knight, then when you embiggen you won’t have the problem.
This is a vestige from 3e when all weapons had sizes imo. So if you were a medium creature, you could use a medium weapon (longsword) with one hand, a large weapon with two hands (greatsword) or dual wield a small weapon (short sword).
But there were other mechanical advantages to being small then, like a +1 to AC and to hit, so it was more balanced.
Halflings can move spaces occupied by Medium creatures, not just Large creatures.
I guess this ability would definitely be lost if you wanted to be big and strong enough to use a heavy weapon.
The other option would be to start as a Medium sized race, like a human, if you wanted to wield heavy weapons.
That is a racial trait of just halflings, not a rule for all small sized creatures.
Spear
Polearm Master can use a spear.
It does not have reach, but what else do you expect when you take a small creature? That is what being small is all about, the lack of reach. If you are looking for a small character capable of using a reach weapon, take a whip and forget about Polearm Master.
In all games groups often chose to ignore rules and or change them so in your group if this is one of them go for it.
But in general I think things matter and differentiate what your PC can and cannot do well or poorly. For me size is one of those things...just like I do not have only 1 weapon for each category or 1 spell for each level that does damage, etc.
The short answer is to just use a spear, gaining the benefits of PAM while sacrificing reach. I think looking at raw combat mechanics, the tradeoffs for being a small race might not be perfectly balanced, but I've found that having a small group member tends to open up a lot more RP and exploration doors than it closes.
I think the base rules make a ton of sense for the baseline aesthetic of the game, but you won't be breaking the game by simply allowing the 'oversized anime weapon' cliche and just giving your 3 foot tall halfling a 12 foot pike.
I found a solution, I took 3 levels in fighter to get rune knight so I can grow in combat and be at normal with the heavy weapons :)