I'm not sure this is where this thread should go...
Anyway. I've been toying around with an idea ever since I saw the Dragon Age II trailer, and I can never satisfy myself. The human character (Hawke) uses a weapon that looks very much like a longsword which has been removed from the hilt and affixed to an abbreviated length of a quarterstaff (or magic staff, w/e). This is not a new concept to me, but seeing the weapon in action in a really cool game trailer has set me off to trying to build one for a PF character.
The best I can come up with would be to reduce the damage from a two-bladed sword to 1d6/1d8. But then I can't decide if the threat range should change from 19-20/x2 to just 20/x2. Could it be used to gain reach if held properly? Could the staff end hold spell charges? Do both ends get 1.5x strength to damage? Is there any benefit to using it like a sword with a really long handle?
What do you guys (and girls?) think?
Doesn't that describe a glaive?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaive
Perhaps the back end of the polearm could be used with the techniques of the polearm master fighter variant. Or perhaps with a TWF feat.
Yeah that would be a short glaive he is using :)
Glaive: A glaive is a simple blade, mounted to the end of a pole about 7 feet in length.
The weapon Hawke is using is not 7 feet long,, let alone the staff part of it. The glaive also is a reach weapon. This weapon is obviously being used against an adjacent enemy. I don't think this is accurate.
It kinda looks like a double edged naginata, with a shorter haft and without the Asian theme. I must say, that is a pretty sweet weapon.
I would say use the Glaive-Guisarme stats out of the Advanced Players guide, keep it primarily two handed, and possibly lose the reach. Even though Hawke uses it one-handed at times, I would say that the weapon is unwieldy for such a feat. You can always flavor it to your own liking.
And always remember only because a weapon is "two-handed" you don't have to always use it with two hands.
Look at the questerstaff, if you see real world staff fighter they sometimes whirl the staf around with one hand, bring it to a perfect attack location and then strike with both.
For flavour this is possible, for the rules "two-handed" means you need two hands.
Ha, my DM is in love with this trailer and has been going on about the weapon (and Hawke's boots...) nonstop. We're going to dress up as Dragon Age characters next year at DragonCon... but I digress.
While I agree that the weapon really just looks like a short glaive, I would go with your idea and maybe make it 1d6B (20x2)/1d8S (19-20/x2), and make it a normal double weapon for simplicity's sake. That might be a little low, but I'm being conservative here--the gnome hooked hammer and dwarven urgrosh both have better crits. The reach issue can be handled by taking the Lunge feat, and to follow the Rule of Cool I would most definitely allow it to be used as a magic staff:)
While I agree that the weapon really just looks like a short glaive, I would go with your idea and maybe make it 1d6B (20x2)/1d8S (19-20/x2), and make it a normal double weapon for simplicity's sake. That might be a little low, but I'm being conservative here--the gnome hooked hammer and dwarven urgrosh both have better crits. The reach issue can be handled by taking the Lunge feat, and to follow the Rule of Cool I would most definitely allow it to be used as a magic staff:)
I completely concur with this. And frankly, with those stats, it wouldn't be deserving of an exotic weapon tag even - just straightforward martial would be good enough. (It's almost identical to just using a longsword and a light mace as a two-weapon fighter, with the benefit of being able to use just a single Weapon Focus and similar effects on it roughly offset by the danger in losing "two" weapons to a single shatter or disarm maneuver...)
While I agree that the weapon really just looks like a short glaive, I would go with your idea and maybe make it 1d6B (20x2)/1d8S (19-20/x2), and make it a normal double weapon for simplicity's sake. That might be a little low, but I'm being conservative here--the gnome hooked hammer and dwarven urgrosh both have better crits. The reach issue can be handled by taking the Lunge feat, and to follow the Rule of Cool I would most definitely allow it to be used as a magic staff:)I completely concur with this. And frankly, with those stats, it wouldn't be deserving of an exotic weapon tag even - just straightforward martial would be good enough. (It's almost identical to just using a longsword and a light mace as a two-weapon fighter, with the benefit of being able to use just a single Weapon Focus and similar effects on it roughly offset by the danger in losing "two" weapons to a single shatter or disarm maneuver...)
Excellent advice. Thanks.
Now to build that kick-ass Eldritch Knight... XD
Yeah if you want it to be used as seen then just make it a 2 bladed sword but 1 end is the same as a quarter staff. easy enough.