Balanced?
Pickelhaube (Helmet Spike)
+10gp, +5 lb., Exotic two-handed melee piercing weapon, 1d8, 20/x3
Added to armor, treated as being wielded with two hands even though it requires no hands to use.
If not, what would you change?
1d4 x2 light exotic weapon that imparts a -4 even with EWP (like the double crossbow). IUS negates the penalty.
No matter what, it's a light weapon. I can't even think of a justification for why it's a two hander without any penalties. That just reeks of wanting the 1 and a half strength mod and power attack with none of the drawbacks. Also trying to TWF with two two handed weapons.
If you are reffering to a prussian Pickelhaue, i would make it on a charge attack with extra boni bull rush and maybe impale haha.
Greetings, fellow travellers.
I would base it off of a gore attack (confer Rage Power: Lesser Fiend Totem):
This attack is a primary attack (unless she is also attacking with weapons, in which case it is a secondary attack) and is made at full base attack bonus (–5 if it is a secondary attack). The gore attack deals 1d8 points of piercing damage (1d6 if Small) plus Strength modifier (1/2 if it is a secondary attack).
Does not count as prerequisite for Fiend Totem chain.
Ruyan.
That just reeks of wanting the 1 and a half strength mod and power attack with none of the drawbacks. Also trying to TWF with two two handed weapons.
I came up with the mechanical aspects of the idea first, AND THEN looked for weapon flavor that could fit it.
So, in short, yes.
Balanced?
Pickelhaube (Helmet Spike)
+10gp, +5 lb., Exotic two-handed melee piercing weapon, 1d8, 20/x3
Added to armor, treated as being wielded with two hands even though it requires no hands to use.If not, what would you change?
Armor Spikes are +50gp, +10lb 1d6 20/x2 light martial weapon. If you wanted to have better armor spikes, used as a primary attack, rather then the secondary attack they are now, you could bump them to a one handed (rather then light) weapon. This get get you to the 1d8 damage you have. Bumping it up to exotic justifies the increase to crit range. So mechanically, I have no problem with it, although would bump the price and weight up. 150gp and 15lbs for Exotic, heavy spiked armor with a 1d8 20/x3.
Thematically putting those stats on a spiked helmet seems excessive. I'd add something like "only when charging or being grappled" on it. Or having the x3 crit being only when charging, x2 otherwise. You could also switch the flavor from "helmet spike" to one of those horned, fantasy helmets that would make a minotaur feel inadequate. For a hands-free battle axe, I expect to see something huge and nasty.
For a helmet spike, I'd give it dagger stats, possibly a bonus when charging, nothing more.
Balanced?
Pickelhaube (Helmet Spike)
+10gp, +5 lb., Exotic two-handed melee piercing weapon, 1d8, 20/x3
Added to armor, treated as being wielded with two hands even though it requires no hands to use.If not, what would you change?
Ookay, my answer will be threefold.
Point 1: This
Point 2:
As I read this, it is implied that the weapon cannot be disarmed, as per armor spikes
It takes no hands to use, but gets a two handed damage profile.
1d8 20/x3 gives us a base of battleaxe to look at.
I would say that as special abilities go, the unique two-handed for no hands thing counts as two regular special abilities. So I would suggest . . . oh damn it I quit with this line of reasoning, just quit.
Alright, as I read it this thing is just modified armor spikes.
Yeah, to be correctly balanced you would be looking at either a 1d8/x2 or 1d6/x3 without your two-handed thing (THT) I personally weigh the THT as two regular special abilites due the odd nature of it and how combat effective it makes it compared against the spikes. To get your THT chucked in there with the undisarmable characteristic of the armor spike, you basically are looking at 1d3 20/x2 (I support the 1d3 one more than others) or if you are feeling generous or somehow nerf the THT then 1d4 20/x2.
(Make the thing disarmable and keep the THT, my suggestion is 1d6 20/x2)
Next for regular balance, it must be more expensive for being exotic in almost all cases (ignore the kama)
Just ballpark the cost at +75 gp. It should probably be at least 50 gp.
Point three:
Look up the barbazu beard weapon. This is very much more what a helmet spike would work like.
Final notes
It is over the power curve. The THT is an odd mechanic, one that I frankly dislike. I might almost say to add a note like "does not work for feats and such" to kinda be in line with the raiper's finesse tradeoff of no two handed benefit. Honestly, with the 1d3 20/x2 with your THT mechanic in place might not be the worst thing on earth, and I would be okay with the thing more fully if it was made unable to power attack. Overall though, as presently written it is too much in general.
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this is straight up munchkin, in the worst way.
the blade is the size of a dagger or smaller. so 1d4, maybe a d3
due to the positioning and the unstable base of a helmet, it is almost impossible to use (-4 if proficient, -8 if not, and a further -2 to hit something for each size category smaller than you)
as you have to lower your head to hit anything that isn't jumping down on top of you, you should always provoke an attack of opportunity when using this abomination of creation
at best, this is an off-hand attack that gets 1/2 str.
stop being absurd.