polearm master


Rules Questions


level 2 polearm master says I can shorten my grip so I can hit adjacent targets. it does not say it loses reach but my DM said it does. can anyone tell me if he is correct and if so why?

Pole Fighting (Ex): At 2nd level, as an immediate action, a polearm master can shorten the grip on his spear or polearm with reach and use it against adjacent targets. This action results in a –4 penalty on attack rolls with that weapon until he spends another immediate action to return to the normal grip. The penalty is reduced by –1 for every four levels beyond 2nd. This ability replaces bravery.


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A polearm with reach does not threaten adjacent enemies because of said reach, but you get to hit enemies further away. Conversely, if you choke up on your polearm to hit enemies close to you, you would lose your reach.

To be fair, I'm not aware of anything that says you lose your reach, but the idea is that you're giving up your reach to hit closer enemies which is a completely RAI interpretation by your GM.


there's a few abilities that are similar and some say they remove reach this one didn't so I though it didn't very sad my dm won't allow it by raw.


I think it's an oversight in the way the ability is worded, but on the other hand you're taking a significant penalty to your attacks, and by the time you negate the penalty you're level 18. In my games if someone wanted to attack at reach while using the ability, I'd just let them with the -4 penalty. Wizards are rewriting reality long before this; fighters having reach and adjacent attacks at the same time is nothing. Martials get so few nice things, why quibble over this?

Saying that a level 2 fighter can attack both adjacent and non-adjacent foes at a -4 penalty sits fine with me. Burning hands nails everyone in a 15' cone, just let the fighter have something.

Dark Archive

I posed this exact question as well back in May to the "Ask Mark Seifter" thread...

His reply was this: "I agree with BigP4nda. It looks like since you're shortening the grip, you would be attacking up close but not far away. I can see the ambiguity, though. Anyway, that would be my personal ruling, and it's what I used when my group fought a ridiculous polearm master oni one time."

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