[Feat] Feats for polearm users

[Lazaro]

Ok, really outta my element here, but here goes. I think polearm users need some love. What about a feat so we can use them on adjacent enemies. Or a feat lets monks use it with their flurry of blows.

I could probably go on, but as I said I'm outta my element.

[MegaPlex]

Agree 100%

Almost no front line types use a polearm because of the adjacent hole. Yes having reach is very nice, but having to either take a 5' step before attacking, armor/shield spikes or just dropping your reach weapon and switch to close quarter fighting is sub-optimal in almost all circumstances.

[TreeLynx]

Although I think this might be a subset of Equipment, I don't see any reason that someone proficient with a polearm cannot use the haft of the weapon like a club or quarterstaff. Granted, it is suboptimal, but the rules already allow for something similar with double weapons. A haft strike is always possible at what I would estimate to be 5' range, without any additional training.

Shifting the grip on a pike or similar weapon to allow you to bring the head to bear up close, by essentially "broomsticking" the polearm, is a different skill from a haft strike, but both are in fact valid polearm techniques.

I believe there is an existing Non-OGL feat called Choke Up, which allows exactly the second technique as a swift action, but for some reason has a BAB +3 prerequisite. I would perfer this to be a function of Martial or Exotic weapon proficiency within the Polearm (Martial for Longspear, Exotic for the rest of them), to allow as an immediate action, shifting of the polearm to the 5' reach mode.

[Eric Mason 37]

Player's Handbook 2, the feat is called Short Haft.

Look it up, come up with a new name, and rewrite it slightly... And post it as a proposed Pathfinder feat, I suspect Jason will give it good consideration :)