To make it good, let this be done with a full-size spear used in one hand.Is that allowable with Two-Weapon fighting? I still don't understand how a Earthbreaker can be treated as being wielded by one hand under Two-Weapon Fighting (especially since it's considered a two-handed weapon)!
With that feat you could allow it. It's basically a conditional allowance, and since it gives you, basically, access to a martial weapon when wielding a simple weapon, I see no problem with it. You might even do it with a Longspear to increase the use of that weapon. The damage naturally decreases, but for wielding a somewhat subpar (Stat-wise) combination it's enough that the weapon might see some use.
Not if it gained the reach ability, which it does from the feat.Is this any good?
Spiked Fang (Combat)
You have mastered the ancient Ulfen fighting style of Spiked Fang, a style often utilized by warrior maidens from the Land of the Linnorm Kings. As you penetrate distant foes with your short spear, you then slash foes who make it past your reach with your dagger.
Prerequisites: Str 13, Dex 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (dagger), Weapon Focus (short spear)
Benefit: As long as you are fighting with a short spear and a dagger (and you make attacks with your dagger as your offhand attack), you may treat the short spear as if it had the brace and reach special features and may threaten all adjacent squares with the dagger.
Special: A fighter may select Spiked Fang as one of his fighter bonus feats.But you already threaten all adjacent squares with the short spear...
Right, missed that bit. I think giving it reach with the spear might make a bit more sense, but that's just my logic talking. Ignore it for rule of cool.
Is this any better (?):
Spike and Fang (Combat)
You have mastered the ancient Ulfen fighting style of Spike and Fang, a style often utilized by warrior maidens from the Land of the Linnorm Kings. As you penetrate distant foes with your spike (your short spear), you then slash foes that make it past your reach with your fang (your dagger).
Prerequisites: Str 13, Dex 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (dagger), Weapon Focus (short spear)
Benefit: As long as you are fighting with a short spear and a dagger (and you make attacks with your dagger as your offhand attack), you may treat the short spear as if it had the brace and reach special features and may threaten all adjacent squares with the dagger. You may also make an additional attack of opportunity per round when an enemy moves out of or within an area you threaten.
Special: A fighter may select Spike and Fang as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Yeah, that's pretty good.
Two-Weapon Fighting requires a Dexterity of 15. I removed the Dex 13 to cut down on the text, also altered some of your wording.
Spike and Fang Style (Combat)
You have mastered the ancient Ulfen fighting style of Spike and Fang, a style often utilized by warrior maidens from the Land of the Linnorm Kings. As you penetrate distant foes with your spike (your short spear), you then slash foes that make it past your reach with your fang (your dagger).
Prerequisites: Str 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (dagger), Weapon Focus (short spear)
Benefit: As long as you are fighting with a short spear and a dagger (and you wield the dagger in your off-hand), you may treat the short spear as if it had the brace and reach special features and may threaten all adjacent squares with the dagger. You may also make an additional attack of opportunity per round when an enemy moves out of or within an area you threaten.
Special: A fighter may select Spike and Fang as one of their fighter bonus feats.
I can't help but feel this feat is either over powered or just not worth it.
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Okay aside from the discussion of if fighting with a spear is feasible at all...
back to the OP I really like visuals this combination elicits. I like the imagery of a barbarian swinging his spear around and thrusting at an enemy, circling in and piercing with the dagger, throwing the spear, finishing off with the dagger and retrieving the spear... very fluid and dynamic movements, almost like a dance.
Not bothering with real world references, which don't do a lot of help with in game simulations, I am going to suggest use a Short Spear and dagger, and get Two Weapon Fighting, and Lunge as feats. Other useful feats could include Improved Two Weapon Fighting (naturally), Mobility, Dodge, Point Blank Shot (for throwing that short spear), Step Up, Spring Attack.
These all seem, to me anyway, as useful feates to make use of the mobility this combat style implies (at least the way *I* see it). Anything that enhances movement and and gives you reach (such as Lunge) is a good idea I think.
And I think that you should tie a red (or other brightly colored) scarf to the end of the short spear and maybe even a a noise maker... all purely for fluff and storytelling than anything else. Great way to be remembered and get a reputation!
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Two-Weapon Fighting requires a Dexterity of 15. I removed the Dex 13 to cut down on the text, also altered some of your wording.
I can't help but feel this feat is either over powered or just not worth it.Spike and Fang Style (Combat)
You have mastered the ancient Ulfen fighting style of Spike and Fang, a style often utilized by warrior maidens from the Land of the Linnorm Kings. As you penetrate distant foes with your spike (your short spear), you then slash foes that make it past your reach with your fang (your dagger).
Prerequisites: Str 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (dagger), Weapon Focus (short spear)
Benefit: As long as you are fighting with a short spear and a dagger (and you wield the dagger in your off-hand), you may treat the short spear as if it had the brace and reach special features and may threaten all adjacent squares with the dagger. You may also make an additional attack of opportunity per round when an enemy moves out of or within an area you threaten.
Special: A fighter may select Spike and Fang as one of their fighter bonus feats.
Just curious... but wouldn't this be better as a Trait?
The only benefit I see is adding the Brace and Reach descriptors to the Short Spear.
Wielding a dagger, you already threaten all adjacent squares around you. In fact, since a Short Spear is not normally a reach weapon, you also threaten those squares with the Short Spear as well.
Taking Combat Reflexes would give the additional AoO already, and I would be suspect about a feat that grants an extra AoO worded like that. Is that one extra AoO per round regardless of how many opponents move out or into your threatened area, or an extra AoO for every opponent that moves in and out. And it seems over powered if the character taking the feat has a DEX of 6, for example.
I think if we change this to a Trait that adds Brace and Reach to the Short Spear, then by taking Combat Reflexes the spirit of this feat can be accomplished.
Knew something was wrong with it >< Well, least I didn't make it. -Side steps towards Krome- "Yeah, we gotta fix this!"
<.< "What?" >.>
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In fact, since a Short Spear is not normally a reach weapon, you also threaten those squares with the Short Spear as well.
unless you re-write the rules for the reach quality then no, the second you add it to a weapon you can no longer attack adjacent squares. and thus don't threaten them either, so you do need this to have reach and still attack into adjacent squares with the spear.
Reach: You use a reach weapon to strike opponents 10 feet away, but you can't use it against an adjacent foe.
Hoplite spears were short stabbing spears, not longarms, if memory serves.
Your memory is faulty.
They most certainly are NOT short stabbing spears. That would be more like African, Zulu spears or something along those lines.
They also were not "longarms" as D&D would attempt to define it (ie: Longspear with Reach), either.
This is the problem. By D&D/D20/PF/whatever standards, the weapons *do not* exist at all. Clearly, it's an oversight.
I'm pretty sure Hoplites in dungeons weren't one of them.
I'm pretty sure you're right on that count. ;-)
Edit: You know ... Hoplites in dungeon crawls would DOMINATE their freakin' enemies. Moving wall of shields that are nearly Tower Shields, with a row of stabbers behind just marching forward over whatever comes running at 'em down the tunnel.
Strategy made of win!!! {combat anyway - traps might get 'em, though, lord knows they've plenty of "10' poles" to go around.}
I think the long spear in D&D is the hoplite spear -- what is really missing is the real long arms: those with a reach in the 15~20 foot range.
If there's a feat that will allow you to treat weapons as one category lighter, that'd be great.
Personally, I think that more weapons should have been designed like the bastard sword; intrinsically 1-handed weapons that need to be used two handed without a feat. The spear being one of them.
'findel