Phalanx Soldier Question issue

[ddgon]

We have all seen 300. Now Phalanx soldier is the pathfinder fighter who fights like that. My question is with the lvl 3 ability. It alows that figher to use a spear as a onehanded weapon. This is not normal, but a spear only dose 1d8 so not game changing. But it is still a two-handed weapon, and if the fighter takes Power Attack how dose it work?

PA says that if you use it with a 2handed weapon you get -1/+3. a spear is a 2handed weapon. So dose a Phalance soldier useing a spear onehanded get the +3 from powerattack?

Another question is dose the figher still get 1.5Str with the spear while useing a shield or no?

Could be a fun build if you got the benifites of a 2handed weapon while having a shield

[CalebTGordan]

The weapons used with one hand will count as one- handed weapons. Thus, the spear is counted as a one-hand weapon when the phalanx solider uses it with a spear.

[Some call me Tim]

ddgon wrote:

PA says that if you use it with a 2handed weapon you get -1/+3. a spear is a 2handed weapon. So dose a Phalance soldier useing a spear onehanded get the +3 from powerattack?

I know under 3.5, it was ruled that it was how you wielded it not what size it is. I think the intent is carried forward in Pathfinder: "Wielding a Weapon Two-Handed: When you deal damage with a weapon that you are wielding two-handed,you add 1-1/2 times your Strength bonus (Pathfinder Core Rulebook p. 179)[.]"

Note how the section on damage says "a weapon" not anything about weapon size category.

[Quandary]

And that section conflicts with the RAW in the Equipment section, which gives damage multiplier info in the 2 Handed Weapon CATEGORY. IMHO, that´s bad editing, putting DUPLICATE information in places where it doesn´t really belong, and botching it by not making it line up 1:1 with the RAW for STR dmg based on how a weapon is being wielded... IMHO Weapon Category only comes into play to the extent that 2H bonus can´t apply to Light Weapons. But that´s now RAW, RAW is two slighty different/over-lapping sets of criteria for when 2H dmg bonus is applied, that is worded such that 2H Category weapons always gain the damage bonus no matter how they are wielded.

[The_Normal_Anomaly]

"Phalanx Fighting (Ex): At 3rd level, when a phalanx soldier wields a shield, he can use any polearm or spear of his size as a one-handed weapon. This ability replaces armor training 1."

Keep in mind it isn't just a spear. He could have a glaive or halberd if he wanted as a one-handed weapon. For the best synergy with brace, longspear even works. So it isn't like it is just the spear alone.

Quandary wrote:

But that´s now RAW, RAW is two slighty different/over-lapping sets of criteria for when 2H dmg bonus is applied, that is worded such that 2H Category weapons always gain the damage bonus no matter how they are wielded.

Mounted lancers will be overjoyed.