Can polearms/reach weapons not normally attack enemies in adjacent squares? I ask as I was looking at Polearm Master Fighter archetype and saw this:
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.
Because if you can; this ability makes no sense
Correct, that wouldn't make sense. Reach weapons generally cannot be used to attack adjacent squares.
From the core rulebook:
Quote: Reach Weapons: Glaives, guisarmes, lances, longspears, ranseurs, and whips are reach weapons. A reach weapon is a melee weapon that allows its wielder to strike at targets that aren't adjacent to him. Most reach weapons double the wielder's natural reach, meaning that a typical Small or Medium wielder of such a weapon can attack a creature 10 feet away, but not a creature in an adjacent square. A typical Large character wielding a reach weapon of the appropriate size can attack a creature 15 or 20 feet away, but not adjacent creatures or creatures up to 10 feet away. With a reach weapon, you can attack creatures farther away then normal, but lose the ability to attack creatures that are within your normal reach.
And reach weapon that works differently will state so, such as the whip. It has 15 foot reach, but can still attack adjacent enemies.
The usual work-around is to have Improved Unarmed Strike, armor spikes, a spiked gauntlet, a cestus or some other means of threatening the area around you without letting go of your two-handed weapon. The damage is usually insignificant compared to that of your reach weapon, but at least people inside your guard can't stand from prone or start casting spells with impunity.
Ah, I just read the reach weapon description and saw that it says it right there
duh should have looked at that beforehand lol
Lincoln Hills wrote: The usual work-around is to have Improved Unarmed Strike, armor spikes, a spiked gauntlet, a cestus or some other means of threatening the area around you without letting go of your two-handed weapon. The damage is usually insignificant compared to that of your reach weapon, but at least people inside your guard can't stand from prone or start casting spells with impunity. Or you can take a 5' step back and full attack to your heart's content.
Note that natural weapons are an exception; even if a creature has reach with one or more of its natural weapons, it can still attack adjacent creatures with them.
whip is also an exception, though without feats it cannot deal lethal damage to armored foes and does not threaten anything.
strayshift wrote: Lincoln Hills wrote: The usual work-around is to have Improved Unarmed Strike, armor spikes, a spiked gauntlet, a cestus or some other means of threatening the area around you without letting go of your two-handed weapon. The damage is usually insignificant compared to that of your reach weapon, but at least people inside your guard can't stand from prone or start casting spells with impunity. Or you can take a 5' step back and full attack to your heart's content. Yeah, my friend whose playing a mostly reach weapon using character said exactly that
carn wrote: whip is also an exception, though without feats it cannot deal lethal damage to armored foes and does not threaten anything. Thought that was what the scorpion whip was for
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