If you're wielding the polearm you cannot wield the cestus at the same time. That is to say, you cannot be able to attack with both simultaneously because both use your hand.
You could however, release your grip on the horsechopper (holding it in a single hand, but not wielding) as a free action, attack with the cestus and then regrip the horsechopper as another free action. Or you could not grip it again. And then you would threaten with the cestus and not the horsechopper.
There is no attack penalty for wearing a cestus or else the rules would have mentioned it more explicitly. Exactly what precisions based tasks are is left up to the DM, but its unlikely it would include attacks rolls or else it probably should have been mentioned explicitly.
If you're wielding the polearm you cannot wield the cestus at the same time.You´re contradicting the description of the cestus: "When using a cestus, your fingers are mostly exposed, allowing you to wield or carry items in that hand".
The way I see it "using a cestus" means attacking with one, and "wielding in that hand" means I can wield a weapon.
I dont pretend to attack simultaneously with both the cestus and the weapon I´m holding, just the cestus, but without penalties.
Is there a rule that mentions such a penalty?
No I'm not, though I did perhaps not make it clear through my wording.
The cestus' descriptions is basically saying that while wearing the cestus that you can wield another weapon. Normally, if you have a weapon in/on your hand you could not do this.
What I was trying to convey is that with a two-handed weapon in your hands you cannot wield (attack with) the cestus because as long as both hands are on your two-handed weapon you cannot use the cestus to punch.
Now, since removing a hand from your two-handed weapon is a free action you can do so, attack with the cestus, and place your hand back on your weapon without any real penalty to do so. Where this becomes important is when its not your turn for considerations of what area you threaten. The horsechopper is a reach weapon so you would threaten squares 10ft from you, but not at 5ft. The cestus can threaten at 5ft, but you must be wielding it which you cannot do with your hands of your two handed weapon. You could get around this whole problem though by having armor spikes. Armor spikes do not require a specific limb, they would threaten at 5ft, and you could have both hands on a horsechopper to threaten at 10ft.
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The confusion stems from the varying meanings of the word 'wielding'.
In one sense, 'wielding' just means 'holding, ready to attack (i.e. threatening').
In another sense, to 'wield' a weapon means to 'execute an attack' with that weapon.
The vast majority of melee weapons need to be held in one or two hands in order to execute an attack with that weapon. If you hold a weapon in two hands it is a free action to let go with one hand while still holding it in the other, or to add a second hand to a weapon that you are holding in one. Since free actions (with noted exceptions) can only be taken on your own turn, you can switch grips as many times as you like on your own turn (subject to DM veto if you're being ridiculous; once per attack is reasonable), but not at all when it's not your turn. Therefore it's wise to decide what each hand is holding at the end of your turn in case of attacks of opportunity. If you have both hands on the horse chopper then you don't threaten with the cestus because that hand is occupied, and if you hold the horse chopper in your right hand you threaten with the cestus on your left, but no longer threaten with your horse chopper because you require two hands to execute an attack with that, and you can't take the free action to re-grip if it's not your turn.
So, at any given moment you either threaten 5-feet with your cestus and just hold (but don't threaten with) the horse chopper, or you threaten 10-feet with the horse chopper but not with the cestus.
Mix and match for each attack during your own turn, but you have to choose one at the end of your turn and you're stuck with that choice until the beginning of your next turn.
Does that help?
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But, couldn't he threaten the 5' range with the cestus, and the 10' range with the horse chopper (taking a one handed use penalty)? Just saying... I don't see any problem, so long as he executes the AoO with the appropriate weapon when the time comes (he can't get a cestus hit in at 10' for instance). Also note with this, that each enemy only gets one AoO when you move out of a threatened square (for that enemy) so if the player chooses not to attack with the cestus when they move to 10 feet, and the enemy decides to not move any more (which would basically be a 5 foot step I guess) then they wouldn't get a mulligan on the AoO skipped (waiting and hoping they moved out of the 10 foot range so they could horse chop 'em).
Overall, I would say you were under the correct impression, and the GM was wrong in this instance. You can free action drop one hand, cestus punch (or unarmed strike), then re-grip for a free action (if you want to or not).
(and just out of curiosity, does someone who uses a whip and a dagger threaten two ranges as well? just saying)
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I'd rule that you could, but that is just because of action films. Basically, if you can "pommel" someone for non-lethal damage, you can punch them with the cestus holding the sword. This is just opinion, of course. RAW means you have to pretty well declare what weapon you are using / have equipped. A cestus, of course, is always equipped, though. So the "free action" would be to swap hands with the sword and then make the cestus attack (seems more intelligent just to allow it) and then swap back... Lot to go through just to worry about bludgeon versus slashing damage... if you are a GM that is... (unless the cestus were a +5 flaming burst defender or something uber like that I wouldn't worry much about this - if it were some sort of uber weapon, then I'd try to work it out with the player. The free actions would still allow a hand switch with the sword and attack with the cestus though, so in the end I really couldn't see much different ruling).
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But, couldn't he threaten the 5' range with the cestus, and the 10' range with the horse chopper (taking a one handed use penalty)?
There is no such penalty.
If it's a one-handed or light weapon for you, there is no penalty for attacking one-handed with it.
If it's a two-handed weapon, you require two hands to execute an attack with it (and therefore threaten with it), but only one to hold it. You cannot attack with it at all if you use only one hand (barring special abilities).
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Very much, as far as the threatened area and swapping weapons is concerned, thank you.
Leaving aside the the range, the turns and the free actions, I would like to know if I could wield a short sword (or any one-handed weapon) in the same hand I´m wearing a cestus and attack with either of them without penalties on my turn.
This is not directly addressed in the rules.
Strictly, if the gauntlet/cestus hand is holding a weapon, then the gauntlet/cestus cannot be used. A kind DM may allow you to punch with a hand that is holding a light weapon. It would be a generous DM who allowed it while holding a one-handed weapon.
It would be a truly mad courageous DM who allowed it while holding a two-handed weapon!
I would expect escalating attack penalties and a generous DM bribery snacks fund.
Cestus does not allow you to wield 2 weapons in 1 hand. You can have cestus equipped (word "use" in the rules) and wield other weapon in that hand, or wield cestus itself, but then other weapon will be "carried" and cannot be used for attacks.
I would not allow to attack with hand carrying something, unless player attacks with carried item and incur penalties for improvised weapon+risk of damaging the item, but that is just me.
F.A.Q. if that is what you mean.
You could make your attack for the round (assuming no TWF) your armor spikes attack. It would be a primary attack and you would get full strength damage on it.
If you attack with your horsechopper, a two handed weapon, you cannot attack with any other weapon during your turn. You can however make attacks of opportunity as AoO have nothing to do with the attacks you make on your turn. It is only dependent on what weapon your wielding when the AoO would be provoked.
@Maouse, you cannot at all use a two-handed weapon in one hand without a very specific exception to do so. They do exist within the game, but they are not common. It's not a penalty, it's impossible without the exception. A lance while mounted is one such exception.
Also, it is very important to note: Free actions can only be performed during your turn. Only immediate actions or readied actions can happen during someone else's turn and effectively interrupt them. So while it is a free aciton to remove or place your hand on your two-handed weapon, you can only do so on your turn. Meaning you must decide to wield the cestus and hold the horsechopper, or wield the horsechopper in both hands which the cestus does not impede by being worn.
Seriously though, imagine having both of your hands on a baseball bat. Now try and punch someone effectively without taking your hands off the bat? Do you think you can actually do that and cause someone damage with your fist? I should hope you can see the answer is reasonably no. And the game rules reinforce this. To that end you can't have another weapon in the hand with the cestus and be able to attack with the cestus at the same time.
Still curious about what blackbloodtroll was refering to with "other options" though ;)
I believe the biggest one, which has already been mentioned, is armor spikes. If there are other options I think they aren't as simple or more effective than armor spikes.
Armor spikes have been the traditional method of threatening at close range while wielding a reach weapon for my entire time as a D&D and Pathfinder player. It's not perfect becauase you will never deal as much damage with them as your main weapon, but any back up plan will have that same problem.
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Any attack can be an off-hand attack, during two-weapon fighting.
In fact, off-hand attacks exist only during two-weapon fighting.
Two-weapon fighting is a special type of full attack, in which you use two different weapons to gain an extra attack, with a penalty to all attacks during that full attack action.
You are never considered to be making an off-hand attack outside of two-weapon fighting. You only suffer two-weapon fighting penalties during the full attack action, when two-weapon fighting.
If you have high enough BAB, you can attack with different weapons, but unless you are using the two-weapon fighting full attack action to gain an extra attack, you do not suffer two-weapon fighting penalties.
I repeat: The off-hand exists only during two-weapon fighting.
All those weapons listed can be used just like any other weapon, in a normal standard attack.
Out of curiosity what race are you.
Isn't Horsechopper a reach weapon