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I have a character that just hit 6th level due to a pile of GM credits.
He started as a cavalier, and I am taking the path to Battle Herald.
Now, there has been some debate about the Flagbearer feat from ISWG. First, is it still PFS legal. I cant download Addl Resources presently.
If so, must my character actually hold the cloth of the flag in their hand, or can it be mounted on a polearm and still count. If so, which polearms are legal to use in this way?
I know about Banner of the Ancient Kings. Not able to afford it yet, plus I don't own the book to make it legal.
I know the Flagbearer bonus does not stack with the cavalier banner ability. Still, having a standing bonus to all attacks is powerful.
If you do mount your banner to a longspear or lance, how do you justify swinging it around at enemies? What if you stabbed too hard and the flag itself entered the wound?
Just thinking about flavor on that last item. I don't want to take an option that isn't at least somewhat logically consistent.
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Ultimate equipment has a generic banners in its equipment section, ranging from 1-20 gp depending on how detailed you want them to be. I believe they specify any pole arm works. My cavalier has two 20 gp versions (one with the PFS logo, one with her deities symbol), but they're cheap enough that, if getting them dirty is that big of a concern, you could swap it out for a fresh one between encounters.
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Aye, a guisarme holds my banner aloft. T'is rather fitting huscarl weapon if I do say so myself, for is it not an ax held high?
I've heard rumblings about words and hands, how to hold it and what to hoist it on whatnot, so to me it followed that yon' weapon should be a pole and 8 feet high.
Wish t'were clearer, to say the least. Some rules perplex me.
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The flagbearer feat is legal, but it specifically states that you must hold the flag in your hand for the feat to work. It's the price you pay for such an awesome feat. (Also, there is a link to Additional Resources if you can't download it under Player Resources).
The Banner of Ancient Kings does allow you to attach your flag to a spear instead of being required to hold it in your hand as well as its other bonuses.
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The flagbearer feat is legal, but it specifically states that you must hold the flag in your hand for the feat to work. It's the price you pay for such an awesome feat. (Also, there is a link to Additional Resources if you can't download it under Player Resources).
The Banner of Ancient Kings does allow you to attach your flag to a spear instead of being required to hold it in your hand as well as its other bonuses.
The banner does require you to be firmly holding the spear with two hands to get the benefit. Plus it is very expensive. I do have it on my bard (1 xp from retirement now) for its additional effects on inspire courage.
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Yup flag bearer without the Banner of the ancient kings requires the flag to be held in one hand allowing the use of a one handed weapon and a light shield or a buckler, with the Banner of the Ancient Kings you can attach it to a longspear and wield it in both hands. My level 14 character used the feat from level 1, started with buckler and battle axe and moved to longspear after I bought the banner of ancient kings (at 7th level, as soon as I had enough fame)
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I'm not sure about the rules offhand, but as for the flavor: If it's good enough for the Bayeux Tapestry, it's good enough for me.Of course, they didn't charge with couched lances in 1066. (That didn't really become a thing until they learned about stirrups from the Huns or someone.) The Maciejowski Bible is from 1240, when they definitely _did_ charge with couched lances. (See! Stirrups! Pennons are in the upper left corner, kinda cut off in that picture.) But I'm not certain if those lances are meant for combat or for parade.
I have no idea what the provenance of this page or image are, but it looks like it's more or less in period, and those are definitely pennons. On lances. In combat.
So, I wouldn't let a pennon on my character's lance kick me out of my suspension of disbelief while he's charging a flying dragon on a dinosaur using a lance that smites evil enemies with holy magic and has a tip made of metal that cuts steel like butter. Oh, and he's singing a song that makes all his friends better fighters while he's at it. Pennon? No problem.
(If you're worried about overpenetration, just say it has lugs to prevent that. The lugs may or may not have been for that, and they weren't used on lances that were used by heavy cavalry making charges anyway, but hey, we're playing a game not publishing a peer...
+1 for the Bayuex Tapestry reference. +5 for the Maciejowski Bible.
Either of those alone makes it more than good enough for me, at the very least for mounted knights.
I got an M.A. in history, so I understand all too well the deal with peer reviewed papers...
Nevertheless, my focus was on late-19th and early 20th century history. The way most people today expect military figures from that time to act is very different. I'm not sure how American Civil War soldiers would have felt about using their "colors" to strike anyone.
But I have always been understood that lancers flew pennons.
I'm thinking of the standard bearer archetype, and not taking enough levels to get a mount.
And Gunnarr, that DYRE WULF banner does sound awfully metal!
Anyway, thanks to all of you for the rules help as well! Still mulling over some of my choices. I own neither the Inner Sea World guide nor the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, so Flagbearer and BAK are mostly academic questions right now. Probably can't justify at least $24 of real money for a few game options.
Not sure if I want to go bard 4/cav 1 or cav 4/bard 1. I know it's silly, but my the image of such characters in my mind is very different.