Ok so I think this is the best weapon because. It's reach, x3 crit, and when on a mount deals double damage, with a respectively decent d8. Don't you use a mount to travel in just about every campaign? If your a martial without pounce get that double damage on a charge especially if your bab is under 6. That's 2 attacks with out having to worry about a lower hit chance. And in a surprise round a reach weapon can stop them from hitting you tho you need combat reflexes ( your a martial what don't you have it ). Would you also consider this a must have weapon for a martial class at lower levels?
It is only the best weapon when you are on a mount. Many groups don't use mounts, and mounts are often to large for dungeons unless you are using a small character or have certain feats that make it less annoying due to the space they take up.
Also at higher levels travel via magic replaces mounts.
Many bad guys are also smart enough to avoid attacks of opportunities unless they are in a very enclosed area, which once again means no charging with your mount. They might even send minions in to eat those AoO's then come in afterwards.
Ah good point.
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The weapon system is actually very simple...the lower the crit range, the better. If the weapon has some special ability on top of it, icing on the cake.
This is mostly a concern for two handed weapons users.
On the caster side, warpriests have taken upon themselves to make any crappy weapon viable, daggers that hit like a greatsword? yeah pretty much.
I mean...it is a rather nice contender because reach is fantastic in general. It is a whole dimension of tactics for a martial.
But if you are not mounted/charging, then it is just a longspear. Again, reach alone makes it fantastic, but there are better reach weapons (slightly better at least).
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A lance is the best for a mounted Charger. x3 damage from spirited charge keeps you dealing some of the best DPR till other martials get 3 swings. Also chargers do not gain benefits from haste spell.
As far as an unmounted Character a High critical range reach weapon is where it is at followed by the High critical 2 handed weapons like a Falchion.
Fauchard is good too. It is an 18-20/x2 weapon with reach. With all the extra hits due to AoOs (particularly if you have a fortuitous weapon, and maybe with the right feats) then you can do some serious damage.
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The lance is good but it's definitely not, as the OP posited, "a must have weapon for a martial class at lower levels"
You need more money for the mount (barring the one class/alt class that get a mount and a handful of archetypes).
You need the battlefield to cater to the mount.
You need to make skill checks to make the mount useful (not necessarily a given).
And then you have an effective weapon for a martial. If you can support all of that, congratulations you have an effective weapon. And you're probably a Cavalier.
As far as best weapons go, for general use:
one-hand: Scimitar or rapier; katana or falcata for exotic
two-hand: nodachi; bardiche for reach; fauchard for exotic reach
Light: Varies wildly depends on why you're using a light weapon. Generally kukri.Specific setups might make better use of certain weapons (lance fits in here), but that's the general point.
Not only all that, but a 1st level raging Barbarian using Power attack is roughly +10 to damage when 2 handing, if your using a falcata, thats a min of +33 on a crit.
A Mounted lance charge will do 2-16+4 at MAX for 20 max damage when the above will do 1-8+10 for a MAX of 18. AND the crits with a Falcata come more often.
Also, if you are able to afford a mount at 1st level, or even 2nd level, what are you going to do when, and I do mean WHEN the mount gets killed? Not only do you have limited battlefields with which to take mounted advantage, let alone constantly charge, you have to wait until 4th level to get a reliable mount for any reasonable class.
AND, feat heavy to make the mounted choice viable in the longer run, since Mounted Combat helps the critter stay alive and so on.
Now, A mounted gnome, halfling or other small race can have a much easier time making the mounted option work, since mounts for them are medium and fit in dungeons.
Raging, Power Attacking Barbarians can also mounted lance charge. There's also nothing stopping you from 2handing a lance from horseback besides basic human decency.
Yes, mounted charges require a lot more work to set up, present tactical difficulties, and are much more easily foiled than regular, foot charges, but that's why the payoff is what it is.
There's nothing about making a mounted charger that autogimps your damage. If you play with low str, or few static bonuses, that's your business.
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Raging, Power Attacking Barbarians can also mounted lance charge. There's also nothing stopping you from 2handing a lance from horseback besides basic human decency.
Yes, mounted charges require a lot more work to set up, present tactical difficulties, and are much more easily foiled than regular, foot charges, but that's why the payoff is what it is.
There's nothing about making a mounted charger that autogimps your damage. If you play with low str, or few static bonuses, that's your business.
Yep, All true.
Though it was 3.5, I have played a mounted lance using character. A lot of options exist, and just b/c my falcata wielding barbarian example was all on/off as opposed to passive doesn't mean that's all I play.
A halfling mounted on a boar and charging with a lance using mounted combat, ride-by attack and spirited charge, in 3.5, was awesome. and had few of the space limitations that a large mount brings with it.
Last, its just... hard for me to think of using a lance 2 handed. Sorry, just doesn't occur to me. But then, reloading and firing a flint lock pistol or rifle 6 times in 6 seconds, while aiming and hitting your target all 6 times at more than 25 feet also hurts my brain, so whatever.
Don't even get me started on how you do that while dual wielding them...
Its Magic!
I would say a lance is the best weapon for an small sized martial, who has an animal companion for a mount.