|
I have a dwarven fighter which I thinking of taking the phalanx soldier archtype. I like the ability to use a polearm and a tower shield. I would also like to be able to hit an adjacent foe.
Now I have spotted the polearm master archtype but I can't take both archtypes.
I would like to have my cake and eat it too.
Any suggestions?
thank you
|
|
Generally speaking, you can use armor spikes to hit creatures adjacent to you.
However, Dwarves have two more options:
- the Dwarven Boulder Helmet lets you do the same thing as the armor spikes;
- the Dorn-Dergar is a 2H reach weapon that can be adapted to have reach or not with a move action, or a swift action with the feat Darting Viper.
Unfortunately, the Dorn Dergar isn't a polearm, so it doesn't work with the Phalanx Soldier. Therefore, I think that armor spikes or the helmet are your only options.
HOWEVER, you could take the Dorn Dergar Mastery feat in order to be able to use it 1H without the need of the Phalanx Fighter feature. It however requires also TWF and doesn't let you change grip as a swift.
This would be a departure from the initial theme of polearm and shield, but there's also the spear dancer style feat chain - choke up on the polearm and use it as a double weapon with two-weap fighting.
(3rd party stuff incoming)
Haft Strike (Path of War Expanded)
BAB +5
Take a -2 penalty to AC to attack adjacent creatures with a reach weapon. Removes range while using and its effect last until the next turn.
Pikeman's Training (Path of War Expanded)
BAB +1
Wield a polearm in one hand while using a shield.
Sadly doesn't include bucklers or tower shields, but you can ask for GM fiat to change that.
Shaft and Shield (Kobold Press)
BAB +1
You can wield two handed spear-like weapons in one hand.
Lance, Longspear, ranseur, spear.
Polearm Dancer (Path of War Expanded)
Perform (dance) 1 rank, BAB +1
Use Dex instead of Str on attack rolls with polearms.
This feat counts as Weapon Finesse for the purposes of meeting prerequisites and requirements.
Prodigious Two-Weapon Fighting (Path of War Expanded)
Str 13
Use Strength instead of Dex for qualifying for Two-Weapon fighting feats. Off hand weapon is considering light if it is a one-handed weapon.
Deadly Agility (Path of War)
Weapon Finesse, BAB +1
Use your Dex modifier over your Str modifier for damage for any weapon finesse-able weapon.
Defensive Expertise
Shield Focus, shield proficiency, BAB +1
Shield bonus applies to Touch AC, Enchantment bonus of shield adds a competence bonus to Reflex saves.
SorrySleeping, do you happen to use Gamefaqs? I've just seen that username before so I was wondering.
Anyway, Weapon Trick from the Weapon Master Handbook provides you the ability to take either archetype and make up for the disadvantage.
Choke Up works with Polearm Master. For the minor cost of -2 to hit and damage, you have a one handed polearm as long as you do not attack with your other hand. Though hitting one handed and adjacent nets you a -6 to hit which is...painful.
As for Phalanx Soldier, you take Haft Bash. For a -2 to hit, you can beat people with your spear's pole as if it were a club. While this is much more likely to hit than Polearm Master/Choke Up the downside is that the weapon counts as a Club so it loses any special qualities like trip BUT it should still count as that polearm for the purposes of weapon focus/specialization/greater/greater.
The alternative that I've used historically is Improved Unarmed Strike and give 'em the boot.
Use a long spear sized for a small character. It's one handed for you and still has reach though it has a -2 to attack. Then use a spiked gauntlet for close attacks in your other hand.
SorrySleeping, do you happen to use Gamefaqs? I've just seen that username before so I was wondering.
Yes.
As for the unarmed suggestions, TC is asking to wield a shield and a spear. You can't do unarmed, shield, and spear unless you go monk and do some kicking.
SorrySleeping, do you happen to use Gamefaqs? I've just seen that username before so I was wondering.Yes.
As for the unarmed suggestions, TC is asking to wield a shield and a spear. You can't do unarmed, shield, and spear unless you go monk and do some kicking.
You don't need to be a Monk to kick.
In the Weapon Masters Handbook there is also and bunch of options under the Weapon Trick Feat which allow you to 1 hand a two handed polearm, or use the weapon as if it didn't have reach.
Phalanx Soldier isn't all that fantastic an Archetype beyond level 3, so you could consider going 3 levels in it and then multiclassing to anything else that's effective for combat. You could even multiclass into Urban Barbarian and take the Greater Brawler Rage Power to gain unarmed TWF for up-close combat while still wielding spear and shield. Since Unarmed Strike simply uses the 'body', you can basically call it anything you want - headbutting, gut-kicking, punching with your spear-hand, etc.
Take Catch Off Guard and use the haft as an improvised weapon. Does the same damage as a Club.
|
Can I use my longspear to attack at both 10 feet and 5 feet? I know that the rules for reach weapons don't allow them to attack adjacent foes, but can I use the improvised weapon rules to say that the blunt end of my longspear resembles a club and use it to attack adjacent foes? I know that the improvised weapon rules say they are for objects not designed to be weapons, but the blunt end of my longspear was not designed to be a weapon, right?
You could choose to wield your longspear as an improvised blunt weapon. In this case, it threatens only your adjacent squares, and not the further squares. If you are wielding it as a longspear, though, to threaten the further squares, then your grip precludes the use as an improvised blunt weapon. The rules are silent on how long it would take to shift between the two, but switching between a one-handed and a two-handed grip with a one-handed weapon like a longsword is a free action (and can thus be only taken on your turn), so it should take at least as long as that, thus preventing you from simultaneously threatening all of the squares at once. Incidentally, using the longspear as an improvised weapon in this way would not allow you to benefit from any magical enhancements it may possess, nor would you add benefits that apply when attacking with a longspear (such as Weapon Focus (longspear), but you would apply any benefits from using an improvised weapon (such as Catch Off-Guard).