This is an issue of only using web resources regularly. Neither Paizo PRD nor D20PFSRD list the nodachi as a heavy blade in the fighter weapon groups. Archives of Nethys and some old forum posts do however.
What book added Nodachis? Are the weapon group(s) they belong to listed in the same book or is one or more of these sources wrong?
Alternatively, was there some errata that removed them from the heavy blades group? (the forum posts that mention it are all quite old now)
Nodachi is listed on d20pfsrd and the prd as a heavy blade and a polearm.
Nodachi is listed on d20pfsrd as a heavy blade and a polearm.
Saw that about 10 seconds after i posted, i must be blind
This blog post is another common source for weapon groups, especially for more obscure weapons. ^_^
It's a bit goofy to call a nodachi a polearm, but it's not without its possibilities. Spear-Dancing Style TWF with a nodachi, anyone?
It's a bit goofy to call a nodachi a polearm, but it's not without its possibilities. Spear-Dancing Style TWF with a nodachi, anyone?
I have to feel like someone doing the stats for that weapon briefly confused a nodachi with a naginata (which is incredibly similar to a glaive IRL) so here we are.
It's weird to have a polearm without reach though.
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It's weird to have a polearm without reach though.
The Halberd feels your pain.
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While it wouldn't apply for PFS play, (since there The Nodachi is both a slashing and Piercing weapon and both a Heavy blade and a pole arm end of story) for a Home game I would personally have the weapon type apply to how it is being used. When Slashing it would be a heavy blade, when piercing or using the brace feature it would be a polearm. If you wanted to pair it with shield brace, you would have to use it as a pole arm and thus piercing attacks.
I know you have slashing pole arms, but I feel this is one of those instances where once you swap to the other damage type, your movements would be more in line with the heavy blade than the pole arm. Also I never could picture shield brace work with a slashing pole arm either...
It's weird to have a polearm without reach though.The Halberd feels your pain.
That seems like a deliberate decision of "okay, we want to have at least one polearm suited for close quarters combat, which is the shortest IRL?"
Whole point of polearms is that you can poke/hack/slash people before they get get close enough to hit you with a weapon that's not affixed to a long stick, though.
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It's weird to have a polearm without reach though.The Halberd feels your pain.That seems like a deliberate decision of "okay, we want to have at least one polearm suited for close quarters combat, which is the shortest IRL?"
Whole point of polearms is that you can poke/hack/slash people before they get get close enough to hit you with a weapon that's not affixed to a long stick, though.
I'll take a Longbow, thanks!
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It's weird to have a polearm without reach though.The Halberd feels your pain.That seems like a deliberate decision of "okay, we want to have at least one polearm suited for close quarters combat, which is the shortest IRL?"
Whole point of polearms is that you can poke/hack/slash people before they get get close enough to hit you with a weapon that's not affixed to a long stick, though.
Not necessarily; advanced polearms were often used for techniques that crossed everything from spear fighting to quarterstaff to two-handed axe. A halberd can be used to bash someone in the head, hook their limbs to trip, and then spear a weak point in their armor. For close combat in full plate, pollaxes ended up the weapon of choice - quarterstaff meets can-opener.
I think that the, apparently ludicrous, qualification as a pole arm comes from the fact that the no dachi is long enough to be used for a brace manoeuver.
It's weird to have a polearm without reach though.The Halberd feels your pain.
As does the Monk's Spade.
It's a bit goofy to call a nodachi a polearm, but it's not without its possibilities. Spear-Dancing Style TWF with a nodachi, anyone?I have to feel like someone doing the stats for that weapon briefly confused a nodachi with a naginata (which is incredibly similar to a glaive IRL) so here we are.
It's weird to have a polearm without reach though.
It isn't that I couldn't see it treated as a polearm.
The real question is why other big swords aren't given that treatment.
Basically- nodachis are not the tools of back alley shankings. They are large military weapons meant for the battlefield. It's length was more meant for cutting down cavalry (Since it was long enough to get a good hit on the rider). They are less 'sheathed' and more 'stowed away'. They are just long enough that it is awkward to use them as personal defense tool to be pulled out on the fly. Ergo, they fill a somewhat similar role as polearms.
So the real question is why greatswords are not considered polearms. They fit the same general qualities. Heck, since they were often designed to also be held above the guard (to the point of having a second guard), they were often actually used like short spears.