Is nodachi a hafted weapon?
I've seen some real world pictures of Nodachi that make them look like large katana and others that look more like long bladed pole arms. In Pathfinder they are both in the Heavy Blades Fighter Group as well as the Pole Arm Fighter Group. Pole arms are hafted in D&D while swords generally are not.
*reason*
I ask because wyroot can only be applied to hafted weapons (such as spears) and would like to know if it applies to a nodachi.
Historically they are large katanas, the length of the handle just scaled with the length of the blade. But I have seen a lot of what appear to be glaives labeled as nodachi, and this game seems to follow that notion. But as far as I know, it's just a big katana.
Yes, I’ve always considered it a larger katana.
So for Pathfinder, is there an official definition of a hafted weapon?
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Nope - it's all left to interpretation. Most of these sorts of weapon definitions are. If you look at the rules for determining Hardness and HP for weapons, they ONLY list blades and metal- or wood- hafted weapons (plus projectile weapons)...this tends to indicate that even things like axes or maces are considered hafted weapons (unless you consider an axe a blade...).
So for Pathfinder, is there an official definition of a hafted weapon?
Not officially, no. I'd assume it would also include things like axes, or maces. Since the only reason you would even bother bringing up the exact make of a weapon like this is due to the rule where items with wooden hafts are weaker against sundering.
But no, nodachis are just labeled as polearms because a designed thought it sounded cool. And because they are not exactly the weapons for back alley shankings. A bit to long for close quarters like that, and all.
"Hafted Weapon" in pathfinder means "Polearm." Literally, a melee weapon that has reach, but can't attack in the normal threat range. Unless you're using the Custom Weapons rules.
There are polearms in Pathfinder that do not have reach, e.g. the halberd.
I think you're better off asking "Does the nodachi qualify for X", which I'm guessing has something to do with hafted weapons. While nodachi are essentially larger, longer katanas, that means that the part you grip it by is also larger and longer.
And for what it's worth, the game does place the nodachi is the polearms weapons group and allows you to use it with feats like Shield Brace.
Edit: Never mind, I see where you asked about the actually interaction.
I would probably say as a GM that a nodachi does not contain enough wood to meaningfully be affected.
So for Pathfinder, is there an official definition of a hafted weapon?No, but there is an official source of where that term originates:
In the CRB, in additional rules, at the very end are the rules for weapon HP and hardness. That is where the first pathfinder use of "hafted weapons" occurs.
Using the table at the very bottom of the linked rules, which catagory do you think a Nodachi best fits? I'd put it in the "two-handed blade" group.
This is a good reference tool. I guess the GM and player can decide together if the weapon they are using is more of a large katana or a pole arm. The decision will affect it's hardness as well as materials that can be used to construct it.