I wrote a homebrew module and eventually got to play it with my group when one of members had to pause another game we were playing. I also wrote up some traits, class archetypes and prestige classes for use in my setting. My question is about a weapon I created that some of these classes get to use.
Cost: 150 gp, Weight: 14 lbs.
Damage: 2d6/1d8, Critical x3/x2, Type: slashing, bludgeoning or piercing/piercing
Category: two-handed, Proficiency: Exotic
Weapon Group: polearms
Special: reach
A favorite among knights, the polearm is a versatile weapon. Its head is comprised of an axe, hammer and spike. At the butt end of this polearm is the cue, a spike meant to be used when targets pass the head’s reach.
The cue and pole head are separate weapons for the purposes of special materials and enchanting.
I know that since I am the GM that I can rule however I want but I decided to see what the community thinks. Since the head has reach and the cue is melee, can a player cleave while switching which side of the weapon he is using. One of players tried this and I allowed it. However, to my knowledge there is not an official weapon that does this so I was wondering if that would possible. The cleave rules don't seem to stop the player from switching weapons. Would it be possible to hit a target, drop a weapon, quick draw a reach weapon, and attack an enemy adjacent to the first?
Either way, I just wanted this to be a versatile weapon and my player has certainly gotten some good use out of it. I would not have thought that a cavalier could be so deadly out of the saddle but he just cleaves my groups of enemies.
The whole idea of Cleave is that you're following through from one opponent into another. Hence "You can strike two adjacent foes with a single swing." So I'd say the RAI are definitely a no.
But then, you're not switching weapons, here. It's the same weapon with two different sets of stats.
The meteor hammer has a similar thing going on with reach/no reach, but requires an action to switch between them.
I would not have thought that a cavalier could be so deadly out of the saddle but he just cleaves my groups of enemies.
Well, Cleave in the very best case doubles the damage output of a standard action attack. This is offset by the -2 AC penalty and it being supposed to be quite situational. And, less obviously, by the duty to distribute your damage among two targets, so usually they are only damaged and keep all their actions, being as much of a threat as before.
It's ok to make Cleave more powerful (several official options do that), but make sure the player pays a proper price for it. So what did your player pay?
1) He became proficient with the weapon (I assume), so he paid a feat, pulled the half-elf trick or did something similar.
2) He lost some damage in comparison to the common greatsword. A double weapon provides only a x1 factor on Strength (and Power Attack), and that's the primary hand, the better case. Also 1d8 is slightly weaker than 2d6, in average.
IMO it's ok if he gets to pull this trick, given the price.
Beyond that: Keep in mind that cavaliers are supposed to do good damage, as any other true martial class, and that their mount is only one of the class' pillars.
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I wrote a homebrew module and eventually got to play it with my group when one of members had to pause another game we were playing. I also wrote up some traits, class archetypes and prestige classes for use in my setting. My question is about a weapon I created that some of these classes get to use.
** spoiler omitted **
I know that since I am the GM that I can rule however I want but I decided to see what the community thinks. Since the head has reach and the cue is melee, can a player cleave while switching which side of the weapon he is using. One of players tried this and I allowed it. However, to my knowledge there is not an official weapon that does this so I was wondering if that would possible. The cleave rules don't seem to stop the player from switching weapons. Would it be possible to hit a target, drop a weapon, quick draw a reach weapon, and attack an enemy adjacent to the first?
Either way, I just wanted this to be a versatile weapon and my player has certainly gotten some good use out of it. I would not have thought that a cavalier could be so deadly out of the saddle but he just cleaves my groups of enemies.
thats just a Dwarven Urgrosh with higher damage
I guess I forgot to mention that he has greater cleave which is far better. I am not worried about his damage and honestly I prefer him out of the saddle so that he doesn't spirited charge my bosses.
My concern is that the cleave text calls for another attack rather then using the same attack. I can see they wrote it this way but it my weapon seems to push the feat to its limits. I was aware of the Dwarven Urgrosh, Dorn Dergar and Meteor Hammer but none of those do what I wanted this weapon to do.
Thanks for your input.
To clarify: this is not a double weapon, right? Like, it's two different two-handed weapons, and you can use either set of rules, but not both at the same time?
To clarify: this is not a double weapon, right? Like, it's two different two-handed weapons, and you can use either set of rules, but not both at the same time?
Yes this is not a double weapon but I wrote feat that grants double, brace and blocking. My player does not have this feat so that's not in question.
As for use at the same time, for full attacks I allow the player to switch which part of the weapon he is using. Cleave is a different question.
As for use at the same time, for full attacks I allow the player to switch which part of the weapon he is using. Cleave is a different question.
I don't know. By RAW, I don't think it is. If you allow a player to use any part of the weapon for any part of the attack, then that means they can trigger a Cleave attempt with one part and make the bonus attack with another.
Logically it sort of falters, but what of it?
The weapon does strike me as rather good. For a feat, you get a lucerne hammer that deals more damage types and has a better critical and has a secondary function as a less effective but non-reach weapon, and requires no action to switch between the two.