One-Handed Reach?

[RndmNumGen]

Is there any way to get a reach weapon that you can effectively wield with only one hand? I was thinking about making a houserule that lets you use a longspear one-handed with a penalty(-2? -4?) to attack, but I was wondering if there was some other method.

[Saveducks]

I believe whip is one handed reach

[EvilJoe15]

The weapon you are looking for is called the Kusari-Gama on page #144 of the DMG. It's basically a light spiked chain. You can even dual wield them for extra awesome.

[Ernir]

The Kusari-gama (DMG 145) works.

EDIT: And I've heard something about the Slight Build (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a) racial trait of Kobolds allowing them to use a Tiny longspear in one hand, maintaining the reach. Haven't figured that one out yet, though...

[CycloneJoker]

Be a Half-Ogre or Minotaur?

[Rainbownaga]

Isn't there also a one-handed Drow chain weapon from one of the Eberron books? Xendric I think.

[WinWin]

A presitge class from DoTU allows the use of a spiked chain as a one handed weapon.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Isn't there also a one-handed Drow chain weapon from one of the Eberron books? Xendric I think.

Actually it is an Inspired weapon, the spinning sword from Secrets of Sarlona.

[Draz74]

EDIT: And I've heard something about the Slight Build (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a) racial trait of Kobolds allowing them to use a Tiny longspear in one hand, maintaining the reach. Haven't figured that one out yet, though...

From what I understand, any Medium or Small race can actually pull this trick off. Slight Build just means the Kobold can do it without the -2 attack penalty that (for example) a Human with a Small Longspear will incur.

[Vknight]

As the others have stated are all methods to gain the 1handed reach capabilities you seek and all can be done.
We need a build that maximizes this.

[Andion Isurand]

There's a feat from Dragon magazine #338 called "Shield and Pike Style". Basically, it lets you use a two handed reach piercing pole arm with a light shield.


The weapon you are looking for is called the Kusari-Gama on page #144 of the DMG. It's basically a light spiked chain. You can even dual wield them for extra awesome.

Well, the real thing is technically used with both hands, and it could be considered a double weapon if you have a meteor hammer on the end opposite the kama. But when you're swinging one end for a reach attack, the other end is staying close.

[dob]

When mounted, you can wield a lance with one hand.

[Carvel]

though it's not a permanent thing, the shadowstrike bonus (Magic Item Compendium p43) adds 5foot reach once per day and denies the target dex bonus to AC.

best part: it will always cost 5,000.:smallbiggrin:

[Coidzor]

From what I understand, any Medium or Small race can actually pull this trick off. Slight Build just means the Kobold can do it without the -2 attack penalty that (for example) a Human with a Small Longspear will incur.

I've heard that a weapon that's too small for its wielder won't confer the reach property in the context of an FAQ ruling that was mentioned without citation by Dictum Mortuum in the Duskblade Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=525.0) in regards to the Sizing (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=fgv1pla16k72f2d4ihnhu16or5&topic=525.msg11005#msg11005)weapon property.

Tiny reach weaponry confuses me as does the interaction of slight build and wielding weapons a size smaller than oneself. x,x


Isn't there also a one-handed Drow chain weapon from one of the Eberron books? Xendric I think.

Drow Scorpion Chains, I believe are what you're referring to. ...And I think they're basically a variant on the spiked chain, and so are two-handed.

[KillianHawkeye]

EDIT: And I've heard something about the Slight Build (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a) racial trait of Kobolds allowing them to use a Tiny longspear in one hand, maintaining the reach. Haven't figured that one out yet, though...

From what I understand, any Medium or Small race can actually pull this trick off. Slight Build just means the Kobold can do it without the -2 attack penalty that (for example) a Human with a Small Longspear will incur.

Actually, that doesn't work. According to Rules Compendium, you don't gain any reach if the weapon is too small for you.

[CycloneJoker]

I may be misremembering, but doesn't Monkey Grip allow you to wield a 2handed weapon 1 handed? That'd work, then, wouldn't it?

[KillianHawkeye]

I may be misremembering, but doesn't Monkey Grip allow you to wield a 2handed weapon 1 handed? That'd work, then, wouldn't it?

No, but it does allow you to use a larger version of the weapon in the same number of hands it would normally take you.

[shadow_archmagi]

I believe in the Book of Abberations, there's a feat that lets you have really long arms

thus allowing for a LITERAL one handed reach

[Coidzor]

Two feats, both of which have a prerequisite feat that's mostly useless, allow for a character's natural reach to be improved.

Deformity (Tall) [seems to be from Heroes of Horror] which requires Willing Deformity (BoVD) and Inhuman Reach which requires either Aberration Blood (both Lords of Madness) or a feat from Eberron that represents that one survived the Mourning and were mutated by it. Ah, yes. Mourning Mutate from Dragon #359 counts as Aberration Blood for qualifying for other feats/etc. that have Aberration Blood as a prereq.

[ericgrau]

If you're gonna house rule it anyway IMO 1d8 exotic/1d6 martial/1d4 simple would be fair. There wouldn't necessarily be all 3 types. Does it make sense to wield a 9 foot stick in one hand effectively? I dunno, you'll have to fluff it out. Hmm, if it stuck out a bit in the back, was counter balanced with a weight and either light or made only for strong characters it might work.

For a more awkward weapon ya a -2 to hit is appropriate. It would half to be something like a human wielding a gnome longspear (1d6 damage), which IIRC still has 10 foot reach yet would be small enough to wield in one hand. That might even be RAW unless I'm mistaken about the reach rules.

[KillianHawkeye]

For a more awkward weapon ya a -2 to hit is appropriate. It would half to be something like a human wielding a gnome longspear (1d6 damage), which IIRC still has 10 foot reach yet would be small enough to wield in one hand. That might even be RAW unless I'm mistaken about the reach rules.

As I posted above, Rules Compendium states that you don't get reach when wielding a weapon that is too small for you.

[ericgrau]

But the gnome wielding the same weapon does get reach. Weird.

[true_shinken]

But the gnome wielding the same weapon does get reach. Weird.
Not really. His grip is just different.

[Kiero]

Does it make sense to wield a 9 foot stick in one hand effectively? I dunno, you'll have to fluff it out. Hmm, if it stuck out a bit in the back, was counter balanced with a weight and either light or made only for strong characters it might work.

You mean like the way the dory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dory_%28spear%29)was wielded, in reality, by hoplite spearmen? Makes perfect sense, all you need is a counter-weight at the other end.

[Darrin]

As I posted above, Rules Compendium states that you don't get reach when wielding a weapon that is too small for you.

If you have Slight Build, then it's not "too small" for you. Actually, I don't think Slight Build says anything about wielding weapons, but a small-sized character wielding a tiny-sized weapon would be subject to a -2 "size penalty". Slight Build allows a kobold to treat itself as tiny for the purposes of wielding tiny weapons:

"Whenever a kobold is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as Hide), the kobold is treated as one size smaller if doing so is advantageous to the character."

Reach is determined by the size of the creature, not the weapon. A small-sized creature has 5' reach. Wielding a reach weapon doubles that. The crux of the argument boils down to how Slight Build can be applied to determining reach. I can see RAW go several ways:

1) You can't gain any reach from a weapon that is "too small". However, due to Slight Build, a tiny weapon isn't "too small", thus it grants reach.

2) Slight Build only applies to "size modifiers", thus the -2 size penalty is ignored, but in all other ways is treated as a tiny-sized weapon. For the purposes of determining reach, a small-sized character wielding a tiny-sized weapon can't gain any reach from the weapon.

3) Slight Build allows you to attack with a tiny-sized weapon with no penalty, but you must treat yourself as tiny in all other respects for that attack. So, your reach becomes 0', and whether or not you're wielding a reach weapon becomes irrelevant.

However, there's another argument against Slight Build. Unlike Powerful Build, it doesn't mention wielding weapons at all. The wording could be interpreted to only apply to *opposed checks*, and has nothing to do with wielding weapons of any size. A bit of a weak argument, though... hinges on how you interpret the "or", or whether you classify an inappropriately-sized weapon penalty as a "size modifier".

[AtomicKitKat]

From what I understand, any Medium or Small race can actually pull this trick off. Slight Build just means the Kobold can do it without the -2 attack penalty that (for example) a Human with a Small Longspear will incur.

Reach weapons do not work that way!

Pretty sure there's a rule about only getting Reach if it's sized for you.

That's what I get for posting the reply 14 hours after I opened the tab.

[Kansaschaser]

1. Take Feat: Aberrant Bloodied
2. Take Feat: Aberrant Reach

You now have an extra 5 feet of reach naturally. So you can play a medium sized character with 10 feet of reach with a one-handed weapon.

[Cog]

1. Take Feat: Aberrant Bloodied
2. Take Feat: Aberrant Reach

You now have an extra 5 feet of reach naturally. So you can play a medium sized character with 10 feet of reach with a one-handed weapon.
If you're in an Eberron game, one of the web articles suggests that Aberrant Dragonmark be used as an alternate prereq for the aberrant feats.

[Coidzor]

If you're in an Eberron game, one of the web articles suggests that Aberrant Dragonmark be used as an alternate prereq for the aberrant feats.

Well, that's certainly a lot more palatable than the other two possibilities there.

Anyone recall which one that was from?

[ericgrau]

You mean like the way the dory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dory_%28spear%29)was wielded, in reality, by hoplite spearmen? Makes perfect sense, all you need is a counter-weight at the other end.

So dory, 1d6 pierce martial one handed reach weapon, 15 lb., can't be thrown.

Optional: can be short hafted into a 1d6 pierce/1d6 bludgeoning double weapon without reach. If sundered it splits into two weapons. Roll randomly to determine which remains wielded. I might require a -2 AB penalty for these applications or a feat or something.

[Kiero]

So dory, 1d6 pierce martial one handed reach weapon, 15 lb., can't be thrown.

Optional: can be short hafted into a 1d6 pierce/1d6 bludgeoning double weapon without reach. If sundered it splits into two weapons. Roll randomly to determine which remains wielded. I might require a -2 AB penalty for these applications or a feat or something.

Where'd you get 15lbs in weight from? It weighed a lot less than that, 2-4lbs.

[Cog]

Well, that's certainly a lot more palatable than the other two possibilities there.

Anyone recall which one that was from?
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebee/20050704a