Carrying reach weapons around

[Bearlock]

As the title says, how do you have your characters manage it? I was giving some thought to a Valenar elf cavalier (order of the cockatrice), who uses the lance both on foot and from horseback. However, I just cant seem to imagine how he would carry the damn thing around if he wasn't on his horse. And before I hear anything like "well, don't use the thing on foot get a non-reach weapon", how does anyone manage their guisarme for their barbarian trip happy builds? Just sling it over your back and have it stick out over your shoulder?

In real life I'd imagine weapons this long were carried upright when marching by their users, but they where probably outside and in battle they were obviously deployed with enough room to use them. Now I don't really have a problem if in game this sort of thing is handwaved away, I'm just curious how the average adventurer in all the varied places he finds himself carries around an 8-10 foot weapon that's probably pretty sharp on one end.

Thank you for your thoughts

[Coidzor]

Belisario's Maxim, dude.

[Ernir]

I've never been at a table (virtual or otherwise) that didn't handwave this. "Just sling it over your back and have it stick out over your shoulder?" is the way it works, I suppose.

There is also extradimensional/nondimensional storage. I remember at least one character that was described as keeping most of his weapon in a bag of holding, only the business end sticking out. Produced a clowns-in-car effect whenever battle started.

[Mystral]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Pikeniere_kl.jpg

As for indoors, I guess that's a little harder, but usually handwaived. Or you could just say that you carry it horizontal indoors.

[Bearlock]

Belisario's Maxim, dude.
Had to look that one up, well worth it.

[Bearlock]

@Mystral, yeah that looks awesome when you're in formation, outside and on parade, but I don't even think you could stand one of those up in your average tavern. Also, the guy in the glasses looks like my stepdad. Odd.

I guess the real reason is that today at work I was moving a 12 foot ladder from a room in a basement to the floor level and the stairwell was awfully tight. Much contorting was had. I guess that's the kind of things adventurers don't have to worry about.

Sorry, Mystral, didn't see your text at the bottom. Even carried horizontally at the middle that's 4+ft sticking out in front and behind you.

[Agent 451]

Make it a modular weapon. 150gp in Dragon magazine #316. It does state "if any components are missing, the weapon cannot be assembled." Our DM actually lets us use this to change the size of spear from a long spear to short spear, even though there is a 5lbs limitation (which is stupid, you can get a collapsible 10 foot pole, but you cant have a modular awl/pike/etc that has two pieces that screw together like many billiard cues?) If all else fails, use it as a guideline and make a DM acceptable homebrew version of it.

[ericgrau]

Ceilings are 8-10 feet tall and a couple feet of your reach comes from your arms plus a little because your target isn't infinitely thin. I think you can manage indoors with only a little trouble. Would be funny for a low wisdom character to sometimes bang the pole against a doorway though.

[Mystral]

Thing is, those weapons (Bardiche, Glaive, whatnot) should not be used in an environment like a dungeon. They were meant for outside, with enough space to wield them. For indoors, you had shorter weapons, like short spears or swords.

Most warriors carried a dagger when the fighting got really close.

If you want to stay realistic and factor in weapon size, you should assign a circumstance penality to the use of such weapons in places where they are a detriment. Like, -1 to hitting with a glaive when indoors, -2 in cramped spaces. Giving a penality on your armor check value seems legit, too. Try tumbling with a two handed sword strapped to your back.

But if you want to be THAT realistic, D&D propably is not the game for you.

[dgnslyr]

Well, if you can make a Collapsible Pole, why not a Collapsible Pole-Arm? Though maybe some of the spring-work would get damaged from heavy use. Still, a 10-ft pole is meant to be a pretty sturdy stick, so why not? It does seem pretty silly, though, for the legendary soldier's trusty glaive to spring open on a telescopic pole.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Make it a modular weapon. 150gp in Dragon magazine #316. It does state "if any components are missing, the weapon cannot be assembled." Our DM actually lets us use this to change the size of spear from a long spear to short spear, even though there is a 5lbs limitation (which is stupid, you can get a collapsible 10 foot pole, but you cant have a modular awl/pike/etc that has two pieces that screw together like many billiard cues?) If all else fails, use it as a guideline and make a DM acceptable homebrew version of it.

AKA do it how Ren from Shaman King does it.

[Lord Ruby34]

My Warblade's spear has the Hideaway property, and I keep it in my pocket. It's hilarious when I pull it out for Iaijutsu damage.

[Bearlock]

Thing is, those weapons (Bardiche, Glaive, whatnot) should not be used in an environment like a dungeon. They were meant for outside, with enough space to wield them. For indoors, you had shorter weapons, like short spears or swords.

Most warriors carried a dagger when the fighting got really close.
Historically yes.


Try tumbling with a two handed sword strapped to your back.

But if you want to be THAT realistic, D&D propably is not the game for you.
I know right? And I don't WANT to be that realistic, as I said in my OP, I have no problems with this being handwaved, I was just curious if anybody had any thoughts on the matter.

Modular weapon could work I guess, again, I don't have a DM breathing down my neck to be believable, I was just curious. I know that in 3.5 there was either an enchantment or a specific magic spear that changed sizes from shortspear to spear to longspear, is there anything similar in PF? (btw, playing PF)

[OracleofWuffing]

My Warblade's spear has the Hideaway property, and I keep it in my pocket. It's hilarious when I pull it out for Iaijutsu damage.
So, there's actually a really good reason to go around asking folks, "Is that a reach weapon in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?":smalltongue:

[MesiDoomstalker]

Well, if you can make a Collapsible Pole, why not a Collapsible Pole-Arm? Though maybe some of the spring-work would get damaged from heavy use. Still, a 10-ft pole is meant to be a pretty sturdy stick, so why not? It does seem pretty silly, though, for the legendary soldier's trusty glaive to spring open on a telescopic pole.

Two words. Steam Punk. Anything thats needlessly complicated and rather silly that works on steam or mechanicam power and you have steam punk.

[Sutremaine]

But if you want to be THAT realistic, D&D propably is not the game for you.
Plus, you'd need to give the casters an equivalent penalty for balance.

[Averis Vol]

Try tumbling with a two handed sword strapped to your back.

meh, nitpick, tumbling is actually very easy with a two-hander strapped to your back, just roll the opposite shoulder.

[Rejusu]

Yet another reason why spiked chains are great. No hand waving required there, just coil it up and hang it from your belt.

[Mystral]

According to Wikipedia, a Glaive was about 8 foot total. You could still carry that around over your shoulder in a room or easily get that trough a door when you don't totally forget about it.

[DeAnno]

If you think 8 foot glaives are troublesome, try getting a 24 foot huge glaive around a corner in a dungeon :smallbiggrin:

[Mystral]

Isn't there somewhere a weapon enchantment that lets you change the size of a weapon. Like, shortsword - longsword - bastardsword or something? Would suprise me if there wasn't.

[panaikhan]

"Thunder! Thunder! Thundercats! HOOOOOO."

[Nerd-o-rama]

Isn't there somewhere a weapon enchantment that lets you change the size of a weapon. Like, shortsword - longsword - bastardsword or something? Would suprise me if there wasn't.

Magic Item Compendium has something like that specifically for spears (Changeling property, I think) that lets you convert any spear to long-, short-, or regular size at will.


Plus, you'd need to give the casters an equivalent penalty for balance.


casters


balance


Dungeons & Dragons 3.5

Right.

[Rejusu]

If you think 8 foot glaives are troublesome, try getting a 24 foot huge glaive around a corner in a dungeon :smallbiggrin:

Yeah good point. As I'm currently playing Half-Giant all my weapons are large. Which again is a point for the spiked chain, albeit I think my greatsword is probably quite massive.

[Sutremaine]

Right.
Maybe I should have put that in blue text?

[gomipile]

The Efficient Quiver/Quiver of Ehlonna can carry "as many as six objects of the same general size and shape as a bow (spears, staffs, or the like)."

[nedz]

Plus, you'd need to give the casters an equivalent penalty for balance.

No using long range spells indoors.

Previous editions had a couple of rules like this. Fireballs expand to fill an equivalent volume, in narrow spaces. Lightning bolts bounce off walls. Hilarous.


The Efficient Quiver/Quiver of Ehlonna can carry "as many as six objects of the same general size and shape as a bow (spears, staffs, or the like)."

These are limited to 6' IIRC.
Alterself can be used to absorb things limited only by your carrying capacity. Now you knew that was a good spell didn't you.

I used to take a 6' quarterstaff to LARP events on public transport. It wasn't too bad even on the tube.

[Edenbeast]

I like these sort of questions. I think the image above gives a nice example. There's another option: you're a cavalier, so you're a sort of knight> If you have the money, you can hire a squire to carry things around for you :)

[gomipile]

These are limited to 6' IIRC.


I don't see a 6' limit here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#efficientQuiver

Could you point it out?