Weapon Finesse with a polearm?

[stewstew5]

Due to a recent change in the point-buy in a campaign I am currently playing, I have chosen to make a dexterity-based fighter, partially for better value out of an ability score, but mostly to complement his not-quite-a-monk flavour (his homeland is currently dubbed *cough cough* not china *cough*), and I was wondering how if there is any way I can wield a polearm (specifically a glaive, once again, flavour) as though it were light, for use with the weapon finesse feat.

My DM isn't quick to hand out caveats, due to some shenanigans in prior campaigns, so just asking to is a hard no

[pabelfly]

Feycraft on a 1H spear is my suggestion. Only light 2H weapon I know of is a Elven Courtblade.

[DrMotives]

Feycraft on a 1H spear is my suggestion. Only light 2H weapon I know of is a Elven Courtblade.

That's a good call. I also like light materials, like mithral or glasteel as well.

[pabelfly]

That's a good call. I also like light materials, like mithral or glasteel as well.

Those aren't bad suggestions either.

Rather like the Courtblade out of the ideas presented - only way I know of to go 2H Power Attack with Weapon Finesse, at least by RAW.

[Khosan]

There's the Spear Dancer (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/equipment-sphere#toc28) talent from SoM. You'll need DM approval if you're not already using the system, but I don't think it's too big of an ask if you treat it as a feat and don't get it as part of a martial tradition.

[Mr Adventurer]

Spiked Chain won't scratch the particular itch you have?

[DrMotives]

Spiked Chain won't scratch the particular itch you have?

There's a scene this thread reminds me of in "Legend of Drunken Master" where Jackie Chan is fighting a guy with a spear in a very cramped space, specifically while hunched over under a train. Hopefully I have the right film in my head. Anyway, there's definitely a lot of finesse happening with a spear despite the very close quarters the fight happens in. I don't see that working the same way at all with a chain myself.

[Silvercrys]

Feycraft only allows you to finesse one-handed weapons, it doesn't work on glaives. Though it would let you wield a glaive one-handed, if that's a thing you'd like to do... And you could put it on a short spear and finesse the short spear that way.

I don't actually think there is a way to finesse an actual glaive, and after a quick search through various indexes I can't find any official weapons that have both Finesse and Reach except for the Spiked Chain and the Drow Scorpion Chain. I'm assuming you won't be permitted to use a "glaive" with the same stats as a spiked chain, though. Pity.

You could use Wisdom instead of Strength with a Longspear if you take Intuitive Attack from the Book of Exalted Deeds, but it only affects the attack roll, only works on simple weapons, and is an exalted feat, so be prepared for the DM to enforce RP requirements on you.

You can dip Bard and take the Extra Music feat from Complete Adventurer and the Snowflake Wardance feat from Frostburn, which expends a Bardic Music use and gives you Charisma to attack and damage rolls for 1 round per rank of Perform (Dance) you have. But it only applies to one handed slashing weapons... Like a Feycraft Glaive, maybe?

If you can qualify for Shiba Protector from Oriental Adevntures, the first level adds your Wisdom to attack and damage rolls with no restrictions. This is probably your best bet for non-strength based actual polearm use and you might be able to swing it past your DM since you're from *cough cough* not China *cough*. You can't usually get in until level 6, though, and you need at least 10 Strength because it just adds your Wis mod, it doesn't replace your Str mod like Weapon Finesse does.

There's also an Elf (and Half-elf) -only feat from Dragon Magazine #315 that allows you to finesse Longspears and Longswords called Companion Guard Style, but it's Longspears, race restricted to Elves, and from a Dragon Magazine so a lot of DMs will give it a lot of side eye. (Edit: Actually Half-elves don't qualify either, it's specifically for Grey Elves from the Celene region of, I'm assuming, Faerun.)

[Crow_Nightfeath]

The only thing I know of is from a 3rd party source, the Ultimate Feats book from mongoose publishing, there's a feat called Accurate Attack. It allows you to use dex instead if strength with any one weapon. It's got a +3 BAB prerequisite.

[hamishspence]

(Edit: Actually Half-elves don't qualify either, it's specifically for Grey Elves from the Celene region of, I'm assuming, Faerun.)

Oerth (the Greyhawk 'verse) actually (Celene is a kingdom in that 'verse). Grey elves are a Greyhawk thing. Their Faerun counterpart is Sun Elves.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Very weird but 100% RAW solution: become incorporeal. Any creature with the [incorporeal] subtype uses Dexterity for all attacks. Make the glaive a Ghost Touch weapon, take a level in the Ghost Savage Progression (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a), and you're golden. Insubstantial, but golden.

[pabelfly]

Very weird but 100% RAW solution: become incorporeal. Any creature with the [incorporeal] subtype uses Dexterity for all attacks. Make the glaive a Ghost Touch weapon, take a level in the Ghost Savage Progression (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a), and you're golden. Insubstantial, but golden.

Psion Uncarnate is a ten-level PrC that lets you become Incorporeal, if you don't want (or can't qualify) for ghost savage progression. Its capstone is permanent incorporeality. It does require you to be a psionic character with third level psionic abilities, though, which does limit your build options.

[TheCount]

Psion Uncarnate is a ten-level PrC that lets you become Incorporeal, if you don't want (or can't qualify) for ghost savage progression. Its capstone is permanent incorporeality. It does require you to be a psionic character with third level psionic abilities, though, which does limit your build options.

Meditant would be better if going psionic as it doesnt have a time limit and ghost touch isnt that expensive.
liky link (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?224909-3-5-Zen-Psionics-Mastering-the-Meditant)

Sadly the only other advice i can do is multiclass with warlock and take the Eldricht Glaive feat. so, you get the a weponfineassable glaive, though, it only does Eldricht Blast damage (and rider effects).....

cheese but ask your DM if you can use the Aptitude enchantment on the glaive?:o

[Silvercrys]

Suppose you could also use the Deep Impact feat and maneuvers from Tome of Battle to make touch attacks with your maneuvers to counteract your low to-hit... The maneuvers will scale your damage with single attacks well enough until you get to pretty high levels.

Pretty feat intensive, though, you need Psionic Strike, Deep Impact, and Psionic Meditation to be able to make your touch attack each turn.

[Particle_Man]

If you use a glaive designed for creatures one size smaller does that make it a one handed weapon for you? If so, would get craft be applicable to it and thus allow you to finesse with it?

[Psyren]

Pathfinder has a style chain that culminates in Spear Dancing Spiral (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/spear-dancing-spiral-combat/) that will allow you to finesse any weapon from the polearm or spear groups.

[ShurikVch]

Natural weapons are always finessable; thus, attach that polearm via Weapon Graft (Fiend Folio)... :smallwink:

[RNightstalker]

Sizing weapon enchantment from MIC

[Silvercrys]

Yeah, I think technically you could wield a Feycraft Glaive that is sized for a Small creature as a light weapon and finesse it that way, but you're dropping the damage die from 1d10 to 1d6 and taking a -2 penalty to attack rolls for wielding a weapon that isn't sized for you if you do that. Though I do think you still get the Reach quality that way, at least, so it isn't strictly inferior to wielding a Short Sword.

Good call.