1 handed reach weapon?

[gallagher]

as far as i know, there are two things that give reach that can be weilded one handed.

the first is the whip, but i dont want that because i want to deal lethal damage and threaten squares
the second is the lance, but only when set during a charge.

is there anything else? i guess i can abuse a few rules and be medium sized and use a small guisarme (since IIRC, when one wields a THW for the size under them, it goes down a category, like two handed to one, or one handed to light weapon)

since it is a reach weapon to a small character, but small and medium sized characters threaten the same area, could one work it like that? or is there actually a more convenient one handed reach weapon that i wouldnt have to take a penalty to hit?

[Siosilvar]

Kusari-gama, in the DMG. Should be under "Asian Weapons" on page 145.

EDIT: It's a light weapon with the spiked chain's "flexible reach".

[sofawall]

A reach weapon only threatens the reach area when wielded by a character of the proper size. This leads to stuff like a Colossal Greatspear having a 5 ft. reach.

[balistafreak]

Spinning sword from Secrets of Sarlona works too. Note: it looks nothing like a sword that spins, and actually looks more like a multiple-headed whip, kind of like a cat-o-nine-tails.

[Keld Denar]

Dude, its Ivy's sword from Soul Calibre....

[Khellendross]

That is a good weapon. Can be used right up on someone, has reach and does lethal damage. Very useful.

[mabriss lethe]

There was also a weapon from... sword & fist? AFB right now. Whipdagger, or something like that.

It's basically a whip that deals lethal damage as a normal weapon.(uses regular whip proficiencies as well)

[FMArthur]

A character with the Sleight Build racial trait can use a two-handed weapon in one hand at no penalty if it was made for wielders one size category smaller. Normal characters can do this at a -2 penalty. But yeah, Kusari-gama is a better idea if you can spare a feat and don't want to be a kobold (is this the only race that gets Slight Build?) or eat a small penalty.

[Coidzor]

does the whip dagger threaten too or does it just add lethal damage capacity to the whip?

Pretty much Kusari-Gama, Kusari-Gama lite, and Spinning Sword.

Or Spinning Sword IS Kusari-Gama lite.

[Curmudgeon]

does the whip dagger threaten too or does it just add lethal damage capacity to the whip?

It's still treated as a ranged weapon, so it doesn't threaten.

[Hague]

Try using Permanency with a weapon affected by Stretch Weapon (PHBII pg. 126)

[Curmudgeon]

Try using Permanency with a weapon affected by Stretch Weapon (PHBII pg. 126)

Stretch Weapon isn't on the list of spells that can be affected by Permanency, so that won't work.

[Raistlin1040]

True, but that's not outrageous to think about. You reshape a weapon so that it's longer, and then you charm it to last forever. It's easily houseruled, and it's not particularly game-breaking.

[Hague]

Of course it's not on the list to use with Permanency, the spell didn't exist when PHB was written. I don't suspect for a second that WotC has a time-traveling Delorean that they use to explicitly edit content for material they haven't written yet.

Edit:

The DM may allow other selected spells to be made permanent. Researching this possible application of a spell costs as much time and money as independently researching the selected spell (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide for details). If the DM has already determined that the application is not possible, the research automatically fails. Note that you never learn what is possible except by the success or failure of your research.

[hamishspence]

does the whip dagger threaten too or does it just add lethal damage capacity to the whip?

Pretty much Kusari-Gama, Kusari-Gama lite, and Spinning Sword.

Or Spinning Sword IS Kusari-Gama lite.

Spinning sword is one-handed whereas Kusuri-Gama is Light Weapon- which can make a difference to two weapon fighting.

[Siosilvar]

Pretty much Kusari-Gama, Kusari-Gama lite, and Spinning Sword.

Or Spinning Sword IS Kusari-Gama lite.

Kusari-gama is already a light weapon.

[true_shinken]

It's still treated as a ranged weapon, so it doesn't threaten.

I believe Exotic Weapon Master's Exotic Reach ability would allow a whip to threaten, though.

[Flickerdart]

I believe Exotic Weapon Master's Exotic Reach ability would allow a whip to threaten, though.

It wouldn't. Exotic Reach merely allows you to make attacks of opportunity against opponents that have cover. You still have to threaten the square they pass through.

[Coidzor]

^: And that explains why I've never run into any super-reach builds that sacrifice hitting power for a longer range, especially once sized up.

I believe Exotic Weapon Master's Exotic Reach ability would allow a whip to threaten, though.

Hmm, what's the source on that?

[Siosilvar]

^: And that explains why I've never run into any super-reach builds that sacrifice hitting power for a longer range, especially once sized up.

Hmm, what's the source on that?

Complete Warrior page 30.

When wielding an exotic weapon with reach, the character may make an attack of opportunity against a foe that provokes such an attack even if the foe has cover (but not total cover).

EDIT with my analysis: Whips are treated as melee weapons with a 15 foot reach, but that don't threaten any squares. Actions provoke attacks of opportunity even if no one threatens the area...

I'd say that you can make attacks of opportunity, but you still don't threaten the area. So you can make attacks of opportunity against spells, potions, scroll, etc. but you don't get an attack of opportunity against a foe leaving a threatened square (as you don't threaten any squares).

[Gametime]

I believe Exotic Weapon Master's Exotic Reach ability would allow a whip to threaten, though.

It just allows you to make attacks of opportunity when the provoking foe has cover. It doesn't change when or where you threaten.

EDIT: I take the time to look up the Lasher and make sure it doesn't grant that ability, and the whip-wielding ninjas all rush in!

[DragoonWraith]

The whip-can't-make-attacks-of-opportunity rule is really dumb. Whips (at least, the long variety) are not good weapons for a fight, generally, because they can't deal serious damage (only cause an immense amount of pain; you're relying on your opponent to succumb to the pain rather than inflicting injuries that make it impossible to continue), they're useless even against light armor, they're immensely difficult to wield, etc etc.

What they can do is keep the opponent guessing and attack extremely suddenly. Because a whip is constantly in motion, it's distracting and difficult to follow (seriously, the biological structure of our eyes makes following a rapidly rotating object impossible to see - consider the rotor on a helicopter), it's exceedingly difficult to approach someone with a whip without getting swatted at repeatedly.

In other words, attacks of opportunity are pretty much the only thing that whips are actually good at.

[Flickerdart]

EDIT with my analysis: Whips are treated as melee weapons with a 15 foot reach, but that don't threaten any squares. Actions provoke attacks of opportunity even if no one threatens the area...

By that interpretation, any time anyone did anything, archers anywhere within line of sight would get an AoO to pump them full of holes. You can only take an AoO if you threaten the opponent when they provoke.

"An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you." -SRD on Attacks of Opportunity.

[HunterOfJello]

don't forget about the Tentacle Whip Symbiont

[Siosilvar]

By that interpretation, any time anyone did anything, archers anywhere within line of sight would get an AoO to pump them full of holes. You can only take an AoO if you threaten the opponent when they provoke.

"An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you." -SRD on Attacks of Opportunity.

True, the section does imply you can't make attacks of opportunity without threatening the target. But if you have an ability that explicitly lets you make attacks of opportunity while they're within your reach, you shouldn't need to threaten (although you normally do).

EDIT: And looking at it again, you do seem to only provoke while you're within a threatened area, and the EWM's ability doesn't change that.

I think I'm going to houserule that it works in my games. After all, you did take a feat and a class level to do it.

[gallagher]

i must say, i wish that the trident were one handed and reach. it would make the net-and-trident gladiator builds be that much more workable

[Morph Bark]

A reach weapon only threatens the reach area when wielded by a character of the proper size. This leads to stuff like a Colossal Greatspear having a 5 ft. reach.

Or a Fine sword with 5 ft reach.

[Paul H]

Hi

As I said on another thread - Enlarge Person spell. You gain Large size, as well as extra 5' reach.

Simplest is still the best.........

Cheers
Paul H

[balistafreak]

As I said on another thread - Enlarge Person spell. You gain Large size, as well as extra 5' reach.

Simplest is still the best.........

Hate to be a killjoy, but Large size is not "simple". Being 4 squares large on the battlefield is a lot different than being 1 square. Sure, you've got reach now, but you're ALSO:

• +2 to Strength.
• -2 to Dex.
• -1 on attack rolls and to AC. Note that these are in addition to the stat adjustments, so a Weapon Finesser would end up with -2 to hit, a standard Fighter would end up with no change to hit, and both would end up with -2 AC.
• +4 to Grapple checks.
• Increased weapon die damage, except for throwing weapons.
• Going to be less manueverable due to large size.
• (Probably) going to attract a lot more attention by towering over medium-sized heads. (Not necessarily bad.)
• Unable to fit in many small hallways or dungeons.

Simple, casting enlarge person is not. While I'm not going to tell a bare-faced lie and say that it's terrible, it has a slew of other factors to go with it that make it far from the "best" choice. (To be the "best", it would have to be strictly better in a majority of situations in a vacuum, which it certainly isn't. As far as I can tell, nothing is in this case.)

Of course, one can just write down all the above effects on an index card (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) but there's also the fact that many players are uncomfortable with the idea of growing huge in the middle of combat. Let's be fair, suddenly getting big is not a standard fantasy combat trope.*

*... at least as far as my readings.

[Andion Isurand]

You could also dual wield the exotic one-handed Hook Swords (Secrets of Sarlona, pg. 135) and obtain the Flying Tiger style feat (pg 117) to hook them together (and unhook them) as a free action when attacking. When linked, they function as a reach weapon that can attack adjacent foes.

Although, I dont think it threatens at reach.