Fun with reach weapons

[Battalion]

For awhile, I've been looking through numerous books looking for a non mounted traditional reach weapon( glaive, long spear, bardiche, lucerne hammer) prestige class for 3rd or 3.5 ed but I haven't been able to find one. I was wondering if anyone knows of any official or home brewed prestige classes for that. Also can you charge with a reach weapon non mounted and can you monkey grip one?

[Zherog]

For awhile, I've been looking through numerous books looking for a non mounted traditional reach weapon( glaive, long spear, bardiche, lucerne hammer) prestige class for 3rd or 3.5 ed but I haven't been able to find one. I was wondering if anyone knows of any official or home brewed prestige classes for that.

Probably not what you're looking for, but Sword and Fist has a prestige class built around both the whip (possibly a "traidional" reach weapon) and the spiked chain. The spiked chain one is called master of chains. I'm not remembering the name of the whip one.

Also can you charge with a reach weapon non mounted

Yes. When charging, you must attack at the earliest possible square possible. Using a reach weapon doesn't change that.

and can you monkey grip one?

Yes, though Monkey Grip is a poor feat choice.

[Zincorium]

Charge? yes. You can charge with any melee weapon.

Monkey grip? Er, sure. Don't recommend it. (doesn't increase your reach, and the additional damage isn't worth the attack penalty.)

As far as I'm aware, there are no special Prcs that would encourage you to use one, sorry.

[Closet_Skeleton]

You can charge with a reach weapon but you're better of being charged. x2 damage when your enemies are at -2 armour class is better than +2 attack and -2 defence. It takes a readied action but if you're fighting in a corridoor that isn't so bad.

[Khantalas]

Lasher! You use a whip, the coolest weapon around, and you get abilities like using a whip as a hand.

[JungeonJeff]

Lasher! You use a whip, the coolest weapon around, and you get abilities like using a whip as a hand.

Hehe. Yeah, i remember that one. Combine it with a Thri-Ken, and you've got the ultimate lion-tamer :)

[Yuki Akuma]

Isn't the whip a ranged weapon, not a reach weapon?

[Pegasos989]

For awhile, I've been looking through numerous books looking for a non mounted traditional reach weapon( glaive, long spear, bardiche, lucerne hammer) prestige class for 3rd or 3.5 ed but I haven't been able to find one. I was wondering if anyone knows of any official or home brewed prestige classes for that. Also can you charge with a reach weapon non mounted and can you monkey grip one?

You can charge with a reach weapon but lance is the only one giving double damage...

Reach weapon doubles your normal reach, so monkey gripping a large reach weapon gives you still the same 10 feet reach so no reason to use it.

[Khantalas]

Isn't the whip a ranged weapon, not a reach weapon?

Well, for the lasher, it was.

[Amiria]

You can charge with a reach weapon but you're better of being charged. x2 damage when your enemies are at -2 armour class is better than +2 attack and -2 defence. It takes a readied action but if you're fighting in a corridoor that isn't so bad.

Not every reach weapon can be set against a charge. I'd guess only those that do piercing damage.

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As far as I know there is no official prestige class that is tailored for reach weapon fighters.

Just take the right feats as a fighter. I like reach weapons for gish builds. They don't have the hp of pure fighters and so a reach weapon helps to keep to keep the bad guys at bay.

[Ikkitosen]

Yeah, it's all about the feats. Combat Reflexes and Stand Still are a good start.

[Jalil]

Spiked Chain ftw... it's traditional! if comcmon=tradition, anyway...

But no, there aren't any reach build, AFAIK.

[JaronK]

Exotic Weapon Master is based around exotic weapons, not necessarily reach weapons, but there's enough overlap to fake it. You can get abilities like Exotic Reach and Exotic Flurry (with a Spiked Chain), which is something.

JaronK

[Matthew]

Don't forget to wear Spiked Gauntlets, or at least have Quick Draw

[Ikkitosen]

Don't forget to wear Spiked Gauntlets, or at least have Quick Draw

What do the RAW say wrt using gauntlets and 2h weapons - surely you cannot threaten with both simultaneously? I would suggest armour spikes instead.

[Matthew]

Hmmm. Not sure, depends on how the Fight pans out. You can use Gauntlets in combination with a Two Handed Weapon during your own turn through Iterative Attacks, but not as an Off Hand Attack (so, you could hit somebody with a Reach Weapon and as your next Iterative Attack hit somebody adjacent with your Spiked Gauntlets). On the other hand, you can use any weapon you like to make an Attack of Opportunity, but I'm not sure that would extend to Gauntlets in this case.

Armour Spikes would be simpler, as there is no confusion about how they work.

[Zherog]

Isn't the whip a ranged weapon, not a reach weapon?

In 3.0, the whip was a ranged weapon. In the change to 3.5 they made it a melee weapon with 15' reach that provokes an attack of opportunity to use. So, if you're gonna take a hard look at the lasher, you'll need to re-do the prereqs I believe, since they're based around the whip being a ranged weapon.

What do the RAW say wrt using gauntlets and 2h weapons - surely you cannot threaten with both simultaneously? I would suggest armour spikes instead.

Well, there's this in the FAQ:

Is a character wielding a two-handed reach weapon (such as a longspear) and wearing spiked armor threatening all squares within 10 feet? Assuming he has Combat Reflexes, can he make an attack of opportunity with his longspear and then with his armor spikes in the same round?

A character wearing spiked armor threatens all squares within his normal reach (5 feet away). If he also wields a longspear, he would also threaten all squares 10 feet away.

Any time a character wielding more than one weapon is allowed an attack of opportunity, he may use any weapon that threatens the opponent who has provoked the attack. In this case, imagine an enemy who charged the character and then tried to disarm him. The charge attack would provoke an attack of opportunity from the longspear as the enemy moved out of a threatened square (in order to move adjacent to the character and deliver the charge attack). Then, the disarm attempt would provoke another attack of opportunity (assuming the enemy didn’t have Improved Disarm). This attack of opportunity could be made only with the armor spikes, since the longspear doesn’t threaten an adjacent enemy.

So that talks about armor spikes rather than a spiked guantlet, but the principle is the same.

[Ikkitosen]

So that talks about armor spikes rather than a spiked guantlet, but the principle is the same.

This doesn't really answer whether or not you threaten with your gauntlets whilst using both hands on your weapon though

[Closet_Skeleton]

Lasher! You use a whip, the coolest weapon around, and you get abilities like using a whip as a hand.

Sadly my group isn't mature enough to be allowed to use whips. They'd spend the whole session making stupid S&M comments...

[danielf]

don't know, but the best reach weapon is the net :D

[Zherog]

The net is a ranged weapon, not a reach weapon.

[Thomas]

This doesn't really answer whether or not you threaten with your gauntlets whilst using both hands on your weapon though

Taking one hand off the weapon isn't even an action. You can hold the two-handed weapon in one hand and attack with the spiked gauntlet.

[Yuki Akuma]

Taking one hand off the weapon isn't even an action. You can hold the two-handed weapon in one hand and attack with the spiked gauntlet.

What about putting a hand on a weapon? Because changing hands with a one-handed weapon takes as long as drawing the weapon does in the first place. But apparently with a greatsword you can start out holding it in your on-hand, move it to your off-hand by holding it in both then letting go with your on-hand, then use your on-hand for something...

[Thomas]

What about putting a hand on a weapon? Because changing hands with a one-handed weapon takes as long as drawing the weapon does in the first place. But apparently with a greatsword you can start out holding it in your on-hand, move it to your off-hand by holding it in both then letting go with your on-hand, then use your on-hand for something...

Er, sure? I don't really understand that, but in D&D, switching weapons in hands isn't an action, as far as I know. (Also, no "off hands" unless you're TWFing. D&D doesn't really make distinctions with right hand, left hand, etc.)

You can swing your spear or whatever around, "take one hand off it" and make an attack with a spiked gauntlet, then put the hand back on the spear and attack something else.

[Yuki Akuma]

I guess this must be a case of custserv not knowing what the hell they're talking about... >.>

[Matthew]

Er, sure? I don't really understand that, but in D&D, switching weapons in hands isn't an action, as far as I know. (Also, no "off hands" unless you're TWFing. D&D doesn't really make distinctions with right hand, left hand, etc.)

You can swing your spear or whatever around, "take one hand off it" and make an attack with a spiked gauntlet, then put the hand back on the spear and attack something else.

Actually D&D does discern between right and left hand, but only in the glossary. The Two Weapon Fighting Articles reinforce the notion, though; if a Character has Two Weapon Fighting he can freely designate his Primary and Off Hands from round to round (maybe even from attack to attack), but a Character without this Feat takes a -4 Penalty to any action performed with his non Primary hand.

The removal of the Ambidextrous Feat in the transition from 3.0 to 3.5 is obviously the cause of the confusion.

Moving a One Handed Weapon from one hand to another is a Move Action, if I recall correctly...

[Ikkitosen]

Taking one hand off the weapon isn't even an action. You can hold the two-handed weapon in one hand and attack with the spiked gauntlet.

So you can simultaneously threaten 5' and 10' with a longspear and spiked gauntlets? Is there an official source for this, 'cos it sounds...stupid.

I'm all for alternating attacks, it's threatening I'm talking about.

[Charity]

Hey just a thought, which is slightly off topic but I'm sure you lovely folk will forgive an old man in his dotage..(ramble ramble)
As you all say (obviously not all of you, but as a general consensus) TWF is so shabby, why not put back the Ambidexterity feat (calm down, I'm not finished) to have the effect of negating the half str penalty with your off hand?
Please feel free to tell how this won't help and is fundimentally a dumb idea whilst castigating me for my derailment... I don't mind.

[Matthew]

I'm all for that Charity, but you have to also consider that 1 + 1 = 2 (*joke*) for Two Handed Weapons [i.e. Left + Right is currently 1 + 0.5 = 1.5]. You also have to consider Multi Limbed Characters and the use of Unarmed Strike in relation to other body parts. Personally, I'm all for the standardisation of such things, I even made a little Feat to that effect: Even Handed

In short, I'm in favour of that, but it is not as clear cut as might be imagined.

[Zherog]

Er, sure? I don't really understand that, but in D&D, switching weapons in hands isn't an action, as far as I know. (Also, no "off hands" unless you're TWFing. D&D doesn't really make distinctions with right hand, left hand, etc.)

You can swing your spear or whatever around, "take one hand off it" and make an attack with a spiked gauntlet, then put the hand back on the spear and attack something else.

There's a FAQ ruling on this. I couldn't find it on a quick look through, and I'm really running late this morning. I'll try to post it tonight. Basically, it says this is a move action, not a series of free actions.

I guess this must be a case of custserv not knowing what the hell they're talking about... >.>

Wouldn't be the first time. I've sent the same question to customer service twice and received two completely different answers.

So you can simultaneously threaten 5' and 10' with a longspear and spiked gauntlets? Is there an official source for this, 'cos it sounds...stupid.

I'm all for alternating attacks, it's threatening I'm talking about.

Well, it's certainly possible to threaten both 5' and 10' by using armor spikes and a longspear. See my earlier quote from the FAQ. Using a spiked guantlet (while stupid, I agree) is an extrapolation from there.