Polearm/ magic item creation in 5e

[Yamatohekatsue]

Basically I have a player who is a fighter and he uses axes to fight he found a pole of collapsing and wants to make a halberd, that can shrink it's handle for easy storage or to be used as a 1 hand weapon if needed. By everything I have seen nothing says he can't do this, but nothing says it's ok. If I let him make this magic item how should we go about making it, and would this be game breaking

[nickl_2000]

Sounds awesome actually and a lot of fun. There are probably some issues with the physics of it all, but who cares in a D&D world. I also don't see how this would be game breaking when a PC can carry both weapons and pull out a different one whenever they want.

You will have to decide whether it is considered a magical weapon for overcoming damage resistance (if other PCs are seeing magical weapons, yes. If not, no). Also, I would make the PC either do some smithing themselves or hire a smith to attach the haft of the ax onto the pole. If you want to make it harder give them a side quest to search for a special item needed in the smithing that will allow proper attachment.

[Nagog]

I'd just have it switch between a Halberd and a Handaxe. Neither weapon is particularly gamebreaking, and even if it's considered magical for DR purposes, it shouldn't do too much.

[Aprender]

I like it.

You have my Axe.

And my halbard.

And my halbaxe. Axbard? Hacks bard?

[Yamatohekatsue]

I like it.

You have my Axe.

And my halbard.

And my halbaxe. Axbard? Hacks bard?

Lol be hacks barding my way through town lol
Ok I like the idea about finding a magical part to make it and needing a black Smith who can make magical items,
The way the player wants to run his character is have a be hand axe in his off hand, this halbard/war axe in the other as a fight opens he slings the hand axe, then makes the main weapon grow or shrink during the encounter based on what the need to do

[Aprender]

Get a immovable rod in there too somehow. Whack a guy with the halbaxe and lock them in place on a crit.

[Tanarii]

Xanathars has rules for crafting magic items. You need fantastic ingredient, time, money and formula. How much money and time depends on the rarity.

So steps are:
1) determine the final weapons rarity. Since collapsible pole is a common item, you can probably combine it with another common weapon one, and upend up at uncommon. That sets the cost at 200gp and 2 workweeks, by someone with Arcana or appropriate Tool proficiency. Or in this case, probably two people with one of each working together, because they're doing someone special in converting an existing item into a brand new item that previously did no exist.

2) find someone to "make" the formula for you, probably a magical artisan or Sage. The Research downtime takes one week, 50gp, and a DC 6 Int check to obtain a piece of Lore. You can spend up to 600 gp for +1/100 gp. Or take longer at 50gp/week. That should find you an appropriate person.

2) invent a new formula. By default formulas have a rating one higher than the item itself, but since you're trying to be fun here, and it's a "convert magic item" formula and not a "create from scratch" formula, rate it at uncommon as well. (Note this covers your ass by future proofing you with a reason to say no, next time players want a formula out of the blue without finding it, at a lower than usual rating.) Treat as buying a magic item, but cut the cost for searching in half, it represents the inventor doing research themselves first. 50gp per week, a successful Cha (Persuasion) DC 15 check (one attempt per week), and 1d6x100 gp for the actual "purchase).

4) exotic item obtained from a challenge with a creature. This is easy, since they've already got the pole of collapsing, it can count.

Total time at least 4 weeks (1 research, 1 inventing/buying formula, 2 crafting).

Total cost at least 400gp+1d6x100gp (50 research, 50+1d6x100 formula, 200gp crafting).

Unfortunately there's no existing minor/common magic axe weapons to combine with the pole of collapsing, but it's possible "counts as a magic weapon" qualifies by itself. Or you could just use the moontouched sword ability. For baseline, consider that a Wepon of Warning is uncommon weapon for warning feature + counts as magic weapon. So up to you.

[J-H]

5e allows for "whatever you want" items pretty easily at DM discretion. Go for it... requirements listed above should be fine!

[chando]

Let him have the Halbard-axe witha regular axe head for a few sessions, doenst count has magical.
Than as the Axe head breaks in a critical fumble or something, find or forge a new weapon, more powerful, that he is more atatched to it cause he worked for it.

Or if he puts in the work to find a forger or make a magic axe for the pole, sure, why not. dont make him wait 3 years for his magical polearm just because hes engaging with the setting and game. :)

[Yamatohekatsue]

WOW I forgot to come back here and update. I ran with Tanarii's advice and the player took time to buy a war Axe of warning and spent the time and effort looking for artisans to make his custom weapon idea, we also used Aprender's idea kinda and basically sovereign glued the War Axe head to one side of the Pole of collapsing and the other end glued the immoveable rod. his weapon had no bonus to hit no bonus damage. but he used it the whole campaign. he would on occasion get universal solvent and Sovereign Glue and swap out weapon parts. By the end of the campaign he again went back to the artisans to get them to try an modify a Staff of Adornments into the end not using the Axe head and he upgraded the Ax to a + 1 war ax of warning. (this was around 15th level)

Spoiler: Staff of Adornment

Show

Source: Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Staff, common

If you place an object weighing no more than 1 pound (such as a shard of crystal, an egg, or a stone) above the tip of the staff while holding it, the object floats an inch from the staff's tip and remains there until it is removed or until the staff is no longer in your possession. The staff can have up to three such objects floating over its tip at any given time. While holding the staff, you can make one or more of the objects slowly spin or turn in place.

he would keep the immovable rod as 1 of the three items floating the other one held a potion of healing and he used the last free slot to surprise me vs their big bad. Dude was trying to cast Gate but this player beat him in Imitative he moved his 30 foot but was too far away to reach the BBEG so he flipped this Extendo Axe as we called it and used the command word "power Pole Extend" (his choice in words not mine) to make the normally bottom part with the part of the Staff of Adornment to pull the diamond from the BBEG's hand and kept him from opening a gate to the Abyss. it was a hard fight that eventually ended up being a big game of keep away with the Arcane trickster using Mage Hand and wizard using spells like catapult our fighter's Extendo Axe to keep the guy from getting the Diamond. After 4 or 5 turns of this he eventually got it back and just as he started to cast gate the bard counter spelled him. so he had to use another 9th level spell slot to cast the spell and the BBEG used Subtle Spell so he couldn't be countered. Gate Requires Concentration the fighter used a wand of magic missal to fire all the rounds at the BBEG, BBEG reaction cast Shield to stop the MM's. Wizard Counter spelled Shield. dude had to make 8 or 9 DC 10 concentration checks burned all his legendary resistances before the last roll, on the last roll he passed his check bard silvery barbbed him and he rolled a 3 on the reroll. it was epic and awesome the player with the Axe loved his Frankenstein weapon.

[Peelee]

The Mod on the Silver Mountain: Closed for Necromancy.