Post/Author/DateTime	Post
IceFractal 01-07-05, 07:18 PM	A new weapon for use by the town watch, not too deadly but good for stopping fights. Guard Pole Martial Two-Handed Weapon Cost: 5 gp, 10 gp if unscrewable. Damage (s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6 Type: Bludgeoning Critical: 20/x2 A guard pole, a favorite of many city watches, is a long pole with a blunt fork of four prongs in a square on one end and a weighted sap on the other. A guard pole is a reach weapon, and only one end can be used at a time. The end in use can be switched as a move action (or a free action with Quick Draw). The sap end does nonlethal damage, and the fork end can trip as well as getting a +2 bonus to disarm. Some guard poles have unscrewable ends, allowing them to be disassembled into a quarterstaff, a sap, and a fork (the fork is useless by itself). Another weapon, this one mostly used by armies and militias. Army Pike Martial Two-Handed Weapon Cost: 10 gp Damage(s): 1d6 Damage(m): 1d8 Type: Piercing Critical: x3 This extraordinarily long spear has a spike on the end, to dig into the ground when set against a charge. The army pike has extra long reach (as much as the whip, i.e. 15' for a medium wielder), but cannot be used normally, only set against a charge (it does double damage when set against a charge, like a spear). The pike can only target one square at once if set into the ground, or three adjacent squares equidistant from the wielder if an assistant holds the end (counts as using the Aid Other action). Army pikes are usually only used by formations of troops, as the lack of maneuverability makes it a poor choice for an individual warrior. What do you think?
Vorel-Aurixsveargith 01-07-05, 08:37 PM	You're Army spear has a different name usually. It's called a pike. :P 1 person can use it, but it is designed mostly for setting against charges in reality. And for such a limited weapon is does kinda pathetic damage. You only get 1 AoO with it, when a person charges. And then it is worthless. And even during that charge it doesn't do all that much damage. 4 pts on average, On a crit it does 3-24, which isn't much for such a limited use weapon. Might want to reconsider the mechanics of it somehow.
IceFractal 01-08-05, 01:15 AM	Right ... pike, that's the name I was looking for. The main advantage is that you can, when acting in formation, have a three rows of these set up, and take three attacks on anyone charging in before they even get there. Since they do double damage when set against a charge, thats potentially 6d8 damage before they reach you, enough to drop most soldiers. Both of these are primarily NPC weapons best used by groups, although the Guard Pole might appeal to a nonviolent PC.
Vahenir 01-08-05, 01:30 AM	Looks okay to me. The Pike I'd consider even increasing to a x4 Critical. If you really think about it... it's pretty much useless EXCEPT against mass-scale charges. So you should gain a higher crit to balance the fact that you're buying a weapon that's almost useless in any combat situation except one.
IceFractal 01-10-05, 05:47 PM	That's possible, but what gives it the higher critical? Maybe it has a really long striking point? Barbs? Something else? Its already getting effectively a x6 critical though, due to the double damage when set against a charge, so I'm not sure.
Vahenir 01-10-05, 07:41 PM	You could definitely say - the longer the spear, the longer the spearhead. A long spearhead will obviously penetrate deeper and is therefore more likely to cause an immediately fatal would.
bjorntfh 01-10-05, 08:04 PM	Pray for an immediately fatal wound... otherwise you're going to be impaled on a 20' pole the Awl Pike (or Pike more commonly) was NOT something you wanted to be hit by. The rule of combat wasto avoid charging pikemen at ALL costs. If your line is smaller than the pike line you're going to take hits from as many as 2 or three pike rows (3 men deep) per person. If you're lucky and only your mount gets killed you've got to deal with the runners then. historically runners were children given long knives who would run out from the formation and finish any injured people off while under cover of the pikes. Not the safest job, but it ensured that the formation wouldn't get broken trying to finish the injured. Not an adventurer weapon, but devistating in mass combat. 2E had stats on the awl pike at 15' reach and double when set against a charge, damage was 1d10. Personally I'd say 1d10, doble damage versus charge and x3 crit is fine, just remember that this is NOT a weapon to be used in less than thirty men (minimum.) Plus you need a row of sweepers (men with halberd or sword and board) on the flanks for protection. The major weakness of this was archery, so be ready for it. Replaving the front row with men with longspears and shields works well, you get double the killing focus on the first square and the usual on the second rather than over three squares, but it works fine.
Draco Strang 01-11-05, 02:51 AM	If you're lucky and only your mount gets killed you've got to deal with the runners then. historically runners were children given long knives who would run out from the formation and finish any injured people off while under cover of the pikes. Not the safest job, but it ensured that the formation wouldn't get broken trying to finish the injured. Children? Where did this come from? I'm not calling you a liar, just want to know where you read this. I know the English armies employed Welsh knifemen (basically ultra-light infantry used to forage and disable unhorsed knights, they were very fast and good scouts, but armed usually with nothing more than a long knife or hatchet.) Used to great effect at the Battle of Agincourt, best example I can recall at the moment.
Soulmage 01-11-05, 11:05 AM	Here are some spear feats I created that you can give to your spear-toting watch. Infantry Background [General] You have trained in the ways of the humble infantryman. Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +2, Weapon Focus (Longspear) Benefit: When using a shield in your off hand, you may wield a long spear with one hand. If used in this fashion the long spear is no longer considered a reach weapon. Special: A fighter may select Infantry Training as one of his fighter bonus feats. Infantry Background Expert [General] You are an expert at all the ins and outs of heavy infantry combat with spears. Prerequisite: Strength 15+, Infantry Background Benefit: Your long spear retains its reach weapon properties when used one handed. You may also attack opponents within 5 feet of you. Finally, if you are fighting from a second rank (i.e. behind an ally) your opponent gains no cover bonus from your ally. Normal: You may not use a reach weapon to attack adjacent foes. Also, when fighting from the second rank, your opponent gains cover from your attacks. Special: A fighter may select Infantry Background Expert as one of his fighter bonus feats. . . . and here's a very similar one I created for the Dwarven Warpike in response to sombody pointing out their usefulness underground. No shield use with this one though. Dwarven Infantry Background [General] You have received extensive training with the Dwarven War Pike Prerequisites: Dwarf, Weapon Focus with Dwarven War Pike Benefit: You may attack opponents within 5 feet of you normally. Additionally, if you are fighting from a second rank (i.e. behind an ally) your opponent gains no cover bonus from your ally. Normal: You may not attack adjacent opponents while using a reach weapon. When fighting from a second rank, your allies provide your opponents with a +4 cover bonus to AC. Special: A fighter may select Dwarven Infantry Background as one of his fighter bonus feats. This feat may be taken more than once. Each time it applies to a new weapon.
bjorntfh 01-11-05, 02:21 PM	The children example came from the Greeks (who'd use those to young to wield longspears as "cleanup") as well as early Roman Phalanxes (before the reforms of Marius) when most troops were supported by families (thus the kids were sent in for "educational experiences".) Later on that position was taken up by the lower classes, like the Welsh.
Vahenir 01-11-05, 02:29 PM	I think it was extreme to use the word "children." It conjured images of 5 year olds with butcher knives. Anyway... he is correct. The Greeks, Romans, and even Egyptians used this tactic. But it wsn't actually "children" doing clean-up. It was young men.. like between 12 and 15. Since you couldn't actually "fight" in war until you were older than 15 in most countries, they had you do other things during your training that wasn't considered warfare.. just clean-up and mercy-killing. Later-era armies used adult peasantry, although men as young as 16 were still being employed in the position.
bjorntfh 01-11-05, 02:49 PM	Personally, I think that when you're 15 and old enough to fight, 10-12 year olds are children. But that's just my perspective. I'm a military histroy student (graduate next year) so this is a topic I enjoy to study. Mind you, the fact that the casualty rates on those kids could get gruesome if the troops started to rout. Not my idea of a good job.
Draco Strang 01-11-05, 03:06 PM	Alright.....you explained yourself well. I knew that the Welsh knifemen were as young as 15-16, but when you said kids you had me thinking like, 9 year olds. Glad we're on the same page