Polearm Master bonus attack

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

Crowbarr

Aug 04, 2015 15:28:56

When you take the Attack action and attack with only
a glaive, halberd, or quarterstaff, you can use a bonus
action to make a melee attack with the opposite end of
the weapon. The weapon’s damage die for this attack
is a d4, and the attack deals bludgeoning damage.

 

 

Does the bonus attack when using a polearm include your STR/DEX modifer for damage? ie 1d4+STR

 

 

#2

Viddicus

Aug 04, 2015 15:41:16

In my game, absolutely.

 

It would certainly hurt worse to get nailed from the butt end of a halberd from someone with a 20 Str compared to someone with a 13 Str.

#3

Crowbarr

Aug 04, 2015 15:44:06

Thank you.

#4

Greenstone.Walker

Aug 04, 2015 15:46:21

Crowbarr wrote:
#5

Macv12

Aug 04, 2015 16:57:46

PHB 196 explains that weapon attacks always add your ability score modifier. What kind of action you used to make the attack doesn't matter. They all work like that. Including the attack from Polearm Master.

 

The Two-Weapon Fighting rules on PHB 195 are a specific exception. You don't add your modifier in that specific circumstance. It doesn't apply to anything else. Since Polearm Mastery isn't Two-Weapon Fighting with two Light weapons, that exception doesn't apply to it.

 

This is why you add your modifier to the Polearm Mastery bonus attack, and all other weapon attacks, unless otherwise noted.

#6

DeathMutantLives

Aug 04, 2015 19:28:48

One change that I use in my game (=not RAW) is: the bonus attack always has a Reach of 5' -- regardless of the weapon's Reach -- because you are not changing your grip on the weapon, you are just "pivoting" it to hit with the "other" end. I have also changed the (normal) Attack of Opportunity rules in that an AoO is triggered if an adjacent enemy moves further away (=beyond 5') and not just "out of Reach." The existing rules require an enemy to move from 10' to 15' away from a creature with Reach 10' before an AoO is triggered. This affect monsters with Reach too, not just polearm wielders. Note that an enemy that moves from 10' to 15' away does not trigger an AoO, only an enemy that moves from 5' to 10' away does.

#7

Filksinger

Aug 05, 2015 0:05:41

(I haven't a clue as to why, but this won't let me reply to Crowbarr's original post - it keeps trying to force me to reply to Deathmutatnt's post even though I'm hitting the "reply" button at the bottom of Crowbarr's post and not Deathmutant's post.  Sigh.)

 

 

Crowbarr - While we already have the "general rule" on the STR/DEX damage bonus question, I'll mention that they also made this explicit in the Erratta for the PH:

 

"Polearm Master (p. 168). The bonus attack uses the same ability modifier as the main attack."