Polearm as a spear

[Murezor]

Good day everyone! I've created a custom campaign for my players and one of the races is known for a Spartan inspired infantry. It's a TL3 campaign, however. One of my players wants to play one such warrior.

I've built a martial style that is modeled after Hoplomachia with some twists. My only concern is that though he will be excellent with peers who have the same style, he seems a bit underpowered otherwise.

So, I've built the style with some targeted attacks to improve to-hit, shield-Wall training so he can block for fellows, and spinning attack for more damage. I've also switched from shortsword to broadsword and given him a large falchion.

I thought about making one more change...
1) I could create a custom spear (call it a medium spear) that has a broad spearhead and is generally heavier and more damaging than a normal spear (thr+3 with one hand).
2) I could create a custom glaive that can be used as a either a one-armed spear (using the spear skill) or a polearm (using the polearm skill) if he drops his shield.
3) I could give him a spear that has an armor devisor on it... Perhaps this city provides its best warriors with magical weapons.

Any other ideas?

[Skarg]

Fine quality weapons would probably be the first step, and might be all that's needed. That can get you a +1 or +2 to damage without having to invent new weapons or use magic, and is generally quite good enough to make a skilled fighter with spear/shield/sword relatively formidable with TL3 equipment in GURPS.

[Wavefunction]

Here's an option:

Technique Adaptation (Spear Swings) [1]
Weapon Adaptation (Polearm to Spear) [1]

That should allow you to use a glaive with the spear skill and make swinging attacks with it, which the Spear skill wouldn't normally cover, whilst allowing you to wield it both one- and two-handed, as per the normal spear skill. You still need the ST to wield it one-handed, but I think I'd allow a reduced ST requirement if you hold it further along the haft, thus reducing the range, like what seems to be assumed for spears when used one-handed.

[weby]

In general in gurps a spear has few benefits that are not directly obvious.

The first is the price, it only costs 120 as fine giving thr+3 one handed and the cost is less than a cheap short sword. So equipping the entire force of something like a wealthy city state with fine weapons seems reasonable.

Then for more adventurer types a spear is a versatile weapon allowing switching between a "defense" mode where you use it one handed with a shield and getting the defense bonus from the buckler or use it two handed if the threat is less, using it mostly as staff to get the swing damage(and better defense) as the skills are only -2 from each other, but if you get the enemy to be disadvantaged like stunned or knocked down you can do things like try "finishing strikes" as telegraphic attacks doing thr+4 imp to the eye with spear grip.

As for optimizing the weapon for PCs. If I were to make a spear fighter I would likely get prongs from low tech companion 2 for two things:
1) it makes the weapon be 4.5 lb instead allowing it to parry any standard SM +0 weapon without break chance.
2)makes disarms easier.
Further thing to think about depending on available money and expected enemy armor is making it armor piercing(also from LTC2). An armor piercing fine spear would thus be thr+2(2) one handed, but would be significantly more expensive at 520.

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by Murezor

...2) I could create a custom glaive that can be used as a either a one-armed spear (using the spear skill) or a polearm (using the polearm skill) if he drops his shield.
...

Any other ideas?

Check the rules on using your shield hand to hold things, and maybe find a way for him to keep the shield while using a polearm 2 handed. (Akimbo perk maybe?)

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Wavefunction

Here's an option:

Technique Adaptation (Spear Swings) [1]
Weapon Adaptation (Polearm to Spear) [1]

That should allow you to use a glaive with the spear skill and make swinging attacks with it, which the Spear skill wouldn't normally cover, whilst allowing you to wield it both one- and two-handed, as per the normal spear skill. You still need the ST to wield it one-handed, but I think I'd allow a reduced ST requirement if you hold it further along the haft, thus reducing the range, like what seems to be assumed for spears when used one-handed.

I'd only allow a Dueling Glaive used this way (one handed I mean). A full length Glaive is just too unwieldy.

I have used a Dueling Glaive this way (one-handed with a shield) very clumsily as I wasn't practiced with it, but it felt like something I could get used to if needed.

[Wavefunction]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Check the rules on using your shield hand to hold things, and maybe find a way for him to keep the shield while using a polearm 2 handed. (Akimbo perk maybe?)

Interesting idea, it's essentially Extra Arm (Shield Mount, -80%) [2], but further limited to only when wielding a spear/polearm-thingy in two hands. Call it something like Shield-Hand Weapon Training, have it specialised by weapon skills.

Originally Posted by evileeyore

I'd only allow a Dueling Glaive used this way (one handed I mean). A full length Glaive is just too unwieldy.

I have used a Dueling Glaive this way (one-handed with a shield) very clumsily as I wasn't practiced with it, but it felt like something I could get used to if needed.

Yeah, that's true enough, I was kind of taking that for granted, since the Duelling Glaive is the closest to a standard spear.

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Check the rules on using your shield hand to hold things, and maybe find a way for him to keep the shield while using a polearm 2 handed. (Akimbo perk maybe?)

This was done historically. The Macedonians and the Burgundians both used a two-handed pike while having a shield strapped to their forearm.

[Murezor]

Great answers everyone... I think I'm going forward with a regular spear, fine quality, with prongs and armor penetration. I think that's a great way to make this spear stand out.

I didn't find anything in the rules for shield arm usage, so I think I'll create a perk that allows for him to use his shield arm for two handed spear usage. He already has grip mastery. Would he basically not be able to block in this mode? Or would he be able to do so at a disadvantage? Would he benefit from the additional active defenses on his shield side??

On the Macedonian comment, did they use the Glaive one-handed as well?.. I.e. Like a spear?

[Murezor]

How about this:

New Perk – Shield Arm Use: This perk allows a shield wielder to use a two-handed weapon (such as a polearm) or a weapon with a two-handed mode (such as a spear) while holding a shield. The wielder still gains the benefit of the shield’s defense bonus but blocks at a -4. Must specialize by weapon.