Spear worth it? fantasy campain

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by faitfull

yup, magical healing is a thing.... but when 2 big trolls desides to play "who can rip his legs of first" and then got each of our legs grapled with 4d+2 crushing dmg each turn.... Not healty my friend... need ALOT of magic to heal the trashed bones up again

Ah, you opted for the cheaper Restoration. Understood. ;)

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by Kazander

The biggest reasons not to fight with a spear are the lack of a second defense (extra parry or block), and no DB. This is true of any 2-handed weapon build in GURPS. You can go with 1-handed use, but you lose an important point of damage, and the ability to Form Mastery to parry at +2, and use crushing damage.

If you're using GURPS Martial Arts, the rules for two-handed weapons and defense can mitigate this somewhat: you can make multiple parries for cheaper than most people, and you get a bonus when defending against dual weapon attacks. You still have some problems (if you make a committed attack with your 2-h weapon, you don't have a spare weapon to defend with and if you're disarmed, again, no back-up weapon), but it helps a bit.

If you really want to be a dedicated pole-arm fighter, though, you might be better off with some form of glaive. They have alternate modes for alternate situations (for example, if you need cutting, crushing or a hook)

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

If you really want to be a dedicated pole-arm fighter, though, you might be better off with some form of glaive. They have alternate modes for alternate situations (for example, if you need cutting, crushing or a hook)

As a glaive man, this is best in life.

Also you can have an impaling point on a glaive. They really are the Swiss Army knives of the polearm world.

[Phil Masters]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Also you can have an impaling point on a glaive. They really are the Swiss Army knives of the polearm world.

No, no, that would be the glaive-guisarme-voulge.

At least for gamers of a certain vintage.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

No, no, that would be the glaive-guisarme-voulge.

Well yes. But I was trying to avoid sliding into a Python skit...

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

No, no, that would be the glaive-guisarme-voulge.

At least for gamers of a certain vintage.

I think the weapon he's describing is a just a glaive-guisarme, voulges are more ax-like. What sort of vintage gamer hasn't memorized Gygax's Dragon article.

Incidentally, the GURPS swiss army polearm is the Dueling Bill, though I assume the actual Swiss Army would call it a guisarme.

[Ultraviolet]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Well yes. But I was trying to avoid sliding into a Python skit...

Why fight it? It's going to end there anyway...

Seriously, spears seem awesome. While I haven't playes any GURPS fantasy since well before 4th ed was published, I've doen a bit of fiddling with MA and a spear-wielder concept.
And I totally agree with the rest. My concept used an awl pike, for added durability, and employed Shoves and Tackles Perk. Because then you can enter the fight with a Move-and-Attack to slam with the shaft.
Also, spears are dirt cheap compared to swords.

But now I'm inspired to use a glaive-guisarme-lochaber...polearm of soem kind.

[adm]

A properly built melee spear is just a quarter staff with a pointy end on it.

[Varyon]

At ST 13, a Good quality Heavy Spear (LT69) would, assuming Form Mastery and Reach Mastery, give a +2 to Parry and have the following damage modes:
Reach 2,3 1d+4 (call it 2d) imp, eligible for Targeting Chinks (and Armor Gaps)
Reach 3 1d+3 (call it 2d-1) cut, as a tip slash
Reach 2,3 1d+2 cr, as a thrust with the butt
Reach 2,3 2d+1 cr, as a swing with the butt

By comparison, a Good quality Thrusting Broadsword (using a medium shield to make up for the Parry) is instead Reach 1 and either 2d cut or 1d+2 imp. Giving up defense when you attack allows for an axe, but you will be limited to one-handed weapons if you don't want to fall back on Dodging - an Axe is 2d+1 cut and a Mace is 2d+2 cr, for a slight offensive edge over the Heavy Spear, but at a steep defensive cost. As far as pricing goes, the Thrusting Broadsword is $600, the Heavy Spear is $90, and the Axe and Mace are each $50, assuming Good quality. Fine are instead $2400, $270, and $500, respectively, while Very Fine are $12000, $4500, and $2500, respectively.

Comparing it to other two-handed weapons, your primary contenders are probably the Thrusting Greatsword if you want to be able to Parry, the Dueling Halberd if you don't. The former is Reach 1,2 2d+2 cut or Reach 2 1d+3 imp, while the latter is Reach 1,2 all-around, 2d+3 cut, 2d+2 imp (with a stuck pick), and 1d+3 imp, with the last actually allowing for a Parry. Those have a decent edge over the spear, but the former is -2 to Parry (relative to the spear) and the latter means you're stuck with Dodging.

Finally, there is an important aspect to keep in mind for a Winged Elf, already mentioned by other posters - armed slams. For a normal character, armed slams are occasionally of use, but for someone with Flight they can readily do more damage than a typical thrust. Speed 6 is common for delvers, so Air Move 12 means your ST 13 elf can slam at a base 2d, meaning 2d+4 (call it 3d) for an armed slam with the Heavy Spear.

Overall, while the spear isn't outright dominant, it is a solid contender. Note some of the above changes if the character has Weapon Master (and skill at DX+2 or higher), as this gives all the thrusting attacks only a +2 but the swinging ones a +4, thanks to breakpoint issues.

[sir_pudding]

Even with Weapon Master +2×3 for vitals is the same as +4×1.5. Also, if you are using the blunt trauma rule for edged weapons from Low-Tech impaling doesn't lose the injury modifier whereas cutting does.