Adding crosspieces to spears

[Landwalker]

I'm thinking about creating a character who uses a spear as his primary combat weapon, and have been looking at some of his possible options in a fight. One of these is the Hook technique:

Originally Posted by MA.74

Hook is a common technique for Axe/Mace, Polearm, and Two-Handed Axe/Mace, but while picks and most axes can hook, maces and knobbed clubs can't—and only a few polearms sport hooks. It's possible to add hooks to weapons that normally lack them, such as spears and staffs...

Compared to the Combination Weapon rules:

Originally Posted by MA.214

Hook: Any swung weapon, even a sword, can have a small hook to permit use of the Hook technique... $25, neg. weight.

So, my question is this: It's clearly possible to add "hooks" (or a perpendicular crosspiece) to a spear, but this is not accounted for in the Combination Weapon rules, as spears are not swung weapons. Is this an omission of the text, and spear crosspieces should also be $25/neg. weight? Or is it an implication-by-omission that adding a crosspiece to a spear is a "zero-sum" feature, adding neither cost nor weight to the weapon?

[Humabout]

Judging by the writup for a partisan in MA, I would say that such weapons would be the same price and weight as a normal spear adn just use the Keeping a Foe at Bay rules on MA106.

[Verjigorm]

I'd allow crosspieces on the spear. Boar spears, for example.

[Crakkerjakk]

You can swing a spear. There's not a whole lot that you can't swing. I'd allow it as per the combo weapons rule, but hook only works using the swung spear stats, however that affects the manuever (if at all.)

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

You can swing a spear. There's not a whole lot that you can't swing. I'd allow it as per the combo weapons rule, but hook only works using the swung spear stats, however that affects the manuever (if at all.)

Uh, what exactly does swinging a spear do? The only way I can think of to make a swinging attack with a spear is to use it as a staff.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Uh, what exactly does swinging a spear do? The only way I can think of to make a swinging attack with a spear is to use it as a staff.

Tip slash, staff swing, or two-handed sword swing, right? It's a staff with a pointy bit on the end.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Tip slash, staff swing, or two-handed sword swing, right? It's a staff with a pointy bit on the end.

Tip slash isn't exactly a swing. Presumably you can use the 'two-handed beat-stick' approach with it, though.

[davidtmoore]

Look at the entry for the Yari (Martial Arts, p. 226):

"May have an L-shaped head to facilitate the Disarming and Hook techniques; this adds $10 and 0.5 lb. Such spears aren't throwable."

It seems to be describing this (top right), but could certainly apply to a spear with a crosspiece as well.

[Landwalker]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Tip slash, staff swing, or two-handed sword swing, right? It's a staff with a pointy bit on the end.

Tip Slash is still a thrust (damage-wise, at least). It's just a thrust that does cutting damage.

[Humabout]

Originally Posted by Landwalker

Tip Slash is still a thrust (damage-wise, at least). It's just a thrust that does cutting damage.

A tip slash is whipping the spear tip across a target to cut the target. It's not nearly as damaging as hacking at someone with a sword, hence thrusting damage instead of swinging damage.

Again, I'd like to quote the entry for Partisan from MA, since that seems to be precisely what you are looking for:

Originally Posted by MA221

Partisan - Europe A spear with triangular spikes (“ears”) at the base of a broad head. This prevents impaled foes from running themselves through to close with the wielder; see Holding a Foe at Bay (p. 106). Otherwise, treat as an unthrowable SPEAR (p. B273). Also called a “Bohemian ear-spoon.”

Here are some pictures of partisans, if it helps any.

You might also be interested in using a ranseur, which brought the ears in closer to the spear blade to create grooves that could trap blades. There are plenty of examples of both partisans and ranseurs with pretty miniscule downward-facing projections used for hooking onto the clothing of horseman. I doubt they could inflict damage with those hooks, but they'd still snag. Here is another illustration of partisans as compared to ranseurs and spetums (the precursor to both).

I hope this helps.