Stick it to 'em!

[TippetsTX]

Lets talk polearms!

What are some ideas for new weapons or rules for pointy-sticks in your game?

I actually have a bunch, but they're pretty intertwined w/ a bunch of other house-rules which makes it tricky to explain parts w/o explaining the whole. For example, I decided to separate the talents for using spears (stabby-stab sticks) and polearms (hacky-hack sticks). And yes, I realize there's a lot of blurred lines between those groups, but I like the distinction.

SPEAR
Covers javelins, short and long spears, pilum, yari, tridents, etc. (at the GM's discretion, this talent may be selected by IQ 6 characters).

POLE-ARMS
Covers halberds, glaives, naginata, the pike and pole-axe (and the cavalry lance, although the character must also have EXPERT HORSEMANSHIP to use properly).
Prerequisites: CLUB / STAFF, AXE / PICK or SPEAR

[TippetsTX]

Another, perhaps more significant, change that I made is that spears and various polearms do more damage than their RAW versions.

Base damage for a longspear is 2d-1, for example.

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

Another, perhaps more significant, change that I made is that spears and various polearms do more damage than their RAW versions.

Base damage for a longspear is 2d-1, for example.

I wish that my now deceased friend's ex-wife didn't throw away all of our old TFT stuff. We had addendums and notes for quite a few wild things. One was a double-headed Pike Axe if you can wrap your head around that one. You could charge someone at 3D+2 and then pull it back the next turn to get someone coming up behind you for 2D+2 provided that you could hit your negatively modified DX for making a blind stab toward your back hex.

My brother, the sick puppy that he still is, came up with a detailed shot involving a Pike Axe. He kept insisting that he wanted to make a crotch shot on an opponent. Our GM finally capitulated with a -10DX modifier. My brother had a successful DX roll. Needless to say, only a small number of hits would was needed to take him out of the action. However, the hit practically ripped him in half. Calling it overkill was an understatement.

[Bill_in_IN]

How about a special harness for a Centaur that was part of their armor where a cavalry lance was mounted. Of course, it restricted the pole attack to the direct front facing and multiple attack DX adjustments applied if they also wanted to take a swing with a hand weapon.

[hcobb]

Pole Weapons ought to include Quarterstaff.

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Pole Weapons ought to include Quarterstaff.

I'm not quite there, but I'm close. CLUB/STAFF is the correct talent for that weapon in my game, but if the character only has POLE-ARMS they can also use a quarterstaff at -2 DX.

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Pole Weapons ought to include Quarterstaff.

That is a reasonable assertion. However, the quarterstaff is less about ramming and jabbing than it is about defense, selective hits or disarming an opponent. I haven't seen the disarming option called out for a pole weapon. So, there is also a strong argument to keep it separate from pole weapons. You don't get a +1D6 charge bonus with a quarterstaff either. The only practical way that you can get the charge bonus is to put a sharp end on it. Then, per another discussion, you can argue that it's no longer a quarterstaff but a naginata which is a pole weapon.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

Base damage for a longspear is 2d-1, for example.

What does the length of the spear have to do with the damage it deals? I could understand a stouter spear doing more, just as a spear does more than a javelin.

[Shostak]

So long as we are talking about polearms, can I ask just what the heck a pike axe is?

[Jeff Lord]

"So long as we are talking about polearms, can I ask just what the heck a pike axe is?"

Most likely a misnomer; there was no internet in the late 70's. ;) "Pike Axe" is often synonymous with "Halberd."

Try "Pole Axe."