D&D 5E Tactics for dealing with Polearm Masters

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Fanaelialae]

The crawl uses 10' of movement (closing from square 3 to square 2 i.e. by 1 square or 5'). Then stand using 15' and close using remaining 5'.

Yeah, hadn't had my caffeine yet. Doesn't change the fact that most creatures won't have the movement to utilize it. Even orcs can't, if starting at a modest encounter distance (say 50 feet).

In the real world, armies dealing with a line of pikes would often just charge, take their lumps, and try to get inside the line. This crawling tactic might work mechanically, but from a real world perspective it's a rather absurd length to go to just to modestly inconvenience the pole arm master.

 

[thethain]

First. The NPCs shouldn't really know about the ability until they have reason: They have seen the character fight before, or his exploits have become known. Automatically granting knowledge of specific abilities of PCs to NPCs without cause is metagaming on the highest order.

As for how to deal:
1. Fodder First - First in range you don't care about.
2. Tank First - First in range is someone who has high enough AC to possibly avoid the attack.
3. Ranged First - First in range is someone who can be equally effective at 10 feet away.

SUB-Note: Even if the Polearm Master doesn't take the bait for these, they now provide +2 cover bonus to AC for those who follow after them.

4. Cover till in range - Particularly in dungeons, there are doors and other choke points to work around. If you close to within 10' while in total cover, you can then move the rest of the way without provoking (as you aren't entering range). Example would be if the target is behind a door, you go to door, then open it. Opening the door isn't going to provoke, as you didn't enter range, you just left cover.
5. Burrow/other fancy movement - Similar to 4, if you have a way to have cover to get into range, you can avoid the AoO. For example, if you burrow from 15-10 feet, you can then surface and approach without attack. Similarly if you have a teleport, misty step, or ethereal mode of transport.
6. Fog/Darkness/heavy smoke - Fog / Darkness create a situation in which both parties are effectively blind (granting advantage/disadvantage to attacks) this has the effect of preventing the possibility of advantage or disadvantage while so affected. HOWEVER, as opportunity attacks trigger off of "A target you can see" This means you can move about without provoking.
7. Blind the Polearm Master - As above, if you can't see you can't make AoO.
8. Hidden/Invis - Again, if unseen they can't attack, being unseen so close would require dense undergrowth or at the very least dim light (you can't hide in dim light only without special feature, but you can remain hidden there)
9. Disable- any stun/sleep/incap will obviously prevent the reactions, so if you have any at your disposal, its worth considering using on the polearm master.
10. Shocking Grasp - Not just for running away! Will probably have advantage as most heros love their armor.
11. Forced movement - Forced Movement does not provoke AoO. This has a variety of effect. You can use movement spells to drag the Polearm master to you, or you could have some of your allies grapple people and drag them into range if they had actions to spare.
12. Mounted Combatants - As above, forced movement doesn't trigger AoO, so even tho its absolutely nonsense, using mounts can negate the polearm master advantage. Why? Your mount can disengage, then bring you to range. Your mount doesn't trigger as it has disengaged, you don't trigger since its not your movement.



There you have a dozen tactics to deal with pole arm masters. Granted they are all situational, but the fact is, its a powerful ability and negating it takes effort.

 

[Eltab]

Longbow at 1500' (or whatever its max range is) will eventually slay the Polearm Master without him being able to inflict injuries upon you in return.

Spells work similarly. Heat Metal or Witch Bolt or Call Lightning may get a bonus if your DM can be persuaded.

Magic Missile from behind your own Tank. YOU can't miss, and he can't get to you.

Can he use that big two-handed Polearm when HE is prone? If not, trip him or knock him down, then your friends can get a smack on him with Advantage.

Lure the Polearm Master into a pit trap. Presumably he'll be heavy, so your light skirmishers could be the bait to draw him forwards.

 

[Eltab]

This thread reminded me -
The old WotC board had a discussion on how a hobgoblin anti-Adventurer unit might be trained and fight.
The idea was that they were mercenary specialists who worked together to neutralize the normal adventuring band's strengths and exploit their weaknesses.

Did anybody ever make and keep notes? We should probably revive that line of discussion here; some enemies (BBEG) are smart enough to learn from experience, after all.

 

[Valetudo]

I feel like this thread is an over reaction from a dm to a player. Just throw a javelin at the er. Dont hate just because of the feat combos. Just realise that there are monster combos that work easier than trying to over think the rules. K.I.S.S. Keep it simple stupid. Have a nice day.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

This thread reminded me -
The old WotC board had a discussion on how a hobgoblin anti-Adventurer unit might be trained and fight.
The idea was that they were mercenary specialists who worked together to neutralize the normal adventuring band's strengths and exploit their weaknesses.

Did anybody ever make and keep notes? We should probably revive that line of discussion here; some enemies (BBEG) are smart enough to learn from experience, after all.

The obvious first consideration is "don't make suicidal attacks." 5E's default rules encourage you to make fights that are just big enough to occupy the players' attention for a few minutes, without ever seriously threatening them. A professional anti-adventurer unit obviously has the opposite incentive: they want to use enough force that they can smear the adventurers (and take their stuff) while suffering minimal casualties. "The more you use, the less you lose" should be their mantra, along with "there is no such thing as overkill."

It's relatively cheap to equip and support a platoon- or company-sized element of hobgoblins.

Other things they can and should do besides acquiring large numbers of hobgoblins:

(1) Leverage longbows and skirmish tactics; avoid ever clumping up in Fireball formation to the extent the terrain permits.

(2) Always try to get at least one hobgoblin within range of the adventurers so that other hobgoblins get their Martial Advantage damage bonus. That hobgoblin's job is to stay alive, so he should be Dodging for all he's got.

(3) Each hobgoblin should be equipped with a bag of caltrops and a jar of flaming oil, to help deal with adversaries with high AC. 5 damage may not sound like a lot, but if the DM allows flaming oil to be thrown as an action and lit as an object interaction in the same round (I let my players do this so I'd let my monsters do it too), it is very reliable damage.

(4) When taking missile fire, lie prone except when you're firing back. This helps alleviate the Sharpshooter problem, since Sharpshooter does not eliminate disadvantage against prone targets.

(5) Practice luring attacks. I mentioned the importance of terrain above, right? A dozen hobgoblins firing at long range against PCs and ducking back under total coverage--that can be the first group of hobgoblins. Adventurers take it seriously and shoot some arrows back, but they can't fireball (too spread out), and if the hobgoblins take three or four casualties (stabilizing them and bandaging them of course, out of view of the PCs--perhaps they aren't even really down to 0 HP in the first place) and then pull back, the PCs will smell blood and want to finish them off so they can't keep harrassing. So the hobgoblins retreat behind total cover, say into a courtyard with statues in it that they can hide behind, and when the PCs send in the Barbarian and the Paladin to finish them off... wham! Now the hobgoblins hiding in the courtyard close and lock the gates while 38 more hobgoblins fire down from elevated positions at the Barbarian and Paladin who are isolated from the rest of the PCs.

 

[Mallus]

1. Shoot the Polearm Master
2. Break their polearm. It's just a glorified stick.

 

[Tony Vargas]

For the sake of argument, let's say that creatures experienced with combat have learned and shared tactics for dealing with Polearm Mastery (and sometimes +Sentinel).

Spread out in a skirmish formation and shoot past him at the casters he's nominally protecting. If he's by himself, ignore him.

5E's default rules encourage you to make fights that are just big enough to occupy the players' attention for a few minutes, without ever seriously threatening them...

...because it's a TTFRPG, rather than a officer-training wargame/simulation.

The obvious first consideration is "don't make suicidal attacks." A professional anti-adventurer unit obviously has the opposite incentive: they want to use enough force that they can smear the adventurers (and take their stuff) while suffering minimal casualties. "The more you use, the less you lose" should be their mantra, along with "there is no such thing as overkill."

Apparently there's also no such thing as heros, at least, not live ones. ;P

 

[Mistwell]

The foe should take the polearm master feat too. And then stand with their polearm taunting the PC to attack. No, you attack first. No sir, I insist you attack first! Oh no, I couldn't, please do attack first. Oh no my good sir, I couldn't possibly do that, you must attack first.

Eventually someone will break, or leave with a sigh of frustration.