D&D 5E Why is the pike 18 lbs?!?!?

[Gnashtooth]

Okay so I just realized an NPC in my party is encumbered because their pike, which is a maximum of 10 feet long, weighs 18 lbs.

Googling says an actual pike at maximum length (25 ft) weighs 13.5 lbs. Doing the math, the D&D pike should be...33 feet long!?!?

What's the deal? And what does this 10 foot, 18 lb pike look like?

 

[PnPgamer]

Few know this, but pikes are actually alive in DnD worlds. They have actual feelings but player characters cannot speak pikean, so the conversation is really one sided. The pikes that adventurer's use weight more because the pikes are on steroids, they go through rough times.

 

[Gnashtooth]

No joke, in DLS1 Wild Elves, there is a sentient pike that guards a treasure area.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

This is a very deep rabbit hole to go down if you want to check real world weights against D&D weights...

As for encumbered, even a 10' pole with a big heavy metal spikes head on it is unwieldy and difficult to tote about, which makes it an encumbrance rather than a simple weight. It's not just the weight it's how much of an embuggerance to carry that it represents.

 

[EdL]

D&D never gets weapon weights right. Just change it.

 

[Gnashtooth]

This is a very deep rabbit hole to go down if you want to check real world weights against D&D weights...

As for encumbered, even a 10' pole with a big heavy metal spikes head on it is unwieldy and difficult to tote about, which makes it an encumbrance rather than a simple weight. It's not just the weight it's how much of an embuggerance to carry that it represents.

Then why is a Halberd only 6 lbs? It has a much bigger head on it, and the same reach.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Away from books but IRL if I recall correctly a halberd is a big spear, one that two guards at the Kings door can cross to bar your way.

A pike is - to me - more than a 10' pole with a spike. Pikes were frickin huge. Up to 25', but I'd rule more like a midpoint of 18'. That's a big stick.

 

[Gnashtooth]

Away from books but IRL if I recall correctly a halberd is a big spear, one that two guards at the Kings door can cross to bar your way.

A pike is - to me - more than a 10' pole with a spike. Pikes were frickin huge. Up to 25', but I'd rule more like a midpoint of 18'. That's a big stick.

But this one has only 10' reach. And is 18lbs. So which is it?

 

[bganon]

I don't know, doesn't this thing look about 18 pounds? And I'm not even sure it's really a reach weapon.

 

[iserith]

Every time I see questions like this, I think of this Simpsons clip:

[video=youtube;pYrRqMHQY7o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYrRqMHQY7o[/video]

Regarding the pike weight, boy I really hope somebody got fired for that blunder.