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

[jgsugden]

In truth, pikes made by different people in different areas using different techniques would not all weigh the same. Also, there are dozens of different weapons that might be characterized under the simple name of "pike", but actually deserve different names. Is the PHB weight too heavy for what a majority would call a pike? Likely, yes. Regardless, the best path is to just address it as you see fit and move on.

 

[Gnashtooth]

In truth, pikes made by different people in different areas using different techniques would not all weigh the same. Also, there are dozens of different weapons that might be characterized under the simple name of "pike", but actually deserve different names. Is the PHB weight too heavy for what a majority would call a pike? Likely, yes. Regardless, the best path is to just address it as you see fit and move on.

But that's the boring path, why would I want to do that? It's much more amusing to see what explanations others come up with.

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

I don't know, but it's definitely too heavy for dual wielding.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Using a pike as a Melee weapon you can probably effectively use it at 10' but they're intended to be stuck on the ground for horses and raging barbarians to impale themselves on, the silly sausages.

You'd have a job effectively "wielding" anything at a distance further than 10'.

If you want the flavour, rule it as a spear or a halberd instead. If it's a short pike (10' length - not reach, the two are different slightly), then basically it's a spear with an erection. So just rule it as a spear.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

And the answer is out there but... Don't tell him, Pike!

 

[Hriston]

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?

Why are you assuming the pike is only 10 feet? It's reach is 10 feet, but you would have a hard time holding a 10 foot stick straight out from your body while holding on to the very end of it.

I would assume a counterbalancing butt-end at least as long as the business end that would enable effective wielding of the weapon, plus 3 or 4 feet for a two-handed grip. So that comes to about 24 feet.

 

[Uchawi]

It is hard to turn pikes especially when stuck on a toll, so the extra weight accounts for the hassle.

 

[Scorpio616]

Why are you assuming the pike is only 10 feet? It's reach is 10 feet, but you would have a hard time holding a 10 foot stick straight out from your body while holding on to the very end of it.

NONE of the other reach weapons are built like that. All the others have reasonable weights and the pike doesn't have anything beyond it's weight to indicate there is anything unusual about it compared to the other lighter reach weapons. (Overall 5E has been really good about getting weapon weights more accurate then previous editions )

What I think happened was during playtest the pike had extra long reach like the historical weapon, but it got cut to just be a normal perceiving reach weapon by the final rules and the weight never got fixed.

 

[PnPgamer]

This thread skyrocketed. Not in amount of posts, but in amount of punny.

 

[Minigiant]

The rule is straight dumb, yo. When me and my crew used to pike, it was strictly one handed and both feet in the air son.

And Lil Jojo was waaaaay over 18 lbs, if na meen.

 

[psychophipps]

I'm pretty sure the 1 at the front is a typo.