D&D 5E Why so few magic polearms in the DMG?

[Fenris-77]

I would just reskin if I wanted a non-sword version of something. There's no need for multiple versions with different weapon chassis. Swords are traditional, I'm ok with that.

 

[abirdcall]

Polearms aren't the traditional fantasy weapon.

A major downside of Polearm Mastery is the lack of magical polearms.

Personally, I would only take the feat if I already had such a weapon.

 

[3catcircus]

Lack of polearms is a typical D&Dism even though the real medieval foot soldier carried almost always polearms due to their familiarity with them as field implements and their ability to discount cavalry and penetrate their armor.

Even when they had swords, it was typically a secondary weapon while the spear was a primary weapon.

 

[bedir than]

Lack of polearms is a typical D&Dism even though the real medieval foot soldier carried almost always polearms due to their familiarity with them as field implements and their ability to discount cavalry and penetrate their armor.

Even when they had swords, it was typically a secondary weapon while the spear was a primary weapon.

Most people don't play D&D to be a common foot soldier.

They are mighty heroes.

 

[5atbu]

Oh you are so young.
EGG wrote pages and pages on polearms in the first DMG.
Just view all magic items as interchangeable by type.

 

[Zardnaar]

It's partly because the sword is regarded as a high status weapon for historical reasons. Swords contained more metal, were more expensive to make and thus only the wealthy could afford them.

While the spear may have been the most popular offensive armament of the Middle Ages, the sword was certainly the most celebrated. Swords were intricately made, expensive to own, and generally passed down from generation to generation. They were also frequently named, with King Arthur's "Excalibur" and Roland's "Durendal" being perhaps the most famous.​

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- Medieval Military Technology (1992) Kelly DeVries​

It wasn't metal content that made swords more expensive but forging.

Axes and spears are quick to make.

Quality of the ore also makes swords more expensive. The best ones were made with ore from Persia or India.

 

[Shiroiken]

Part of the reason might be balance against things such as the PAM feat. I had a Pladin PC with it and Heavy Weapon Mastery who asked me if he'd ever get a magical glaive. I told him he had about a 1% chance of finding a magical polearm over the course of the campaign. Instead, when he was high enough level, he spent downtime to learn how to create a +1 glaive and more downtime to create it.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

In one of my campaigns, there was a mechanical, Steampunk-style +1 voulge which could fold itself into a cutlass… or a small chair.

 

[Zardnaar]

I made the mistake of putting an intelligent polearm in that could cast cure spells.

My bad.

 

[Coroc]

Is it? I don't see that. Care to explain?

It is.

You can even recreate the classic ODD racial classes with ease.
Elf = Elf fighter with Eldritch knight subclass
Halfling=Halfling fighter champion with criminal background
Dwarf=obvious dwarven fighter.

Other than that the basic rules feature only the 4 basic races.
Several spells which were totally over the top in previous editions and would have to be reassociated to higher levels because of their power have instead been redesigned and stayed on that level. e.g. sleep, hold person.
The MM leaves out several mobs but all basic D&D mobs except Tiamat are in there.
And also iconic magic items and artifacts which seemed to be existent in basic 1e 2e and 3e (I cannot tell for 4e) have been adequately converted.