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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 3375600" data-attributes="member: 4937">The problem is that this weapon is closer to example of a real world dire flail, than it is a spike chain.  I'd have no problem with a feat that let you use that weapon to make reach attacks (but not necessarily threaten at range and close simultaneously, except again, maybe with another feat), but I have a big problem with the assumption that one feat gets you full access to the options available in such a clumsy and difficult to use weapon as a meteor.My understanding of the meteor is that it is principally a stage weapon.  It takes years and years to get good with it, and if you look at the traditional training done for or with this weapon its not combat training - its stagecraft, or atheleticism, or physical discipline.  For example, filling bowls with water or flaming oil (from which it gets its name) and swinging it in such a way that you don't spill them teaches great balance and rhythm, but these are primarily performance techniques (juggling, dancing) not combat techniques.  I don't see alot of evidence out there that the meteor was ever regularly used as a weapon.  Instead, I see alot of evidence that the usage seen in a movie like Kill Bill - that is to say a staged performance - was about the only way the weapon was ever used.If I really wanted to tolerate chain weapon silliness and they were long enough be considered something other than a variant light flail (which I have no problem with), it would be something like a meteor though because at least using that isn't completely suicidal.  But it would have nothing like the abilities of a spiked chain (which someone currectly pointed out is basically every weapon advantage rolled into one) and alot of special rules that would make it rather unattractive.  For example:The wielder suffers a -2 penalty to initiative because of the clumsiness of the weapon.On a roll of 1 or 2 that misses the target, the wielder must make a DC 10 Dex check or fumble (loose next standard action, trip self, or strike self).  Whenever the wielder misses the target (and there is not a fumble), if thier is an ally within 5', the wielder must make a DC 15 Dex check or make an inadvertant attack on an ally instead.Whenever the wielder is in underbrush or dense wood, the wielder is at a -4 circumstance penalty to hit and -1 to damage because the chain snags on projecting vegetation.Whenever the wielder does not have a clear space to swing (there are solid obstacles flanking the wielder) the wielder has a -4 circumstance penalty to hit and -1 to damage when making ranged attacks.  This is cumulative with the underbrush penalty.The weapon cannot be used at all (except as an improvised punching weapon) when the wielder is squeezing.It takes a full round action to ready a meteor if it is not already in hand, or a move equivalent action if you have Quickdraw.It (and all true 'soft' weapons) being poor parrying weapons cannot take advantage of the combat expertise feat.Hopefully, by the time I got to the end of that list, any power gamer would have already decided this was not his thing.Plain Sailing: If no one weapon gets as ridiculously overpowered as the 'spiked chain', no one weapon quite gets shafted the way that the staff does.</blockquote>

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