Armor spikes.

[Antikinesis]

From the SRD...

A regular melee attack (or off-hand attack) can be made with the spikes, and they count as a light weapon in this case.

Imagine, if you will, a spikey-armored fighter wielding a polearm two-handed, since he lacks the Monkey-Grip feat.

Does he threaten an adjacent opponent with the spikes while he's wielding the polearm?

Would he have to drop the polearm and "draw" (prepare, make ready, position, whatever...) the armor spikes in order to attack an adjacent opponent?

If he takes the Monkey-Grip feat, and continues to use the polearm two-handed, would he threaten an adjacent opponent with the armor spikes?

-AK

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

You would threaten squares next to you normally. If you wanted to use TWF, you would have to take the normal penalties. You would not have to necessarily let go of the pole-arm. An AoO is abstract, so you could deck him, kick him, do a clothsline, ect.

 

[Zaruthustran]

What jondor said.

No polearm fighter should be without armor spikes. They're even better for Rangers. You got yer 1d8 longsword, yer 1d6 armor spikes, and yer +2 to AC large shield. Not bad.

Armor spikes rock. At least, they rock from a powergaming perspective. Not so great from a roleplaying perspective:

DM: You find a cloak of charisma +4.
Player: Cool! I put it on!
DM: Your charisma stat goes up by 4.
Player: Sweet! I run over to flirt with the bard!
DM: As you move, your armor spikes rip up your cloak. Your charisma goes down by 4 and you have bits of tattered cloak hanging off your armor.
Bard: Ohmigawd! *What* are you *wearing*?

Or....

DM: You free the princess from her bonds, but suddenly the door bursts open and the Evil Guy and his henchmen pour into the room. One of the henchmen fires a blowdart, and the princess crumples to the floor from the poison.
Player: "You're too late! Now I make good my escape!" Ok, I throw the princess over my shoulder and leap from the window to my steed below!
DM: Okay. The villains cringe as you impale the princess on your shoulder spikes, then cringe again when they hear your leg spikes slice into the flanks of your horse.
Player: Doh. Not again.

-z

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I'm trying to visualize how these things work. Hey somones close I throw a shoulder tackle into them. Hey cool i got a 11bab I get 3 attacks, 3 shoulder tackles, die quaterback die.

 

[IanB]

What happens to your strength bonus with your polearm if you attack normally with the polearm and then make an 'off hand' attack with the armor spikes?

What if you have the same situation, only instead of armor spikes, you have a natural weapon like a bite?

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

Nothing, as you don't necessarily have to use a hand, you could kick or shoulder block. Biting would be the same way.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Zaruthustran - I think you'd have to agree that we're not talking whole-body-not-a-single-centimetre-is-without-a-spike. I'd expect it to be more along the lines of what shredder from mutant ninja turtles used to wear. Spikes where you are likely to be able to put a bit of force behind a blow - like elbows, knees, possibly shoulders. I can't see anyone wanting armour spikes on their inner thighs...

 

[ogre]

So, even without armor spikes you could get AoOs with a regular armor gaunlet correct?
If not, why not?
Does someone with gaunlets threaten 5'? wow, I had never thought of that before.

 

[Rune]

Any medium or small creature with an attack of some form threatens 5 feet, regardless of the kind of weapon.