Barbarians and reach weapons?

[NoOneofConsequence]

I just checked my PHB - I have no idea where I got the idea that Spiked Chain was a double weapon!!??!!

This is going to require some thinking.

 

[Zaruthustran]

Even with the time crucnhing rules, it's very hard to see how someone would cleave with a spear two opponents who were just flanking him.
Rav

Don't take the flavor text (in this case, the feat name "cleave") so literally. Instead, just look at the Feat's mechanic:

"If the character deals a creature enough damage to make it drop (typically by dropping it to below 0 hit points, killing it, etc.), the character gets an immediate, extra melee attack against another creature in the immediate vicinity."

Nowhere does it specify slash only, or axe only. The feat could instead be called "Fluid Combat" or whatever. The name of the feat isn't important; the rules for the feat are.

-z

 

[Jeph]

Ogre barbarian armed with spike chain, and with ambidex, 2wf, cleave, great cleave, and combat reflexes. SUPER REACH!

 

[Thain]

A combat round is six-seconds long, and if you've ever trained in an European Martial Art or an Asian Marital Art, it shoudl be obvious that a six-second MUST include more than one blow. Which the game designer's all admit it does.

It is more than possible to kill two opponents inside of six-seconds with any weapon. You just have to know what your doing!

Now, not to go all Medival Historian on you, but...

Hans Talhoffer wrote an exacting manual of German medival/renessance combat during the 15th century. He actually tought and fought in the major wars of the time. The game you and I play on the weekends, he lived.

His manual includes a chapter on the pole-axe, and having been at the recieving end of some of this (I'm an ARMA freak, in additon to DnD Geek), I must say it is more than possible to cleave with any weapon in the DnD game, polearms and spears especially.