Do you allow the Spiked Chain in 3.5 as-is?

[Li Shenron]

I am not houseruling it even if it's indeed quite powerful, but that's just because it hasn't been a popular choice so far in our adventures. Maybe it's just because it looks a weapon for evil characters.

The day I notice that some player is really going too far with it, I would prefer to resort to in-game ideas to fix it, such as making the weapons effectively exotic, you may have one from your character background but you're not easily going to find a magic one in this continent for example.

 

[Gundark]

The only house rule is a feat that allows it to be used as a double weapon, but not in the same turns it is used as a reach weapon.

The Auld Grump

This is what I did

 

[MonsterMash]

I allow it, but so far no ones used it.

 

[Thanee]

Voted "No, House Rule", but in fact we simply do not use it.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Henrix]

I don't allow it a x2 power attack, just a is if it were a onehanded weapon. Particularily if the attack bonus is enhanced by using weapon finesse.

The improved trip feat is a bit too good, not the chain. It is as if they made the feat better without thinking about how they had improved tripping better by making it harder when prone.

 

[shilsen]

I allow it as written, but so far (in 5 campaigns, some admittedly short-lived), nobody's taken it.

 

[hong]

I would allow the spiked chain, but ban tripping.

 

[Fiendish Dire Weasel]

Tripping came close to ruling our games at one point. But once we figured out you can't trip someone with the AoO provoked by standing up and we figured out Improved Trip still allows people to trip you in response if you fail your trip, things are much more under control. The one player who made a spiked chain wielding character was effective, but not more so than the other players.

Honestly, I think spiked chain is about the only exotic weapon worth spending a feat for. Most of the other exotic weapons, while stylisticly interesting somtimes, just don't seem worth spending a feat for in most situations (though I'll admit there are exceptions).

 

[Tetsubo]

What is this Spiked Chain you speak of...? It sounds silly. Doesn't exist in my campaign...

Nor do Dire Flails or Mercurial Swords...

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

It's out of there, along with monkey grip, mercurial greatswords, and monks. Of course, this is mostly theoretical, as my group knows better and hasn't tried to acquire any of those things.