Does this work?

[Eccles]

If a new fighter character wields a polearm weapon, taking attacks of opportunity on people as they leave his 10 foot threatened area (ie. they charge him).

If they survive that attack, could he hold the polearm in his offhand, quickdraw a longsword, kill the foes with that, and then sheathe or lose the sword, and revert to the polearm for his next round?

This would effectively give the character the Reach ability, wouldn't it?

Also, does quickdraw help with reducing time taken to sheathe a weapon?

 

[EricNoah]

I rule ... that this goes in the Rules forum. The super-intelligent math whizzes there will answer your question!

 

[Azazu]

Wel i can only answer the second part - quickdraw only works with DRAWING the weapon.

Not sheathing.

 

[Skinwalker]

From what I recall, Quick Draw makes it a Free Action to unsheathe a weapon. While this could be extrapolated to be the same for sheathing a weapon (DM call), even then unsheathing and subsequently sheathing a weapon would take two free actions. Don't you just get one Free Action per round?

 

[AuraSeer]

Yeah, that basically works. As Azazu pointed out, sheathing the sword takes a MEA, but you could drop it on the floor for free. You would only be able to use the tactic once per combat, unless you carried multiple swords on your person.

Note that you cannot change weapons during someone else's turn. When enemy charges you, you can take the AoO with your polearm, but if he survives he gets to hit you. Then the round continues, and you need to wait 'til your own turn before you can switch to the sword.

Note also that your DM may rule that it's hard to fight while carrying a big, clumsy halberd in your off hand. I've seen some who apply a circumstance penalty to attacks, of -2 or more, to prevent abuse of this kind of tactic.

 

[AuraSeer]

While this could be extrapolated to be the same for sheathing a weapon (DM call)...

It's not really DM call, that would be a house rule. The feat only gives the benefit for drawing the weapon. (The DM is allowed rule that way if he wants, of course, but then he's also allowed to rule that Quickdraw turns you purple.)

Don't you just get one Free Action per round?

No. You can take multiple free actions, within reason. This is for the DM to judge. (Quickdrawing a weapon is free. Dropping a weapon is free. Quickdrawing one hundred weapons, and dropping them all in a pile, probably takes more than one round.)

Perhaps you're thinking of the rule for Quickened spells? Those are limited to one per round, even though it's a free action to cast them.

 

[LokiDR]

If a new fighter character wields a polearm weapon, taking attacks of opportunity on people as they leave his 10 foot threatened area (ie. they charge him).

If they survive that attack, could he hold the polearm in his offhand, quickdraw a longsword, kill the foes with that, and then sheathe or lose the sword, and revert to the polearm for his next round?

This would effectively give the character the Reach ability, wouldn't it?

Also, does quickdraw help with reducing time taken to sheathe a weapon?

Yes, it works. No it isn't like reach. At the end of each round, you decide whether to threaten as 10' or 5'. You also need to have several 1 handed weapons to quickdraw.

They charge, you AoO with polearm. The continue moving up and hit you. On your turn, you let go of the polearm with one hand (free), quickdraw a weapon (free) and hit the charger. If you drop them in 1 swipe, you can shieth the weapon (MEA) and take the polearm in 2 hands again (free). If you don't drop them in 1 swipe, you keep the 1-hand weapon out and can't shieth the weapon (provokes an AoO from charger), but take a full attack on charger #1 then drop the 1-handed weapon, take the polearm in two hands (free) and back up 5 feet (movement on a full attack).

This is no more powerful than taking EWP spiked chain and using that. Spiked chain even has bonuses on trip and disarm.

 

[Skinwalker]

Perhaps you're thinking of the rule for Quickened spells? Those are limited to one per round, even though it's a free action to cast them.

Oops. I guess it shows that I usually play spellcasters.

 

[Eccles]

Seems like this is going to be the way forwards then...

3.5e has all the different damage reduction criteria (silver, adamantine, wood, magic, eggshell, etc), and so it's pretty likely that any fighter is going to be festooned with weapons anyway!

 

[Li Shenron]

I am afraid that if you had Monkey Grip for the polearm weapon, and hold the longsword in your off-hand, then you will probably be having an effective reach 10ft.