Fighting with reach weapons

[vlysses]

The v3.5 rules explain reach weapon fighting poorly, in my humble opinion...

apart from dealing AoO strikes to foes coming into and moving out of my threatened squares, is there a way in v3 or v3.5 d&d to fight with a reach weapon AND keep my opponent at bay, i.e. don't allow him to come into the square adjacent to mine?

otherwise, what's the use of most reach weapons, apart from an initial AoO, i will have to drop them to fight an adjacent foe, esp. if i want to use flurry of blows or other full attacks, no?

many thanks, V

 

[moritheil]

The v3.5 rules explain reach weapon fighting poorly, in my humble opinion...

apart from dealing AoO strikes to foes coming into and moving out of my threatened squares, is there a way in v3 or v3.5 d&d to fight with a reach weapon AND keep my opponent at bay, i.e. don't allow him to come into the square adjacent to mine?

otherwise, what's the use of most reach weapons, apart from an initial AoO, i will have to drop them to fight an adjacent foe, esp. if i want to use flurry of blows or other full attacks, no?

many thanks, V

You appear to have overlooked the 5' step that comes with combat. Round 1, opponent charges you, you AOO. Round 2, you can 5' step away and still make your full attack. Round 3, he 5' steps in and makes his full attack.

Obviously if you are in difficult terrain this doesn't apply, but then he can't charge you to begin with either.

The point of making your attacks from 10' away (besides the free hit) is you have a lot of attack options that would normally provoke (say, sunder attempts) and if he doesn't threaten you at all you don't need to worry about provoking.

 

[Herzog]

apart from dealing AoO strikes to foes coming into and moving out of my threatened squares, is there a way in v3 or v3.5 d&d to fight with a reach weapon AND keep my opponent at bay, i.e. don't allow him to come into the square adjacent to mine?

How about: planting some summoned monsters, or allies for that matter, between you and the opponent?

Especially in a narrow corridor, this means you can attack from the second row, while the guys in front of you have to take the blows.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

First, there is a feat, Stand Still, that stops an opponent from moving if you strike him.

Second, if your PC has Improved Unarmed Combat, a monk (or other class' Unarmed Strike), or Armor spikes, he can strike adjacent foes, though TWF penalties apply. No need to drop your polearm.

There is a feat from DCv1 called Pole Fighter that lets a monk take a specific polearm as a Monk weapon- IOW, he can FoB with it, etc. Pole Master, from WotC's Secrets of Sharlona, does the same.

The Sohei (Oriental Adventures*) has a power called Ki-Frenzy that combines aspects of FoB with Rage, and they have no "monk weapon" issues.

The Shou Disciple (Oriental Adventures) is a PrCl that eventually grants FoB with all weapons in which a PC is proficient.

* Oriental Adventures was updated to 3.5 in Dragon#317, bringing the OA Base classes more in line with the structure of PHB classes. The Sohei and Shaman were major beneficiaries.

 

[Shin Okada]

apart from dealing AoO strikes to foes coming into and moving out of my threatened squares, is there a way in v3 or v3.5 d&d to fight with a reach weapon AND keep my opponent at bay, i.e. don't allow him to come into the square adjacent to mine?

As already mentioned, reach weapon works very well for a second rank warriors. You can stand behind your comrades and make additional attacks.

Flight, is another option. If you can fly, you can attack something which can't fly and has only 5-foot reach with your reach weapon and fly away. Or keep hitting it if you can hover.

Using Spring Attack (and relevant feats in PHB II) is another good option for a reach weapon wielder. Dervish prestige class (Complete Warrior) works very well with a reach weapon, too.

 

[irdeggman]

As already mentioned, reach weapon works very well for a second rank warriors. You can stand behind your comrades and make additional attacks.

Except that your opponents now have "soft cover" so your attacks are at -4.

I think they introduced a feat to get around this though, I just can't remember what it was {getting old ; ) }

 

[vlysses]

thank you everyone - building in the 5' step is the solution i was looking for (duh!), many thanks also for the other creative ideas...

Dannyalcatraz, given your remark about the Pole Fighter feat and other solutions, i assume there are no reach weapons that can be used one-handed so that i can continue benefiting from FoB while having reach?

thanks again, V

 

[Herzog]

@irdeggman:

Precise Swing, from the Eberron Campaign Setting book.

 

[Runestar]

apart from dealing AoO strikes to foes coming into and moving out of my threatened squares

Note that you provoke an AoO only for leaving a threatened square, not for entering one.

i will have to drop them to fight an adjacent foe, esp. if i want to use flurry of blows or other full attacks, no?

Not really. You can make unarmed strikes with any part of your body. So your monk can be wielding a 2-handed weapon (such as a guisarme) and still flurry with no restrictions (just say you are kicking, or head-butt or whatever). In the meantime, any foe without 10ft reach has to provoke an AoO to move adjacent to you (and touch attacks should be fairly easy to make even without proficiency). If you fail the trip attempt, simply drop the guisarme. You don't lose anything.

 

[vlysses]

that is amazing.... never thought of it in this way - like my monk better every day.

looking fwd to teaching my DM a lesson or two... ;-)