D&D 5E (2014) Gnome Fighter with Partisan

[Melkor]

I was looking in my 1E PHB (P.13), and there is a picture of a Gnome in armor fighting a giant snake with a what looks to be a partisan.

With all of the options out there, is there any way to recreate that character in 5E without disadvantage on every attack role with a polearm - due to his small size?

Thanks

 

[Bacon Bits]

Most two handed weapons are Heavy, and Gnomes are small. Small creatures suffer disadvantage on your attack rolls with Heavy weapons. About the best you could do is use a Lance, which is two-handed when you're on foot and gives you Reach and isn't Heavy... but you still suffer disadvantage when attacking creatures that are only 5 feet away from you and it doesn't fully benefit from the Polearm Master feat.

Talk to your DM. Ask if you can get a custom Fighting Style as a Fighter that allows you to use Heavy weapons without penalty, or if you can otherwise ignore the restriction.

 

[Paraxis]

Isn't a partisan just a fancy name for a spear, give your gnome a spear and call it a partisan.

 

[Hriston]

I'd use the longspear from the playtest: Longspear, 5gp, 1d8 piercing, 5lb., Reach, two-handed. That would enable the gnome to attack from the second rank as he seems to be doing in the picture. As for the parrying function of the partisan, I'm not sure if the 5E rules account for that anyway.

 

[Melkor]

Thanks for the tip from a fellow Austinite Hriston. I like that idea.

Looks like the Goblin on p.7 of the 5E PHB is also carrying a partisan - Poor little guy is gonna have disadvantage to attack with any of the weapons with reach actually listed in the PHB.

 

[Shadowdweller00]

Use a trident two-handed and call it a partisan?

 

[bedir than]

I've forgotten, but are gnomes nimble like halfings? If so just use a spear (or convert other pole-arms to small versions) and occupy the same grid space to reflect a "rank" of battle.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Isn't a partisan just a fancy name for a spear, give your gnome a spear and call it a partisan.

Yep. My first thought too. Simple and easy.

 

[AriochQ]

Gygax had a thing for Polearms! I swear there were as many different types of pole weapons in 1E as there were every other kind of weapon. IIRC, everyone just ended up using the Halberd.