Halflings and Spiked Chains

[Omnifarious Grey]

The multiclass feat Spiked Chain Training allows for proficiency with a spiked chain as well as the ability to treat it as both a double weapon, a light blade, and an off-hand weapon.

Halflings are unable to use two handed weapons, however, with the fact that this feat allows for it to be considered a light blade and have the off-hand property would halflings be able to wield it as essentially two different weapons?


I am looking to make an artful dodger rogue who uses a spiked chain similar to the stem of roses, i.e. with thorns, so I am wondering if as it stands now the rules would allow for it, find a change for it, or just ignore it completely and just forget the small character rule shaft.

 

[abyssaldeath]

Like two-handed weapons, double weapons cannot
normally be wielded by Small creatures unless the
weapon has the small property.

Small creatures can not use double weapons. Sorry

 

[Mort_Q]

The multiclass feat Spiked Chain Training allows for proficiency with a spiked chain as well as the ability to treat it as both a double weapon, a light blade, and an off-hand weapon.

Source? Please and Thanks.

 

[Omnifarious Grey]

Small creatures can not use double weapons. Sorry

The issue I have with this quick ruling is that as far as I have seen, the shortbow is the only weapon with the "small" property attached to it. Small characters already get hindered in their choices for weapons and gain no actual benefits from being of smaller stature.

The next issue I would have then is the actual conception of the weapons. I can see a spiked chain being used by smaller characters and not being the typical bulky iron chains that they get depicted as. However, this is probably going to come down to a simple house ruling of the matter or an ignoring of the rules for such a case.

Source? Please and Thanks.

Dragon Magazine 372: Playing Shadar-Kai

 

[robsenworldaccount]

I have been disgusted with halfing racial "powers".

Face it 4th edition has moved away from simulation

Still we find bull like halflings essentially not being able to play the type of character they want to play because of a perverse idea that "logic" should apply in a fantasy game.

Perhaps tieflings should have a negative score to their diplomacy because in this edition they look like half-demons? Logically that would connotate some severe social distortion. Nah that wouldnt be cool?

So why is it okay to screw another race for "logic" though. Long as it isn't the most popular one eh

 

[Omnifarious Grey]

Well, in the end, I have decided to use a spiked chain by bestowing the "small" property on it and decreasing the chain's damage dice down to d8.

I have no issues with halflings, but I feel that they should have gotten some advantage for being smaller and not being able to use big weapons. Something like +1 attacks might have worked, who knows?

 

[Siberys]

This is quickly becoming my most "pimped" Houserule ever. It increases the number of weapons available to Halflings DRAMATICALLY.

Being Small - PHB p. 44
Replace the text with the following;

Being small, you must use smaller weapons. Reduce the damage dice of all weapons you wield by one step. However, you may wield weapons with the small property without reducing their damage dice, and you may wield versatile weapons without reducing their damage dice size. If you do this, however, you must use them two-handed, and you do not benefit from the effects of the versatile keyword.

One Handed
1d10→1d8→1d6→1d4→1d3

Two Handed
1d12→1d10→2d4→1d8→1d6

 

[Herschel]

The issue I have with this quick ruling is that as far as I have seen, the shortbow is the only weapon with the "small" property attached to it. Small characters already get hindered in their choices for weapons and gain no actual benefits from being of smaller stature.

The next issue I would have then is the actual conception of the weapons. I can see a spiked chain being used by smaller characters and not being the typical bulky iron chains that they get depicted as. However, this is probably going to come down to a simple house ruling of the matter or an ignoring of the rules for such a case.

Halflings get potentially the greatest racial ability of them all. I've seen a timely re-roll be absolutely HUGE a number of times.

There are also weapons that do extra damage to creatures larger than the wielder. Halflings get a nice boost there.

The bulkiness of the chain isn't the only issue, so is length. A chain long enough to be a reach weapon isn't going to work well with a half-sized wielder.

As a DM, there are also places where only a small creature can fit when I design adventures.

Being short is both good and bad. Just like most everything else in the game, there are trade offs.

 

[abyssaldeath]

Don't forget that being small you get to enter the square of a large creature because you are two sizes smaller. That combined with the Halflings defensive feats and powers that grant several squares of shifting make Halflings one of the most mobile races.

 

[DracoSuave]

I am looking to make an artful dodger rogue who uses a spiked chain similar to the stem of roses, i.e. with thorns, so I am wondering if as it stands now the rules would allow for it, find a change for it, or just ignore it completely and just forget the small character rule shaft.

You -can- be an artful dodger rogue who uses a spiked chain. It's called being a Drow.

Halflings, on the other hand, cannot.