I've got a BIG stick!

[Dannyalcatraz]

Its a quarterstaff!

I have a rules question about it, though: For RPG purposes would you consider it a polearm? For that matter, would you consider the shortspear a polearm?

Both have that quintessential "polearmy" characteristic- a big long pole- and their lack of reach shouldn't hinder them since there are polearms without reach (like the Halberd and some OA weapons).

The reason I ask is because there has never been a better time to play a polearm combatant since Paizo reprinted all those feats in their release, DCv1, and it matters because that would open up some interesting possibilities for Monks. Just taking the Feat that grants +5' reach to a polearm would change a lot of things for the Monk...

 

[hong]

I find this thread oddly arousing.

 

[Egres]

Its a quarterstaff!

I have a rules question about it, though: For RPG purposes would you consider it a polearm?

IIRC, the Dragon Mag regarding polearms explicitely stated that quarterstaffs are polearms.

 

[Bront]

Technicaly a shortspear is a polearm. I would not consider a Quarterstaff a polearm, but I could see how it could be lumped in there.

 

[shilsen]

Quarterstaff, no. Shortspear, yes.

 

[domino]

A quarterstaff is not a polearm, it's a double bladed club.

 

[werk]

I was thinking a quarterstaff is just a pole, it lacks the weapon on the end.

 

[Merkuri]

I was thinking a quarterstaff is just a pole, it lacks the weapon on the end.

It's that weapon on the end that makes a difference, though. You use a quarterstaff differently than you'd use a polearm. Most polearms have a business end that you poke or slash things with. With the quarterstaff, the pole itself is the weapon, it's not a weapon-on-a-pole. You've got the "pole" but you're missing the "arm".

Whether that disqualifies it as a polearm, I don't know, but I'm inclined to say no, it's not a polearm.

 

[werk]

It's that weapon on the end that makes a difference, though. You use a quarterstaff differently than you'd use a polearm. Most polearms have a business end that you poke or slash things with. With the quarterstaff, the pole itself is the weapon, it's not a weapon-on-a-pole. You've got the "pole" but you're missing the "arm".

Whether that disqualifies it as a polearm, I don't know, but I'm inclined to say no, it's not a polearm.

Right, it's a pole that lacks the arm. Sorry if I was confusing on my stand, I say no too.

 

[Ilium]

Devil's advocate time.

Do any of these feats specifically use the "pole" bit? For example, if there was some feat that improved the way you trip with a polearm, then it might apply to a staff as well as it does to a spear. Anything that talks about using the "off end" for something (like an extra attack) might apply as well. Since I don't know the feats in question it's hard to say, but I don't think it's a cut-and-dried issue.