Longspear w/Shield

[kerbarian]

In Dragon 368, there's the "Spear and Shield Style" feat that gives you +1 reach for Tide of Iron while wielding a spear. So it wouldn't give reach all the time (and wouldn't allow cheese like Polearm Gamble + shield), but it might capture the flavor sufficiently.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Heh, yeah, Kerbarian has it. You can pick up a copy of the Dragon Magazine Annual if you don't have DDI access or want a hard copy, the article is in there. One might be able to make this a bit nasty with Tide of Iron as an MBA, but that might take some doing, and at least spear isn't a polearm...

 

[DracoSuave]

You -can- have reach and a shield at the same time!

Go Goliath, then Stoneblessed.

Until then, put up with Tratnyr and a Shield. Pike and Shield tactics don't realisticly work without the phalanx to back it up.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I would charge him a 'superior weapon feat' to be able to do it, and leave it at that. The longspear isn't exactly a superweapon. Just don't let him use a greatspear one-handed.

Rationale: The greatsword and bastardsword are basically identical (the bastard sword is slightly lighter), the bastardsword is 'superior' as a versatile weapon compared to the greatsword, two-handed as a martial one. So, have your one-handed longspear be mechanically identical to the longspear, but versatile (and not quite as heavy, if you want it to be a distinct weapon).