Polearm Feats? (Reach)

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I seem to recall seeing some feats that help mitigate the inability to attack within your reach with a polearm. Anyone know where I can find 'em?

I know of the Dragon magazine article, but I thought I saw them in one of the Complete books...

 

[PallidPatience]

Player's Handbook 2 has one called Short Haft, if I remember correctly. It lets you switch between reach and non-reach as a swift action.

 

[Darklone]

Short Haft?

 

[shilsen]

Short Haft?

Yup. You shorten the haft (as a swift action) and threaten at 5 ft with a weapon that would normally threaten at 10 ft and not at 5.

 

[argo]

Improved Unarmed Strike. Kick them in the .... oooh look, a bowl of almonds!

 

[Moon-Lancer]

I like the shorten grip feat in dragon compendum becuse of the lack of action to attack ajacent (very good for aoo not on your turn), but its at a -2 (only to adjacent) so it has its balance and downfall. for a dervish i think the shorten grip feat is alot better. Other charicters though might find the phb one more attractive though. It really is up how many times will you need to attack within 5 feet and then within 10 feet.

something that could sway how i feel about the matter is, if you switch from reach to no reach, does that last the whole round, or is the switch only on your turn and thus goes back to normal reach when its not your turn?

I find the need to attack adjacent, really only when someone trys a trip or grapple without the improved feats to do so, and if its not your turn you cant attack with your reach weapon. Normaly reach weapons are not a problem, and can 5 step the entire time just like a archer. attacking ajacent can also be fixed with 1 monk level, a guantlit, a spiked guantlit, or spiked armor.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Would you allow Short Haft as well as Shorten Grip (Dragon #331)?

Short Haft has pre-reqs of proficiency with a reach weapon, Weapon Focus with a reach weapon, and BAB +3. It allows you to give up and regain reach as swift actions, thereby allowing you to attack foes in adjacent spaces (at no penalty).

Shorten Grip has no pre-reqs and allows you to attack foes in adjacent spaces at a -2 penalty on the attack roll, but you lose reach.

Do you think Short Haft should replace Shorten Grip, or are they suitably different to co-exist? (presuming your DM allows feats from Dragon magazine)

 

[Moon-Lancer]

me?

im not quite sure. I dont know enuff about short heft. I just dont like the idea of loosing out on aoo one way or the other. I really dont see the point of short heft. When its your turn, you can just 5 step and attack. Why would you ever need to attack ajacent targets on your turn? I think that the pre reqs on shorten grip are a bit low, compaired to short heft, and i think that short heft prereqs are too high.

*edit* i take that back, i can see one use for short heft, and thats if your traped in a 5 foot corador and backed against a wall. but then again shorten grip fixes that too.

 

[Adolfo_Mondschein]

Short Haft

It requires proficiency with the weapon, Weapon Focus with it, and a base attack bonus of +3. Which is a lot I must say, to be able to switch around whether it has reach or not in a given round. I'd have to agree, it doesn't seem like a good feat in most situations when you could merely take a 5ft step back or take a level in monk and deal them 1d6 instead with a kick. The effort it takes to get such an underused feat seems ridiculous, I could understand if it required weapon focus or a base attack of +3, but not really both.

 

[Krafen]

me?

im not quite sure. I dont know enuff about short heft. I just dont like the idea of loosing out on aoo one way or the other. I really dont see the point of short heft. When its your turn, you can just 5 step and attack. Why would you ever need to attack ajacent targets on your turn? I think that the pre reqs on shorten grip are a bit low, compaired to short heft, and i think that short heft prereqs are too high.

*edit* i take that back, i can see one use for short heft, and thats if your traped in a 5 foot corador and backed against a wall. but then again shorten grip fixes that too.

It depends on the battles you tend to get into. In my experience, it is fairly common to not have a convenient space within 5' to move into. If you are in a small party fighting small numbers of enemies, you can often move. Larger battles often restrict movement.