D&D 5E Polearm Master + quarterstaff...+ shield?

[Oofta]

If it’s half a quarterstaff, wouldn’t that make it an eighthstaff?

Well to be pedantic, quarterstaff is not a measure of length, it's thought to be a reference to how it's made with quartersawn wood. So I can call it anything I want.

 

[Gammadoodler]

Well, it's kind of like gauge on a shotgun. I mean, a 12 gauge should be less effective than a 20 gauge, right? But I'm not the one who makes up the rules. Um ... wait ... actually I was in this case.

In any case, I guess I could call it a jo staff but then people would look at me funny and ask me what a jo staff is*. Maybe I should call it a fighting cane? But yes, a half staff is roughly half the size of a quarterstaff.

*And of course someone would inevitably point out that I don't know squat about martial arts weapon categorizations (true enough) and my eyes would glaze over as they discuss the various permutations.

Thanks for the clarification. English is a helluva language.

 

[Charlaquin]

Well to be pedantic, quarterstaff is not a measure of length, it's thought to be a reference to how it's made with quartersawn wood. So I can call it anything I want.

My understanding is that there’s no scholarly consensus on where the “quarter” part of the name comes from. The quartersawn wood thing is one of a few hypotheses, but none of them have real solid evidence to support them.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I look at it like this:

if we are smacking with both ends, it’s probably the longer variety of weapon we see in the old European fighting manuals.

If so, do I like imagining swinging that around one one-handed with a shield on the other arm?

whether it is legal or not is another matter. It is to me a silly visual without historical precedent. Of course bludgeoning weapons made for one hand are available.

the extra damage or rather AC does not make up for the cheese I don’t want to imagine.

I have a cleric/warlock (celestial patron) with a staff as the primary weapon. I personally refuse to use a shield. I think by the rules I can. I don’t think less of people that use this combo. But I won’t do it even if it means my armor class suffers.

besides, with eldritch smite thirsting blade and pole arm master, the fights don’t often go too long.

 

[Ace]

I was thinking about a ranger with the Druidic Warrior fighting style from Tasha’s who would use a quarterstaff with shillelagh and the Polearm Master feat. I noticed that the wording of the feat does not specify that you make your attack with two hands, and a quarterstaff is versatile. Does this mean you can use the Polearm Master feat with a quarterstaff and still use a shield?

Thanks!

Axe

Sure why not? Its RAW , balanced and a D&D version of staff is flexible enough to pool cue it or whatever else is needed to get that extra attack.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

My biggest caution would be that Rangers already suffer from a high demand on their bonus action, so a build that requires an extra bonus action casting before you can even use your weapon with the stat you want to use it with means it's round two before you also have your Hunter's Mark or whatever up, and round 3 before you're getting that extra polearm master attack in the mix.

I would also caution that it might enjoy this for a one shot novelty but I wouldn't really recommend locking oneself behind exactly one type of weapon that way for a proper campaign. I realize lots of builds do it to some degree or another, but taking a feat for a class of several weapons where your stats only support using one of them after using a cantrip you sacrificed your fighting style for is quite a commitment if you don't find a great quarterstaff or if you care about versatility in combat. But I realize lots of people like what, to me, seem overly specialized, one strategy builds, so to each their own.

 

[tetrasodium]

A one handed quarterstaff in action would look a lot like this possibly with something like

Spoiler: this

Although it can get very nasty when used properly with two hands The hook allows a lot of flexibility not normally available to weapons & is still just as gruesome as a head like these just in different ways. There's a reason the British outlawed walking with a shillelagh outside of certain limits way back though.

Edit: @Warpiglet-7 you don't need to look at the old fighting manual to guess because it's a weapon we openly carry without casing alarm, teach, & use in modern society. Obviously someone planning to use it with a shield would buy a weapon properly sized for one handed use

 

[Helldritch]

I am fully with Oofta on this. It maybe RAW but it is only because of a loophole or an oversight in the rules. I never allowed it, never will and will never acknowledge that it should be allowed.

 

[TwoSix]

Sure why not? Its RAW , balanced and a D&D version of staff is flexible enough to pool cue it or whatever else is needed to get that extra attack.

This. I saw plenty of episodes with Donatello spinning that staff in one-hand like a majorette, no reason not to do it in D&D.

 

[Don Durito]

I was thinking about a ranger with the Druidic Warrior fighting style from Tasha’s who would use a quarterstaff with shillelagh and the Polearm Master feat. I noticed that the wording of the feat does not specify that you make your attack with two hands, and a quarterstaff is versatile. Does this mean you can use the Polearm Master feat with a quarterstaff and still use a shield?

Thanks!

Axe

This is a question for your DM.