Problem with Feat

[Emiricol]

This is incorrect! Ack! The Spear (short spear!) is already wieldable 1H. We could change to "When on foot wielding Ranseur, Guisarme, Glaive, Longspear or Heavy Lance or similar pole arms, the character blahblah".

Old version:

Hoplite [Regional, Fighter]
You are trained in the use of the Spear and Shield together.
Prerequisites: BAB +1, Proficiency with qualifying weapon and Shield, Region: Paludosus or Ulruz
Benefit: When wielding a Spear, Longspear, Lance or Ranseur the character may also use a buckler, small or large shield and gain the shield's bonus to armour class. The weapon used is still classed as being wielded two handed.

This feat does not grant any additional proficiencies with weapons so may only be used with weapons with which the character is normally proficient.
When this feat is being used the character may only count the shield's bonus to armor class; no attacking actions may be taken with the shield (e.g. shield bash).
Normal: A character wielding a two-handed weapon may not use a shield.
Special: A fighter may select Hoplite as one of his fighter bonus feats.

 

[Silverglass]

Umm no, you are thinking of the Shortspear.

In 3.5 the Spear is a Simple 2 Handed Melee Weapon, the difference between this and the longspear is that the longspear also has reach while the Spear does not.

I specifically excluded the Glaive and Guisarme as they are slashing weapons and there is no historical justification for a shield to be used with them and it is a fairly implausible fighting style. If you want to change the text to "Two-Handed polearm type piercing weapons" that would be fine with me.

I would question why Ulruz was added to the regions - Ulruz has a romanesque military so would be Shortspear/Shield thematically, nothing I have read indicates phalanx fighting. This feat is for the Greek weapon styles of a longer spear and shield. If any other nation would have it it might be one of the more Norse themed nations with their shieldwalls.

 

[Emiricol]

I actually looked for Spear, thinking it might be new to 3.5, but I missed it Your ideas all make sense to me, thanks for the input Silverglass.