D&D 5E Reach weapons: what's the drawback?

[pemerton]

Look at the post I quoted. He's basically saying that most people are going to take a greatsword because it does more damage, which is viewing the issue through a DPR lens. And an individual one at that. It's more about "how can I as an individual optimize my DPR" and less about team effectiveness, which is probably how most DPR analysis goes. It also only looks at the issue through a white room analysis, as he's comparing polearm damage vs greatsword damage straight across, and doesn't even consider how often the advantages of using a polearm over a greatsword can come up in actual play. Even without feats, the advantages of formation fighting are pretty significant, and have been a common tactic since the first days of D&D

All of this is arguments about the correct measure of DPR. I don't see how you're not viewing the issue through a "DPR lens". You're arguing that a proper measure of DPR requires having regard to a wider range of elements in the tactical situation.

It's not really any different from discussions about wizard DPR where one person fails to factor in the AoE, multi-target component of many wizard attacks. Or discussions about DPR vs goblins and kobolds which don't have regard to the pointlessness of excess damage.

TL;DR - you don't step out of a "DPR mindset" by arguing that someone miscalculated DPR.

 

[Unwise]

I just wanted to share a little experiment I have run in a game. The game is in a setting where nobles use rapiers and pistols and soldiers use muskets and pikes. The rule we are running is that polearms can always opt to make an OA on a person entering their range, but it costs their action (not reaction) to do so. This effectively just means that they kind of jump ahead in initiative to meet the oncoming enemy at their spear tip.

It has had the desired effect in game, pike formations are rather feared without having to make every pikeman a polearm master. It also led to a few more PCs (those with low initiative) choosing polearms, which fit the setting well.

 

[Pickles JG]

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The real imbalance (in the context of 5th edition), IMO, is not that polearm weapons get better through a feat, but that other weapon types (save crossbow master and great weapon master) lack their own feats to keep them competitive.

Cheers!

If there is an imbalance its maybe that polarm masters can aslo benefits from great weapon master and sentinel. Given that polearm master is really good generating 1or two bonus attacks a round and the -5/+10 feats are seen as top tier too.

Edit: Since I play only adventurers league the official wizards OP program, I fimd that feats and variant humans (and magic items) are not at all optional.