Shifting Grip - feat for reach weapons. Comments?

[Balord]

How about this as a feat?

Shifting Grip
Prereq: Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (Glaive, Guisarme, Longspear, or Ranseur), Intelligence 13+

Once per round, at the beginning of your turn, you may shift your grip on your weapon of focus (glve, guis, lngspr, or rnseur), changing its function from a 10 foot reach weapon to a double weapon with 5 foot reach. You can fight with it as if fighting with two weapons, striking with the regular "sharp" weapon head that deals the weapon's listed damage or with the blund end, dealing 1d6 bludgeoning damage (x2 crit). When using your weapon in this fashion, you incur all the normal attack penalties associated with two-weapon fighting. You can use either end as the primary weapon and the other end as the off hand weapon.
Shifting your grip is a free action that must be performed at the beginning of your turn. Can only be done once per round, and *every time you do so drops you back 2 pts in the initiative*. This feat can be taken multiple times, each time applying to a different weapon.

I think this would make reach weapons more attractive to some. At least you wouldn't always need to back off every time someone came within 5 feet of you. And realistically speaking, I don't see why you couldn't do this. Find a long pole or stick and try it. You'll see what I mean.

 

[Ferrix]

I've seen a bunch that look like these.

First question, why the Int requirement? The other two are good enough really.

Second, this section:

Shifting your grip is a free action that must be performed at the beginning of your turn. Can only be done once per round, and *every time you do so drops you back 2 pts in the initiative*. This feat can be taken multiple times, each time applying to a different weapon.

Take it out, you already say at the beginning of the feat when you can use it, just add to the start "Once per round as a free action..." Also changing initiative order is a pain in the rear end and the feat really doesn't need that as a balancing factor.

Otherwise looks pretty good.

 

[Starman]

I agree that the Int requirement seems a bit wacky. I think someone of average intelligence could learn to do this.

Starman

 

[Plane Sailing]

I think simple is better.

Shift Grip
Preq: BAB +1
Benefit: you can use a weapon that has 10ft reach within 5ft as easily as within 10ft.
Normal: a weapon that has 10ft reach normally can't be used within 5ft
[Optional Special: this feat can be taken many times, each time it applies to a different weapon]

Why do I think it should be simple like this? Because anyone with a BAB +1 or better can take spiked chain and get this benefit (along with trip and disarm bonuses). It seems fair, reasonable and balanced to allow a polearm user to take one feat to gain the same flexibility.

The main problems with your feat are

1. too many prereqs
2. changes the rules for free actions (why 'only at the beginning of your turn'? free actions can be taken anywhere on your turn normally.
3. changes position in the iniative order. Why? Nothing else does this, why should this feat? it is an unnecessary added complication.

Cheers

 

[Balord]

I'm not sure what i was thinking with the initiative penalty - I'll definitely throw that out. I suppose the intelligence 13+ isn't really needed either. Everything else I'm thinking should be left the same. I don't really like the 'spiked chain' situation where you can have 5 foot reach and 10 foot reach at the same time with a polearm. If you are choking up on your weapon you shouldn't be able to hit targets 10 feet away, and likewise if you are holding your weapon normally for the 10 foot reach, you shouldn't be able to hit targets only 5 feet away. It simply doesn't work that way in real life. Deciding which mode of fighting you wish to engage in (close combat or reach) at the beginning of your turn and sticking with it until your next turn seems fair to me.
Thanks for pointing out the faults I made. For some reason, the initiative penalty seemed a cool idea at first. Guess I should have thought that through more before I posted this.

 

[sfedi]

I can't see the tactical advantage of this feat.
Even in it most generous form (the one Plane Sailing offered).

If I were to use a reach weapon, Spring Attack would be my main goal.
This feat seems to add nothing to me when I have Spr.Att.

The only situation I can see a use for this is when I'm unable to backup 5 feet.
Considering the utility of QuickDraw to a reach fighter... I can't see how is this Feat worth.

What am I missing?

 

[Storyteller01]

I had been thinking about this as well. since the bastard sword requires the "Exotic Weapons Prof" in order to use it one handed, would it make sense to do the same with hafted weapons to be used as double weapons (provided the y have the Two weapons fighting feat)?