Spear and Shield Style [Arena Fighting]

[Mort_Q]

The Spear and Shield Style [Arena Fighting] feat from Dragon 368 allows that, as a fighter, for your Tide of Iron at-will exploit, while armed with a spear and a shield, your reach extends by 1 square.

The word extends is what is causing me doubt, as I would have thought that it only increases existing reach. However, since this requires the use of a shield, it must be a one-handed spear, and none of those have reach.

Am I reading this correctly then? That this feat makes all Tide of Iron attacks with a shield and spear Reach attacks?

Am I missing something? Seems a reasonably useful feat.

 

[Kordeth]

The Spear and Shield Style [Arena Fighting] feat from Dragon 368 allows that, as a fighter, for your Tide of Iron at-will exploit, while armed with a spear and a shield, your reach extends by 1 square.

The word extends is what is causing me doubt, as I would have thought that it only increases existing reach. However, since this requires the use of a shield, it must be a one-handed spear, and none of those have reach.

Am I reading this correctly then? That this feat makes all Tide of Iron attacks with a shield and spear Reach attacks?

Am I missing something? Seems a reasonably useful feat.

The feat extends your reach by one square, exactly as it says. Right now, that means it extends your reach from adjacent to 2 squares away, because no PC races have reach and no reach weapons can be used with shields. If WotC later publishes a PC race with reach or a superior one-handed spear with reach, the feat would increase your reach from 2 squares to 3.

 

[Mort_Q]

I just wish they weren't so sloppy with their keywords.

 

[Kordeth]

I just wish they weren't so sloppy with their keywords.

Erm--what's sloppy exactly?

Reach: Most characters have a reach of 1 square. Certain powers, feats, and weapons can increase your reach.

So, normally you have a reach of 1 square. With this feat, if you use tide of iron with a spear, it extends your reach by 1 square, making it 2 squares. If somehow you already have a reach of 2 squares and use tide of iron with a spear, the feat extends it to 3 squares. Seems perfectly clear to me--surely you're not bothered that the PHB says feats can "increase your reach" and the feat in question says "extends your reach?"

 

[DracoSuave]

Reach is a weapon keyword, but it's also a term for the 'range' of a melee weapon. So, the weapon doesn't get reach, but it's reach (by default 1) is extended by 1. This stacks with other things that extend reach (certain Warden PPs, Goliath, etc)