Spiked Chain Workaround?

[lonebrendan]

In the PHB the Spiked Chain is listed as a Reach, Flail, Two Handed, Superior weapon.

In order to wield it you would have to spend a feat for proficiency or take Spiked Chain Training (D272). Spiked Chain Training makes the weapon a double weapon as well as both ends a light blade. Great, unfortunately it also is a multiclass feat.

Weapon Property: Mage's Weapon (level 2) gives proficiency to the wielder as long as they have the ability to wield a dagger. Only works on a Light Blade or Heavy Blade.

... Here's the trick, and my question.
Even without the feat Spiked Chain Training, for whatever reason, the Character builder lists the spiked chain as both a light blade and a flail. You can enchant and equip this without a problem. I've searched the errata, at what point did they make the spiked chain also a light blade? Could this be a mistake, since the description also fails to mention it's a light blade?

 

[OnlineDM]

Sometimes the Character Builder has errors. This appears to be one of those times. Without the Spiked Chain Training feat, the Spiked Chain is just a flail, not a light blade

 

[mneme]

Indeed. If you want to play Spiked Chain games without the multiclass, you can be a Shadir Kai (and take Spiked Chain Training), but that doesn't let you treat it as a light weapon.

Oddly, it implies that it does let you sneak attack with a Spiked Chain but doesn't say so.

 

[Mr. Teapot]

So if you do have the Spiked chain Training feat, could you enchant the spiked chain with light blade only enchantments? Could you enchant it as a Mage's Weapon and then hand it to your friend and he can use it?

 

[OnlineDM]

So if you do have the Spiked chain Training feat, could you enchant the spiked chain with light blade only enchantments? Could you enchant it as a Mage's Weapon and then hand it to your friend and he can use it?

That's a hilarious question! Mage's Weapon can only enchant a light blade or heavy blade, not a flail. If you have Spiked Chain Training, you can treat the Spiked Chain as a light blade (well, each of end of it is a light blade). But to anyone who doesn't have Spiked Chain Training, the Spiked Chain is a flail.

Since we're talking about magic here, I'd rule it as follows:

• If you take Spiked Chain Training, then yes, you can enchant it with Mage's Weapon.
• However, if you then hand the Mage's Weapon Spiked Chain to someone who DOESN'T have Spiked Chain Training, it's now a flail in their hands, and the enchantment knows it - so the enchantment falls off!

Okay, I wouldn't really make the enchantment fall off, but I would rule that the enchantment does nothing in the hands of someone for whom the weapon isn't a light blade. So, in your hands it's a +1 weapon with an encounter power. In your buddy's hands it's just a non-magical Spiked Chain (and he's only proficient with it if he has the appropriate superior weapon feat or something else that gives him proficiency). If he gives it back to you, though, the Mage's Weapon properties are available to you again.

 

[Cygnus]

What about Halflings

I've been trying to decide whether a halfling with spiked chain training can use it or does the two-handed flail tag prevent the use....

Any thoughts?

 

[Bungo_Underhill]

I've been trying to decide whether a halfling with spiked chain training can use it or does the two-handed flail tag prevent the use....

Any thoughts?

Unfortunately they cant use them...

Like two-handed weapons, double weapons cannot normally be weilded by small creatures unless the weapon has the small property