Sword to Polarm

[Aust Diamondew]

What about a naginata? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naginata

A naginata is not simply a sword tied onto a 10 foot stick.

Forging an actualy polearm with a sword like blade is another story. I believe naginatas in Oriental Adventures have the same stats as a glaive.

Just tying a sword and stick together in some way is an improvised weapon (as others have said), if it were my game I'd give a -2 or -4 attack penalty and on a natural 1 on an attack roll the sword becomes detached automatically.

 

[Patlin]

You could also use the weapon shift spell to much more effectively turn your sword into a polearm, albeit for a limited time. Nice spell for a fighting type that dabbles in magic.

 

[Elethiomel]

If a weapon tied to a stick was an effective polearm, all polearms would be made that way. Why? Because of Sunder. If someone sunders the haft? Pick up the weapon end and swing it as an unbroken weapon. If someone tries to sunder the weapon? It has the hardness of an all-metal weapon and is hence more difficult to sunder. You win both ways.

 

[Thurbane]

In the world of D&D, we have nonmagical weapon enhancements to coat the blades with oils, Gnomish sniper sights for crossbows etc...I don't see why an enhancement that allows a sword to be attached to a pole to become a functional polearm is so outlandish.

 

[Elethiomel]

In the world of D&D, we have nonmagical weapon enhancements to coat the blades with oils, Gnomish sniper sights for crossbows etc...I don't see why an enhancement that allows a sword to be attached to a pole to become a functional polearm is so outlandish.

My point is that if it is not outlandish, then everyone would be doing it, all the time, because it would be plain better than making a regular polearm from the Sunder point of view.

 

[Gloombunny]

What about deliberately crafting a sword and a matching pole so that they can be attached to form a polearm or separated for sword use? I'm thinking a sword with holes through the hilt (and tang), and a pole with a specially-shaped end with matching holes. The holes would be threaded and the two parts attached with screws and nuts. Properly crafted it should hold pretty securely.

I'm not sure what advantages it would have compared to having a separate sword and glaive, though, since it would take a while to convert from one to the other and you'd need to keep the pole with you even when swording it. I guess if you can't procure two good blades for whatever reason... which could be a definite concern if it's a magic blade. If the sword is magical, would the enchantment properly apply to the glaive? Or is a magic glaive supposed to have enchantments on the shaft as well as the blade?

 

[Gloombunny]

Alternate idea: use sovereign glue to attach a sword to the end of a pole, and then use universal solvent when you want it to be a sword again!

Gets a mite expensive if you want to go back and forth frequently, though.

 

[irdeggman]

A naginata is not simply a sword tied onto a 10 foot stick.

Forging an actualy polearm with a sword like blade is another story. I believe naginatas in Oriental Adventures have the same stats as a glaive.

Just tying a sword and stick together in some way is an improvised weapon (as others have said), if it were my game I'd give a -2 or -4 attack penalty and on a natural 1 on an attack roll the sword becomes detached automatically.

I'd agree with this one.

If making a naginata-style weapon then I'd treat it as an exotic weapon.

Either result yields a -4 on attack rolls, unless proficient in the specific weapon (i.e., sword on a stick).

 

[Lord Zardoz]

As a DM, I would be willing to rule that with a pole and a weapon specifically constructed to this purpose, you could have a 'weapon on a stick'. It would allow you to treat your weapon as some other pre-existing polearm. I do not think it is especially game breaking. Just require a standard action to attach or remove the weapon from the pole. If sundered, the pole is broken, but the weapon still usable at a -4 penalty until you use a standard action to remove the pole fragmetn.

 

[escaflowne777]

In the world of D&D, we have nonmagical weapon enhancements to coat the blades with oils, Gnomish sniper sights for crossbows etc...I don't see why an enhancement that allows a sword to be attached to a pole to become a functional polearm is so outlandish.

Pretty much yeah. I would agree that if improvised, it would in fact be an improvised weapon. Naginata was the original thought but I wanted to use a Falchion instead of a crazy asian short sword. Assuming the weapon has been crafted, not improvised, would the composition of a falchion, contrasted with the composition of whatever weapon a Naginata detatches into, when attached to said stick, make the act of killing various mythical beast and humanoids any more complicated or impossible?