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Dnarris
June 6th, 2007, 21:04
I'm looking into making a Dwarven Defender for a game I'm going to be in and I was wondering if anyone knows of any weapons with reach that can be used one-handed or if there any feats that will allow a two-handed weapon to become one handed.

I want my dwarven defender to be able to threaten a 10' area when he's in his defensive stance so having a weapon with reach while still being able to use a heavy shield would be great.

NymTevlyn
June 6th, 2007, 21:07
Don't know if it's still around, but Monkey Grip let you use a two-handed weapon as a one-handed weapon, but at a -3 penalty.

Dnarris
June 6th, 2007, 21:32
Is there an updated version of monkey grip? Because if it's the one in Complete warriors it just lets you use weapons that are a size larger than you but if it's a two-handed weapon it still has to be two-handed.

richvalle
June 6th, 2007, 22:00
Get an animated shield.

Dnarris
June 6th, 2007, 22:02
That'd work....assuming one somehow falls into my lap ^_^

richvalle
June 6th, 2007, 22:06
:)

I just bought 'Feats'... a book of about 1000 feats. I'll let you know if I see anything in there.

Dnarris
June 6th, 2007, 22:19
GREAT! I'd appreciate it Richvalle

Sigurd
June 6th, 2007, 22:26
Animated shields are the cheesiest of cheese.

The whip has reach but it has low nonlethal damage.

One handed with reach.


Sigurd

Dnarris
June 6th, 2007, 22:43
Ah, yes, someone mentioned a whip before. Thank you for reminding me.

But, yes, you're right. The damage is too low to really make a difference for AoO.

NymTevlyn
June 6th, 2007, 22:52
Whip Daggers however deal 1d6 lethal damage.

richvalle
June 7th, 2007, 00:14
Animated shields are the cheesiest of cheese.
Sigurd

Yep, I've heard from quite a few DM's that they just ban them outright. But hey... it matched his needs and who am I to say what is right or good for his game? :)

rv

NymTevlyn
June 7th, 2007, 00:55
Ring of Force Shield. Same thing as an animated shield pretty much.

Dachannien
June 7th, 2007, 07:23
I don't think that gives you reach with a shield bash, though.

NymTevlyn
June 7th, 2007, 07:29
The the force shield acts like a shield in all respects, and leaves your hand free to use for a two handed weapon. The point isn't to be able to attack with a shield as a reach weapon, but use a two-handed weapon and still get a shield bonus. My lvl 12 sunder monkey I play on Tuesdays uses an animated shield so he can wield an adamantine great sword.

acmer
June 7th, 2007, 10:09
If you have high STR (at least 18) and Weapon Focus for the reach weapon, I might allow you to use a 2-h weapon one-handed. Of course you wouldn't get the 1.5x STR bonus, just the 1x STR bonus. And you'll have to explain it in your background very convincingly why your character can handle the weapon so well. Something like: your char has been a fisherman most of his youth (and your skills reflect that too) and you have used a longspear a lot, so you are very familiar with that weapon (weapon focus). The reason you are still lvl 1 and not very good in combat with the longspear, is that fishes don't strike back.

Illrigger
June 7th, 2007, 18:22
Any small reach weapon can be wielded as a 1-handed weapon by a medium creature with a -2 penaly and retain its reach quality. Indeed, a small spiked chain retains ALL of its unique properties - in the hands of a human, it's a 1d6 1-handed weapon that can attack at reach or in melee, and is finessable.


Is there an updated version of monkey grip? Because if it's the one in Complete warriors it just lets you use weapons that are a size larger than you but if it's a two-handed weapon it still has to be two-handed.
Well, that's the example given, but within the rules things can be taken a bit differently. There are people who argue that since you can use a smaller version of a 2-H weapon as a 1-H weapon, this feat should allow you to now use a "larger version" of said small 2-H weapon (in effect, a medium sized two-handed weapon) 1-handed at -4 to hit. This in effect makes the feat a little worse than the 3.0e version, which did the same thing with a -3 penalty.

Personally, I'm of the opinion that the feat specifically grants the ability to use a larger weapon than your size allows without changing the size category of the weapon. I wouldn't allow it, but the arguement is sound within the rules of the game - because the rules were so badly worded and poorly thought out.

To rant, it was the height of stupidity in allowing the use of under- and over-sized weapons to begin with. By the rules, because for some reason there's no game difference between being proficient with a huge 4' long, 2-handed dagger with a 4" wide hilt and a normal dagger that's a 1-foot long light weapon with a hilt an inch across, even a first level wizard can lug one around and use it all day long.

Dnarris
June 8th, 2007, 01:32
I found the answer!

There's a shield gaunlet in the Races of Stone book that acts as a heavy shield and still leaves your hand free.

That means you could wield a reach weapon like a longspear and still have your shield.

Another way is to get the aberrant blood feat from the Lords of Madness book and then take the inhuman reach feat.

I think the shield gauntlet is probably a bit more feasible.

Illrigger
June 8th, 2007, 02:34
I found the answer!

There's a shield gaunlet in the Races of Stone book that acts as a heavy shield and still leaves your hand free.

That means you could wield a reach weapon like a longspear and still have your shield.

Ummm, no - read the rules.

Shield, Gauntlet: A favorite of divine spellcasters, this exotic shield is a heavy steel shield built with a special bracing gauntlet. The special gauntlet allows you to carry other items in your shield hand (such as material spell components), although you cannot use weapons with it. The shield hand is likewise free to perform somatic spell components. I've never found it worth the cost of a feat for that benefit.

You could use a buckler and take the Improved Buckler Defense feat, although you'd take a -1 to hit. That's a bit more worth it. I did so when I last played a 2-weapon fighter; it's MUCH better than wasting three feats on 2-weapon defense.

Dnarris
June 8th, 2007, 02:38
D'oh...

Okay, so the aberrant blood and inhuman reach feats still work :D.

I want to avoid using anything smaller than a heavy shield for using shield charge, shield slam, shield bash, and shield mate.