Polearm Weapons

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Training in the Polearm Weapons skill supports the use of polearm weapons such as spears, halberds, and lances in melee combat. Polearm weapons come in both one- and two-handed varieties, and the use of two-handed polearms provides a small bonus to the wielder's defensive strength. Polearm weapons along with Two-Handed Weapons tend to be the largest and heaviest-hitting weapon types. As such, they are also by and large the slowest.

Ranks and Training Costs

Type Square Semi Pure
Profession Rogue Warrior Monk Bard Paladin Ranger Cleric Empath Savant Sorcerer Wizard
Max Ranks Per Level 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 - 1 1
Training Point Cost 7/2 3/1 6/2 6/1 5/2 7/2 11/3 14/3 - 14/3 14/3

Special Features

Polearms are unique in construction from most other weapons, and as such, they've a few features to them that are not available to most other weapons.

  • Tripping
Characters with at least fifteen (15) ranks of the Polearm Weapons skill can make use of the TRIP verb if they have a two-handed polearm in their right hand. Effectiveness of TRIP can be increased by training in Combat Maneuvers and gaining ranks in the Trip maneuver.
  • Ambushing
Two-handed polearms cannot be used to ambush from hiding - the character will only remove themselves from hiding and attack visibly. One-handed polearms are useable for hidden ambushing purposes.
  • Two-handed vs. One-handed Use
Most polearms are two-handed weapons, however, some are one-handed, and others are switchable. Pilums are one-handed, while, spears and tridents are switchable between one-handed and two-handed use. Use of the GRIP verb can toggle spear- and trident-based polearms from one-handed to two-handed and back again.


Damage Factors and AvDs

Weapon AG Cloth Leather Scale Chain Plate RT Min RT Damage Type STR/DU
AsG 1 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Pilum DF .350 .250 .225 .175 .060 3 3 Slash/Puncture 50/150
AvD 30 27 26 25 24 22 20 18 16 23 19 15 11 15 9 3 -3
Spear, one-handed DF .425 .325 .250 .250 .160 5 4 Slash/Puncture 15/130
AvD 27 29 28 27 26 27 25 23 21 30 26 22 18 25 19 13 7
Spear, two-handed DF .550 .385 .340 .325 .230 6 4 Slash/Puncture 15/130
AvD 33 32 31 30 29 34 32 30 28 36 32 28 24 33 27 21 15
Trident, one-handed DF .425 .350 .260 .230 .150 5 4 Slash/Puncture 70/190
AvD 31 31 30 29 28 34 32 30 28 42 38 34 30 29 23 17 11
Trident, two-handed DF .600 .425 .375 .300 .185 6 4 Slash/Puncture 70/190
AvD 29 30 29 28 27 30 28 26 24 37 33 29 25 25 19 13 7
Halberd DF .550 .400 .400 .300 .200 6 4 Slash/Puncture/Crush 25/150
AvD 30 30 29 28 27 31 29 27 25 32 28 24 20 32 26 20 14
Naginata DF .550 .400 .400 .300 .200 6 4 Slash/Puncture/Crush 25/150
AvD 50 50 49 48 47 51 49 47 45 52 48 44 40 52 46 40 34
Jeddart-axe DF .550 .425 .425 .325 .250 7 4 Slash/Crush 60/185
AvD 30 32 31 30 29 30 28 26 24 40 36 32 28 30 24 18 12
Hammer of Kai DF .550 .425 .450 .350 .250 7 4 Puncture/Crush 50/190
AvD 20 25 24 23 22 35 33 31 29 40 36 32 28 40 34 28 22
Awl-pike DF .600 .550 .575 .450 .350 9 4 Puncture/Crush 60/160
AvD 15 20 19 18 17 35 33 31 29 45 41 37 33 50 44 38 32
Lance DF .725 .525 .550 .475 .350 9 4 Puncture/Crush 17/105
AvD 35 38 37 36 35 39 37 35 33 53 49 45 41 50 44 38 32

Polearm Parry DS Formula

One-hand Grip polearms use the standard one-hand weapon parry DS formula.

One-hand Grip Parry DS Formula

((Weapon ranks + STR bonus/4 + DEX bonus/4 + (weapon enchant bonus/2)) × stance modifier + Stance/2 bonus (see table)

Stance modifiers are 0.2 / 0.3 / 0.4 / 0.5 / 0.6 / 0.7 from Offensive to Defensive stance, respectively.

Two-hand Grip Parry DS Formula

((Weapon Ranks + STR bonus/4 + DEX bonus/4) × stance modifier)) + (weapon enchant bonus × stance modifier) + polearm bonus + Stance/2 bonus

Stance Modifier Table

STANCE
OFF
ADV
FOR
NEU
GUA
DEF
MODIFIER
0.27
0.41
0.54
0.68
0.81
0.94

Polearm DS Bonus Table

STANCE
OFF
ADV
FOR
NEU
GUA
DEF
DS Bonus
15
18
21
24
27
30

Stance/2 DS Bonus Table

STANCE
OFF
ADV
FOR
NEU
GUA
DEF
DS Bonus
0
10
20
30
40
50


Example With Two-hand Grip Polearm

Weapon ranks 80, STR bonus 24, DEX bonus 28, weapon enchant bonus 25

Offensive Parry DS (stance modifier .27):

((80 + 6 + 7) × .27) + (25 × .27) + 15 (OFF polearm bonus) + 0 (there is no stance/2 bonus in offensive stance)

(93 × .27) + (25 × .27) + 15 = 46 DS

Defensive Parry DS (stance modifier .94):

((80 + 6 + 7) × .94) + (25 × .94) + 30 (DEF polearm bonus) + 50 (stance/2 bonus)

(93 × .94) + (25 × .94) + 30 + 50 = 190 DS

Additional Notes

Holding an item in the off hand incurs a severe parry DS penalty with two-hand grip polearms. The amount of DS retained is 1/2 the one hand polearm DS. This includes half of the one hand pole enchant DS bonus. You also lose the entire two-hand polearm bonus. You still receive the full stance/2 bonus. The parry DS formula for two-hand polearms with an item in the off hand is:

Example with item in off hand:

Weapon ranks 80, STR bonus 24, DEX bonus 28, weapon enchant bonus 25, stance modifier 0.7

Defensive stance DS:

((80 + 6 + 7 + 25) * .35) + 50 = 91

This character's defensive stance parry DS dropped from 190 to 91 by holding an item in the off-hand.

Ranged attacks (Thrown Weapons, arrows/bolts and bolt spells) bypass all polearm parry DS including the stance/2 bonus.

Weapon Damage Type Ratios

This table contains the polearm weapon critical damage type percentages for successful attacks (based on player research). As an example, the jeddart-axe will result in 54.5% crush critical damage and 45.5% slash critical damage for all attacks, or a crush to slash damage ratio of 6 to 5. The jeddart-axe does not do puncture critical damage.

Weapon Slash % Crush % Puncture%
Pilum ? 0 ?
Spear ? 0 ?
Trident ? 0 ?
Halberd ? ? ?
Naginata ? ? ?
Jeddart-axe 45.5 54.5 ?
Hammer of Kai 0 ? ?
Awl-pike 0 ? ?
Lance 0 33% 67%

Related Articles

Resources

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