So, this is just for fun discussion. I just looked at the damage stats for the halberd. It says that it does 1d10 slashing damage. However, if you look at pictures of some halberds, they have an axe side and a hammer side with a pike at the tip. Considering this, could the halberd do a different type of damage (slashing, bludgeoning, or piercing) depending on how the character chooses to use it? Again, this is just for fun discussion.
The intention* is that weapons should fall into a single damage type and 5e includes "chopping" under slashing. You could absolutely make an argument for a real world halberd (and let's not go into the ins and outs of real world pole-arms because there are about a million variations) could slash and pierce and probably even bludgeon, but the game had to pick one, so they went with slashing. Most likely, this was done to differentiate it from the pike which is quite similar in game terms and does the same amount of piercing damage.
If you wanted to use a halberd to pierce, I would allow it. I would also allow you to bludgeon with the flat of the blade.
So, this is just for fun discussion. I just looked at the damage stats for the halberd. It says that it does 1d10 slashing damage. However, if you look at pictures of some halberds, they have an axe side and a hammer side with a pike at the tip. Considering this, could the halberd do a different type of damage (slashing, bludgeoning, or piercing) depending on how the character chooses to use it? Again, this is just for fun discussion.
The intention* is that weapons should fall into a single damage type and 5e includes "chopping" under slashing. You could absolutely make an argument for a real world halberd (and let's not go into the ins and outs of real world pole-arms because there are about a million variations) could slash and pierce and probably even bludgeon, but the game had to pick one, so they went with slashing. Most likely, this was done to differentiate it from the pike which is quite similar in game terms and does the same amount of piercing damage.
If you wanted to use a halberd to pierce, I would allow it. I would also allow you to bludgeon with the flat of the blade.
* exceptions always exist :)
"Not all those who wander are lost"
same with warhammer, its real damage is piercing.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
The one downside of allowing multiple types of attacks from one weapon does make Piercer/Crusher/Slasher Feats more powerful.