Pole Strike. Immediately after you take the Attack action and attack with a Quarterstaff, a Spear, or a weapon that has the Heavy and Reach properties, you can use a Bonus Action to make a melee attack with the opposite end of the weapon. The weapon deals Bludgeoning damage, and the weapon’s damage die for this attack is a d4. Reactive Strike. While you’re holding a Quarterstaff, a Spear, or a weapon that has the Heavy and Reach properties, you can take a Reaction to make one melee attack against a creature that enters the reach you have with that weapon.
As written, you can use a spear in one hand and use this. Is this intended or an oversite in the rules - seems odd that you can attack with both ends of the spear when wielding it in one hand?
Does make a good combination for spear and shield fighting though.
They had a chance to require two hands in the 2024 rewrite and chose not to change it. Whether that was an intentional feature in 2014 or just a happy accident, the devs are fine with it working that way now.
I can't find an answer to this question: what if someone moves from 10' away to 5' away and you have reach (pike for example). Can you use the reactive strike in this instance?
I can't find an answer to this question: what if someone moves from 10' away to 5' away and you have reach (pike for example). Can you use the reactive strike in this instance?
No, you can't. As Reactive Strike says: "While you're holding a (polearm) ... you can take a Reaction to make one melee attack against a creature that enters the reach you have with that weapon." If the polearm you are wielding has Reach, then your reach with it is 10 ft. Something moving from 10 ft. to 5 ft. isn't entering your reach, it's already in it.
I can't find an answer to this question: what if someone moves from 10' away to 5' away and you have reach (pike for example). Can you use the reactive strike in this instance?
moving 10 foot to 5 foot away does nothing on a reach weapon however unless they have a reach weapon or other allies within melee range of you, you're free to move back 5 foot so that they are 15 foot away and then when they move within 10 foot they will get hit. Also notably with Pike, Pike is a push weapon, which with weapon mastery means you may have pushed the creature back 10 foot if you hit them with an attack.
A maybe-not-great technical scenario: you could mount a horse, wield a Lance with one hand and a Spear with the other, and then a creature moving from 15 to 10 feet will trigger PAM with the Lance, and from 10 to 5 feet will trigger PAM with the Spear.
I can't find an answer to this question: what if someone moves from 10' away to 5' away and you have reach (pike for example). Can you use the reactive strike in this instance?
moving 10 foot to 5 foot away does nothing on a reach weapon ...
What you are able to do, however, is take an Opportunity Attack with your unarmed strike. Your range for an unarmed strike is always 5", so you effectively have two OA ranges while holding a reach weapon.
I can't find an answer to this question: what if someone moves from 10' away to 5' away and you have reach (pike for example). Can you use the reactive strike in this instance?
moving 10 foot to 5 foot away does nothing on a reach weapon ...
What you are able to do, however, is take an Opportunity Attack with your unarmed strike. Your range for an unarmed strike is always 5", so you effectively have two OA ranges while holding a reach weapon.
I don't think that's true, Reactive Strike says "against a creature that enters the reach you have with that weapon." If the polearm you're using has Reach and therefore a reach of 10 ft., you can't make an Unarmed Strike when a creature moves from 10 ft. to 5 ft. Also - somewhat semantic - but Reactive Strike technically isn't an Opportunity Attack. Very similar in most cases, but doesn't stack with things that require Opportunity Attacks like the Sentinel Feat's Halt.
I can't find an answer to this question: what if someone moves from 10' away to 5' away and you have reach (pike for example). Can you use the reactive strike in this instance?
moving 10 foot to 5 foot away does nothing on a reach weapon ...
What you are able to do, however, is take an Opportunity Attack with your unarmed strike. Your range for an unarmed strike is always 5", so you effectively have two OA ranges while holding a reach weapon.
I don't think that's true, Reactive Strike says "against a creature that enters the reach you have with that weapon." If the polearm you're using has Reach and therefore a reach of 10 ft., you can't make an Unarmed Strike when a creature moves from 10 ft. to 5 ft. Also - somewhat semantic - but Reactive Strike technically isn't an Opportunity Attack. Very similar in most cases, but doesn't stack with things that require Opportunity Attacks like the Sentinel Feat's Halt.
Right, sorry, the opportunity attack you can make with an unarmed strike can be made when a creature moves from 5" to 10".
The OA with the reach weapon can be made when they move from 10" to 15".
And the Reactive Strike with a reach weapon only when they move from 15" to 10".
There is no reaction available when a creature moves from 10" to 5" while holding a reach polearm.
I can't find an answer to this question: what if someone moves from 10' away to 5' away and you have reach (pike for example). Can you use the reactive strike in this instance?
moving 10 foot to 5 foot away does nothing on a reach weapon ...
What you are able to do, however, is take an Opportunity Attack with your unarmed strike. Your range for an unarmed strike is always 5", so you effectively have two OA ranges while holding a reach weapon.
I don't think that's true, Reactive Strike says "against a creature that enters the reach you have with that weapon." If the polearm you're using has Reach and therefore a reach of 10 ft., you can't make an Unarmed Strike when a creature moves from 10 ft. to 5 ft. Also - somewhat semantic - but Reactive Strike technically isn't an Opportunity Attack. Very similar in most cases, but doesn't stack with things that require Opportunity Attacks like the Sentinel Feat's Halt.
That's right. Polearm Master was updated in 2024, so the mentioned feats no longer synergize.
As a note, both Reactive Strike and Opportunity Attacks require a Reaction to use. If you use a Reaction for Reactive Strike when a creature moves from 15ft to 10ft then you typically do not have another Reaction for the 10ft to 5ft move, even if you did find a mechanical means of being able to activate the condition for Reactive Strike (assuming this movement happened in one turn, like an adversary approaching).
Or are there ways to get more Reactions in '24 now?
As a note, both Reactive Strike and Opportunity Attacks require a Reaction to use. If you use a Reaction for Reactive Strike when a creature moves from 15ft to 10ft then you typically do not have another Reaction for the 10ft to 5ft move, even if you did find a mechanical means of being able to activate the condition for Reactive Strike (assuming this movement happened in one turn, like an adversary approaching).
Or are there ways to get more Reactions in '24 now?
AFAIK, not in general.
Some options... maybe Level 17: Thief’s Reflexes? Level 18: Vigilant Defender (Cavalier) is also special.
The feat Polearm master says:
Pole Strike. Immediately after you take the Attack action and attack with a Quarterstaff, a Spear, or a weapon that has the Heavy and Reach properties, you can use a Bonus Action to make a melee attack with the opposite end of the weapon. The weapon deals Bludgeoning damage, and the weapon’s damage die for this attack is a d4.
Reactive Strike. While you’re holding a Quarterstaff, a Spear, or a weapon that has the Heavy and Reach properties, you can take a Reaction to make one melee attack against a creature that enters the reach you have with that weapon.
As written, you can use a spear in one hand and use this. Is this intended or an oversite in the rules - seems odd that you can attack with both ends of the spear when wielding it in one hand?
Does make a good combination for spear and shield fighting though.
It's intended to work with one hand, as it was for 2014 Polearm Master feat.
While not official ruling, the Dev has said several times in the past you could if it's ever of interest to you
If a player has Polearm Master feat, but is using a spear or quarterstaff 1 hand with a shield, does the feat still apply? (sageadvice.eu)
Does feat apply when using quarterstaff one-handed with shield? (sageadvice.eu)
They had a chance to require two hands in the 2024 rewrite and chose not to change it. Whether that was an intentional feature in 2014 or just a happy accident, the devs are fine with it working that way now.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
Ok. Great. Thanks!
Yeah there's few things like that in the 2024 core rules revision ;)
And works with Dueling fighting style as well.
While on this topic:
I can't find an answer to this question: what if someone moves from 10' away to 5' away and you have reach (pike for example). Can you use the reactive strike in this instance?
No, you can't. As Reactive Strike says: "While you're holding a (polearm) ... you can take a Reaction to make one melee attack against a creature that enters the reach you have with that weapon." If the polearm you are wielding has Reach, then your reach with it is 10 ft. Something moving from 10 ft. to 5 ft. isn't entering your reach, it's already in it.
I was thinking that was the case, but wanted to be sure. Thank you!
moving 10 foot to 5 foot away does nothing on a reach weapon however unless they have a reach weapon or other allies within melee range of you, you're free to move back 5 foot so that they are 15 foot away and then when they move within 10 foot they will get hit. Also notably with Pike, Pike is a push weapon, which with weapon mastery means you may have pushed the creature back 10 foot if you hit them with an attack.
A maybe-not-great technical scenario: you could mount a horse, wield a Lance with one hand and a Spear with the other, and then a creature moving from 15 to 10 feet will trigger PAM with the Lance, and from 10 to 5 feet will trigger PAM with the Spear.
Ooo, I like this!
What you are able to do, however, is take an Opportunity Attack with your unarmed strike. Your range for an unarmed strike is always 5", so you effectively have two OA ranges while holding a reach weapon.
I don't think that's true, Reactive Strike says "against a creature that enters the reach you have with that weapon." If the polearm you're using has Reach and therefore a reach of 10 ft., you can't make an Unarmed Strike when a creature moves from 10 ft. to 5 ft.
Also - somewhat semantic - but Reactive Strike technically isn't an Opportunity Attack. Very similar in most cases, but doesn't stack with things that require Opportunity Attacks like the Sentinel Feat's Halt.
Right, sorry, the opportunity attack you can make with an unarmed strike can be made when a creature moves from 5" to 10".
The OA with the reach weapon can be made when they move from 10" to 15".
And the Reactive Strike with a reach weapon only when they move from 15" to 10".
There is no reaction available when a creature moves from 10" to 5" while holding a reach polearm.
That's right. Polearm Master was updated in 2024, so the mentioned feats no longer synergize.
As a note, both Reactive Strike and Opportunity Attacks require a Reaction to use. If you use a Reaction for Reactive Strike when a creature moves from 15ft to 10ft then you typically do not have another Reaction for the 10ft to 5ft move, even if you did find a mechanical means of being able to activate the condition for Reactive Strike (assuming this movement happened in one turn, like an adversary approaching).
Or are there ways to get more Reactions in '24 now?
AFAIK, not in general.
Some options... maybe Level 17: Thief’s Reflexes? Level 18: Vigilant Defender (Cavalier) is also special.