I've got a question about polearms and OA that can't figure out by myself.
Situation. My character wields a polearm. Enemy got some 5ft reach sword. We are standing 5ft close. What happens when I move by 5ft and leave the enemy reach, while he is still in mine? Does it still provokes OA from him? Logically - I'm still able to defend myself, so enemy shouldn't have opportunity to do a strike when I move.
Question is based on my thinking on using booming blade with polearm - attack from 5ft with booming, move 5ft away. Enemy will be forced to follow up and activate secondary damage. If he stand still - I can attack him in next turn.
When you move out of the enemies range you trigger an OA. Your attack range isnt a factor. Why? Cause. The logic behind it has been stated...somewhere. Something in the realm of you drop your guard while making an expeditious retreat. It atleast keeps people from making builds where they'd simple have more movement. Attack and run away out of a melee combatants reach...that would get real old real quick.
With a reach weapon you should be attacking and moving back anyway. Heck in previous editions you couldn't attack someone within 5ft of you.
I've got a question about polearms and OA that can't figure out by myself.
Situation. My character wields a polearm. Enemy got some 5ft reach sword. We are standing 5ft close. What happens when I move by 5ft and leave the enemy reach, while he is still in mine? Does it still provokes OA from him? Logically - I'm still able to defend myself, so enemy shouldn't have opportunity to do a strike when I move.
You’re usually able to defend yourself in combat, but you can still be attacked. It’s not a matter of being able to defend oneself or not. When you move away from an opponent, you present an opportunity. Of course you can still defend yourself; that’s why the opponent still has to beat your armor class.
You can move carefully to avoid doing this. That’s what the Disengage action does.
All of that is clear, but still feels kinda stupid.
If enemy is moving 5ft back (being in my 10ft reach) he have no drawbacks of this action. When I'm moving 5ft back (being able to keep contact with enemy and control his weapon) - boom! OA
I know that game have it's own logic and can't be compared to real world one, just trying to check if maybe someone somewhere found any other way than stated already.
Historically, reach weapons were designed for a specific purpose, and that purpose was not close-up fighting. It’s very difficult to attack someone close by with a 9-foot polearm under the best of circumstances, let alone as a quick reaction to something.
The actually illogical thing is that you’re even able to attack adjacent enemies with a reach weapon without disadvantage.
Historically, reach weapons were designed for a specific purpose, and that purpose was not close-up fighting. It’s very difficult to attack someone close by with a 9-foot polearm under the best of circumstances, let alone as a quick reaction to something.
The actually illogical thing is that you’re even able to attack adjacent enemies with a reach weapon without disadvantage.
Polearms varied a lot in size. This looks like a decent reference:
Glaive - "The shaft or pole was typically six to seven feet in length and the blade was usually around 18 inches in length." - so 7.5' to 8.5'
Halberd - "As far as pole weapons go it was on the shorter side usually having a handle around 5 to 6 feet in length"
Lance - jousting Lance could be over 20' in length. (this has disadvantage against adjacent targets in 5e).
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So it looks like polearm master only specifies some of the shorter polearms so it perhaps isn't as unrealistic as you might think.
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Also, all of D&D 5e on that scale is an approximation. You can hit something farther away with a 7' weapon than a 3' one but if you just stand in one place you can still only hit something that is the length of your arm plus the length of the weapon away. D&D assumes that the creatures are moving around and making use of that to get close enough to their opponents. All a reach weapon does is possibly execute an effective attack from a bit farther away from your prospective target. If you try to break it down into reality sized pieces it often falls apart because 5e is a role playing game and not a simulator.
Historically, reach weapons were designed for a specific purpose, and that purpose was not close-up fighting. It’s very difficult to attack someone close by with a 9-foot polearm under the best of circumstances, let alone as a quick reaction to something.
The actually illogical thing is that you’re even able to attack adjacent enemies with a reach weapon without disadvantage.
Polearms varied a lot in size.
While true, the ones that would be useful in close combat also shouldn't have Reach, they're about the same reach as a spear or staff.
If you really want to play polearms at range you need to adopt two tactics. One is feat reliant, one is not.
The buddy system: an ally is already engaged with an enemy at 5ft melee range, you come along and attack at 10 ft. The enemy continues to attack your ally or eats an opportunity attack moving to you.
Polearm Master and Sentinel feats: when an enemy moves to 10 ft of you, you get an opportunity attack against it. Your opportunity attacks stops their movement for the rest of the turn. You make your attacks on your turn and move back 5 ft to repeat the sequence. You need a glaive or halberd to use all of the abilities at 10 ft range.
Eventually your DM will attack you with range or multiple enemies but, both strategies will get their use.
I've got a question about polearms and OA that can't figure out by myself.
Situation. My character wields a polearm. Enemy got some 5ft reach sword. We are standing 5ft close. What happens when I move by 5ft and leave the enemy reach, while he is still in mine? Does it still provokes OA from him? Logically - I'm still able to defend myself, so enemy shouldn't have opportunity to do a strike when I move.
Question is based on my thinking on using booming blade with polearm - attack from 5ft with booming, move 5ft away. Enemy will be forced to follow up and activate secondary damage. If he stand still - I can attack him in next turn.
Since the others have focused on the reach aspect, bear in mind that Booming Blade has a 5 ft range, but Spell Sniper feat or sorcerer metamagic Distant Spell can double it. This would allow you to attack from 10 while casting Booming Blade.
Another option would be to grab the Mobile Feat, or Rogue Swashbucklee 3 for the mini disengage on creatures that you attack.
Rogue 2 or Monk 2 would give you a bonus action Disengage with the Rogue version being the better version (bonus action is only resource) in most circumstances.
If you're not using multiclass or feats, then none of these options are likely to work for you. Otherwise, I'd assume that your preference might go Mobile, Spell Sniper, Rogue 2, Sorcerer 3, Rogue 3, and Monk 2, though the multiclass options are very fluid depending on what you prioritize among the options.
Do remember that polearms don't qualify for sneak attack. A Whip does qualify for sneak attack and has reach, but it doesn't qualify for PAM and leaves 3 average damage on the table compared to a d10 weapon.
Hi!
I've got a question about polearms and OA that can't figure out by myself.
Situation. My character wields a polearm. Enemy got some 5ft reach sword. We are standing 5ft close. What happens when I move by 5ft and leave the enemy reach, while he is still in mine? Does it still provokes OA from him? Logically - I'm still able to defend myself, so enemy shouldn't have opportunity to do a strike when I move.
Question is based on my thinking on using booming blade with polearm - attack from 5ft with booming, move 5ft away. Enemy will be forced to follow up and activate secondary damage. If he stand still - I can attack him in next turn.
When you move out of the enemies range you trigger an OA. Your attack range isnt a factor. Why? Cause. The logic behind it has been stated...somewhere. Something in the realm of you drop your guard while making an expeditious retreat. It atleast keeps people from making builds where they'd simple have more movement. Attack and run away out of a melee combatants reach...that would get real old real quick.
With a reach weapon you should be attacking and moving back anyway. Heck in previous editions you couldn't attack someone within 5ft of you.
Stick and move; stick and move.
You’re usually able to defend yourself in combat, but you can still be attacked. It’s not a matter of being able to defend oneself or not. When you move away from an opponent, you present an opportunity. Of course you can still defend yourself; that’s why the opponent still has to beat your armor class.
You can move carefully to avoid doing this. That’s what the Disengage action does.
All of that is clear, but still feels kinda stupid.
If enemy is moving 5ft back (being in my 10ft reach) he have no drawbacks of this action. When I'm moving 5ft back (being able to keep contact with enemy and control his weapon) - boom! OA
I know that game have it's own logic and can't be compared to real world one, just trying to check if maybe someone somewhere found any other way than stated already.
Thanks tho.
Historically, reach weapons were designed for a specific purpose, and that purpose was not close-up fighting. It’s very difficult to attack someone close by with a 9-foot polearm under the best of circumstances, let alone as a quick reaction to something.
The actually illogical thing is that you’re even able to attack adjacent enemies with a reach weapon without disadvantage.
Polearms varied a lot in size. This looks like a decent reference:
http://medieval.stormthecastle.com/armorypages/medieval-polearms.htm
Glaive - "The shaft or pole was typically six to seven feet in length and the blade was usually around 18 inches in length." - so 7.5' to 8.5'
Halberd - "As far as pole weapons go it was on the shorter side usually having a handle around 5 to 6 feet in length"
Lance - jousting Lance could be over 20' in length. (this has disadvantage against adjacent targets in 5e).
----
So it looks like polearm master only specifies some of the shorter polearms so it perhaps isn't as unrealistic as you might think.
----
Also, all of D&D 5e on that scale is an approximation. You can hit something farther away with a 7' weapon than a 3' one but if you just stand in one place you can still only hit something that is the length of your arm plus the length of the weapon away. D&D assumes that the creatures are moving around and making use of that to get close enough to their opponents. All a reach weapon does is possibly execute an effective attack from a bit farther away from your prospective target. If you try to break it down into reality sized pieces it often falls apart because 5e is a role playing game and not a simulator.
While true, the ones that would be useful in close combat also shouldn't have Reach, they're about the same reach as a spear or staff.
If you really want to play polearms at range you need to adopt two tactics. One is feat reliant, one is not.
The buddy system: an ally is already engaged with an enemy at 5ft melee range, you come along and attack at 10 ft. The enemy continues to attack your ally or eats an opportunity attack moving to you.
Polearm Master and Sentinel feats: when an enemy moves to 10 ft of you, you get an opportunity attack against it. Your opportunity attacks stops their movement for the rest of the turn. You make your attacks on your turn and move back 5 ft to repeat the sequence. You need a glaive or halberd to use all of the abilities at 10 ft range.
Eventually your DM will attack you with range or multiple enemies but, both strategies will get their use.
Since the others have focused on the reach aspect, bear in mind that Booming Blade has a 5 ft range, but Spell Sniper feat or sorcerer metamagic Distant Spell can double it. This would allow you to attack from 10 while casting Booming Blade.
Another option would be to grab the Mobile Feat, or Rogue Swashbucklee 3 for the mini disengage on creatures that you attack.
Rogue 2 or Monk 2 would give you a bonus action Disengage with the Rogue version being the better version (bonus action is only resource) in most circumstances.
If you're not using multiclass or feats, then none of these options are likely to work for you. Otherwise, I'd assume that your preference might go Mobile, Spell Sniper, Rogue 2, Sorcerer 3, Rogue 3, and Monk 2, though the multiclass options are very fluid depending on what you prioritize among the options.
Do remember that polearms don't qualify for sneak attack. A Whip does qualify for sneak attack and has reach, but it doesn't qualify for PAM and leaves 3 average damage on the table compared to a d10 weapon.