On of the 1st Edition handbooks had a whole appendix of pole-arms. I didn't own the handbook, but copied that appendix because I was so fascinated by pole-arms. Especially all the variety and the way most of them derived from ordinary farm-tools. And if you don't like polls about poles, well, I'll pull you from your horse with the hook of my bill-guisarme!
I workout daily with a pole saw in my front yard wearing only whitie tighties and goggles.
love the amount of pole-arm variations in the 1st Edition rules book , got a weapons book out of the school libary , so I could visulise the weapons...we humans not nice to each other at times : )
It's much better to live in a post-apocalyptic fallout-area than to be a knight on a late-medieval battlefield:
It's a choice between getting iguana-on-a-stick or nasty-sharp-metal-thing-on-a-stick. The former only gives you some rads, the latter more than you can chew!
On of the 1st Edition handbooks had a whole appendix of pole-arms. I didn't own the handbook, but copied that appendix because I was so fascinated by pole-arms. Especially all the variety and the way most of them derived from ordinary farm-tools. And if you don't like polls about poles, well, I'll pull you from your horse with the hook of my bill-guisarme!
I remember that as well. It was Unearthed Arcana. (I used to spend hours reading my older brother's 1st edition books when I was a kid.)
I was going to make a very clever joke about taking a halberd to the knee, but then I saw your option about Twinkies and even though I've never liked Twinkies and I don't eat Twinkies, I'm sad that they're gone. So now I have to cry. And you don't get to have my joke.
Offended myself. I've also reported this thread for immediate termination.
I don't see what's offensive about it. Like with other polls, it you don't like it, you don't need to participate. It's just some way to have fun while we're waiting. People getting a bit silly over waiting and anticipation. Don't give us a preview to chew on and we start creating something in the void. I think it's fun to point attention to really interesting but under-represented arms. There's so much more to pole-arms than just halberds and spears.
Did you know the halberd is a late creation, that came as a sophisticated working-out of much earlier versions that were just farm implements tied to a stick, giving the peasantry some leverage when dealing with knights in armour? And that lots of the hooks and twists on the actual damage-dealing part of the pole arm, were meant to pry open armour? Like the Lucerne hammer I voted for? It was to make a dent in armour. And I hope I made a dent into you being offensed.
And there they made a solemn oath on poor John Barleycorn They've hired men with their crabtree sticks to cut him skin from bone And the miller he has served him worse than that For he's ground him between two stones
I've also reported this thread for immediate termination.
I rather agree. Polls like this have no relation to the actual game - there's nothing game related in the poll options/purpose and there's nothing game related in the thread content, which makes the whole thing spam, or off topic material at best.
The argument that people should just avoid participation in all threads they don't like can be applied to all kinds of spam/troll content, but that doesn't really handle the issue. And considering how many useless polls have been popping up in the general forum lately I'm suggesting @Tanthalas locks this or at least moves it.
Very weird place this is. The thread itself was a fun vibe, a discussion of polearms began, ....then two complainers started complaining, derailed the thread, and the Mod thusly moves it into off-topic. Well done, complainers.
Two Cents for Moderators: unless it's for something important, leave the threads and silly polls alone, you're killing the vibe with over-management. And feel free to ignore the vocal minority!
@Son_of_Imoen: I was going to speculate as to what a "crab-tree stick" might have looked like. sounds nasty. I also wonder how Gary DM'd polearms. Probably as sort of proto-feats, special maneuvers depending on the polearm. AFAIK he only used OD&D + supplements, or in later years his LJ system. Twinkies were in the news, so I threw them in there. They have no historical use as polearms, but are useful for hurling at gamers that are allergic to fun.
I also wonder how Gary DM'd polearms. Probably as sort of proto-feats, special maneuvers depending on the polearm. AFAIK he only used OD&D + supplements, or in later years his LJ system.
The strange thing is, there's no horses in the D&D settings (or are there?) so what's the use of pole-arms and pole-arm maneuvers?
i am definitely not offended by this poll G. Gygax's "The Nomenclature of Polearms" in Dragon Magazine #22 was wonderful i still miss E.G.G. & his voice @Son_of_Imoen horses have been present since OD&D book #1 (Men & Magic) edit: if you don't like a poll, plz don't gripe about it--instead don't take part in/ignore it, but plz don't take the wind out of others' sails...thnx...
i am definitely not offended by this poll G. Gygax's "The Nomenclature of Polearms" in Dragon Magazine #22 was wonderful i still miss E.G.G. & his voice @Son_of_Imoen horses have been present since OD&D book #1 (Men & Magic) edit: if you don't like a poll, plz don't gripe about it--instead don't take part in/ignore it, but plz don't take the wind out of others' sails...thnx...
How he made rulings on polearms is a good question for a forum like Dragonsfoot. OD&D is, of course, rules-light, but then eminently versatile as a result. Say its a case of wanting to pull a rider off a horse with a hooked polearm. I would give initiative to the polearm, IF the character was readied. Otherwise, standard or indiv. initiative. Then an attack roll. I would say with a -1 or -2. Then finally the pull itself. Opposed roll. Attacker adds STR damage adj, defender adds DEX ( ac or reaction adj) Then either the rider gets yanked to the ground, prone for 1 round, or gets off the hook, and probably attacks the polearm wielder. Might give a bonus to attack following an unsuccesful hook attack. Could be done a bunch of other ways, or with additional complexities - roll a 1 on the opposed roll and the polearm flies out of your hands - defender fumbles and they have to save vs. paralysis or be knocked out cold upon hitting the ground....or with less dice, standard attack and a saving throw vs. ill effects.
Then, something like the lucerne hammer, I'd be inclined to give a bonus vs. armor a la 1st edition AD&D. I have an Unearthed Arcana, can't remember if it gives weapon vs. AC type for polearms -
@GygaxianProse for all the 1st ed. I played, the given weapon vs. AC always seemed too cumbersome...interesting & accurate in its own way, but cumbersome...love weapon speed/casting time, though
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It's a choice between getting iguana-on-a-stick or nasty-sharp-metal-thing-on-a-stick. The former only gives you some rads, the latter more than you can chew!
Did you know the halberd is a late creation, that came as a sophisticated working-out of much earlier versions that were just farm implements tied to a stick, giving the peasantry some leverage when dealing with knights in armour? And that lots of the hooks and twists on the actual damage-dealing part of the pole arm, were meant to pry open armour? Like the Lucerne hammer I voted for? It was to make a dent in armour. And I hope I made a dent into you being offensed.
They've hired men with their crabtree sticks to cut him skin from bone
And the miller he has served him worse than that
For he's ground him between two stones
The argument that people should just avoid participation in all threads they don't like can be applied to all kinds of spam/troll content, but that doesn't really handle the issue. And considering how many useless polls have been popping up in the general forum lately I'm suggesting @Tanthalas locks this or at least moves it.
If polls start getting out of hand I'll start deleting them.
The thread itself was a fun vibe, a discussion of polearms began, ....then two complainers started complaining, derailed the thread, and the Mod thusly moves it into off-topic.
Well done, complainers.
Two Cents for Moderators: unless it's for something important, leave the threads and silly polls alone, you're killing the vibe with over-management. And feel free to ignore the vocal minority!
@Son_of_Imoen: I was going to speculate as to what a "crab-tree stick" might have looked like. sounds nasty. I also wonder how Gary DM'd polearms. Probably as sort of proto-feats, special maneuvers depending on the polearm. AFAIK he only used OD&D + supplements, or in later years his LJ system.
Twinkies were in the news, so I threw them in there. They have no historical use as polearms, but are useful for hurling at gamers that are allergic to fun.
G. Gygax's "The Nomenclature of Polearms" in Dragon Magazine #22 was wonderful
i still miss E.G.G. & his voice
@Son_of_Imoen horses have been present since OD&D book #1 (Men & Magic)
edit: if you don't like a poll, plz don't gripe about it--instead don't take part in/ignore it, but plz don't take the wind out of others' sails...thnx...
Say its a case of wanting to pull a rider off a horse with a hooked polearm.
I would give initiative to the polearm, IF the character was readied. Otherwise, standard or indiv. initiative.
Then an attack roll. I would say with a -1 or -2.
Then finally the pull itself. Opposed roll. Attacker adds STR damage adj, defender adds DEX ( ac or reaction adj)
Then either the rider gets yanked to the ground, prone for 1 round, or gets off the hook, and probably attacks the polearm wielder. Might give a bonus to attack following an unsuccesful hook attack.
Could be done a bunch of other ways, or with additional complexities - roll a 1 on the opposed roll and the polearm flies out of your hands - defender fumbles and they have to save vs. paralysis or be knocked out cold upon hitting the ground....or with less dice, standard attack and a saving throw vs. ill effects.
Then, something like the lucerne hammer, I'd be inclined to give a bonus vs. armor a la 1st edition AD&D. I have an Unearthed Arcana, can't remember if it gives weapon vs. AC type for polearms -
for all the 1st ed. I played, the given weapon vs. AC always seemed too cumbersome...interesting & accurate in its own way, but cumbersome...love weapon speed/casting time, though