Polearms

[Elorathall]

Is there any advantage to using polearms (spear, halberd) compared to using a one-handed weapon and a shield (higher AC) or a greatsword/greataxe (higher damage)?

[Bhaalorian]

Not specifically. There's obviously the higher crit multipliers at the cost of a smaller crit range, but that's all there is to them. They also benefit from the +2 AB and x2 damage multiplier all two-handed weapons get when wielded two-handed, so that's something!

Edit: Both halberds and scythes also have a dual damage type; piercing & slashing, which make them better suited to bypassing certain types of damage reductions!

[The1Kobra]

I don't think NWN implements any of the reach mechanics from D&D and I'm not sure it can be modified to include them, I'm afraid. So ultimately they're just another two-handed weapon.

Spear at the very least, has the distinction of being a simple weapon, so it can be used by a character that lacks martial weapon proficiency.

[Dark Immolation]

I don't think NWN implements any of the reach mechanics from D&D and I'm not sure it can be modified to include them, I'm afraid. So ultimately they're just another two-handed weapon.

I would say you could give reach weapons an Initiative bonus to represent being able to hit an enemy before they could hit you, but Initiative means next to nothing in NWN. There are a few other ideas, but that's something for IA.

Mechanically, the only real advantage of Halberd is the dual damage type. Slashing and piercing is probably the weaker combination compared to piercing and bludgeoning(only found on Morningstar).

Edit: If you Monkey Grip a Halberd, it would essentially be a better version of a Dwarven Waraxe without the Exotic Feat. So that's... something?

[Elorathall]

Would it be possible to give spears and halberds a defensive advantage? In that, if someone attacks you with a non-reach weapon (and you are not flat-footed or flanked) you get an attack of opportunity. The usefulness of this would still depend on the skill of the wielder, but it would give these weapons a specific (and historically accurate) place.

Alternatively, this could be part of a polearm-specific PRC.

[Dark Immolation]

As far as I know, you can't really call or force an AoO to be made without getting into some really janky stuff. Also, that would translate to an extra attack per round in some cases which is pretty significant. Then again, that's sort of what a double weapon is, so maybe it's not too bad. Still don't know if it's even possible.

We can make an IA topic and see what we can spitball. EE may afford us some new options that were not available in the previous game. If nothing else, giving Polearms +2 AC similar to how all two-handers get +2 AB now should be possible. That's a pretty straightforward defensive bonus.

But as far as the build topic goes, yeah. Most weapons unfortunately boil down to what sort of die you want to roll, rather than anything specific to the weapon in NWN. So you're looking at cool points, roleplay potential, and maybe requestable ideas beyond that. It would be pretty easy to reason getting Disarm on a Halberd I think. Or maybe even Extra Damage Type: Bludgeoning, if you replace the hook with a hammer, making it a poleaxe by some descriptions.

[Alcomancer]

There is absolutely no distinguishable advantage to polearms, save for the occasional slightly higher massive crit for spears I think. At the end of the day the differences in DPS are negligable so you won't be drowned by the meta for a slight difference in damage if you're just better or roll better. Halberds are for cool people. Heavy flails too.

[MisterLich]

Can confirm halberds are cruise control for cool.

[AnubianAllure]

Heeeey halberd party let's gooooooo

[gerbera]

Blah blah blah. Blah blah. Blahblah. Blah. Halberds are for cool people. Heavy flails too.

Fuck yes. Ryrik's been rockin' the Halberd since his inception.