Real-world Weapons: The Poleaxe

The poleaxe (aka pollaxe, polax, poll-axe, pole-axe, pole-hammer, two-handed warhammer) was one of the most popular weapons of the high middle ages. Combining the virtues of the warhammer, axe, and short spear, it was a versatile weapon designed primarily for defeating plate armour.

A hammer/axe poleaxe and a hammer/backspike poleaxe.

Description

The classic poleaxe, to my mind, is a six-foot square hardwood shaft with a hammerhead, backspike, topspike, buttspike, and sidespikes.

There are a few variations on the poleaxe, all of which revolve around the head. All will have some variation of axehead, hammerhead, and backspike. It could be axehead/hammerhead, hammerhead/backspike, or axehead/backspike. All have a long heavy-duty spike on the top, and a short spike on the bottom. Most will have a short, round hand-guard a foot or two below the head, and most will have short spikes on either side of the head.

One of the main differentiating features between the poleaxe and the very similar halberd are the langets on the sides (the metal strips running down from the head in the pictures above). A halberd head is typically forged out of a single piece, and attacked to the shaft like a spearhead via a tube and pin. The langets made the end of the weapon significantly stronger and more durable. They were part of the modular forged design of the poleaxe - each piece of the head was forged separately, which allowed a stronger construction than a single piece stretched and flattened out.

A poleaxe with an axehead would also have a smaller blade than a halberd, the better to defeat armour.

Similar Weapons

The halberd, lucerne hammer, and bec de corbin are all pretty much the same weapon as the poleaxe. The differences are basically just in head design - halberds always have axeheads and backspikes, lucerne hammers and bec de corbins always have hammerheads and backspikes.

For game purposes, I believe it's totally reasonable to treat all of the "complex" poleweapons as poleaxes - glaives, voulges, bills, partisans - all of those wacky stick/blade combos Gygax loved so much. Yes, they're all different, and all have different fighting styles, but there are distinct similarities that set them apart as a category.

Offence

The complex polearms, as exemplified by the poleaxe, are generally good for both utterly devastating two-handed swings and powerful thrusts. For an idea of the force involved, imagine smashing a melon with a baseball bat. Now imagine the baseball bat is twice as long and has a metal hammer head on the end.

The poleaxe can easily pulp the skull of an unarmoured man, the axehead can sever limbs, and the topspike can easily force its way between the links of chain mail. The topspike even has a chance of piercing through a breastplate.

The guards and actions of the poleaxe are something of a hybrid between the longsword and the spear. Its use is also something of a hybrid of the two, the main difference from the longsword being the extended reach and the ability to trap the opponent's weapon with the complex head. The main difference with the spear is the equal focus on striking and thrusting.

This guard is shared by the longsword, poleaxe, and major league baseball. Fiore calls it the "Guard of the Woman" (Posta di Donna). Much like a baseball player, the master is prepared to swing the axe around with a hip rotation, imparting devastating speed and power to the axehead.

Defence

As the poleaxe is typically used by a fully armoured man against another fully armoured man, grappling is integral to defense, as even with a poleaxe it's not always easy to down a man in full plate harness. It's not uncommon for two combatants with poleaxes to get their axeheads tangled on the ground and abandon their poleaxes and switch to their daggers or to attempting a throw.

A combination axe/grappling play. The scholar (on the left) has obtained a key (a type of arm hold) on his opponent, immobilizing him for a counterstrike.

Otherwise, much like with offense, poleaxe defenses can be similar to spear or longsword plays, either seeking to knock the opponent's weapon offline and thrust, or to beat aside and land a strike.

Confined Spaces

Edit: updated Longsword length to be 4', a better estimate than 3.5'.

Previously, I'd talked about reach in the abstract, without considering the space you're in. How do we deal with the restrictions imposed on fighting by a confined space? I've touched on this issue here before, in my post Dungeoneering Tools: The Spear, but I'd like to develop something a bit more general, as the subject of confined spaces obviously affects more than just the spear.

Confined Spaces

What constitutes a confined space is going to vary based on what kind of weapon you're used. A space that is "confined" for a spear could be spacious for a dagger. There are also some weapons that have options for how to fight with them - something like a longsword can be held with one or two hands on the hilt, or with one hand on the hilt and one hand on the blade (called "halfsword"). A spear can be gripped in thirds (the usual way for single combat) or with one or two hands down at the butt (for formation combat).

See below for a detailed and simplified chart of how much space different weapons need to be used effectively.

Effects of Confined Spaces

If you don't have enough space (in any dimension) for using your weapon properly, you don't get any Defense or Attack bonus for your weapon. Also, any rolls above 10 on your d20 attack roll count as a 10.

If the space is too small to wield the weapon at all (e.g. trying to use a 7' spear in a 6'x6' closet), obviously you can't use it at all.


Weapon Reach

The reach of a weapon is equal to: the length of the weapon past the hand + the length of the arm + the length of one step + a little bit for body positioning. Anything within the reach of the weapon is a potential target.

Footwork

In addition to the length of the weapon, there's also the footwork required for using it effectively. This is fairly consistent across weapons, and can probably be generalized to about one step per round in any direction.

Weapon Usage Style

There's also the matter of usage style. Spear, longsword, and poleaxe immediately occur as having a couple of options for how to use them.

Spears, poleaxes, and longswords can be held in thirds (i.e. each hand 1/3 from the respective end) or at the butt (i.e. both hands down near the end). Holding a spear by the butt gives it great reach, but limits its offensive and defensive power. Holding a spear in thirds gives its attacks and parries great power, and opens up the possibility of using the spear as a lever when grappling (e.g. a missed thrust to the head turns into an attempt to knock the person down by hooking the spear around behind their head and pulling them down).

Poleaxes and longswords can be swung when held at the butt, which for poleaxes obviously needs a great deal of room.

Space Requirements

Most weapons are going to need a radius of their reach around them, and probably space above them (approximately weapon length + shoulder height) above them.

Let's categorize weapons:

Detailed table:

Weapon	Length (effective)	Max Reach (length + arm + step + lean)	Min width (length x 2 + step x 2 OR step x 2 for thrusting-only weapons)	Min Height (6' wielder) (length+shoulder height)
Dagger	1	8	8	6
Axe/Mace	2	9	10	7
Arming Sword	3	10	12	8
Long Sword	4	11	14	9
Long Sword (halfsword)	4 (1)	8	8	7
Spear (thirds)	7 (3)	10	12-16	8-11
Spear (butt)	7 (5)	12	6	6
Poleaxe	6 (2-4)	9-11	14	9

And, an extremely simplified version, because that's a lot of fiddly numbers:

Weapon	Length (effective)	Max Reach	Min width	Min Height
Dagger	1	S	S	S
Axe/Mace	2	S	S	M
Arming Sword	3	M	M	M
Long Sword	4	M	M	M
Long Sword (halfsword)	4 (1)	S	S	S
Spear (thirds)	7 (3)	M	L	L
Spear (butt)	7 (5)	L	S	S
Poleaxe	6 (2-4)	M	L	L

For this table, S / M / L:
Reach: 8' / 10' / 12'
Width: 8' / 12' / 16'
Height: 6' / 8' / 10'

The 0-Level Man-at-arms

For some reason, D&D has gotten it into its head that men-at-arms would be 0-level. This trope dates back pretty far, and is taken as canon by many.

Let's examine this for a minute, though.

The historical term "man-at-arms" was used to denote a professional cavalryman in full armour. Knights would be an example of a man-at-arms, but many men-at-arms were not knights. In D&D, however, the term tends to be used to refer to any professional soldier, regardless of equipment.

In either case, though, the term refers to a professional.

The idea that a professional solder has the same odds of hitting in combat as an untrained peasant is, frankly, laughable. This professional, in fact, has lower odds of hitting in combat than your fresh-faced 1st-Level Fighter with 0 XP.

In an older edition like BECMI (my old stand-by), a professional soldier with training and experience should probably be around level 3 - greater odds of hitting, and much more survivable than an untrained peasant.

On average, a peasant (AC 9, 1-6 HP, Attack +0) will take around 5 rounds to kill a Level 3 fighter (AC 9, 3-18 HP, Attack +3). The Level 3 fighter will only take around 1 or 2 rounds to kill the peasant. The difference swells, obviously, if you give the man-at-arms armour.

Conclusions? City watchmen, mook guards, anyone with no real training - 0-level or Fighter 1.

Serious men-at-arms, with training and experience? Probably Fighter 3-5.

Magic Weapons

A few ideas for magic weapons that are a little more interesting than the old +1 attack/+1 damage.

I especially like the idea of having magic weapons that have a drawback as well as a benefit, or a purely situational benefit, or even a non-combat function.

See also Eric's post at the Dragon's Flagon here. He does a great job of outlining the problems with ordinary +1 weapons, and offers some cool ideas to help ameliorate the situation. I especially like his idea of "hero" weapons and "rune" weapons.

Some of these weapons have Spells and Steel specific powers, but many of them are applicable to any old-school-style game.

Stay tuned for more!

Swords

• Longsword, blade engraved with twisting serpents
• On an attack roll of 15+, enemy's weapon shatters (unless magical). On a roll of 1, breaks in two. The halves can be reforged by any swordsmith, and the sword will retain its power.
• Very long, thin sword - inscribed on blade is "it fades away, into nothing, and so is as the air"
• Wielder always knows just how to move the blade to block any attacks - effectively cannot be hit by one opponent, so long as the user doesn't attack.
• Longsword, blade, quillons, and pommel all tinted black
• Bizarrely poorly balanced, and almost impossible to swing, but the edge is exceptionally keen. -10 to Attack and Defense, but roll 4d6 for damage.

Spears

• Drips blood when held. Roll d10 for damage instead of d6.
• Moves with exceptional nimbleness. Can fight an additional enemy without penalty.

Maces

• Feels almost weightless. Ignores all armour.
• Feels exceptionally heavy. Requires high strength (13+) to use (otherwise, -5 to hit and no damage bonus). Roll 2d6 for damage.

Axes

• Looks like a woodman's axe, but handles like a battleaxe. Cuts through wood like it was butter.

Daggers

• Exceedingly sharp. Ignores all armour.
• Ivory handle, pommel in shape of a fat man. Any food cut with this dagger is absolutely delicious.

Complex Polearms

• Poleaxe - Gives wielder an imposing and fearsome mien. Enemies have a -4 modifier to their morale role.

Scabbard

• Wielder doesn't bleed - doesn't take more wounds while hors de combat, automatically passes all Fortitude checks.

Classes: The Fighter

A first-level Fighter should be a force to be reckoned with. This isn't just someone who picked up a sword. They have either seen battle, or have extensive training. Or maybe both. They should almost always win a fight against an untrained opponent.

Fighter

• Backgrounds:
• Sellsword, Bandit, Man-at-arms, Hedge Knight, Yeoman, Squire, Knight, Noble
• Abilities:
• Use any weapon
• Ignore first failed Fortitude check
• +2 to Attack and Defence
• Advancement by:
• Surviving Battles, training
• Further Advancement:
• +1 to Attack and Defence
• Every second level, fight an additional opponent without penalty

I haven't quite figured out the advancement rate for these things, but I definitely want to tie the advancement of each class to their key talents.

Next up: the Magician.