D&D 5E Why so few magic polearms in the DMG?

[Panda-s1]

Because the majority of fighters in the world don't use polearms? The world shouldn't bend itself around the PCs. Also, not everyone subscribes to the notion of "the rule of cool."

who cares about the "majority"? also why shouldn't the world "bend itself around the PCs"? this is Dungeons & Dragons, part of the point is how adventurers shape the world.

 

[Charlaquin]

So martial techniques that let you smack somebody with the non-pointy end of a spear, or stab them with the pointy end before they get inside your reach are less common than the ability to make magical weapons?

Anybody can smack somebody with the non-pointy end of a spear, the way the game handles that mechanically is with the improvised weapons rules. Anybody can stab with the pointy end of a glave or halberd or whatever before they get within your reach, that’s handled with the reach property. The specific set of mechanical abilities granted by the Polearm Master Feat don’t represent any particular Thing That Exists In The World, they’re just... Well, a specific set of mechanical abilities players can access at certain levels in lieu of improving an ability score. The rules aren’t meant to precisely model the laws of the fictional reality like a physics engine, and trying to analyze them like they are leads to silly results.

 

[Shiroiken]

who cares about the "majority"? also why shouldn't the world "bend itself around the PCs"? this is Dungeons & Dragons, part of the point is how adventurers shape the world.

If the world automatically shapes to the PCs, then nothing the players choose actually matters. Either they are just going through the motions of whatever the DM has already decided, or the players are the ones creating the world, making the DM irrelevant. I've been in both of those types of games, and they're boring as hell.

IMO, a good DM designs a world without the PCs, while the players design characters that fit into the world. The DM then designs a series of events (adventures) that the PCs use to shape the world. Once the world and series of events have been set, the DM becomes a storyteller and neutral arbiter of the PCs actions. It is in this environment that the players' choices have the greatest impact, and makes their shaping of the world meaningful.

 

[Panda-s1]

If the world automatically shapes to the PCs, then nothing the players choose actually matters. Either they are just going through the motions of whatever the DM has already decided, or the players are the ones creating the world, making the DM irrelevant. I've been in both of those types of games, and they're boring as hell.

IMO, a good DM designs a world without the PCs, while the players design characters that fit into the world. The DM then designs a series of events (adventures) that the PCs use to shape the world. Once the world and series of events have been set, the DM becomes a storyteller and neutral arbiter of the PCs actions. It is in this environment that the players' choices have the greatest impact, and makes their shaping of the world meaningful.

I make world full of spears. spears are considered the "good" weapon. people speak of the legendary heroes of old, all of whom wielded magical spears as their gods-granted destiny. swords? only weirdos use swords. the ranger who planned a build entirely around dual wielding swords openly weeps.

 

[der_kluge]

I made the mistake of putting an intelligent polearm in that could cast cure spells.

My bad.

I put a magic intelligent dragon-slaying scythe in my game. Ok, not technically a polearm, but still. The players traded it for other things. lol

 

[Shiroiken]

I make world full of spears. spears are considered the "good" weapon. people speak of the legendary heroes of old, all of whom wielded magical spears as their gods-granted destiny. swords? only weirdos use swords. the ranger who planned a build entirely around dual wielding swords openly weeps.

Only if the player was completely unaware of this in advance, which is the fault of the DM. If the player was aware, but chose to use swords anyway, then that's on them.

Oh, and interestingly I've played in a game where daggers, clubs, and staves were the only weapon available, because possesion of anything else was punishable by death (as decreed by the god-emperor).

 

[Minigiant]

Here's another thing

Some of the representations of Earth pantheon and war gods weapons are missing.

Zeus: Javelin of Lightning (javelin)
Poseidon: Trident of Fish command (trident)
Hades: No Magic Bident in DMG (trident)
Ares: ??? (spear)
Athena: ???? (spear)

Odin: No Magic Spear in DMG (spear)
Thor: Hammer of Thunderbolts (warhammer)
Loki: ??? ... Dagger of Venom (dagger)
Surtr: Flame Tongue (longsword)

Ra: Sun Blade (longsword)
Osiris: ???? (flail)
Set: ??? (spear)

If you keep going, you run into a lot of swords, spears, and maces.

 

[prabe]

It’s a little difficult to explain why a thing doesnt matter to me - a bit like trying to prove a negative. But I’ll try to explain as best I can.

The idea that the existence of the PAM Feat would make characters in the world more likely to make magic polearms relies on an underlying assumption that that he PAM Feat is a thing that exists in the world of the fiction, which is not an assumption that I share. I don’t see the existence of Feats as having that kind of far-reaching setting implication, because I don’t see Feats as concrete elements of the setting. They’re just special abilities that player characters can access, not in-universe martial techniques that people routinely practice and learn.

Thanks for the good-faith answer. That's a pretty good explanation from here.

I guess my thinking is that if there are enough people who can access the abilities in PAM, then there will be more demand for magic polearms. Obviously, opinions on which outcomes are logical (reasonable? probable?) vary. It doesn't seem to me as though there's a wrong answer here.

 

[Coroc]

The paladin in the Greyhawk campaign i DM has gotten a Halberd which does 1d12 and has disruption last session.

Talk with your DM or be creative if you are the DM. Either should not be difficult.

Do not always complain about the official stuff, many players will judge a weapon only by its stats or looks not historical context, usefulness in certain situations etc. The items in the DMG are for those. Everyone else can be creative by reskinning and refluffing.

Weapons are fluff not crunch. If you play in some AL or so where only official magic items are allowed then you have to plan accordingly. But see it positive, knowing that your chances are better for swords you can build your character accordingly.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Again the main culpit is that most polearms got popularity after the classical era. Most D&D "named generic" weapons are based on ones from mythology and polearms weren't much used then.

The Ancient Greeks, Romans, Celts, Egyptians, Nubians, Sumerians, Chinese, etc didn't use polearms besides spears much.

If you convert the Greek hero and God weapons to generic forms, you'll get a bunch of spears, javelins, pikes, and tridents.

Best best is to convert Three Kingdoms China weapons. They used a few polearms.

A DM gave me a Halberd of Nonpursuing once.

Oh my god nice and yes that's a good idea re Three Kingdoms.