10' Pole in Combat, and other pole-related oddities

[panaikhan]

Hi :)
This may be a strange question to ask, but what, exactly, are the combat statistics of a 10' Pole?
I've looked everywhere I can think of, and can't find any references to it.

If I have to make something up, then I suggest the following:
1D6 damage (B), Reach, Trip, Fragile (masterwork removes the 'fragile' quality).

I'm asking because I am increasingly tempted to make a Bard (Pole Dancer) character, who gain weapon proficiency and weapon familiarity with 10' Poles.

Before anyone asks, yes, the Pole Dancer was an april fools (in "Call To Arms: 10' Pole") but its only a tweak of Dervish Dancer and seems very playable.

Another question in regards to a Pole Dancer Bard - there is a cantrip that allows Bards to summon a normal instrument for short periods. Could a Pole Dancer therefore summon a 10' Pole with it (since its their 'instrument' of choice)?

[Sian]

improvised weapon rules in Complete Warrior p159.

twohander
1d6 bulgeoning
reach

[Psyren]

atemu, your phone isn't loading the thread tags again Whoops, I looked more at the avatar and not the poster - sorry atemu, I thought that was you.

@ Sian - it's a PF thread so the CWar improvised weapon rules don't apply.

@OP: Do you mean this archetype? The crunch is OGC and the PDF is free so I'll just post it here.

Spoiler

Show

Pole Dancer

A pole dancer has the following class features.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Pole dancers gain weapon proficiency with the ten-foot pole. This ability replaces their proficiency with the rapier, but their other proficiencies remain the same.

Battle Dance (Ex): A pole dancer is trained in the use of the Perform (dance) skill, to create magical effects on herself. This works like bardic performance, except the pole dancer only affects herself, and does not need to be able to see or hear her own performance. Battle dancing is treated as bardic performance for the purposes of feats, abilities, effects, and the like that affect bardic performance, except that battle dancing does not benefit from the Lingering Performance feat or any other ability that allows a bardic performance to grant bonuses after it has ended. Battle dancing benefits apply only when the bard is wearing light or no armor and using a ten-foot pole. Like bardic performance, it cannot be maintained at the same time as other performance abilities.

Starting a battle dance is a move action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. Changing a battle dance from one effect to another requires the pole dancer to stop the previous performance and start the new one as a move action. Like a bard, a pole dancer’s performance ends immediately if she is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action each round. A pole dancer cannot perform more than one battle dance at a time.

At 10th level, a pole dancer can start a battle dance as a swift action instead of a move action. Pole dancers gain the inspire courage, inspire greatness, and inspire heroics bardic performance types as battle dances, but these only provide benefit to the pole dancer herself.

Ten-Foot Pole Familiarity (Ex): When wielding a ten-foot pole, a pole dancer can use her Dexterity modifier instead of her Strength modifier on melee attack and damage rolls. She may treat the ten-foot pole as a one-handed piercing weapon for all feats and class abilities that require such a weapon (such as a duelist’s precise strike ability). The ten-foot pole must be for a creature of your size. You cannot use this feat if you are carrying a weapon or shield in your off-hand.

This ability replaces bardic knowledge.

Alluring Performance (Ex): At 2nd level, a pole dancer gains the ability to execute an alluring performance in addition to her bardic performance ability. An alluring performance is exactly like a bardic performance with the following exceptions.

A pole dancer can use an alluring performance to recreate the effects of any of her known bardic performances, but she focuses the performance on only a single target within range. While other creatures see and hear a pole dancer’s alluring performance, only the target of this ability is affected by it. A pole dancer cannot have a bardic performance and an alluring performance in effect at the same time. Every round spent engaged in an alluring performance counts against the total number of rounds per day she can use her bardic performance, and she cannot use this ability if she does not have any more rounds of bardic performance left for that day.

Starting an alluring performance is a standard action; at 7th level, it becomes a move action, and at 13th level, it becomes a swift action. A pole dancer adds a +2 bonus to the DC of Will saves made to resist the effects of her fascinate, frightening tune, and suggestion alluring performances.

When a pole dancer uses her alluring performance ability to emulate inspire competence, inspire courage, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics, any bonuses to AC or on ability checks, attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and skill checks increase by +1. For example, a pole dancer using inspire heroics as an alluring performance would grant her target a +5 morale bonus on saving throws and a +5 dodge bonus to AC, instead of the usual +4 bonuses.

This ability replaces well-versed.

Acrobatic Dance (Ex): At 2nd level, a pole dancer gains a bonus equal to half her level on Perform (dance) checks. He can use his bonus for his Perform (dance) skill in place of her bonus for Acrobatics.

This ability replaces versatile performance.

Twirling Caster (Ex) At 5th level, a pole dancer gains a +4 bonus on concentration checks to cast spells defensively while holding her pole.

This ability replaces lore master.

Swinging Pole (Su): At 6th level, a pole dancer can use her battle dance to speed up her attacks. When making a full attack action, she may make one extra attack with any pole that she is holding, as though under the effects of a haste spell. She also gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and on Reflex saves. At 9th level, and every three bard levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by +1, to a maximum of +5 at 18th level. These bonuses do not stack with the haste spell.

This ability replaces suggestion and mass suggestion.

Spinning Fury (Su): At 8th level, when using battle dance, the pole dancer can slam her pole onto the ground or stable surface, and have it bind to the floor, allowing her to increase her spinning motion. By spending a move action focusing on her spinning, the pole dancer can apply the Quicken Spell feat to any spell she is about to cast (effectively spending a move action and swift action to cast the spell). This does not alter the level of the spell or the casting time. The pole dancer can use this ability once per day at 8th level and one additional time per day for every two pole dancer levels she has beyond 8th.

This ability replaces the dirge of doom bardic performance.

Flinging Impact (Su): At 8th level, a pole dancer can use her battle dance to improve her pole’s critical range. All attacks she makes with her ten-foot pole are treated as though she had the Improved Critical feat.

This ability replaces dirge of doom.

Swinging Pole (Su): At 12th level, a pole dancer can attack more than once as she moves while performing a battle dance. She can combine a full-attack action with a single move, taking the attacks at any point during his movement, but must move at least 5 feet between each attack. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.

This ability replaces soothing performance.

Phoenix Dance (Su): At 14th level, a pole dancer can use her battle dance to evade attacks with acrobatic grace and to shake off the effects of her wounds. Unlike other battle dances, Phoenix dance requires a standard action each round to start or maintain the performance. Each round it is maintained, including the first, the pole dancer gains a +6 dodge bonus to Armor Class and on Reflex saves. If wounded, she heals 1 hit point of damage per bard level.

This ability replaces frightening tune.

Flying Tigerlilly (Su): At 20th level, the pole dancer can unleash a whirlwind of blows while performing a battle dance. As a full-round action, she can take a single move action to plant her pole on the ground and unleash a single attack at his highest bonus against each target within her reach during any point of his move, up to a maximum number of attacks equal to the dervish dancer’s character level. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.

This ability replaces deadly performance.

Other than the wonkiness of having some abilities with the same name (e.g. there are two "Swinging Poles," one at 6th and one at 12th - these could simply be combined) and two abilities that replace dirge of doom (was one of them meant to replace Jack-of-all-trades instead? Especially since this appears to be one of the less knowledgeable bard archetypes, not that I have anything against pole dancers ), it seems a solid archetype.

The ability to quicken spells for free up to 7/day is great for any gish. As written, you can use Alluring Performance on yourself, though with Battle Dance you shouldn't need to. Swinging Pole (the second one) also gives them a form of pounce, but you'll need lots of Acrobatics or high AC/miss chance to avoid getting your clock cleaned while you use it. Of course, you also get Dex to attack and damage, so having huge acrobatics numbers shouldn't be an issue.

[atemu1234]

atemu, your phone isn't loading the thread tags again

@OP: Do you mean this archetype? The crunch is OGC and the PDF is free so I'll just post it here.



Other than the wonkiness of having some abilities with the same name (e.g. there are two "Swinging Poles," one at 6th and one at 12th - these could simply be combined) and two abilities that replace dirge of doom (was one of them meant to replace Jack-of-all-trades instead? Especially since this appears to be one of the less knowledgeable bard archetypes, not that I have anything against pole dancers ), it seems a solid archetype.

The ability to quicken spells for free up to 7/day is great for any gish. As written, you can use Alluring Performance on yourself, though with Battle Dance you shouldn't need to. Swinging Pole (the second one) also gives them a form of pounce, but you'll need lots of Acrobatics or high AC/miss chance to avoid getting your clock cleaned while you use it. Of course, you also get Dex to attack and damage, so having huge acrobatics numbers shouldn't be an issue.

Can I laugh at the fact there's an archetype called "Pole-Dancer"?

[Psyren]

Can I laugh at the fact there's an archetype called "Pole-Dancer"?

Sorry about the above, I edited.

But yeah, it's an April Fool's joke from a third-party publisher so I think they were intentionally trying to be funny

[danzibr]

I think I have my next character :)

[Psyren]

Oops, I got so caught up in reading and posting that that I forgot to answer the OP's questions

(a) Normally a 10ft. pole is an improvised weapon, which calls for you to look at the weapons table and find something similar. The closest analogue would likely be a Large-sized quarterstaff with reach - the size penalty representing how unwieldy using such a long object in combat might be for a medium creature. (Compare to the longspear, which also has reach, but is only 8ft. long.) Because the Pole Dancer gets proficiency with it, you would not have to take Catch-Off Guard or Improvised Weapon Mastery to avoid further penalties.

(b) Summon Instrument won't work here - while the pole could be employed in your dancing fluffwise, in terms of the rules Perform (dance) does not use an instrument.

[panaikhan]

Could I just re-fluff 'summon instrument' to 'summon tool' with the same limitations? All I'm trying to get is a 10' pole.
I just love the idea of it. And I've used 'summon instrument' to hit people before (Krang the Musicless, Orc Bard). Maybe a 10' long flute?

[Psyren]

Could I just re-fluff 'summon instrument' to 'summon tool' with the same limitations? All I'm trying to get is a 10' pole.
I just love the idea of it. And I've used 'summon instrument' to hit people before (Krang the Musicless, Orc Bard). Maybe a 10' long flute?

It costs 5 coppers mang how broke is your guy anyway?

[panaikhan]

It's not the money.
Have you tried living your normal life, while carrying a 10' long pole?
Getting through doorways?
Climbing stairs?
Walking around a crowded pub, where the ceiling is barely 6'?

[Psyren]

The book you're getting this archetype from also has a folding pole for 2sp. Or you can use extradimensional storage, robe of useful items etc.

[(Un)Inspired]

It's not the money.
Have you tried living your normal life, while carrying a 10' long pole?
Getting through doorways?
Climbing stairs?
Walking around a crowded pub, where the ceiling is barely 6'?

Dude, you're an exotic dancer who shows up with her own stripper pole. People will make room for you.

[danzibr]

Dude, you're an exotic dancer who shows up with her own stripper pole. People will make room for you.

This is true.

And... a 6' ceiling? Is this a Halfling bar?

[Chronos]

Why are you assuming that the character is female?

And the last time I had a bard with need for a ten-foot pole, I summoned a didgeridoo.

[(Un)Inspired]

Why are you assuming that the character is female?

And the last time I had a bard with need for a ten-foot pole, I summoned a didgeridoo.

I said female because all the class features use feminine pronouns for their examples. If someone's Magic Mike character want to come into a pub to put on his bardic performance I'm gonna give him just as much space/cheers/gp in his g-string/ etc. etc.

[Psyren]

I said female because all the class features use feminine pronouns for their examples. If someone's Magic Mike character want to come into a pub to put on his bardic performance I'm gonna give him just as much space/cheers/gp in his g-string/ etc. etc.

I like you

[atemu1234]

I said female because all the class features use feminine pronouns for their examples. If someone's Magic Mike character want to come into a pub to put on his bardic performance I'm gonna give him just as much space/cheers/gp in his g-string/ etc. etc.

Well, I have my next character idea.

[danzibr]

I said female because all the class features use feminine pronouns for their examples. If someone's Magic Mike character want to come into a pub to put on his bardic performance I'm gonna give him just as much space/cheers/gp in his g-string/ etc. etc.

Actually, I was reading it closely and noticed one instances of ``he,'' under Acrobatic Dance.

[(Un)Inspired]

I like you

Thank ya

[Molosse]

Hi :)
This may be a strange question to ask, but what, exactly, are the combat statistics of a 10' Pole?
I've looked everywhere I can think of, and can't find any references to it.

If I have to make something up, then I suggest the following:
1D6 damage (B), Reach, Trip, Fragile (masterwork removes the 'fragile' quality).

I'm asking because I am increasingly tempted to make a Bard (Pole Dancer) character, who gain weapon proficiency and weapon familiarity with 10' Poles.

Before anyone asks, yes, the Pole Dancer was an april fools (in "Call To Arms: 10' Pole") but its only a tweak of Dervish Dancer and seems very playable.

Another question in regards to a Pole Dancer Bard - there is a cantrip that allows Bards to summon a normal instrument for short periods. Could a Pole Dancer therefore summon a 10' Pole with it (since its their 'instrument' of choice)?

Not sure how relevant it is, but when discussing the idea of using "Catch Off Guard" with a Pole-Arm such as a Longspear to threaten adjacent squares etc James Jacobs suggested using the rules for a Club held in two hands for the butt of the weapon.

So yeah, D6 x2 Blunt held in two hands.

[panaikhan]

Continuing the 'Pole Dancer' archetype:
Does it seem reasonable to apply the Quarterstaff combat feats to the 10' Pole?
A pole dancer "treats a 10' pole as a single handed piercing weapon with regards to feats and class abilities" - this seems to fit in perfectly with the Swashbuckler class / Amateur Swashbuckler Feat. Correct?

[panaikhan]

bump bump bumpety bump