Weapon Length

The actual size of a weapon has little to do with the space needed to wield it. An awl pike is 12 to 20 feet long, yet since it is a thrusting weapon it needs virtually no space side-to-side. It does, however, need that 12 to 20 feet in front! A sabre and a battle-axe are about the same size, but the battle axe requires more space--the sabre can be thrust straight forward into a narrower space, while the battle axe must be swung mightily, which takes a lot of space.

The DM must decide whether a character has enough space to use a particular weapon in a particular setting and situation.

As a guideline, the AD&D rules assume that two fighters using swords can work side-by-side in a 10-foot-wide area. The same space would be filled by one fighter using a two-handed sword.

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