D&D 5E Monk rules question

[Charlaquin]

Player wants to hold a crossbow (crossbow expert) and a Longsword at the same time, take the attack action at lvl 5, to deliver an unarmed strike with the first attack (a kick) proccing Agile Parry, then drop the sword, shoot the crossbow with the second attack during the attack action and use the crossbow expert's bonus action to fire the crossbow again (with hand free) and then pick up the sword.

I would say yes, with the provision that, instead of dropping the sword, the character throws it up in the air, fires the hand crossbow both times while it’s in the air, and then catches it on its way back down. Because come on, can you get any more WUXIA?

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Purely by the rules stated there, unless the character was attacked while shooting their handbow during their turn, they would get the AC bonus.

However its a pretty major violation of Rule 7 in my book, and I'm with Elfcrusher as to the correct method of handling it.

 

[jaelis]

I'm fine with this scenario myself, but it seems like a pretty ineffective way to make a crossbow expert fighter.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Player wants to hold a crossbow (crossbow expert) and a Longsword at the same time, take the attack action at lvl 5, to deliver an unarmed strike with the first attack (a kick) proccing Agile Parry, then drop the sword, shoot the crossbow with the second attack during the attack action and use the crossbow expert's bonus action to fire the crossbow again (with hand free) and then pick up the sword.

Nah. He can attack twice with the sword and then bonus action with the crossbow, or he can kick stab shoot, or punch, shoot, draw sword, stab.

Or let him ignore the free hard thing, if you don’t think it’s broken to do so. I’ve been running a rogue with a revolver hand crossbow that I have to reload as a bonus action every 6 shots, and don’t need a hand free to operate, and it hasn’t put me ahead of anyone. It’s on par with letting the caster use his weapons to perform somatic components. It’s a houserule, but it’s practicalky a ribbon level benefit. All it does is make the game more convenient for that player.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Purely by the rules stated there, unless the character was attacked while shooting their handbow during their turn, they would get the AC bonus.

However its a pretty major violation of Rule 7 in my book, and I'm with Elfcrusher as to the correct method of handling it.

how so?

 

[Oofta]

If someone tried this in my campaign, the sword (or the crossbow) would end up in the enemy's hands more often than not.

I know it's technically not against the rules, but I don't want silliness for the sake of achieving some in-game benefit. I could see working something out with a repeating crossbow, but the visuals of drop/kick/pick up ... no.

It really depends on the DM and group. A lot of groups don't care about what it would look like as long as it adheres to the letter of the rules.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

If someone tried this in my campaign, the sword (or the crossbow) would end up in the enemy's hands more often than not.

I know it's technically not against the rules, but I don't want silliness for the sake of achieving some in-game benefit. I could see working something out with a repeating crossbow, but the visuals of drop/kick/pick up ... no.

It really depends on the DM and group. A lot of groups don't care about what it would look like as long as it adheres to the letter of the rules.

Same. I’d be fine with reflavor it the whole thing to make sense, or fudging the order of operations so that it is sensible in the fiction of the game, or with houseruling out the “free hand required to reload” thing, and I’d be open to other possibilities. Mechanically, getting to make a melee Attack and two ranged attacks with a hand crossbow, at the cost of a feat, just isn’t a big deal. I’m 100% fine with letting the feat eliminate the loading property entirely.

But it has to make sense somehow in the game world, or it isn’t allowed.

 

[TwoSix]

Sure, why not? Crossbow expert is only really abusive when crossed with Sharpshooter. Even if he took Sharpshooter, he just sacrificed two feats and one Sharpshooter attack to gain a +2 AC bonus he could have had anyway but just spending ASIs and using normal weapons. This is a flavor build, not a powergaming build.

 

[Baph0met]

Interesting case of Order of Operations (or actions in sequence) we have going.

Could the player, holding only the hand crossbow on turn 1 (which is one of his Kensei weapons) move, make an unarmed attack using stunning strike, fire hand crossbow with advantage using the bonus action granted by Crossbow Expert which states "when you use the attack action and attack with a "one handed" weapon (unarmed strike) you can use a bonus action to attack with a hand crossbow you are holding" then draw the Longsword (interact/environment) and attack with it as the second attack to gain the AC bonus from Agile Parry?

If yes, can the player, now holding both the crossbow and the sword on turn two, throw sword into the air as a flavorful way to "drop" the weapon, take the attack action to fire the hand crossbow, use the bonus action from crossbow expert to fire the hand crossbow again, "catch" the longsword (interact/environment) and use the second attack to make an unarmed strike triggering Agile Parry?

Would and of this be considered "dual wielding" and therefore require a light weapon (short sword) in place of the Longsword?

Thanks.

 

[cooperjer]

Interesting case of Order of Operations (or actions in sequence) we have going.

Could the player, holding only the hand crossbow on turn 1 (which is one of his Kensei weapons) move, make an unarmed attack using stunning strike, fire hand crossbow with advantage using the bonus action granted by Crossbow Expert which states "when you use the attack action and attack with a "one handed" weapon (unarmed strike) you can use a bonus action to attack with a hand crossbow you are holding" then draw the Longsword (interact/environment) and attack with it as the second attack to gain the AC bonus from Agile Parry?

If yes, can the player, now holding both the crossbow and the sword on turn two, throw sword into the air as a flavorful way to "drop" the weapon, take the attack action to fire the hand crossbow, use the bonus action from crossbow expert to fire the hand crossbow again, "catch" the longsword (interact/environment) and use the second attack to make an unarmed strike triggering Agile Parry?

Would and of this be considered "dual wielding" and therefore require a light weapon (short sword) in place of the Longsword?

Thanks.

It's worth noting that unarmed strikes are weapon attacks, but not attacks with weapons. However, the hand crossbow is a one handed weapon in which the character did make an attack with. Thus to trigger the crossbow expert bonus action the hand crossbow attack will suffice. I believe the character will have to spend either a bonus action or attack action making an unarmed strike with a melee weapon in hand to gain the bonus to AC.