D&D 5E Can a two weapon Fighter cast magic (Eldritch Knight)?

[Wik]

You know, if you item juggled once or twice, as the GM, I'd be okay with it. But if it was something you were doing every fight, I'd ask you to stop. If you insisted, well, I'd ask you to rethink your choices, or find another table.

Item juggling is one of those super mechanical abuses that kind of ruins the spirit of the game.

Best option? Talk to your GM about your concerns. See if you can work something out. Maybe you can make your bonded weapon your material focus? Do that, and you can use it as your somatic and material component, which solves this problem nicely.

Personally, though, I'd avoid two weapon fighting as an eldritch knight. Use your bonus actions for your spells!

 

[green_destiny]

Thanks for the replies. Just helping out a player.

Its open to DM's interpretation but as per PHB under Positions and Movements, dropping a weapon and seathing a weapon, getting a potion from your backpack is a Free object interaction move. So one may rule out that an Eldritch two weapon fighter may:

Round 1. Drop a weapon; cast a spell
Round 2: Pick up the dropped weapon

*Repeat if he'd like to cast a spell again*

Or he should get a War Caster Feat.

 

[Lazorne]

I would say you can without fault thanks to the errata of the PH

"Two-Handed (p. 147).
This property
is relevant only when you attack with the
weapon, not when you simply hold it"

As we can see you can hold the weapon in one hand, except when attacking. If you do a S spell attack you do have one hand free thanks to the errata. There is no need to take War Caster just to enable you to cast S spells, but the other buffs it gives you makes it worth taking.

 

[aramis erak]

THis might or might not work in your game. I have had GMs require Use An Object to stow a weapon safely, working on the assumption that the free object interaction is only for very simple actions. Drawing a weapon is a simple action; putting it away without hurting yourself is not simple.

Then your GM isn't actually playing by the rules as written, where an interaction can stow a weapon safely.

 

[Prism]

As others have said, sheath one weapon as part of move or attack (interact). Then case the spell with a free hand. Use a spell component pouch during casting if you need material components

Next round draw the second weapon if needed

This is exactly the same as a character might need to do when using a weapon and shield. Clerics often need to do this. The difference with weapon and shield is that you have no weapon for opportunity attacks between rounds

Note: you can dual wield weapon and staff and have no issues since a staff is a spellcasting focus

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

Then your GM isn't actually playing by the rules as written, where an interaction can stow a weapon safely.

"The DM might require you to use an action for any of these activities when it needs special care or when it presents an unusual obstacle. "
Basic Rules V0.2, page 70.

You could argue (and I do, at my table) that stowing a weapon requires special care. Putting a blade into a sheath or a halfted wepaon into a belt loop requires more care that provided by the free interaction.

 

[Prickly]

Honestly as a DM I just ignore that.

it seems to be a rather fiddly interaction that goes against the spirit of the system.

 

[GX.Sigma]

The way I'd run it:

Round 1: Attack with weapon 1 (action), attack with weapon 2 (bonus action)
Round 2: Sheathe weapon 2 (free), cast spell (action)
Round 3: Draw weapon 2 (free), attack with weapon 1 (action), attack with weapon 2 (bonus action)

 

[Prism]

"The DM might require you to use an action for any of these activities when it needs special care or when it presents an unusual obstacle. "
Basic Rules V0.2, page 70.

You could argue (and I do, at my table) that stowing a weapon requires special care. Putting a blade into a sheath or a halfted wepaon into a belt loop requires more care that provided by the free interaction.

Sure you could rule that but sheathing a weapon is actually listed as one of the examples on that same page that can be done with interaction. Saying that, I do debate that list of examples, in particular withdraw a potion from a backpack which I would require an action for. If you want something quickly put it in your belt pouch

 

[Prism]

Then your GM isn't actually playing by the rules as written, where an interaction can stow a weapon safely.

More of an example than a rule but I do agree it should be an interaction.