D&D 5E (2014) How do you rule switching weapons?

[Sleepy Walker]

Movement.

My current table plays where each weapon drawn or stowed is 5ft. I am expanding that in my campaign to be a different penalty for different sizes of weapons (light = 5ft, normal = 10ft, heavy = 15ft).

I am currently on the side of DM judgment with regards to picking up and item interaction. The current rules seems a bit.... restrictive when trying to do something like pick two keys up off a table while in initiative vs looting an entire chest before your allies get close when out.

 

[StormbringerAUS]

In my current campaign, dropping a weapon is a free action and drawing a weapon, is the the object interaction. Donning or stowing a shield or stringing or unstringing a bow would be an action.

On a slightly different tack, picking a weapon or any object from the ground, during combat can be handled in one of two way, without using an action so interacting with an object gives any enemy (or friend if they wanted) within melee range an attack of opportunity, however a character can use an action to do this instead and this does not provoke an attack (being careful).

This is also the case when getting up from being prone (though always costs half movement) - though a successful acrobatics check (DC DM's descretion but usually around 12) the character can flip onto their feet not provoking an attack of opportunity or using an action.

 

[5ekyu]

Movement.

My current table plays where each weapon drawn or stowed is 5ft. I am expanding that in my campaign to be a different penalty for different sizes of weapons (light = 5ft, normal = 10ft, heavy = 15ft).

I am currently on the side of DM judgment with regards to picking up and item interaction. The current rules seems a bit.... restrictive when trying to do something like pick two keys up off a table while in initiative vs looting an entire chest before your allies get close when out.

What are the rules on looting chests out of combat?

i am aware of the search rules... but not the pick-up rules you seem to be referencing

 

[neogod22]

If someone is switching from a bow, or the sort to a 1h weapon, I always felt they can put it in their off-hand and draw their weapon, and of course put it away the next round, otherwise just drop your weapon and pull out the second one.

 

[pogre]

My players don't abuse it too much - so I hand wave the whole thing.

 

[i_dont_meta]

My group adheres pretty strictly to the PHB, if nothing else because we appreciate the strategy/like to keep things consistent and on the level, so to speak...if nothing else it keeps certain Feats and builds viable and unique (you can piece together what I mean if you're savvy...)

 

[Ganymede81]

I am very lenient with object interactions. I let players both stow and draw weapons as part of their object interaction. I also let players draw more than one weapon; they could draw a pair of weapons for dual wielding or draw more than one thrown weapon for ranged attacks. I even extend this lenience to shields.

(I try to structure it so you can't do the whole "have a shield out without consequence every other turn" thing, but no one at my table has ever tried it.)

 

[transtemporal]

We allow drawing and sheathing one weapon on a turn. Peeps with the dual wielder feat can draw and sheath two weapons.

We tend to hand wave it most of the time.

 

[Usus]

In my groups we generally handwave the issue. If the situation and the size of the weapons deems it unlikely that the weapon is sheathed so fast as to cost no action, then it is instead dropped.

 

[i_dont_meta]

I appreciate what a lot of you are "hand-waving", and understand (to an extent) why, but don't forget what you are undermining by allowing this, i.e. the Dual Wield Feat...