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How do you rule switching weapons?
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<blockquote data-quote="CapnZapp" data-source="post: 7352365" data-attributes="member: 12731"><p>I hate the hand use and object interaction rules.</p><p></p><p>Compared to the rest of 5th edition they're cluttered, inelegant, and complicated. They invite stupid rules abuse. They aren't well explained. They're also completely overblown.</p><p></p><p>What happened with rulings, not rules?</p><p></p><p>The PHB should instead simply laid out the common cases and left everything else up to DM adjucation:</p><p></p><p>Wielding a sword and shield - your hands are effectively used up, you cannot hold anything else.</p><p></p><p>Wielding a two-handed weapon - you can free one hand for a second (for example to cast a somatic spell), but you can't hold a lantern, say, if you want to make attacks with your weapon.</p><p></p><p>Two weapons. Like board and sword.</p><p></p><p>One weapon. You can be the torchbearer. </p><p></p><p>With language like this the issue of picking-dropping items to min-max the hand use wouldn't even come into play, since such a request would now sound just as patently absurd it really is. </p><p></p><p>Just listen: "Okay so my hands are full. But. Can I really quickly drop my bow and draw my sword, attack, then pick up the bow again?"</p><p></p><p>Now, with clean and easy guidelines, it becomes obvious the correct response from the DM is:</p><p></p><p>"Of course not. Are you stupid or something?" </p><p></p><p>---</p><p></p><p>Clerics and Paladins are not forced to hold their spell focus (they can paint it on a shield or hang it around the neck), but since that only helps with non-somatic spells, it's cluttery and complicated - like 5th wants to force you to keep track of which spells have somatic.</p><p></p><p>Why even have such a stupid admission? Either say "clerics can cast spells without hands" or drop it altogether.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CapnZapp, post: 7352365, member: 12731"] I hate the hand use and object interaction rules. Compared to the rest of 5th edition they're cluttered, inelegant, and complicated. They invite stupid rules abuse. They aren't well explained. They're also completely overblown. What happened with rulings, not rules? The PHB should instead simply laid out the common cases and left everything else up to DM adjucation: Wielding a sword and shield - your hands are effectively used up, you cannot hold anything else. Wielding a two-handed weapon - you can free one hand for a second (for example to cast a somatic spell), but you can't hold a lantern, say, if you want to make attacks with your weapon. Two weapons. Like board and sword. One weapon. You can be the torchbearer. With language like this the issue of picking-dropping items to min-max the hand use wouldn't even come into play, since such a request would now sound just as patently absurd it really is. Just listen: "Okay so my hands are full. But. Can I really quickly drop my bow and draw my sword, attack, then pick up the bow again?" Now, with clean and easy guidelines, it becomes obvious the correct response from the DM is: "Of course not. Are you stupid or something?" --- Clerics and Paladins are not forced to hold their spell focus (they can paint it on a shield or hang it around the neck), but since that only helps with non-somatic spells, it's cluttery and complicated - like 5th wants to force you to keep track of which spells have somatic. Why even have such a stupid admission? Either say "clerics can cast spells without hands" or drop it altogether. [/QUOTE]
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