Switching weapons

[happybandit]

How do you handle players switching weapons as far as action use?

It would seem to me that it would be two minor actions (one to put a weapon away and one to draw the new weapon), but I was just curious how experienced DMs rule it.

Thanks.

 

[Infiniti2000]

That's the rule and it's how I rule it. Why would anyone do it differently? Of course, Quick Draw changes things a little and you could always drop a weapon as a free action.

 

[Mengu]

Actions that may be relevant to weapon shuffling:

Drawing or sheathing a weapon is a minor action.
Switching weapon to your offhand (assuming your offhand is available) is a free action.
Dropping an item is a free action.
Picking up an item is a minor action.
Loading a crossbow is a minor action.
Equipping or Stowing a shield is a standard action.

So a dwarf with a waraxe and shield, wanting to throw a handaxe could drop waraxe (free), draw handaxe (minor), throw handaxe (standard), pick up waraxe (minor).

Edit: Annoys me to no end when players are shuffling stuff with their third or fourth hands, and DM's let them get away with it. Fighter with heavy shield and his magic javelin in his hand says "I apply alchemist silver to my vanguard bastard sword as a minor, and charge the wererat." DM says ok. I'm annoyed (save ends).

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Right. There are also a number of feats and certain other considerations that can apply. For example there is the "Deft Hurler" style feat which can be used to combine a thrown weapon attack with a melee attack, etc. There are also a few ways to get Load Free on a crossbow and/or loading them without using 2 hands which may make certain tactics a bit more appealing.

Overall Quickdraw is a pretty good feat investment for anyone planning on doing a lot of switching. Well worth it for crossbow rogues who may need to switch to melee attacks quickly or mixed bow/melee ranger builds, that sort of thing.

 

[happybandit]

Actions that may be relevant to weapon shuffling:

Drawing or sheathing a weapon is a minor action.
Switching weapon to your offhand (assuming your offhand is available) is a free action.
Dropping an item is a free action.
Picking up an item is a minor action.
Loading a crossbow is a minor action.
Equipping or Stowing a shield is a standard action.

Thanks. This has been a big help. I wasn't aware fo the switching hands as a free action. That makes a lot more sense in the particular case I was thinking aobut when posting the origional question. (Rogue who has been using a sling wants to throw a shuriken. Didn't make a lot of sense to me for that to be as complicated as changing from a sword to a bow, for example).

 

[cmbarona]

Also, characters are functionally ambidextrous in 4e. The Rogue in question could just as easily keep the sling in his/her main hand and draw/throw the shuriken with his/her off hand.

 

[Dr_Sage]

Edit: Annoys me to no end when players are shuffling stuff with their third or fourth hands, and DM's let them get away with it. Fighter with heavy shield and his magic javelin in his hand says "I apply alchemist silver to my vanguard bastard sword as a minor, and charge the wererat." DM says ok. I'm annoyed (save ends).

Hahahahahah

Same here bro!

If we allow this kind of things we are spitting in the face of "quickdraw related" builds and so.

In my experience most players that do this do it intentionaly, and most DMs ignores this by sheer lack of CPU space (DM aways have many things to do). Thats why - even as a player - I bust my conrades when they try to do that.

 

[Dr_Sage]

Thanks. This has been a big help. I wasn't aware fo the switching hands as a free action. That makes a lot more sense in the particular case I was thinking aobut when posting the origional question. (Rogue who has been using a sling wants to throw a shuriken. Didn't make a lot of sense to me for that to be as complicated as changing from a sword to a bow, for example).

Its also worth to say that you can fire some weapons one handed by you need 2 hands to reload it (by RAW and the absense of a thirt arm).

 

[chriton227]

We play it by the book (minor to draw, minor to stow) with the exception that if you are using a 2 handed weapon, our GM lets you switch between the 2-handed "can attack" grip and 1-hand "carry only" grip as a free action. So my ResLord with his longspear can switch to carry it in his off-hand as a free, draw his javelin as a minor, and then later can stow the javelin as a minor and resume his 2-handed grip on the longspear as a free.

Now that doesn't do much to help our Cha Paladin who is multiclassed into Warlock, he spends half of each fight juggling his sword, his shield, and two different wands.

 

[Tai]

As far as I'm aware, switching from a 2-handed grip to a 1-handed grip is a free action by RAW...