Indeed. It's something I thought about when I first started treating weapon swaps like that, but no one was using that feat at the time, so it wasn't stepping on any toes. Now I'm running a game without feats, so it's irrelevant. You're right, though, it's definitely something to consider for tables where Dual Wielder sees use.
D&D 5E How do you rule switching weapons?
- Thread starter Li Shenron
- Start date
Indeed. It's something I thought about when I first started treating weapon swaps like that, but no one was using that feat at the time, so it wasn't stepping on any toes. Now I'm running a game without feats, so it's irrelevant. You're right, though, it's definitely something to consider for tables where Dual Wielder sees use.
Yup, that's pretty much it; handwave it. If someone is trying to game the system (e.g., the poster on another thread who wanted to finagle the bonus action system to get both the Duelist and Two-Weapon Fighting style bonuses), then we'd actually sit down and hash out what was going on, but otherwise, we just don't worry about it. It's not worth the bother.
Li Shenron
Legend
Undermining? That feat has two very nice benefits, a small but precious AC bonus (5e is stingy with AC) and the ability to use two better-than-light weapons (i.e. a little bit more damage to each attack), which apply every turn. Drawing two weapons at once applies probably once per encounter, or less, it's the least important benefit of the feat. I really don't think that giving the latter for free to all 2WFers undermines the feat!
But even if it does, deciding to either follow the RAW for switching weapons or handwave it has quite a significant impact to the feel of combat as a whole. I say it is a much more important thing than preserving a feat as written.
Horwath
Legend
Changing weapons: takes the free object interaction per round.
Don/doff shield: action
Casting spells with S components: you can always cast spells unless being tied up, climbing and holding something in other hand, carrying a heavy barrel or something similar with both hands.
Drawing thrown weapons is free because those weapons are **** and they need some love.
Don/doff shield: action
Casting spells with S components: you can always cast spells unless being tied up, climbing and holding something in other hand, carrying a heavy barrel or something similar with both hands.
Drawing thrown weapons is free because those weapons are **** and they need some love.
Sleepy Walker
First Post
I mean that when out of initiative a PC could come up to a chest, the DM describes what they see, and then the player says they take all of that. It requires some additional thinking outside of what is purely in the rule books (I think. My memory of looting rules is not that strong), in that there has to be some limit to what a PC can take when the other PCs are just moments away. Otherwise you have people interrupting to try and get some item before it all gets taken (in one instance a PC suddenly ran from 50 feet, in another room, and for no reason to take some gems). A problem easily solved, sometimes by just putting players in loot initiative or some other means, but still something that comes up with the group I play with from time to time.
Like an instance where the party is healing after a big fight and somebody just walks over and encounters the loot first. Without moderation or a good sense of team play there could easily be some loot distribution issues, stemming from out of combat choices and not applying limits.
*Edit: I do not have that big of an issue with the item interaction rules when dealing with a chest of loot. .... I guess there are some issues with just how many coins each interaction is worth or if a person could sweep with his/her arm to get both keys on the table, but DM's choice. Wave or be lenient when it makes sense.
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Jefe Bergenstein
Legend
I already let it grant stat bonus to offhand attacks and move the extra attack to the attack action.
Life is too short to worry about gear juggling.
Satyrn
First Post
It's such a small irrelevant, and finicky benefit of that feat that I really don't care. And on top of that, it's a boring feat that's only about getting slightly better numbers in combat, so I'm happy if no one ever takes it.
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mach1.9pants
Hero
I ignore it all, I'm with CappnZapp - inelegant and bloated rules for something that is really unimportant. Swap things to your hearts content, apart from getting something out of a backpack. It's just too much bother for something that only rarely comes up. But still rulings not rules, if I feel it's ridiculous I won't allow it. But that has not come up yet. Note this doesn't take into account interactions with 'external' things - picking up stuff or opening doors etc. One of those per round free, then it costs your move or action.
Dual wielder:
You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you are wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand.
You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren’t light.
That's enough for a feat if you want to have the cheese of actually using two largish one handed weapons - it's a ridiculous image someone with two normal arming swords or axes in their hands.
Dual wielder:
You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you are wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand.
You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren’t light.
That's enough for a feat if you want to have the cheese of actually using two largish one handed weapons - it's a ridiculous image someone with two normal arming swords or axes in their hands.
WarpedAcorn
First Post
I stick with the RAW.
In my group I've had several people that would abuse the system. Specifically it was first a Bard who wanted to switch from Dual Wielding, to Crossbow, to Casting. Then it was a Barbarian who wanted to swap between Dual Wield and 2H every other turn. Lately its a Cleric who wants to switch between Sword & Shield, Crossbow, and Casting. At this point all I have to do is ask, "so what are you dropping". It visibly frustrates them, but as a DM I feel if I relent then its a slippery slope.
Smaller incidents with pure casters have been when NPC's provoke AoO's and they want to attack. I ask with what, and invariably they say with their melee weapon. I then have to ask if they are holding their focus in the other hand or the lantern/torch. I usually just handwave it even though I know in their mind they are NOT picturing their Sorcerer/Wizard waltzing around with a dagger and a wand (Arcane Focus) at the ready.
What I do handwave away is the initial combat round. If the player says they have their sword and shield ready then I accept it. If they say they had both weapons drawn, I accept it. I haven't outright stated this, but my players have kind of picked up on it and don't question it...mainly because they know I would be all to happy to ask them what their standard "walking around" set up is. >: )
In my group I've had several people that would abuse the system. Specifically it was first a Bard who wanted to switch from Dual Wielding, to Crossbow, to Casting. Then it was a Barbarian who wanted to swap between Dual Wield and 2H every other turn. Lately its a Cleric who wants to switch between Sword & Shield, Crossbow, and Casting. At this point all I have to do is ask, "so what are you dropping". It visibly frustrates them, but as a DM I feel if I relent then its a slippery slope.
Smaller incidents with pure casters have been when NPC's provoke AoO's and they want to attack. I ask with what, and invariably they say with their melee weapon. I then have to ask if they are holding their focus in the other hand or the lantern/torch. I usually just handwave it even though I know in their mind they are NOT picturing their Sorcerer/Wizard waltzing around with a dagger and a wand (Arcane Focus) at the ready.
What I do handwave away is the initial combat round. If the player says they have their sword and shield ready then I accept it. If they say they had both weapons drawn, I accept it. I haven't outright stated this, but my players have kind of picked up on it and don't question it...mainly because they know I would be all to happy to ask them what their standard "walking around" set up is. >: )
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