D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Two Weapon Fightin... ranged?

[bertman4]

Can you apply two weapon fighting feat to ranged weapons? I'm thinking of having my Rogue use two hand crossbows if it applies also to ranged weapons. I went back to the begining of this month but couldn't find any posts about this. Thanks.

Bertman

 

[Tidus4444]

hmmm. I'm not sure about that. You obviously couldn't use a normal longbow or crossbow with it, since they require 2 hands, but a hand crossbow? I think that's plausible. After all, people use 2 pistols at a time, and a hand crossbow is fairly similar to that. It'll be a pain in the ass to reload though.

 

[AGGEMAM]

Crossbow, Hand: You can draw a hand crossbow back by hand. Loading a hand crossbow is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
You can shoot, but not load, a hand crossbow with one hand at no penalty. You can shoot a hand crossbow with each hand, but you take a penalty on attack rolls as if attacking with two light weapons.

Crossbow, Heavy: You draw a heavy crossbow back by turning a small winch. Loading a heavy crossbow is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
Normally, operating a heavy crossbow requires two hands. However, you can shoot, but not load, a heavy crossbow with one hand at a -4 penalty on attack rolls. You can shoot a heavy crossbow with each hand, but you take a penalty on attack rolls as if attacking with two one-handed weapons. This penalty is cumulative with the penalty for one-handed firing.

Crossbow, Light: You draw a light crossbow back by pulling a lever. Loading a light crossbow is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
Normally, operating a light crossbow requires two hands. However, you can shoot, but not load, a light crossbow with one hand at a -2 penalty on attack rolls. You can shoot a light crossbow with each hand, but you take a penalty on attack rolls as if attacking with two light weapons. This penalty is cumulative with the penalty for one-handed firing.

Emphasis added.

Or the short version, yes, you can apply TWF to firing crossbow in 3.5. Note that the rules are different in 3.0.

 

[Hypersmurf]

In 3E, the feat was only applicable to melee weapons.

In 3.5, it explicitly includes throwing weapons... but projectile weapons are neither explicitly allowed nor prohibited.

Since the terms "one-handed weapon" and "light weapon" are melee-weapon-specific, and you take penalties using two heavy crossbows "as if using two one-handed weapons", for example, this implies that the feat does apply to crossbows... since the penalty for using two one-handed weapons (a melee term) changes depending on whether you have the feat.

But check how your DM interprets projectile weapons.

-Hyp.

 

[bertman4]

thanks

Thanks for the quick response. I will pick up two hand crossbows.
Bertman

 

[Norfleet]

I'm not sure what use this would be, other than the ability to discharge them both on round 1, drop them, and quickdraw something else. To continue to use two crossbows would be two MEAs to reload both of them, which would consume your actions for the next round.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'm not sure what use this would be, other than the ability to discharge them both on round 1, drop them, and quickdraw something else. To continue to use two crossbows would be two MEAs to reload both of them, which would consume your actions for the next round.

Worse than that, given that you need two hands to reload. It would be drop A (free), load B (MEA), drop B (free), pick up A (MEA), load A (MEA), pick up B (MEA), for a total of 4 MEAs.

Unless they both had the self-loading thing going on, with the hundred-bolt extra-dimensional magazine...

-Hyp.