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*Dungeons & Dragons
5e Fighters, two-weapon fighting and extra attacks
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<blockquote data-quote="CapnZapp" data-source="post: 6733097" data-attributes="member: 12731"><p>This needs to be clarified: </p><p></p><p>At level 1, you only have one attack. Which hand or weapon you use doesn't matter - no matter your choice, you get to add your modifier to damage.</p><p></p><p>At level 5, Extra Attack grants you two attacks. Which hand or weapon still does not matter - you could make two right-hand attacks, two left-hand attacks or one with each hand. Likewise you could use either weapon or both. You still get to add your modifier to the damage of both attacks.</p><p></p><p>Now, the only time when it matters which hands/weapons you're using is if you want to claim the juicy bonus attack through Two-Weapon Fighting.</p><p></p><p>At level 1, you must make the bonus attack with the other hand, and it must hold a different weapon. So if you use your right hand scimitar for your regular attack, you must use your left hand handaxe for your bonus attack. And vice versa.</p><p></p><p>At level 5, this does not change. If you make both regular attacks using the handaxe in your right hand you can and must use the scimitar in your left hand for the bonus attack. And vice versa. </p><p></p><p>Now we get to it:</p><p></p><p>But if you make one attack with the handaxe in your right hand and then (for whatever reason) switch to holding the handaxe in your left hand, you no longer have an "other hand" to use for the bonus attack, and so you become ineligible for two-weapon fighting. </p><p></p><p>Or, if you make the first attack with the handaxe and the second with the scimitar (regardless of hands) you no longer have a "different weapon" to use for the bonus attack, and so you again become ineligible for two-weapon fighting. </p><p></p><p>(The second of these two latest scenarios could happen in real play, the first not so much.)</p><p></p><p>---</p><p></p><p>The long and short of all of this is that even though the game doesn't care about handedness and allows you to mix hands and weapons freely during your regular attacks, <strong>this has almost zero impact on practical play</strong>, since you would so very often want the bonus attack from TWF (why else carry two weapons?) that you would quickly settle into <strong>do all regular attacks with one hand holding the first weapon, then the bonus attack with the other hand holding the second weapon</strong> (where the first weapon is your best weapon in any given circumstance).</p><p></p><p>Hope that helps.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CapnZapp, post: 6733097, member: 12731"] This needs to be clarified: At level 1, you only have one attack. Which hand or weapon you use doesn't matter - no matter your choice, you get to add your modifier to damage. At level 5, Extra Attack grants you two attacks. Which hand or weapon still does not matter - you could make two right-hand attacks, two left-hand attacks or one with each hand. Likewise you could use either weapon or both. You still get to add your modifier to the damage of both attacks. Now, the only time when it matters which hands/weapons you're using is if you want to claim the juicy bonus attack through Two-Weapon Fighting. At level 1, you must make the bonus attack with the other hand, and it must hold a different weapon. So if you use your right hand scimitar for your regular attack, you must use your left hand handaxe for your bonus attack. And vice versa. At level 5, this does not change. If you make both regular attacks using the handaxe in your right hand you can and must use the scimitar in your left hand for the bonus attack. And vice versa. Now we get to it: But if you make one attack with the handaxe in your right hand and then (for whatever reason) switch to holding the handaxe in your left hand, you no longer have an "other hand" to use for the bonus attack, and so you become ineligible for two-weapon fighting. Or, if you make the first attack with the handaxe and the second with the scimitar (regardless of hands) you no longer have a "different weapon" to use for the bonus attack, and so you again become ineligible for two-weapon fighting. (The second of these two latest scenarios could happen in real play, the first not so much.) --- The long and short of all of this is that even though the game doesn't care about handedness and allows you to mix hands and weapons freely during your regular attacks, [B]this has almost zero impact on practical play[/B], since you would so very often want the bonus attack from TWF (why else carry two weapons?) that you would quickly settle into [B]do all regular attacks with one hand holding the first weapon, then the bonus attack with the other hand holding the second weapon[/B] (where the first weapon is your best weapon in any given circumstance). Hope that helps. [/QUOTE]
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