D&D 5E D&D 5e General rules vs Specifics of Dual Wielding

[Carden_Gix'Oth]

So, I'm running a Level 5 Sea Elf Pirate Battlesmith Artificer. Using my Repeating Shot Infusion, I've made my standard Pistol (DMG Chapter 9, Pg. 268) a magical +1 Pistol, and it automatically reloads with each shot. As a Pirate, I'm using a "Sabre/Cutlass" (Rapier reflavored into a Saber/Cutlass) in my mainhand (also magical), and my pistol in my offhand.

General rules say, without the Two Weapon Fighting Fighting Style, you can't add your damage modifier (STR or DEX typically) to damage with your offhand weapon.

Specific rule says "When you attack with a magic weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls."

So, would specific rules override general rules in this case, since both are magical?

 

[Olrox17]

I would rule no. The specific rule says that you can use INT instead of STR or DEX, but if you can't add STR or DEX to begin with, the specific rule has no effect.

 

[Lem23]

What Olrox said. If you can't add damage, you can't swap it.

 

[BookBarbarian]

I agree with Olrox17, but there is an even more specific rule that comes into play here.

"Two-Weapon Fighting
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand
"
Since Pistol is not a melee weapon, you can't use two weapon fighting with it anyway. With extra attack you can make an attack with each weapon, but you can't use Two Weapon fighting to make a bonus action attack

 

[commandercrud]

I agree with Olrox17, but there is an even more specific rule that comes into play here.

"Two-Weapon Fighting
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand
"
Since Pistol is not a melee weapon, you can't use two weapon fighting with it anyway. With extra attack you can make an attack with each weapon, but you can't use Two Weapon fighting to make a bonus action attack

This.

 

[Olrox17]

I agree with Olrox17, but there is an even more specific rule that comes into play here.

"Two-Weapon Fighting
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand
"
Since Pistol is not a melee weapon, you can't use two weapon fighting with it anyway. With extra attack you can make an attack with each weapon, but you can't use Two Weapon fighting to make a bonus action attack

Yeah, that too, but I assumed there was some house ruling at work here, to allow for swashbuckling pirate action.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Yeah, that too, but I assumed there was some house ruling at work here, to allow for swashbuckling pirate action.

If there is that would be cool and thematic. I'd support it as a DM as long as they weren't trying to cheese it.

 

[billd91]

It could work but there are 2 additional conditions that I know of:

1) Crossbow Expert feat (or reasonable variation thereon) - allows the character to use a bonus action to attack with a loaded hand crossbow if attacking with a one-handed weapon. The pistol is reasonably close to serve as a perfectly functional analog if you want to model a replacement feat or just allow the pistol as a suitable sub for the hand crossbow.

The second one is harder to get around because it's a fighter feature.
2) Two-Weapon Fighting style - allows you to add ability modifiers to the damage of the second attack.

I don't think it's worth a level dip as a fighter, but that's your decision, not mine.

 

[Lem23]

If there is that would be cool and thematic. I'd support it as a DM as long as they weren't trying to cheese it.

There's that feat as well that allows you to use normal weapons, isn't there?

 

[Blue]

So, I'm running a Level 5 Sea Elf Pirate Battlesmith Artificer. Using my Repeating Shot Infusion, I've made my standard Pistol (DMG Chapter 9, Pg. 268) a magical +1 Pistol, and it automatically reloads with each shot. As a Pirate, I'm using a "Sabre/Cutlass" (Rapier reflavored into a Saber/Cutlass) in my mainhand (also magical), and my pistol in my offhand.

General rules say, without the Two Weapon Fighting Fighting Style, you can't add your damage modifier (STR or DEX typically) to damage with your offhand weapon.

Specific rule says "When you attack with a magic weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls."

So, would specific rules override general rules in this case, since both are magical?

Actually, you have those reversed.

It is a very, very specific rule about not being able to add your damage to that specific bonus action attack. There are a lot of questions because of other similar attacks and they always get answered: no, that you don't add your ability score to damage is only for that one type of extra attack. Since this isn't that, you follow the general rule an add to your damage.

Usage of a magic item is more general than that.

So swap the two and everything is in agreement.

However, as @BookBarbarian says, that rule does not come into play in the first place, since the two weapon fighting is about melee weapons. If you have some other way to do it, it doesn't fall under that very specific rule in the first place.