Level Up (A5E) Dual-Wield Hand Crossbows?

[Zeta Marishi]

Hand Crossbows have the dual-wield trait, but two weapon fighting specifies melee weapons to be used for the second attack. Is this an instance of specific trumps general, or is it just not actually able to work? Because the way it comes across to me is that Hand Crossbows can't be used for the bonus action attack.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

RAI i have no idea. if i were running though, i'd let a player use the bonus action attack with it.

 

[WanderingMystic]

You need to pick up the crossbow expert feat for the bonus action off hand crossbow shot. It even lets you reload even if all of your hands are full

 

[Zeta Marishi]

So, the hand crossbow's dual-wield trait is useless, then?

 

[WanderingMystic]

So unfortunately I am not one of the authors of the book so I do not know what they intended but I would guess that the dual wield on the hand crossbow is a mistake since that is one of the abilities you get from the fear and since your main hand weapon does not need to have the dual wield property any longer.

 

[Steampunkette]

No. The dual-wield trait is not useless.

If you have a weapon in your main hand that is not heavy, you can use a hand-crossbow in your off-hand to make a bonus action attack. Dual-Wielding as a weapon trait does not specify that you need to be wielding melee weapons:

Dual-Wielding†. This weapon is designed to be wielded in concert with another weapon. When wielding another weapon in your main hand that does not have the heavy property, you can use your bonus action to make an attack with this weapon (see Two-Weapon Fighting).

Now if you check the Two Weapon Fighting section, it does specify that you must use melee weapons.

Two-Weapon Fighting​

When you take the Attack action and attack with a weapon that does not have the heavy property that you are wielding in one hand, you can use your bonus action to attack with a different dual-wielding melee weapon that you are holding in your off-hand. You do not add your ability modifier to the damage roll of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative. If a weapon has the thrown property, you can make a ranged weapon attack with it instead.

If you have the Extra Attack feature, you can use your bonus action to make two attacks with the weapon in your off-hand.

This is where specific beats general. The Hand Crossbow breaks the Two-Weapon rule by allowing you to use an off-hand crossbow... but.

Crossbow Expertise breaks both rules.

Crossbow Expertise​

Crossbows are lethal in your hands.

• Crossbows you wield do not have the loading quality.
• You do not suffer disadvantage when attacking creatures adjacent to you.
• If you take the attack action while wielding a hand crossbow in your off-hand, you may use your bonus action to attack with it.

In addition to the loading quality removal, and the lack of disadvantage, you are no longer bound by the "Heavy" rule of dual-wielding so long as you are using a hand-crossbow in your offhand. You are simply allowed to make an off-hand attack if you take the attack action while holding a hand crossbow in the off hand.

While there are no one-handed heavy weapons within the Adventurer's Guide, you can get into various situations where a Narrator could allow you to fire a heavy weapon one-handed. Such as a Heavy Crossbow mounted on a tripod, or a broken wall. Or perhaps a giant wielding a human-sized greatsword in one hand and a hand crossbow in the other.

And, of course, a Narrator or Designer could create a one-handed heavy weapon,

 

[W'rkncacnter]

You need to pick up the crossbow expert feat for the bonus action off hand crossbow shot. It even lets you reload even if all of your hands are full

oh yeah, that's weird. what the hell?

 

[scaramouche]

I really want to have a stern talk with whoever first introduced the hand crossbow to the D&D and D&D adjacent canon. They have much to answer for.

 

[Zeta Marishi]

No. The dual-wield trait is not useless.

If you have a weapon in your main hand that is not heavy, you can use a hand-crossbow in your off-hand to make a bonus action attack. Dual-Wielding as a weapon trait does not specify that you need to be wielding melee weapons:

Now if you check the Two Weapon Fighting section, it does specify that you must use melee weapons.

This is where specific beats general. The Hand Crossbow breaks the Two-Weapon rule by allowing you to use an off-hand crossbow... but.

Crossbow Expertise breaks both rules.

In addition to the loading quality removal, and the lack of disadvantage, you are no longer bound by the "Heavy" rule of dual-wielding so long as you are using a hand-crossbow in your offhand. You are simply allowed to make an off-hand attack if you take the attack action while holding a hand crossbow in the off hand.

While there are no one-handed heavy weapons within the Adventurer's Guide, you can get into various situations where a Narrator could allow you to fire a heavy weapon one-handed. Such as a Heavy Crossbow mounted on a tripod, or a broken wall. Or perhaps a giant wielding a human-sized greatsword in one hand and a hand crossbow in the other.

And, of course, a Narrator or Designer could create a one-handed heavy weapon,

Thank you for the answer. I kinda figured it ended up being 'specific beats general', but I wasn't sure and was talking to someone about it.

 

[Steampunkette]

Always happy to help!