D&D 5E Dual Wielder Feat Fix

[NotAYakk]

My variant.

Dueling Fighting Style reads: You gain a +2 bonus to damage with melee weapons you wield with one hand. You can draw a weapon as part of the action you attack with it.

TWF style is eliminated.

The Two-Weapon Fighting rule reads:

On your turn you can do at most one of the following:

• If you made an attack with a light melee weapon, you can make an attack with a different light weapon you are wielding as a bonus action.
• If you make an attack with a light melee weapon as part of a bonus action, you can make an attack with a different light weapon you are wielding as part of that action.

Dual Wielder reads:

• You can add your attribute bonus to damage when two weapon fighting.
• You can use Two Weapon Fighting even if your weapons are not light
• As part of the attack action, if you hit a creature with a weapon while you have advantage, you can use the lower roll to attack the same target with a weapon you hold in your other hand.
• You gain a +1 bonus to AC when wielding two weapons you are proficient in.

between these 3, a TWF has damage approaching a GWF when they have advantage. On low AC targets without advantage, GWF wins.

Finally, the dagger counts as offhand, and can be used with TWF even if your main hand weapon isn't light.

Note that "one hand short sword, off-hand loaded xbow" works without a feat.

You still cannot rage+TWF bonus action attack on your first turn, but Dual Wielder works great with reckless attack (much as it does with GWM).

Level 1, 16 stat
2d6+7 (TWF) = 14
2d6+3 (reroll 1s and 2s) = 11.33
1d8+5 (S+B) = 9.5

Level 2, 16 stat, action surge round
3d6+12 (TWF) = 22.5
4d6+6 (reroll 1s and 2s) = 22.67
2d8+10 (S+B) = 19

Level 5, with feat boost
3d8+15 (TWF) = 28.5
3d10+1d4+12 (PAM, reaction) = 34
2d8+12 (S+B, Stat) = 21

Level 5, with feat(s) boost and advantage
5d8+20 (TWF, Advantage (split)) = 42.5
3d10+1d4+52 (PAM, GWF, GWM, reaction, advantage and -5 to hit +10 to damage) = 73.9
2d8+12 (S+B, Stat) = 21

Level 5, feat boost, Action surge and advantage
9d8+36 (TWF, Advantage (split)) = 76.5
5d10+1d4+78 (GWF, PAM, reaction, GWM, advantage and -5 to hit +10 to damage) = 112.5
4d8+24 (S+B, Stat) = 42

Level 20, flaming weapons, feats boost, 25 strength belt
5d8+10d6+45 (TWF) = 102.5
5d10+1d4+12d6+52 (GWF, PAM, reaction) = 128.5 (+50 with GWM if target has low AC)
4d8+36 (S+B) =54

Level 20, flaming weapons, feats boost, advantage, 25 strength belt
9d8+18d6+81 (TWF, Advantage(split)) = 184.5
5d10+1d4+12d6+102 (GWF, GWM, PAM, reaction) = 178.5
4d8+36 (S+B) =54

Level 20, action surge, flaming weapons, feats boost, advantage, 25 strength belt
17d8+34d6+153 (TWF, Advantage(split)) = 348.5
9d10+1d4+20d6+270 (GWF, GWM, PAM, reaction) = 399.7
8d8+72 (S+B) =108

 

[Xeviat]

My fix balances TWFing with two-handers.

Twin shortswords is 1d6+stat plus 1d6, greatsword is 2d6+Str. My fighting style let's you twf with non-light weapons, so you go to 2d8+stat combined while great weapon gets the rerolls.

The rogue gets a buff in this situation if they go melee, since they have a higher chance to land sneak attack, but ranged rogues have hide (and aim if you allow the variant) to get advantage.

I haven't decided if the TWFing feat should give the ability bonus back.

 

[Stoutstien]

How so? TWF requires two weapons, PAM requires one...

It isn't limited to one weapon if you make the attack with the PaM weapon the ba attack then the extra attack from TWF feat.

 

[jmartkdr2]

How so? TWF requires two weapons, PAM requires one...

If you're dual-wielding quarterstaffs or spears, you could use this feat for the offhand attack as part of the Attack Action, and then use your bonus action to make an attack with the butt end of one of your weapons.

 

[TwoSix]

If you're dual-wielding quarterstaffs or spears, you could use this feat for the offhand attack as part of the Attack Action, and then use your bonus action to make an attack with the butt end of one of your weapons.

Don't even need to dual-wield staves or spears, just need one. That would enable a spear+longsword combo, which is kind of awesome.

 

[Stoutstien]

Don't even need to dual-wield staves or spears, just need one. That would enable a spear+longsword combo, which is kind of awesome.

You can do that now with the feat as is.

TWF as a whole was probably the single player concept I spent the most time on coming up with new rules that both empowered players who wanted to choose this style and kept it within a reasonable damage range.

The current version I use:
Base rule changes

• You can draw/stow two weapons as part of the same item interaction
• Thrown weapons can be drawn as part of an attack
• If a class provides a fighting style you an pick any of them.

Fighting style change

• Protection and defense are rolled into one
• Two weapon fighting allows non light weapons and +1 AC while duel wielding. (Roughly ~1 increase damage per attack and middle ground for damage and defense.

Feat change

• Add ablity modifier to off hand attack
• When you make the attack with your offhand and have advantage, you can forgo advantage to make two attacks instead. If the weapon is thrown you must supply two of them.

It was a lot of changes to make but it address the problem that twf was both a tad to much in the very early levels but quickly falls off. I also didn't just want another -hit/+damage feat so I found the sweet spot of an single additional attack.