Quickdraw and Offhand

[phillipjp]

I have a dwarven fighter that uses his Quickdraw feat to toss some throwing axes around. (Hehe, nifty trick btw. I actually nailed a guy that was running from a fight that I wouldn't be able to catch with my 15ft move.) Anyway, he uses a battleaxe and shield standard, and we always play that he switches his battleaxe in his shield hand temporarily while he quickdraws and throws.

Can someone point me to the rule that says switching something between hands is a free action? And what the rules are about holding things in your shield hand? Can't seem to find it in the PHB and the SRD. The more effective my fighter becomes (multiple attacks and switching back and forth between battleaxe and throwing axe) the more he questions whether that's really within the rules.

 

[phillipjp]

[cough] Polite bump... [cough]

 

[trentonjoe]

I am not familiar with a ruling either way.

I play that if you have sword and shield out you either need to drop your weapon (free) or sheath it (ME +AoO).
I would rule that you could hold a buckler and an axe in one hand but not a larger shield and a weapon (maybe a dagger).

Just my thoughts.

 

[Tar-Edhel]

[cough] Polite bump... [cough]

Since it's a polite one, I'll give it a shot... although you might have prefered that I remained silent since I don't think it is within the rules.

I don't have my books with me but I think switching hands is a standard action and I don't think Quickdraw helps in this matter.

Somehow, a switch, a draw and then an attack (or many, even worse...) sound fishy.

I hope someone with proper quotes (or greater certainty) will answer you

 

[Dr. Zoom]

we always play that he switches his battleaxe in his shield hand temporarily while he quickdraws and throws.

Can someone point me to the rule that says switching something between hands is a free action?

AFAIK, there is no specific rule for this. I suggest that it should be on the same level as drawing or sheathing a weapon. That would make it a move equivalent action. It is not as difficult as sheathing a weapon, so I would allow Quickdraw to change it to a free action. I would say this action would not provoke an AoO. I would not allow it to be combined with a move, however, like drawing a weapon.

And what the rules are about holding things in your shield hand? Can't seem to find it in the PHB and the SRD.

PH page 105 for bucklers, page 106 for small and large shields. Here are the basic parameters:

Buckler: hold or wield
Small Shield: hold only
Large Shield: cannot even hold

The more effective my fighter becomes (multiple attacks and switching back and forth between battleaxe and throwing axe) the more he questions whether that's really within the rules.

You did not mention what type of shield this dwarf uses, although I would assume he uses a large shield. If this is the case, he cannot switch his battleaxe to his shield hand (pg. 106 PH). It is up to you how to adjudicate the switch if he is using a buckler or small shield because that is not specifically in the rules. The simple solution is for him to just drop the weapon (by the rules a free action) and hurl those axes, especially if he uses a large shield.

 

[phillipjp]

Ah, my bad. I thought for sure I had read somewhere that you could hold something in your shield hand, you just didn't get the shield bonus for the duration that you're holding the item.

Oh well. At least I can still put the battleaxe away as a MEA, quickdraw the throwing axe as a freebie, and toss it.

 

[HeavyG]

The simple solution is for him to just drop the weapon (by the rules a free action) and hurl those axes, especially if he uses a large shield.

Or you could get yourself a glove of storing.



Seriously, I like to make switching an object from hand to hand a free action (House Rule Alert). It makes small shields and bucklers a viable alternative to large shields, IMO. It also lets clerics cast spells in battle, which is really hard otherwise.

 

[Li Shenron]

My dear friend, forgive me if I may say something wrong. I believe that switching one object or two objects between hands is not handled by the rules and must have a house rule. But in the "Miscellaneous Actions" table in the PHB there are two move-equivalent actions called READY A SHIELD and LOOSE A SHIELD, so exchanging a weapon and a shield I am afraid it is much more difficult. Please let me know what you think, because in our campaign we have decided that moving a weapon to the other empty hand is free, switching two weapons is move-equivalent (but could be even standard) and switching a weapon with a shield requires 2 extra move-equivalent to loose it and then ready it on the other hand, otherwise no AC bonus meanwhile.

From the point of view of AC bonus from shield while holding objects with the same hand, check Equipment chapter in PHB, about shields: if it is a large shield, no objects in hand may be carried; if it is a small shield, you can carry one object in the shield's hand (but not use a weapon) but there is no penalty; with a Buckler you can also use a weapon, but if you do you don't get the AC bonus for this round (if you use a bow or xbow, that's the only bad point, but if you use a melee weapon you also have a -1 on attacks).

 

[Archer]

Switching between a one hand and a two hand grip on a weapon is a free action so if you have both hands on your battleaxe, which you can if you have a small shield, you can let go with your non shield hand, quick draw, throw, wield the battleaxe with 2 hands again and back to one hand in the non-shield hand. The DM can limit the number of free actions in a round on a case by case basis.