D&D 5E Re-gripping your weapon uses an object interaction?

[Crimson Longinus]

What the DM may be confusing is what happens if you have a 2-handed weapon in hand, hold it with one hand, and cast a spell as an Action. In that scenario, you're denied the use of that weapon that round (barring taking the Warcaster Feat) for things like Attacks of Opportunity.

Wait, what? That certainly can't be right?

 

[Tonguez]

Your DM is wrong, if you can draw a weapon as part of an attack, you can change grip too.
All I can think of is that your situation involve trying to use your hands for two different actions (grabbing spell components from a pouch while attacking or sommit or closing a door mid combat etc which would be an action on its own)

 

[W'rkncacnter]

...does your DM know how to hold things?

 

[CleverNickName]

I could see an argument of it mattering to switch from 1H to 2H, but drawing it would bring it to the readied position immediataly. If dropping it is a free action, going from 2H to 1H would be as well. The DM might be getting his rpgs mixed up, or he's trying to stop you from killing his kewl monster before it can do what he wants it to.

It sounds to me like your DM just doesn’t want your character casting spells while wielding a two-handed weapon, and instead of just saying that, is trying to use an overly restrictive interpretation of the rules around interacting with objects on your turn to make it too inconvenient for you to want to do.

Yeah, it sure sounds like your DM is trying to work around the rules here. I'm sure they have their reasons, but you're going to be butting heads and getting in each other's way until you both sit down and talk through it.

Maybe your DM wants to make spellcasting slightly harder? or two-handed weapons slightly more punishing? You should ask.

 

[p_johnston]

So I do think the ruling that you can't attack with a two handed weapon on the turn you draw it is just stupid. You are obviously supposed to be able to. As to the idea that ungripping/regripping using an item interaction I have some insights.

1) I know in the Star Wars 5e conversion it does take an item interaction to change your grip on a weapon. Several feats specifically mention this. If your DM has played or run that variant that might be what he is thinking of.
2) I also don't think it's unreasonable to say that changing your grip on a two handed weapon cost's an item interaction. The intent of the game seems to be that you cannot cast spells while wielding a two handed weapon and that seems like a decent compromise rather then just saying no. (the reason I say this is a quarterstaff is versatile instead of two handed. The only reason for that I can think of is so that spellcasters can use a staff and still cast spells).

 

[Crimson Longinus]

The intent of the game seems to be that you cannot cast spells while wielding a two handed weapon and that seems like a decent compromise rather then just saying no.

I don't believe this is correct.

Two-Handed
This weapon requires two hands when you Attack with it.

Two hands are needed only when attacking, you can otherwise hold it with one hand just fine. Which makes perfect sense.

 

[MarkB]

I don't believe this is correct.

Two-Handed
This weapon requires two hands when you Attack with it.

Two hands are needed only when attacking, you can otherwise hold it with one hand just fine. Which makes perfect sense.

Yeah, look at bows - they have the two-handed property, but you only ever grip the bow in one hand. The only time you even touch it with your other hand is when you're making an attack.

 

[DND_Reborn]

IME/IMO very few two-handed weapons in 5E would need to be drawn before use at all.

Two-handed weapons in the PHB:

• Glaive
• Greataxe
• Greatclub
• Greatsword
• Halberd
• Maul
• Pike
• Crossbow, heavy
• Crossbow, light
• Longbow
• Shortbow

Most of these weapons are carried but not kept in any sort of sheath or such. As others have pointed out, these weapons can all be held with one hand. Even the greatswords historically had either sheaths with snaps, so the weapon can be freed easily, or when "drawn" it was more and act of discarding the scabbard (held in one hand) to free the weapon.

 

[James Gasik]

I don't believe this is correct.

Two-Handed
This weapon requires two hands when you Attack with it.

Two hands are needed only when attacking, you can otherwise hold it with one hand just fine. Which makes perfect sense.

Yeah, that was actually an early errata to the PHB.

 

[aco175]

You can get around this by only playing rogues. And.... I bet you can find a feat on the internet to let you use 2-handed weapons as finesse weapons.