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

[W'rkncacnter]

you know, i think we're all ignoring something here -

Spoiler: versatile weapons exist.

Versatile. This weapon can be used with one or two hands. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property-the damage when the weapon is used with two hands to make a melee attack.

notice how absolutely nothing in this property states or even suggests you need to spend an object interaction to change between attacking it with one or two hands. this means that you could absolutely make one attack with a versatile weapon with one hand and the next with two and still have an available object interaction.

the two-handed property only requires you to have two hands on the weapon when you make an attack with it. this means that you can hold a two-handed weapon with one hand, you just can't make an attack with it while doing so. there is no specific rule that states two-handed weapons behave differently from versatile weapons in any way regarding what is or is not an object interaction while handling them. ergo, you MUST be able to move one hand on or off a two-handed weapon before or after making an attack with it without using an object interaction. a GM can rule otherwise, obviously, but they will not be playing RAW (or RAI, as noted earlier).

oh, and also-

Both hands are wielding the weapon the PC just used or intend to use. PC draws & attacks with a greatsword using their free object interaction

• The free object interaction is used.

my brother in christ, please tell me you are not unironically suggesting that making an attack with a weapon counts as an object interaction. PLEASE tell me this was a typo of some sort.

 

[gnarlygninja]

I'm not going to get out of bed to check my PHB but I'm about 80% you can draw a weapon as part of the attack action. But it's written in natural language and that apparently means it is impossible to tell.

 

[tetrasodium]

you know, i think we're all ignoring something here -

Spoiler: versatile weapons exist.

Versatile. This weapon can be used with one or two hands. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property-the damage when the weapon is used with two hands to make a melee attack.

notice how absolutely nothing in this property states or even suggests you need to spend an object interaction to change between attacking it with one or two hands. this means that you could absolutely make one attack with a versatile weapon with one hand and the next with two and still have an available object interaction.

the two-handed property only requires you to have two hands on the weapon when you make an attack with it. this means that you can hold a two-handed weapon with one hand, you just can't make an attack with it while doing so. there is no specific rule that states two-handed weapons behave differently from versatile weapons in any way regarding what is or is not an object interaction while handling them. ergo, you MUST be able to move one hand on or off a two-handed weapon before or after making an attack with it without using an object interaction. a GM can rule otherwise, obviously, but they will not be playing RAW (or RAI, as noted earlier).

oh, and also-

my brother in christ, please tell me you are not unironically suggesting that making an attack with a weapon counts as an object interaction. PLEASE tell me this was a typo of some sort.

The difference between a versatile long sword and a two handed great sword is that one can be used one handed leaving you with a free hand. The other can and does not. It's not being ignored,. The player does not need to engage in shenanigans like inventing a "re-grip" rules exclusion as the OP describes in order to free a hand without stowing or dropping the weapon.... Critically also the longs word can't be used with gwm+gwf & you have some real tradeoff for gaining the ability to use a focus item to cast spells.

 

[tetrasodium]

I'm not going to get out of bed to check my PHB but I'm about 80% you can draw a weapon as part of the attack action. But it's written in natural language and that apparently means it is impossible to tell.

I even quoted it and gave page number earlier. It says that you can draw OR sheath not draw AND sheath. You can only do one for free not both.

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm not going to get out of bed to check my PHB but I'm about 80% you can draw a weapon as part of the attack action. But it's written in natural language and that apparently means it is impossible to tell.

You can, but doing so is specifically given as an example of the sort or object interaction you’re allowed to do once per turn. Technically object interactions aren’t performed as discrete actions, they’re done as part of either your action or your movement.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

The difference between a versatile long sword and a two handed great sword is that one can be used one handed leaving you with a free hand. The other can and does not. It's not being ignored,.

"used" in this context is "make attacks". nothing is stopping you from holding a two-handed weapon with one hand, you just can't make attacks while doing so. for the purposes of holding an object with one or two hands, this is distinction without difference.

The player does not need to engage in shenanigans like inventing a "re-grip" rules exclusion as the OP describes in order to free a hand without stowing or dropping the weapon....

as crimson said earlier, you're the only one here inventing any sort of "re-grip"...anything, really. point to me where in the rules it says that two-handed weapons are different from versatile weapons in terms of moving a hand off or on it being an object interaction. until you do that, there's 0 point in you continuing because you'll be arguing from nowhere.

Critically also the longs word can't be used with gwm+gwf & you have some real tradeoff for gaining the ability to use a focus item to cast spells.

actually, you can use the first point of GWM (making another attack as a bonus action after dropping an enemy to 0 hp or landing a crit) with a longsword because it only specifies you need a melee weapon. the second point you can't, yes, because it requires a weapon with the heavy property. you also can use GWF with a longsword because it has the versatile property, so long as you're using it two handed. so not only is this point irrelevant, you're also just objectively wrong about it.

I even quoted it and gave page number earlier. It says that you can draw OR sheath not draw AND sheath. You can only do one for free not both.

more of a technicality, but "use an object" does state you only need to take the use an object action if you specifically want to interact with more then one object - it gives no limitations as to how many interactions you can make with one object. and this does not conflict with the phrasing of "draw or sheathe" - the "or" here could very well be inclusive or (i.e. and/or). the existence of the inclusive or is also part of why legal documents suck to read (because every time they mean exclusive or - i.e. or and not and - they need to specify as such). not that this is relevant or probably even intended - i just thought it was an interesting thing to note about the language of the action. THAT you can throw under your "natural language" complaint pretty safely i think.

 

[tetrasodium]

"used" in this context is "make attacks". nothing is stopping you from holding a two-handed weapon with one hand, you just can't make attacks while doing so. for the purposes of holding an object with one or two hands, this is distinction without difference.

as crimson said earlier, you're the only one here inventing any sort of "re-grip"...anything, really. point to me where in the rules it says that two-handed weapons are different from versatile weapons in terms of moving a hand off or on it being an object interaction. until you do that, there's 0 point in you continuing because you'll be arguing from nowhere.

actually, you can use the first point of GWM (making another attack as a bonus action after dropping an enemy to 0 hp or landing a crit) with a longsword because it only specifies you need a melee weapon. the second point you can't, yes, because it requires a weapon with the heavy property. you also can use GWF with a longsword because it has the versatile property, so long as you're using it two handed. so not only is this point irrelevant, you're also just objectively wrong about it.

more of a technicality, but "use an object" does state you only need to take the use an object action if you specifically want to interact with more then one object - it gives no limitations as to how many interactions you can make with one object. and this does not conflict with the phrasing of "draw or sheathe" - the "or" here could very well be inclusive or (i.e. and/or). the existence of the inclusive or is also part of why legal documents suck to read (because every time they mean exclusive or - i.e. or and not and - they need to specify as such). not that this is relevant or probably even intended - i just thought it was an interesting thing to note about the language of the action. THAT you can throw under your "natural language" complaint pretty safely i think.

5e's poorly worded rules related to somatic/material compoonent with focus items & object interaction force it the gm to flesh them out for wotc's ruleset. We have several years of hearing how this is somehow a strength of 5e. he GM in question has ruled already ruled & I rule very similar. A free hand needs to be free at my table too, you simply can not cast spells while running around wielding a greatsword or some other 2 handed weapon.

 

[James Gasik]

I don't really see the big deal anyways. The only reason to use a two hander is GWM's "power attack" or PAM anyways. A versatile longsword does 1.5 less damage per hit than a greatsword, and if you have Dueling Fighting Style, just using the thing in one hand is only half a point less damage on average.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I don't really see the big deal anyways. The only reason to use a two hander is GWM's "power attack" or PAM anyways. A versatile longsword does 1.5 less damage per hit than a greatsword, and if you have Dueling Fighting Style, just using the thing in one hand is only half a point less damage on average.

The other reason is to play a mixed warrior/caster without a feat tax.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

5e's poorly worded rules related to somatic/material compoonent with focus items & object interaction force it the gm to flesh them out for wotc's ruleset. We have several years of hearing how this is somehow a strength of 5e.

i agree that 5e has poorly worded rules and is effectively a rules-heavy system pretending to be rules-light. this is not an example of that.

he GM in question has ruled already ruled & I rule very similar.

good for you, and if your players are ok with it then good for them too, but this discussion isn't about what the gm should rule, it's about if the gm's ruling is based in actual rules of the game or if it's a house rule.

A free hand needs to be free at my table too, you simply can not cast spells while running around wielding a greatsword or some other 2 handed weapon.

except the entire point being made is that you can easily free that hand, so long as you put the hand back before making an attack, which is trivial because it isn't any type of action or interaction. once again, if your ruling works for you, great. it's still a house rule.

A versatile longsword does 1.5 less damage per hit than a greatsword,

i'm assuming you calculated this by averaging the difference between one-handing and two-handing a longsword for comparing against the greatsword?