Sage Advice (18 May 2015)

I can't believe they went that way with hand crossbows.

 

[Valador]

Jeremy Crawford's latest Sage Advice column over at WotC's website looks at a few feats - Crossbow Expert, Lucky, Magic Initiate, and Polearm Master.

Find it here.

Promoted to news article by Morrus.

Hopefully no one has posted this already... I'm currently in the field doing Army shenanigans but I saw this while checking my phone. I would quote the whole article, but my phone is being an ass.

this months advice deals with feat clarification. Enjoy.

 

[Inchoroi]

I can't believe they went that way with hand crossbows.

Its kind of backwards to the way I read it. You can't dual wield hand crossbows...but you can attack twice with the same one as a bonus action. Weird.

 

[Sacrosanct]

So I guess every wizard is going to be carrying hand crossbows...

 

[Mephista]

Well, that's one way to stop the duel wielding Sharpshooter hand crossbow combo, I guess. That just leaves GWM and the Sorlock as the two hot topic builds when it comes to power gaming. At least, that's my initial thought. It does, however, ruin the drow rapier-and-handcrossbow battle style, which makes me sad. Might still be possible with just the duel wielding feat; I'll have to look into it.

Not quite following the Lucky bit with disadvatnage - are they saying you can pick between any of the three d20s, effectively turning disadvantage into advantage? Or picking between the lowest of the first two and the new roll?

Though, the Magic Initiate is a bit sad. Though the ruling makes it easier to keep from poaching key spells, I feel like it also makes it pretty pointless to take the first level spell now. I also wonder what it means for the aasimar, drow and tiefling.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Its kind of backwards to the way I read it. You can't dual wield hand crossbows...but you can attack twice with the same one as a bonus action. Weird.

I look at it like this video and revolvers. Using your off hand, you can attack much faster than if you had a weapon in each hand, because in the case of revolvers, without your off hand to cock, you'd have to do that with your thumb on your firing hand, and that isn't nearly as fast.

For hand crossbows if they were dual wielded, you'd still get 2 attacks--once with each weapon--but then you have to load it and you really can't without dropping one of your crossbows to free up a hand.

 

[Mephista]

Its kind of backwards to the way I read it. You can't dual wield hand crossbows...but you can attack twice with the same one as a bonus action. Weird.

From the way I read it, you can duel wield hand crossbows - you just can't load them. So, start your combat with two, fire the off hand, drop the off hand, load the main hand and fire it twice. Basically, its a turn 1 extra damage.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Though, the Magic Initiate is a bit sad. Though the ruling makes it easier to keep from poaching key spells, I feel like it also makes it pretty pointless to take the first level spell now. I also wonder what it means for the aasimar, drow and tiefling.

I disagree. I think the magic initiate feat was mostly for those non-spell casting classes anyway. I can tell you that that feat is awesome for my shadow monk, who used it to get eldritch blast and hex. Ever seen hex used in conjunction with flurry of blows? Pretty darn nice.

 

[Sunseeker]

Its kind of backwards to the way I read it. You can't dual wield hand crossbows...but you can attack twice with the same one as a bonus action. Weird.

Or as many times in an action as your class says you can!

I think it's silly to because the end result is exactly the same.

 

[Inchoroi]

So I guess every wizard is going to be carrying hand crossbows...

Probably. It makes sense, too, as long as they're proficient in them--which, come to think of it, I don't think they are...

...where are my books...?