D&D 5E (2024) Simplifying Dual Wielding in 5e-2024

[Corinnguard]

Here's how Level Up handled Dual Wielding:

Two-Weapon Fighting
When you take the Attack action and attack with a weapon that does not have the heavy property that you are wielding in one hand, you can use your bonus action to attack with a different dual-wielding melee weapon that you are holding in your off-hand. You do not add your ability modifier to the damage roll of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative. If a weapon has the thrown property, you can make a ranged weapon attack with it instead.
If you have the Extra Attack feature, you can use your bonus action to make two attacks with the weapon in your off-hand.

Laser Llama's take on Dual-Wielding:

Dual Wielding​

While two-weapon fighting, you make your off-hand weapon attack as part of the Attack action instead of a bonus action, and can add your ability modifier to the damage of this attack.
When you do, you cannot also make a bonus action attack.

This version allows the player to free up their bonus action for any class feature or spell that requires it.

 

[Horwath]

improved dual wielder feat:
require extra attack
+1 ASI
when you make your off-hand attack with TWF, make two attacks with your off hand weapon


Greater dual wielder feat:
requires improved dual wielder, extra attack(2)
+1 ASI
when you make off hand attack with TWF, make 3 attacks with your off hand weapon

 

[ECMO3]

For something intended to simplify, it seems rather complicated and also prone to exploit, espcially when combined with masteries that are purposely lacking on light weapons (Sap!).

It also does not address what is the biggest complexity problem with the rules, and that is the different damage bonus for different attacks with the same weapon. If we want to simplify dual wielding, here are two options which I think are simpler and would work better:

1. Give all PCs the Two Weapon Fighting feat so there is no jumbling back and forth which attacks use the dex/strength bonus and which don't. This would resolve what is by far the biggest issue with the current dual wielding mechanics.

OR

2. Eliminate any bonus action extra attacks at all other than what you get with your attack action (i.e. dual wielder feat and light properties don't do anything). If you want to attack with more than one weapon on a turn, get extra attack and use the extra attack to use a different weapon in your other hand.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Give all PCs the Two Weapon Fighting feat so there is no jumbling back and forth which attacks use the dex/strength bonus and which don't. This would resolve what is by far the biggest issue with the current dual wielding mechanics.

I this is what I went for in my own homebrew 5e clone. But I also gave everyone two attacks on the attack action at level one, so the damage curve at low levels was less affected.

Meanwhile, while I was working to simplify, WotC was working overtime to come up with ways to make it all more obtuse.

Just letting everyone get the ability score damage on bonus action attacks definitely simplifies the main cause of confusion. I, as someone with considerable 5e experience and rules mastery still occasionally messed up in one direction or the other, forgetting whether a particular character of mine, or an enemy or npc I was running as DM, did or did not get ability score to damage on the bonus action attack (I certainly knew the correct answer when I thought about it, but it's easy to trip on extra little rules while doing math), and it was something I felt like most people I played with messed up more often than me. I also feel like gatekeeping something often highly useful to Rogues and Barbarians but giving it to Fighters at level 1 just discouraged non-multiclassed characters.