Two Weapon Attack Ruling

[hawknsparrow]

Hiya folks. I've read the rules and understand them, but what about a guy with 18 strength... wouldn't he be allowed to successfully wield a long sword with one hand and a light weapon with the other? I think so...o.k. raw wouldn't allow it but.... and what about a dragon born using a breath weapon attack and if he has the two weapon fighting style... would he be able to use another attack after using the breath weapon? Thanks!

 

[Kave2015]

Yes a guy with any str score can use a attack action to use two light weapons one in each hand (see PHB pg 195) to use a longsword and a light weapon you need the Dual Wielder feat (PHB pg 165). The fighter& ranger two weapon fighting just lets you add the ability damage to the bonus attack (PHB Pg 72), so that a 20 level fighter would be able to strike 5 times per attack action (4 from extra attack and once with his off hand as a bonus attack ). Now your 18 str character could carry a longsword and a warhamer(or a light weapon) into battle and use them on alternating turns (I might let you,as a house rule, use the offhand weapon with your extra attack but not grant a bonus attack until you pick up the Dual Wielder feat)

The dragon born assuming he is a fighter 2 level plus, has three options 1) take a attack action 2) use his breath weapon (a action) 3) use his action surge to take two actions, say one attack action and one breath weapon.

 

[Li Shenron]

Hiya folks. I've read the rules and understand them, but what about a guy with 18 strength... wouldn't he be allowed to successfully wield a long sword with one hand and a light weapon with the other? I think so...o.k. raw wouldn't allow it but.... and what about a dragon born using a breath weapon attack and if he has the two weapon fighting style... would he be able to use another attack after using the breath weapon? Thanks!

It's not just the RAW but also the RAI against these:

- larger weapons are not meant to be used easily with two-weapon fighting, unless you pay an additional price (feat); this way, the choice between two-handed weapon, sword & board, or two-weapon fighting, is more fair

- a breath weapon is more similar to a spell than to an attack, and so it uses the same action as a spell

You can always house rule anything based on what 'makes more sense' for you from a narrative standpoint, but you have to understand that such gamestyle requires a very good DM. A lot of DMs who go this route think they know what they are doing, but don't realize that they often have a bias (some have a bias in favor of magic, others have a bias against magic, and others have a bias for/against specific classes or abilities) and because of that what 'makes more sense' for them will actually tilt the game in favor of certain characters and against others.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Now your 18 str character could carry a longsword and a warhamer(or a light weapon) into battle and use them on alternating turns (I might let you,as a house rule, use the offhand weapon with your extra attack but not grant a bonus attack until you pick up the Dual Wielder feat)

That's not even a house rule. There is nothing in the rules preventing you from carrying a weapon in each hand and alternating attacks between them using just your extra attacks and not the two-weapon fighting rules. Now, that might interact poorly with some combat styles (depending on how one rules it, it might disallow the dueling combat style), but nothing restricts you from doing it.

 

[KahlessNestor]

Since it's a bonus action (and not an attack action), couldn't you do breath weapon and a single off-hand attack?

 

[Mephista]

Since it's a bonus action (and not an attack action), couldn't you do breath weapon and a single off-hand attack?

cbwjm answered this in the first responce. No. You only get the bonus action off hand attack when you make an Attack action. Breath Weapon is not an Attack action.

 

[Rune]

Since it's a bonus action (and not an attack action), couldn't you do breath weapon and a single off-hand attack?

Breath weapon doesn't trigger the bonus action attack. (A bonus action isn't part of a turn; it is a bonus granted by a specific action. This is a subtle, but significant distinction, because it means there is no reason for players to slow down play by searching for a bonus action to use the way 4e's minor actions did.)

 

[BoldItalic]

@OP - there's really no need to try to wriggle around the rules. You can't do Longsword + Dagger because Longsword isn't a light weapon, but you can attack with two shortswords or two scimitars. If you work it out, the damage is just as good.

Consider a Fighter with 18 Str and Two-Weapon Fighting style wielding 2 shortswords.
Assuming both attacks hit, damage is (d6+4) + (d6+4) so that's a range of 10..20 with an average of 15.

If the fighter were allowed to attack with longsword and dagger, damage would be (d8+4) + (d4+4). That's a range of 10..20 with an average of 15 - exactly the same. Except that d8+d4 is more swingy than d6+d6 so his attacks would be less reliable.

So, I hear you asking, if it makes no difference, why is it not allowed? Because of the Extra Attack class feature. At level 20, four longsword attacks plus a dagger would be overpowered compared to five shortsword attacks.

 

[Dausuul]

The rules say no, as you seem to be aware.
Your DM says [go ask your DM].

Those are the only two answers you'll get that matter. I'm not really sure why you're asking us.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

I'd lean towards a houserule that lets dragonborn use a bonus action to activate their breath weapon against a single target. Its pretty mediocre damage, and their racials just aren't very good as is.