Level Up (A5E) Unlikely Wield + 3 Extra Attacks Interaction

[xiphumor]

I’m trying to make sure I’m understanding this right. Here are the relevant rules:

ADDITIONAL ATTACK​

Requirement: 11th level

You can attack three times, instead of twice, when you take the Attack action.

UNLIKELY WIELD​

Requirement: 11th level

You can wield three weapons with the dual-wielding property at once. Typically this is done with a dagger wielded between toes, but it has been known to be done with the mouth (or even a tail for combatants that have one). When you engage in two weapon fighting, you can use the third weapon to make an additional weapon attack.

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.

Here are my questions:

1. If you have three extra attacks, can you make three attacks with your off-hand weapon, or only two?

2. Does the third weapon from unlikely wield benefit from the extra attack feature?

It would seem as though, RAW, the answers are no, which means an adept with three attacks using unlikely wield could make three normal attacks, two attacks with their off-hand, and one attack with their unlikely wield for a total of 6.

However, I could see the following arguments for RAI.

1. Three extra attacks also translates to three off-hand attacks, but unlikely wield does not, totaling seven attacks.

2. Three attacks does not translate to three off-hand attacks, but it does translate to unlikely wield, totaling seven attacks.

3. Both apply to both, permitting a nine attacks.

 

[VenerableBede]

Here's my read:
With Additional Attack, you can attack three times.
With Two-Weapon Fighting, you can make two additional attacks with your off-hand weapon (provided the above-mentioned conditions are met).
With Unlikely Wield, you can wield a third weapon (most creatures are limited to wielding two, one in each hand) and make one attack with that weapon when you engage in two-weapon fighting.
That makes a total of six attacks, which is your initial read, and I agree that read is pretty clear from the text and abilities as provided above. I also agree that the third weapon weapon "benefit from the extra attack feature", if by that you mean you couldn't use Extra Attack to make an attack with that weapon using your action.

I don't see at all the RAI as you've put it, and I'd need further explanation to understand how you are getting more than six attacks out of this feature.

 

[lichmaster]

I think in this case the descriptions are very clear:

• Unlikely Wield: When you engage in two weapon fighting, you can use the third weapon to make an additional weapon attack.
• Two Weapon Fighting: you can use your bonus action to attack with a different dual-wielding melee weapon that you are holding in your off-hand. If you have the Extra Attack feature, you can use your bonus action to make two attacks with the weapon in your off-hand.

So you would make 3 attacks with the main hand (additional attack), than 2 attacks with the off hand as a bonus action (two weapon fighting), and then one attack with the third weapon using unlikely wield. So 6 attacks in total

Edit: these rules do not seem to be worded generally and unequivocally enough to accommodate characters with more than 2 hands/prehensile appendages

 

[Sepulchre]

So you would make 3 attacks with the main hand (additional attack), than 2 attacks with the off hand as a bonus action (two weapon fighting), and then one attack with the third weapon using unlikely wield. So 6 attacks in total

Edit: these rules do not seem to be worded generally and unequivocally enough to accommodate characters with more than 2 hands/prehensile appendages

I agree with this analysis. I’d rule that creatures that can already hold more than two weapons get to wield an additional dual-wielding weapon without using a hand.

 

[noodohs]

As written, I think it's also notable that Two-Weapon Fighting specifically calls out "If you have the Extra Attack feature..." whereas the feature you are referencing above is called Additional Attack. This suggests that the wording there only applies to the more basic Extra Attack feature and there are no additional provisions for Additional Attack.