Dual Wielding & Combat Moves?

[Flushing]

I wanted to respec my Githyanki Fighter to Dual Wielding, so she wouldn't compete with my Barbarian Main for weapons and for some combat diversity.

I was experimenting, and I already know to take both Dual Weapon Feats by level 4, I really like the damage with 2 long swords.

That being said, it seems like you don't attack with your offhand weapon when you use melee special moves?

By special moves, I mean melee attack moves beyond your main attack.

Am I wrong about this?

To me, the only time both my mainhand and offhand seem to land is with my main attack only. Special attack moves don't appear to land both weapons.

Does the offhand's weapon's damage figure in the damage calcs on special moves, even though the animation doesn't land?

[Flushing]

Originally posted by Flushing:

I wanted to respec my Githyanki Fighter to Dual Wielding, so she wouldn't compete with my Barbarian Main for weapons and for some combat diversity.

I was experimenting, and I already know to take both Dual Weapon Feats by level 4, I really like the damage with 2 long swords.

That being said, it seems like you don't attack with your offhand weapon when you use melee special moves?

By special moves, I mean melee attack moves beyond your main attack.

Am I wrong about this?

To me, the only time both my mainhand and offhand seem to land is with my main attack only. Special attack moves don't appear to land both weapons.

Does the offhand's weapon's damage figure in the damage calcs on special moves, even though the animation doesn't land?

Guys, help me out here. My question moved to page 5 extremely fast because of all the new player, "I love this game" posts. But, I have a real question here.

[Flushing]

Originally posted by Flushing:

I wanted to respec my Githyanki Fighter to Dual Wielding, so she wouldn't compete with my Barbarian Main for weapons and for some combat diversity.

I was experimenting, and I already know to take both Dual Weapon Feats by level 4, I really like the damage with 2 long swords.

That being said, it seems like you don't attack with your offhand weapon when you use melee special moves?

By special moves, I mean melee attack moves beyond your main attack.

Am I wrong about this?

To me, the only time both my mainhand and offhand seem to land is with my main attack only. Special attack moves don't appear to land both weapons.

Does the offhand's weapon's damage figure in the damage calcs on special moves, even though the animation doesn't land?

Please help

[TorrentXL]

Off hand weapon attacks are made with your bonus action.

You can toggle whether this happens automatically or not. (you should have had a tutorial pop up the first time the situation came up. If you are new, definitely read those.)

[Zeel Ara]

Attacking with offhand weapon is a bonus action, not something that is automatically built into your main attack. If you don't have a free bonus action then you can't attack with offhand.

[Jaggid Edje]

In 5E, dual wielding just means you get an extra attack in a round with the off-hand weapon, as a bonus action. The game just does this for you automatically when you use a normal main hand attack.

It's never 'added to" any attacks, it's a separate action, using your bonus action.

[BeelzeBob]

Dual wielding is trash in 5e, and Larian only made it worse by making bonus actions even more useful for other things. It's quite unfortunate really...

[Flushing]

Originally posted by LiquidWolf:

Off hand weapon attacks are made with your bonus action.

You can toggle whether this happens automatically or not. (you should have had a tutorial pop up the first time the situation came up. If you are new, definitely read those.)

and

Originally posted by Jaggid Edje:

In 5E, dual wielding just means you get an extra attack in a round with the off-hand weapon, as a bonus action. The game just does this for you automatically when you use a normal main hand attack.

It's never 'added to" any attacks, it's a separate action, using your bonus action.

Thank you. I understand these points. I just want to know if offhand is ever utalized for special attacks along with mainhand.

As a follow up, say I have a special move like lacerate, that action, even when I am set to dual wielding, will only apply the main hand weapon correct? It's not performing the lacerate function with both my main hand and offhand weapon?

However, after I lacerate, I can separately attack with my offhand weapon as a bonus action?

Much like using a pommel attack if I have the ability?

Is this different from doing a sneak attack with Rogue, I heard both weapons apply there.

From what I am reading here, I will keep 2H weapons with Lae'zel. Again, the only reason I thought of changing her is because I already have a 2H Barbarian and fighters get both dual weapon feats by level 4 and Barbarians can only get one. I just didn't want both my characters to compete for the same gear.

I already missed out on the magic flaming 2h sword from the Deamon on illithid ship in beginning.

[Jaggid Edje]

Yes, Yes, and yes to all of your questions. DOn't think of things like lacerate as "special moves". They are "actions", just like a main hand regular attack is an "action". Off hand attacks, however, are not "actions" they are "bonus actions".

I'm actually not sure how the sneak attack works in BG3, but per 5E rules it's not exactly like how you are thinking of it.

It's not that "both weapons apply" it's that the way sneak attack works is that once per turn you can apply your bonus sneak attack damage when you successfully hit an opponent (provided you meet the required conditions).
The advantage, therefore, of dual wielding is that you get an extra attack so you have one additional opportunity to successfully hit and therefore apply the sneak attack damage, in case your main attack misses.

[Flushing]

Originally posted by Jaggid Edje:

Yes, Yes, and yes to all of your questions. DOn't think of things like lacerate as "special moves". They are "actions", just like a main hand regular attack is an "action". Off hand attacks, however, are not "actions" they are "bonus actions".

I'm actually not sure how the sneak attack works in BG3, but per 5E rules it's not exactly like how you are thinking of it.

It's not that "both weapons apply" it's that the way sneak attack works is that once per turn you can apply your bonus sneak attack damage when you successfully hit an opponent (provided you meet the required conditions).
The advantage, therefore, of dual wielding is that you get an extra attack so you have one additional opportunity to successfully hit and therefore apply the sneak attack damage, in case your main attack misses.

Thank you. This is perfect. Also thanks to everyone, so far Great Steam Community. I'm going to keep Lae'zel with 2H weapons.

From what your saying, I have to conclude that Dual Wielding is a trade off. In taking the feats you improve your AC and can scale what your offhand weapon does.

But, you have to consider if the offhand weapon bonus action is better than your other bonus actions and also weigh that against how much stand alone damage a good 2H weapon does without costing any bonus actions.

For any class that can use 2H weapons it doesn't seem competitive unless you get very very good single handed weapons.

However, I can see how this would be very good for rogues, rangers and rogues. Side note, I kill Astorian when he tried to suck my blood because I was just waiting for any excuse to kill him (I hate him).

However, for fighters, even though you have access to all the feats, it just doesn't seem like Dual Weapons will scale over 2H.

Since we're all on the same page now, if you intended to make a 2H fighter how would you proceed?