How exactly does dual wielding work?

[solaris32]

Particularly when it comes to rogue and sneak attacks. If I dual wield hand crossbows and fire from stealth, am I hitting twice and getting sneak attack damage twice?

[Prince_Sitri]

Sneak attack only applies to the first attack, once per round.

[Kryldost]

Sneak attack is always one hit, but off hand attack (if the reaction for sneak attack is active) will be able to trigger the reaction.

If doing a standard ranged and auto off hand attack is active (right under the weapon selection) it will use it in succession.

[solaris32]

Ok so sneak attack is only once, but you're still hitting twice with your dual weapons? And the offhand has penalty, right?

Looking it up it seems you're using a bonus action for your offhand attack. Fair, and all the more reason to go thief.

[Kryldost]

I dont recall if dual wielder feat works with hand crossbows but without it yeah.

[dolby]

The two positive things about dual wielding are, first:

You make reaction attacks with both weapons at the same time and you don't need extra resources to do it. Good for getting more damage out per round and crit hunting.


Second: The extra weapon can give you effects... (like maybe you are dual wielding staffs that gives you bonuses to Spell DCs or maybe you use off hand to get Club of Hill Giant Strength that buff STr to 19... Extra item slots is extra item slot in this case lots of weapon combos can be done.)


Problem is most other feats have little synergy with dual wielding and you need fighting style to make it better and that has it's own limitations.

Anyway the whole thing could be made more interesting so i made a change in my game in a way that off hand attacks gives you special weapons attack as well.

Meaning you can have twice a many special weapons makes the whole thing more fun and brings it in line with GWM and twohanded weapons that have higher dies.

Some people made mods that give dual wielding extra free attack with off hand.. But that's too powerful in my book and way less interesting than the extra special weapons attacks.

edit: ow and i forgot to mention dual wielding hand crossbows... that would be the 3 and best positive that's actually worth the bonus action due to how you can use sharpshooter feat with it. Where on other hand GWM feat doesn't work with melee dual wielding.

[Kryldost]

Some items dont give their special skill sometimes in offhand, like phalar aluve for example.

[dolby]

Originally posted by Kryldost:

Some items dont give their special skill sometimes in offhand, like phalar aluve for example.

fixed that in my game... makes no sense that it just stops working just cos you have it in the other hand...

[lordgizka]

Originally posted by dolby:

Second: The extra weapon can give you effects... (like maybe you are dual wielding staffs that gives you bonuses to Spell DCs or maybe you use off hand to get Club of Hill Giant Strength that buff STr to 19... Extra item slots is extra item slot in this case lots of weapon combos can be done.)

Didn't even occur to me. Gale's spell DC is already busted, I guess it can go even higher.