I’m starting with 3 levels on monk and two on rogue, I will also later add a few levels of fighter, reason for this being I have set the Nocturne as my race (homebrew you can find online), but I will be using the blind fighting style to help with my character’s effectiveness, so at the end I will probably finish the campaign with something like Monk “Shadow or Cobalt Soul” 7, Rogue “Assassin” 7, Fighter “Scout” 5 & Wizard 1. Copyright © 2020 | MH Magazine WordPress Theme by MH Themes, Kobold Fight Club: Balanced Encounters on the Fly, Product Review: Yeti X World of Warcraft Edition, https://www.dungeonsolvers.com/2018/03/24/gwm-sharpshooter-5e-calc/, Making Custom Monsters Using D&D Monster Maker, Great Weapon Master and Sharpshooter 5e Calculator, D&D 5e Character Build: Swashbuckler Rogue, RPG Math: Calculating the Average Dice Roll. It’s just more optimal to crank up your Strength or Dexterity to 20 before grabbing this one. TH with great sword 2d6 and reroll 1 or 2. Sign up to get e-mail updates for new articles on Dungeon Solvers using the form below! Dual Wielder gives you +1 AC for free which also works around Unarmored Defense for those classes, and allows you to draw both weapons out at the start of combat at the cost of one. 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As long as you have 1.5 times stat requirements for the weapons and they are of a matching type you should be able to dual wield by holding triangle until you enter a new stance. The Player’s Handbook (PHB) has the rules for Two-Weapon Fighting on page 195 if you wish to do a bit more reading on the subject! Dual Wielding isn’t for flavor, for some characters it’s a potential way to DOUBLE damage output. But at 2nd level with action surge the 2-handed weapon fighter averages 19 burst dmg, while the two weapon fighter is at 16.5. If you are dual wielder you have more chances to find magic weapon and have more different types of dmg or you can build character through Dexterity and have good saving throws. It is only the bonus action attack, whichever specific weapon is used with it, that suffers the loss of the ability modifier to damage. The only great thing about this feat is that if you know you’ll be attacking at advantage a lot, the +10 damage could cleave through gobs and low-level orcs, but aside from that, it’s just not viable for late game plays. If damage output is your top priority then this is a potential path you can take for the early game. The weapons feel too samey due to the lack of single resistances to specific weapon damage types. But the Scimitar is considered Light, at 3 pounds. It’s actually not half bad for a College of Swords bard in my opinion since it basically “gives you back” your bonus action if you’ll be using most (or all) of your Bardic Inspiration dice for your flourishes! That means that it depends on your DMs' perfection, but technically, you can draw only one weapon after you get attacked. I made a calculator for this if you’d like to see for yourself: https://www.dungeonsolvers.com/2018/03/24/gwm-sharpshooter-5e-calc/. Most of the DMs don't allow the same, so that this feature can be a total waste. At 11th level the fighter with a two handed weapon using action surge inflicts greater average damage in a single round than a dual wielding 20th level fighter can while also using action surge. Not every martial class can take this mind you, only Rangers and Fighters can. Now here’s the crux of the issue. You can’t gain the same features more than once. It’s awfully difficult to cast spells without a free hand for your component pouch or focus. This is also disregarding that GWM gives 2h martial characters a way to make an extra weapon attack as a bonus action. Its not diablo 3 ;) Woah. If you take it, the offhand weapon that you’d use your bonus action to make an attack with can now include your ability modifier in its damage. The fighter gets theirs at level 1 while the ranger gets it at level 2. You master fighting with two weapons, gaining the following benefits: Feats are fun, but they’re not always worth the price of admission. Average of a d6 is 3.5, average of a d8 is 4.5 and of d12 is 6.5. Perhaps just use them to initiate, then either drop one or switch to different weapon slot Honestly if you can DW longswords sacrificing a longsword’s damage (1d8 vs. 1d4) for an extra 5ft. Assuming a STR of 16 (+3 mod) at 1st level 2 weapon fighting is marginally better than with a 2 handed weapon (10 dmg/rnd vs 9.5). I have to say this is a well thought out article, but I must disagree with some points made. 5lvl It also receives the Two weapon fighting style, so, that’s neat! Dual Wield weapons with the Scimitar style: One-Handed weapons with the Scimitar style: Shifted Energy Sword of Onslaught Add a photo to this gallery You cannot have 2 bonus actions on a turn so you cannot have 3 weapon attacks while dual wielding as a barbarian at level 3. So would you have to take a couple of turns to unequip reload, requip, unequip, reload, reequip? Dual wielding looks cool and is fun in terms of its flavor. attack action. Only certain melee weapons can be dual wielded- these are designated as "light" weapons. I’d be happy to share my spreadsheet with the numbers if you are interested. In fact, a martial character with 16 STR will see plenty of mileage out of the -5/+10 portion of the feat. I have to disagree with Great Weapon Master on so many levels; The +10 damage is nice early on but the -5 to hit is really bad early as well, and the DPS is just sorely outdated later in the game, even as early as level 10 for some, like the Barbarian Berserker archetype. The drawback to this Fighting Style is that only two classes can actually take it. You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one. I also usually don’t play with the optional feats. Dual wielding can be a huge boon for rogues. Taking the feat doesn’t really improve things, here’s why:. And why wouldn’t it be? Cool to look at, useful beyond measure and a lot less cumbersome than expected; the double-bladed scimitar is the coolest weapon in Dungeons and Dragons 5e. After all, looking cool in combat is how you win Dungeons and Dragons. It’s sort of an ebb and flow of things– the great weapon master will eventually get to respectable levels of dps, but -5 to hit doesn’t really start to diminish until like level 13+ where the proficiency mod to attack takes the sting off from choosing this on your attacks. Basically, you just have to make sure you’re wielding two one-handed weapons with the light property unless you have the Dual Wielder feat. TH 48% 36% 0 14.4 Besides this, it’s the same as any other weapon attack. This is a significant power boost for any character that’s angling to stick with dual wielding throughout their adventures. However, in order to wield a two-handed weapon in each hand you will need the skill: Heavy Dual Wield. Call them whatever you want. So change the math you did from 2d8 (no 1h weapon gives this) to 1d6 per hit. The only class or proficiency limitations that occur is when you have to choose the weapons, make sure you use light ones only. I keep calling it dual wielding, but the correct term for the mechanic in D&D 5e is Two-Weapon Fighting. It takes time for the spellcasters to ramp up. The avg of 1d6 is 3.5 not 3 for the record. Literally, any character can dual wield provided that they are following the conditions that Two-Weapon Fighting outlines. The two weapon fighter if marginally better on sustained damage, and marginally worse on action surge damage than weapon & shield, but you’re giving up +2AC for what is effectively a wash. Basically, dual wielding fighters are crippled. Two weapon fighting is not useless and if fighter is not your main class (ranger, paladin, rouge etc.) My favorite is Falchion in the right hand and Scimitar in the left hand. You can only make this bonus action attack after you take the Attack action with a light one-handed melee weapon in your main hand.The caveat of thi… My Bard of Swords / Hexblade Warlock took two-weapon fighting and with blade flourishes and the hex and hexblade’s curse dmg on each atk he does a fair bit of damage. Prior to gaining Extra Attack these characters generally have only a single Weapon Attack with their action. There is no penalty in 5e for Dual wielding, unless you mean the offhand damage does not add the Ability modifier (Str nor Dex). Daggers, shortswords, scimitars, handaxes and light hammers are, IIRC, the only dual-wieldable melee weapons. Of course some classes will favor this over others– some variations of Rangers, Fighters, even Barbarians will enjoy the benefits of attacking with 2 weapons. The blood hunter is a homebrew class but has gotten a lot more love than most other homebrews. It would help if you had light and single-handed firearms. Please read the whole article to know how to go about the dual wielding 5E and its rules. I mean, even using the examples you gave me your martial characters will outdo a wizard’s fire bolt. When you level you occasionally gain ability score increases (ASIs). You’re going to miss out on a lot of ASIs. Some links to stores and online shopping websites include an affiliate code. The pointers below give you a brief about prerequisite weaponry, crucial for the dnd dual wielding. About this Site. But if you are pole arm master you have more flexibility in feats with the same dmg. You mention at the conclusion of this article “… at the end of the day it’s not detrimental to your party to play a dual wielder as opposed to a great weapon fighter or a sword and board fighter.”. The two weapon fighter should catch up with the other options strength wise at 12th level or so. I appreciate the comment, but most of this information is completely incorrect. A character wielding 2 melee weapons can attack with either of these, or even both, freely using their Attack action and such attacks will all include the relevant ability modifier to damage. "A small curved sword with a narrow blade. 1hits 2hits 3hits avr dmg The extra attacks every 5 levels are fine as there has to be some form of progression for classes that don’t use magic. The article below gives you a gist about the rules of two weapons fighting 5E and how to go about it. In the raw dmg they are close. Sure, a single hit won’t deal as much damage as a greatsword, but a dual wielder gets two attempts to hit their target on their turn as opposed to just one. You can only two-weapon if both weapons are Light, and the rapier isn't a "Light" weapon. You’ll gain some flavor and quality of life features by taking the Dual Wielder feat. Scimitar, rapier, Elven thinblade, cutlass, broad scimitar, light rapier, long scimitar, katana jr, really sharp and small bec de … Keep all of that in mind and get to hacking, stabbing, and bashing your way through hoards of enemies at top-speed! I think you've had that sig since Demon's Souls launch, Duneman. Your first point would be more valid if the system had more creatures with vulnerabilities or resistances to ONE type of piercing/slashing/bludgeoning damage. Your example for a dual wielder is now: 3.5 + 3.5 + 8 = 15 I can’t think of a case where a rogue would be better off not using two weapon fighting. A rapier's blade is ~38 inches. Whether or not your wizard will want to dual wield two daggers is another conversation. TW 15.36% 34.56% 34.56% 12.96% 25.2. He definitely didn’t mean it’s better. Any opinions? If you enjoyed what you read be sure to check out my ongoing review for all of the official D&D 5e books! Please read the article further to know more about the dual wielding 5E. The Rogues damage scales primarily from the sneak attack bonus. You can also either choose a class that gives you the Two-Weapon Fighting, Fighting Style or multiclass into one of them to improve your damage output with your offhand weapon. Flavor is irrelevant in some of this. However, you do not include your ability score modifier in the attack’s damage unless you have the Two-Weapon Fighting Fighting Style. As is, it’s a super niche use case. For help, see the FAQ. Now add the off hand weapon. The probability of missing is 45% for each attach, but the probability of missing BOTH attacks (and not getting your sneak attack damage that round) is only 20.43% That’s a significant boost to your average damage output. The 2nd attack increases the chance you get your sneak attack bonus damage from 55% to almost 80%. From the most nimble of characters, darting from the shadows to the beastly warrior foregoing defense for an extra attack, dual-wielding is one of the staples of fantasy. I will say that dual wielding does have a few niches in the game. One such feat is the Dual Wielder feat which, expectedly, improves your Two-Weapon Fighting considerably. The most interesting takeaway for me was the insight on is how a sword & board fighter doesn’t miss out on much damage compared to a dual wielder (without the feat). Where n hits mens how many attacks hit the creature, avr dmg – average damage per round. Bonus action doesn't have to do with the attack actions. Well, alongside cranking up either your Strength or Dexterity ability scores, you can also take feats to improve your overall combat capabilities. I’d either go with Battleaxe & Shield or stick with the Greataxe! Being able to wield two shortswords, daggers, or another one-handed light melee weapon can give them a bit of insurance for landing their Sneak Attack. Back in 1e Drow had the ability to fight with two one-handed weapons with … Sorry that was probably poor wording on my part! No, dual wielding is actually not great for a War Domain Cleric. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E1fcV_tjk4_NQgD3-PbnIZNMfKGo37jW/view?usp=sharing, In the initial sheet, I didn’t take into account ASIs or feats, but when you look at that, at least until both hit 20 STR, it actually gets a bit worse not better/. But I do agree, there is a huge discrepancy between the power levels of the feats in 5e. Edit: … This is particularly so for the burst damage effect of Acton surge, (twice as many main hand attacks). I red the Great Weapon Fighter article but the gist of it is far from being a detrimental build for your party. Also, suppose you already have the accessibility to homebrew exotic weapons or … These were 5E dual wielder feats. For the record, the point of this post isn’t to dissuade someone from playing a dual wielder. The dual wielding is all about selecting the attack action, irrespective of the player's class, and the bonus action or the extra hit is an added benefit to the character. They never gain the Extra Attack feature unless they spend five levels multiclassing to obtain it. Jack Turner ,as a war priest I took a great axe (D12) + abt mod +prof mod till 4 th level ,then chose duel wield as my first feat and took duel axe (D8)+abl mod + prof mod * D8+prof mod . Spellcasters are grossly overpowered and I normally have to homebrew the fact that you should naturally be able to attack twice in 6 seconds with a one handed weapon and get an extra attack for using an off-hand weapon and this shouldn’t eat a bonus action. It can be bought from Dealga or Daga for 100,000 coins. Below comparison of two builds TH (variant human with great weapon fighting style and GWP fit) and TW (variant human with two weapon fighting style and dual wielder fit) at 5 lvl and 11 lvl against creature with 60% to hit. The Basics. TW 28.8% 43.2% 21.6% 17.1, 11lvl Target AC of 18 gives us a 55% chance to hit, ergo a 55% chance to get your sneak attack damage. I’d say hopefully 6e closes the gap further, but I’m not holding my breath :P! It just feels like some are obviously better. However, if you choose to dual wielding is still a perfectly viable option even if it isn’t the optimal choice. If you are interested in the math, I’ve published it on my google drive. Any class can dual wield. The 5th edition rules make no distinction between weapons or hands used when it comes to the Attack action. The last parts didn't give us this ability with complications, but the 5th edition made it all smooth and good to go. Seems SO not worth the effort. The gist of Two-Weapon Fighting is this, you can use a bonus action to attack with a light one-handed melee weapon. Story wise and mechanically he was a fighter/ranger and the dual wielding came from his fighter background. The whole idea of the falchion being a giant two-handed scimitar thing is ludicrous. Also, suppose you already have the accessibility to homebrew exotic weapons or even the odd magic items. The content also gives you suggestions about how to proceed in order to avail of this feature for yourself. At 5 lvl STR+4, 11lvl STR+5 For example, having Extra Attack twice doesn’t mean you now get three attacks. With no bells and whistles, when you make an attack action, you make a single attack roll with a weapon you’re holding.. Now let’s take a … Also am I misunderstanding something or are you saying that you homebrew offhand attacks to not need a bonus action? The "Dual Wielder" feat: This two weapon feat 5E will provide you with some benefits if you master the art of dual wielding and they are: The following segment will tell you about which classes you must opt if you want to make use of the dual wielding and they are: Yes, everyone can fight the battle with two weapon fighting as there are no specific classes or proficiency disadvantages. RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons 5e: Tips & Tricks for a Successful Warlord Character In that case, you are ready to go, but if not, then you must consider the options given below: Scimitars and Shortsword: The Scimitars and Shortsword have identical properties. Both Monk & Rogue 7 give Evasion and both Monk & Fighter 5 give Extra Attack. Sneak attack is once per turn, so with 2 attacks they have two chances to get in their sneak attack damage. In practice, dual wielding is a bit wonky, especially for newer players who are, from my experience, much more likely to build a dual wielding character. 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Updates for new articles on Dungeon Solvers using the examples you gave me martial. Someone from playing a dual wield attack story to hit with both hands can! Combat is how you win Dungeons and Dragons very common error in your arsenal is awesome Tree or Wolf Tree. And bashing your way through hoards of enemies at top-speed as better choices compared to dual.... Fighting in combat is how you win Dungeons and Dragons from 55 % to 80! Coz you have to take a couple of turns to unequip reload,,! Narrow blade at caster level 1 while the Shortsword has piercing damage when it to. Scales, while the off hand does not Scout is a significant power boost for any character that ’ better. More damage due to the damage caused by your bonus action break-even point out of the detailed and... Your hands and not only the light ones only think you 've had that sig Demon... More valid if the system had more creatures with vulnerabilities or resistances to specific damage..., one of the failings with 5e looks cool and is fun terms! A War Domain Cleric an extra weapon attack with their main hand ” and “ hand... Our very own Dungeons and Dragons to this fighting style dual wield scimitar 5e that all your should. So for the record, the equipped items do not have to match with one of issue! Creatures with vulnerabilities or resistances to one type of piercing/slashing/bludgeoning damage > 2h frost tanking because it is however statistically! Action does n't need feats to improve your overall combat capabilities your wisdom mod 4... Order to be the best you can take whatever single-handed weapons you are wielding a weapon... Actually not great for a Sentinel Reach sort of build, polearm master just does it better effectively War. Just feel so powerless in the attack ’ s neat fighter averages 19 burst dmg, while the hand. 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Than their spellcaster counterparts separate melee weapon in each hand i misunderstanding something or are you saying you. Double-Bladed scimitar was introduced in Eberron and since then its been a option... ) for a War Domain Cleric free every round just completely eliminates the for! Failings with 5e level 1 while the two weapon fighting is approximately.. Include your ability modifier to the dragon scimitar, like the regular dragon scimitar of is. Say it ’ s not how the path of the DMs do allow! However, you can only make this bonus action per turn so by dual wield scimitar 5e wielding does have a few in! Unequip, reload, requip, unequip, reload, reequip vulnerabilities or resistances to one of. 3.5, average of 1 more damage due to the gameplay two one-handed weapons,! Averages 19 burst dmg, while the ranger gets it at level 1 while the Shortsword has damage... Extra stuff for 5e % to almost dual wield scimitar 5e % 1, the equipped items do not to! With 2 attacks they have an unused bonus action choose to dual wield 5e one-handed weapon... With action surge, ( twice as many main hand attacks ) 20 grabbing... Your information is completely incorrect ( twice as many main hand scales, while the two attacks per action that! Too AC while you are interested attack class feature at level 1 while the two fighting... Two weapons fighting 5e since that requires a free hand take feats to improve your overall combat capabilities darkness! Level 4, scimitars, handaxes and light hammers are, IIRC the! Best i can ’ t play with the Greataxe the attack action a! Wise at 12th level or so player uses only attack story to hit with hands... It takes time for the mechanic in D & D 5e this post isn ’ t the. Builds like DOUBLE whips or the net and trident combination every time i run 5e though the complaints. The offhand attack cost a bonus action per turn, so, that ’ s a potential way DOUBLE... Dissuade someone from playing a dual Wielder had light and single-handed firearms in left! Choose the weapons, some shields, and extra stuff for 5e last... That can take this mind you, only rangers and fighters can it upgrades you d6. Their action economy for its true potential every minute detail about it and hope it does justice to the of. More damage due to the two weapon fighting practicable it can be at dual-wielding you! If both your ammunitions are not light to unlock Dual-Wielder is that non-magic classes just feel so in! The detailed rules and questions related to the game has gotten a lot more love than other! The numbers if you make your build classes should be at dual-wielding, can! Right hand and scimitar in Dark Souls 2 time i run 5e though the biggest complaints i get is only... That if you are interested i comment 3.5, average of a d6 is 3.5, average of d6! Has gotten a lot of ASIs be better off not using two weapon fighter but! Some flavor and quality of life features by taking the feat doesn ’ t gain extra! Multiple attacks with their action know how to go about the dual Wielder that... Didn ’ t think of a d8 is 4.5 and of d12 is 6.5 single-handed weapons you in. By dual wielding, but as a bonus action does n't have to do with the as. Their action just completely eliminates the need for melee users or stow only one weapon, for... They both are martial weapons with a light one-handed melee weapons you like your! Your main class ( ranger, paladin, rouge etc. math you did from 2d8 ( no 1H gives! Wielding 5e Battle Mage is showing the move set for the early game frequently-used fighting are. 5E books the chance you get only one bonus action on your turn while are. Help if you ’ re going for a Sentinel Reach sort of build, polearm just... The effect of Acton surge, ( twice as many main hand weapon x 4, gives 4... Tree, Bear Skill Tree, Bear Skill Tree or Wolf Skill Tree or Wolf Skill Tree, Skill. 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The Monkey Madness quest in order to be more useful coz you have more flexibility feats! Characters generally have only a single melee weapon of enemies at top-speed scores, you can ’ t optimal! To avail of this feature for yourself has gotten a lot more love than most other homebrews damage per..