Hey! I'm a gunslinger, level 3, wielding a pistol (Firearms, Reload 4, Misfire 1, Range 60/240) in one hand, and a Handaxe (Simple, Light, Thrown, Range (20/60).
Edit: The pistol is in one hand, and the axe is in the other.
I ended my turn near a rattling in combat after attacking with my pistol (I was within 5 feet of him).
He runs away on his turn, not disengaging. Am I allowed to opportunity attack with my handaxe as he runs away? I understand I need a hand free to reload, but aside from that, is anything stopping me from using my handaxe to strike him?
DM is saying because I cant use 2 weapon fighting without 2 light weapons, I cant opportunity attack. My idea is I'm not using it for 2 weapon fighting, since I dont use a bonus action to attack with it on my turn (since they both arent light) but I can use it for an opportunity attack because it's a melee weapon I can hold in one hand. Any help is appreciated. Thank you!
If the hand axe is in your hand - you should be able to make a melee attack with it. However, if you don't have any form of two weapon fighting, the off hand attack would not use your Proficiency bonus.
That's how I'd rule it.
Now that said, shooting a pistol with one hand while holding a hand axe in the other, does seem odd. Hand axe in the belt, seems more likely (and used in case someone comes in Melee or run out of bullets).
If the hand axe is in your hand - you should be able to make a melee attack with it. However, if you don't have any form of two weapon fighting, the off hand attack would not use your Proficiency bonus.
That's how I'd rule it.
Now that said, shooting a pistol with one hand while holding a hand axe in the other, does seem odd. Hand axe in the belt, seems more likely (and used in case someone comes in Melee or run out of bullets).
I think this is incorrect. Nothing in the rules says you can’t have a weapon in each hand. Only that if you want to attack with the “other weapon” as a bonus action they they need to be light, unless you have the feat, and no stat bonus to damage, unless you have the fighting style.
But nothing keeps a fighter (or anyone with extra attack) from having a weapon in each hand and make one attack with one and the extra attack with the other as part of the attack action
To the OP you absolutely should be able to OA with the axe with your ability score bonus to attack and damage roll.
Two-weapon fighting is something you only do on your turn. It has no impact on reactions. Therefore, if you're wielding a pistol in one hand and a one-handed melee weapon in the other you can make opportunity attacks with the melee weapon as normal.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
To expand on the previous points a little, based on what I'd guess your DM was thinking, 5e does not have any rules for a "main hand" and "off hand". Characters are functionally ambidextrous, in that which hand is holding an item does not have any bearing on how effectively you can use that item; all that is checked is if the item requires two hands or changes damage die if gripped in two hands.
Yeah I'm fine with the hatchet reaction attack of opportunity. And frankly when I've run more pulpy modern era games, a lot of my players tend to wield a firearm one handed and have an ax or bat or baton in their other, but that's because they're accustomed to being waylaid by ankle biters. So I don't see anything "odd" about a gunslinger holding an ax in another hand. It's very Bruce Campbell on brand.
I also would probably just down the critter on a hit.
no bonuses, though.
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Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
RAW only allows melee attacks of opportunity, barring a feature like War Caster adding additional options.
Yes, but does it really matter, when the AAO is being done with a melee weapon, to narrate the weapon sailed through the air and seeded into the target? I mean the only practical difference is the attacker barring magic has to recover their ax. Heck if they roll a crit with the right damage with say a rapier I'd say they get to some sort of cinematic casting of the rapier through the air to pin the opponent to the floor or the door they were trying to get to, Mechanically the action works the same just the disadvantage of having to recover the weapon.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
RAW only allows melee attacks of opportunity, barring a feature like War Caster adding additional options.
true, but Raw is really more like guidelines for pirate DMs…
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Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
RAW only allows melee attacks of opportunity, barring a feature like War Caster adding additional options.
true, but Raw is really more like guidelines for pirate DMs…
Yes, but when answering a rules question for a hard feature like Attacks of Opportunity, it's best to at least clearly delineate RAW from a homebrew call.
RAW only allows melee attacks of opportunity, barring a feature like War Caster adding additional options.
Yes, but does it really matter, when the AAO is being done with a melee weapon, to narrate the weapon sailed through the air and seeded into the target? I mean the only practical difference is the attacker barring magic has to recover their ax. Heck if they roll a crit with the right damage with say a rapier I'd say they get to some sort of cinematic casting of the rapier through the air to pin the opponent to the floor or the door they were trying to get to, Mechanically the action works the same just the disadvantage of having to recover the weapon.
I have no problem with narrating the "how do you want to do this" to include stuff like that, I'm just clarifying what's actually supported by RAW.
I said it because I have ruled exactly that way. Last week, most recently.
A halfling bard uses an axe and pistol, and did that to a retreating orc. Rolled an 18, knocked them down and wounded them, gave them an orc they could have interrogated — if only they had someone who could speak orkish.
I am not a fan of mechanics that get in the way of the coolness factor, lol. It is why a lot of the features of some subclasses annoy me. But that is a different issue and one we are solving, lol.
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Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
If the hand axe is in your hand - you should be able to make a melee attack with it. However, if you don't have any form of two weapon fighting, the off hand attack would not use your Proficiency bonus.
That's how I'd rule it.
Now that said, shooting a pistol with one hand while holding a hand axe in the other, does seem odd. Hand axe in the belt, seems more likely (and used in case someone comes in Melee or run out of bullets).
There is no such thing as off hand in 5e. Also your prof bonus has nothing to do with what hand is holding the weapon.
I said it because I have ruled exactly that way. Last week, most recently.
A halfling bard uses an axe and pistol, and did that to a retreating orc. Rolled an 18, knocked them down and wounded them, gave them an orc they could have interrogated — if only they had someone who could speak orkish.
I am not a fan of mechanics that get in the way of the coolness factor, lol. It is why a lot of the features of some subclasses annoy me. But that is a different issue and one we are solving, lol.
Like I said, I don't particularly care how someone describes a cinematic takedown; otherwise I wouldn't cite homebrew changes in a question about the actual rules, or at least would make sure you're clarifying what's RAW vs your own modifications.
I would take away the axe as it's not needed. Though how do you reload with one hand when the other is holding an axe?
Anyways. I would let you shoot with the pistol as the creature moves out of 5ft of you. Which on a board is then 10ft now away. Take a shot with no disadvantage. Creature is no longer within 5ft.
Narrative:
Dm. The enemy moves to here. (Moves the icon)
Player says. It moved out of my range x amount of feet. I'd like to use my reaction to shoot it. Opportunity attack. It left my range and ended up over there. So pistol shot.
You can't make opportunity attacks with ranged weapons.
I let my players do that so it's up to the dm in every case. My players like the rule although it backfires on them as any enemy can do the same when the situation is reversed.
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Hey! I'm a gunslinger, level 3, wielding a pistol (Firearms, Reload 4, Misfire 1, Range 60/240) in one hand, and a Handaxe (Simple, Light, Thrown, Range (20/60).
Edit: The pistol is in one hand, and the axe is in the other.
I ended my turn near a rattling in combat after attacking with my pistol (I was within 5 feet of him).
He runs away on his turn, not disengaging. Am I allowed to opportunity attack with my handaxe as he runs away? I understand I need a hand free to reload, but aside from that, is anything stopping me from using my handaxe to strike him?
DM is saying because I cant use 2 weapon fighting without 2 light weapons, I cant opportunity attack. My idea is I'm not using it for 2 weapon fighting, since I dont use a bonus action to attack with it on my turn (since they both arent light) but I can use it for an opportunity attack because it's a melee weapon I can hold in one hand. Any help is appreciated. Thank you!
If the hand axe is in your hand - you should be able to make a melee attack with it. However, if you don't have any form of two weapon fighting, the off hand attack would not use your Proficiency bonus.
That's how I'd rule it.
Now that said, shooting a pistol with one hand while holding a hand axe in the other, does seem odd. Hand axe in the belt, seems more likely (and used in case someone comes in Melee or run out of bullets).
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I think this is incorrect. Nothing in the rules says you can’t have a weapon in each hand. Only that if you want to attack with the “other weapon” as a bonus action they they need to be light, unless you have the feat, and no stat bonus to damage, unless you have the fighting style.
But nothing keeps a fighter (or anyone with extra attack) from having a weapon in each hand and make one attack with one and the extra attack with the other as part of the attack action
To the OP you absolutely should be able to OA with the axe with your ability score bonus to attack and damage roll.
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Two-weapon fighting is something you only do on your turn. It has no impact on reactions. Therefore, if you're wielding a pistol in one hand and a one-handed melee weapon in the other you can make opportunity attacks with the melee weapon as normal.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
To expand on the previous points a little, based on what I'd guess your DM was thinking, 5e does not have any rules for a "main hand" and "off hand". Characters are functionally ambidextrous, in that which hand is holding an item does not have any bearing on how effectively you can use that item; all that is checked is if the item requires two hands or changes damage die if gripped in two hands.
Yeah I'm fine with the hatchet reaction attack of opportunity. And frankly when I've run more pulpy modern era games, a lot of my players tend to wield a firearm one handed and have an ax or bat or baton in their other, but that's because they're accustomed to being waylaid by ankle biters. So I don't see anything "odd" about a gunslinger holding an ax in another hand. It's very Bruce Campbell on brand.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I would rule yes, and even allow a thrown attack.
I also would probably just down the critter on a hit.
no bonuses, though.
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
RAW only allows melee attacks of opportunity, barring a feature like War Caster adding additional options.
Yes, but does it really matter, when the AAO is being done with a melee weapon, to narrate the weapon sailed through the air and seeded into the target? I mean the only practical difference is the attacker barring magic has to recover their ax. Heck if they roll a crit with the right damage with say a rapier I'd say they get to some sort of cinematic casting of the rapier through the air to pin the opponent to the floor or the door they were trying to get to, Mechanically the action works the same just the disadvantage of having to recover the weapon.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
true, but Raw is really more like guidelines for pirate DMs…
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
Like Michael Bolton says, "Now back to the good part!"
(seeing if anyone is seeing what I did there).
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Yes, but when answering a rules question for a hard feature like Attacks of Opportunity, it's best to at least clearly delineate RAW from a homebrew call.
I have no problem with narrating the "how do you want to do this" to include stuff like that, I'm just clarifying what's actually supported by RAW.
I said it because I have ruled exactly that way. Last week, most recently.
A halfling bard uses an axe and pistol, and did that to a retreating orc. Rolled an 18, knocked them down and wounded them, gave them an orc they could have interrogated — if only they had someone who could speak orkish.
I am not a fan of mechanics that get in the way of the coolness factor, lol. It is why a lot of the features of some subclasses annoy me. But that is a different issue and one we are solving, lol.
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
There is no such thing as off hand in 5e. Also your prof bonus has nothing to do with what hand is holding the weapon.
Like I said, I don't particularly care how someone describes a cinematic takedown; otherwise I wouldn't cite homebrew changes in a question about the actual rules, or at least would make sure you're clarifying what's RAW vs your own modifications.
This is the tale of Capt. Jack Sparrow.
Turns out Michael Bolton is a major cinephiles.
I would take away the axe as it's not needed. Though how do you reload with one hand when the other is holding an axe?
Anyways. I would let you shoot with the pistol as the creature moves out of 5ft of you. Which on a board is then 10ft now away. Take a shot with no disadvantage. Creature is no longer within 5ft.
Narrative:
Dm. The enemy moves to here. (Moves the icon)
Player says. It moved out of my range x amount of feet. I'd like to use my reaction to shoot it. Opportunity attack. It left my range and ended up over there. So pistol shot.
Dm: sounds good roll to attack.
You can't make opportunity attacks with ranged weapons.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I let my players do that so it's up to the dm in every case. My players like the rule although it backfires on them as any enemy can do the same when the situation is reversed.