Hey everyone!

I'm new to DnD and so are the other members of my group.  My DM, just as new as the rest of us, says that if I want to switch weapons I can DROP a weapon for free then I can use my action to grab a weapon.  Everything I've found online seems to support that and I don't question it.  In fact, I've never argued with him about it.  However.  The thing I'd like to do is never spoken of in the searching I've done.  I play a dwarf with the fighting style Protection.  I carry a war hammer in my right and a shield on my left.  My question, If I run into a fight, but get just short of a baddie, can I sheath my hammer, and throw a throwing dart?  Just short, say 10 to 20 feet.  My premise, is that I use all my movement but can only get so far but still want to do some damage.  Has anyone encountered this?  Or thought about it at least?  Most everything I've found talks about two handed wielding and switching to a bow or from a bow to a melee weapon.  I'm not using a bow, but a single handed throwing dart.  I'm probably repeating myself over and over, just trying to clarify.  Thanks Peeps!

Unfortunately, thrown weapons do not allow you to draw them as part of the attack as that is only a property of the ammunition tag.  However, if you pick up the thrown weapon fighting style, you can get around that.

Thrown weapons can be drawn as part of the attack using your free object interaction. Dropping a weapon doesn't require an action, so you could indeed drop one weapon, then draw a second as part of attacking with it

 To clarify the two seemingly contradictory answers:  If you sheath your weapon, you can't draw another to throw.  If you drop your weapon, you can draw and throw one weapon.  If you take the thrown weapon fighting style, you can sheath your weapon then draw and throw as many weapons as you have attacks.

Also, strictly RAW, you can't throw two weapons in a turn even with the extra attack feature unless you start out with one of those weapons in your hand or you take the thrown weapon fighting style.

The reason for this is that drawing the weapon to throw is not considered part of the attack as it is with ammunition. Without the fighting style for thrown weapons which gives the ability

"You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon."

Then it would require two object interactions to draw and throw two weapons in the turn.

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In the OPs example, you could drop your warhammer on the ground and draw and throw ONE dart even with the extra attack feature. You also could not pick up your warhammer again since you used your item interaction to draw the dart. An opponent could run up to you and pick up your warhammer on their turn so dropping items in combat is risky.

If you have the thrown weapon fighting style, you could drop your warhammer, throw two or more darts (or better javelins) with the extra attack feature and still pick up your warhammer since in this case you would still have your object interaction available.

Sheathing a weapon requires an object interaction so you would not be able to draw and throw a different weapon after sheathing one since the act of drawing a weapon also needs an object interaction. If you had the thrown weapon fighting style, you could sheath the weapon and throw one or more weapons but you could not draw your warhammer again on that turn - it would remain sheathed.

My suggestion is to carry a light hammer and just throw it. Maybe bring a few of them. I mean, it's already in your hand, so why not?

So in the OP’s example they could sheath their war hammer, and if they had the thrown weapon fighting style (ThWF) via feat (since they already have protection) draw and throw darts up to their number of attacks. Then on the next round, move up to the enemy, draw their war hammer and attack. 

Depending on their build and how often this situation comes up it might or might not be worth spending a feat (or multiclassing for another fighting style) to get this to work. 

If these options don't sit right with you, it's not outlandish to just homebrew that thrown weapons can be drawn as a part of an attack made with them. Drawing an arrow to fire is essentially the same thing and requires no interaction. They tried to patch this with thrown weapon fighting, but you really shouldn't have to spend your fighting style on just making a type of weapon viable.

Is the "dropping a weapon doesn't count as an object interaction" ruling official, or have we all just agreed on it because it's annoying to debate it every day? As far as I know, there's no clarity on that matter. It sounds like OP's DM is ruling that dropping it is just like sheathing it -- it prevents you from interacting with another object unless you use your action. (How do you sheathe a warhammer, anyway?)

My advice would be, if you want to have the flexibility of being able to throw freely, you should pick a thrown weapon as your go-to weapon. Have it in hand by default. That way you can throw it and draw a new weapon in the same turn. You'll lose out on some damage when distance isn't a concern, but that's the trade-off. Or you can lose the shield: All the thrown weapons are one-handed, so you should be able to draw and toss one without having to let go of your bigger weapon, if you're not using a shield.

This is the basic shape of the weapon-user's decision tree. Casters have some nonsense involving components and estimating weak saving throws and stuff, but that's for them to figure out. Some tables choose to ignore one or both of these elements, and that's their business. But this is how it generally works.

Quote from ChoirOfFire >>

Is the "dropping a weapon doesn't count as an object interaction" ruling official, or have we all just agreed on it because it's annoying to debate it every day? As far as I know, there's no clarity on that matter. It sounds like OP's DM is ruling that dropping it is just like sheathing it -- it prevents you from interacting with another object unless you use your action. (How do you sheathe a warhammer, anyway?)

 To answer in reverse order: I don't know how something like a war hammer was historically stored in a person. However tool belts usually have a loop you can drop the handle of the hammer into and the loop catches the head of the hammer.

I agree it does sound like the OPs DM ruled that dropping a weapon uses your object interaction for the turn. As far as I know there isn't an official printed ruling on this but there is a tweet from Jeremy Crawford where he says he doesn't think letting go of something takes an appreciable amount of effort.

It was easier to Google than I thought! Here is what JC has to say on the topic: https://mobile.twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/584435399767883776?lang=en

Quote from ChoirOfFire >>

Is the "dropping a weapon doesn't count as an object interaction" ruling official, or have we all just agreed on it because it's annoying to debate it every day? As far as I know, there's no clarity on that matter. It sounds like OP's DM is ruling that dropping it is just like sheathing it -- it prevents you from interacting with another object unless you use your action. (How do you sheathe a warhammer, anyway?)

My advice would be, if you want to have the flexibility of being able to throw freely, you should pick a thrown weapon as your go-to weapon. Have it in hand by default. That way you can throw it and draw a new weapon in the same turn. You'll lose out on some damage when distance isn't a concern, but that's the trade-off. Or you can lose the shield: All the thrown weapons are one-handed, so you should be able to draw and toss one without having to let go of your bigger weapon, if you're not using a shield.

This is the basic shape of the weapon-user's decision tree. Casters have some nonsense involving components and estimating weak saving throws and stuff, but that's for them to figure out. Some tables choose to ignore one or both of these elements, and that's their business. But this is how it generally works.

As far as I know it is based on a comment by Jeremy Crawford where he said he would let a character drop an object without costing an object interaction. Other than that, I don't know of an official rules source for it. I don't think it is in the PHB, DMG or SAC. It is likely just a fairly common house rule since it makes sense. There is not much effort involved in opening a hand and letting an object fall to the ground.

P.S. Personally, I also rule that you can't freely drop things as part of a reaction. Reactions are supposed to be particularly fast in response to a specific trigger so I wouldn't allow a character with items in both hands to drop one of them so that they could have a hand free to cast shield or counterspell for example.

Dropping things can be pretty noisy if you care about noise.

Quote from TexasDevin >>

Dropping things can be pretty noisy if you care about noise.

 If you're in combat, the sound of a dropped weapon is likely to be pretty insignificant compared to the rest of the noise.

The "my weapon is on a loop" thing really grinds my gears. If you want to circumvent the object interaction rules and sheathe things without taking any action, just be upfront that you want to make a houserule to that effect.

While I'm sympathetic to how throwing weapons have been done dirty in 5e and will work with a player on fixing them, some of the shenanigans that people try to pull with builds that revolve around constantly dropping their weapon would not fly at my table. They'd find themselves often fighting in knee-deep mud or rushing water or thick undergrowth or steep slopes or any number of other environments where dropping your weapon might very well mean you lose it altogether.

Quote from scatterbraind >>

The "my weapon is on a loop" thing really grinds my gears. If you want to circumvent the object interaction rules and sheathe things without taking any action, just be upfront that you want to make a houserule to that effect.

While I'm sympathetic to how throwing weapons have been done dirty in 5e and will work with a player on fixing them, some of the shenanigans that people try to pull with builds that revolve around constantly dropping their weapon would not fly at my table. They'd find themselves often fighting in knee-deep mud or rushing water or thick undergrowth or steep slopes or any number of other environments where dropping your weapon might very well mean you lose it altogether.

I am with you.  While dropping a weapon may not require an action, where it lands is entirely within the discretion of the DM.  At my table, it is quite likely to bounce into an adjacent square.  Similarly, while it may be RAW that you can pick up a dropped object with a free object interaction, it is also RAW that "The DM might require you to use an action for any of these activities when it needs special care or when it presents an unusual obstacle."  Again, at my table, picking up a dropped object "needs special care" if an opponent is within 5' of you and you wish to avoid an attack of opportunity.

Quote from scatterbraind >>

The "my weapon is on a loop" thing really grinds my gears. If you want to circumvent the object interaction rules and sheathe things without taking any action, just be upfront that you want to make a houserule to that effect.

While I'm sympathetic to how throwing weapons have been done dirty in 5e and will work with a player on fixing them, some of the shenanigans that people try to pull with builds that revolve around constantly dropping their weapon would not fly at my table. They'd find themselves often fighting in knee-deep mud or rushing water or thick undergrowth or steep slopes or any number of other environments where dropping your weapon might very well mean you lose it altogether.

 I say allow the "drop weapon on a rope" trick, but the weapon does it's base damage to you every time you do it as you have a rope guiding it to hit you in the leg.

My understanding is that your DM is mistaken.

Drawing (or sheathing) a weapon is part of Interact with an Object choice during your turn.  It does not replace a Take your Action.  My understanding is that you may drop a weapon or anything else you are holding for free, except possibly a shield (or a cursed item because specific trumps general).

So, setting aside your question about throwing a dart ...  You may drop your hammer for free, draw a weapon, and take the Attack Action during your turn.  You may also move, take a bonus action if you have met the requirements for a bonus action, and take your reaction sometime during the round.

So, now getting to your dart thing ... it seems you may drop your hammer, draw a dart, and make a Ranged attack with your Attack Action.  You will then be standing there unable to use your reaction to make an attack because you are not holding a melee weapon.

On the other hand, you could throw a hammer as an Attack Action, and draw another weapon.

My dms ruling is that dropping a weapon is free

Thank you everyone for your input. So what I gather from the conversation is as follows.  There are no specific rules on how a character switches weapons. Switching weapons rules are all based on your own tables agreements on how the game should be played, Aka house rules.  The general idea is that it takes no effort to drop a weapon but would require an action to either pick it up or draw another. At the same time, a free object interaction, allows you to draw a weapon, and then attack with said weapon.  If you choose to pick up said dropped weapon with an enemy within 5 feet, you either take an opportunity of attack, or must take a strength or dexterity contest with said enemy to pick it up.  This all being said, I contest that no hero walks around with their sword drawn and in hand 24 hours a day. So it would stand to reason that when entering a fight, when not waiting in ambush, your first movement on your turn would be to draw your weapon to attack.  So I would enter the fight, take my first movement, and if I’m not within melee range, draw a dart for free and throw it. My next turn would be drawing my hammer and attacking.

Quote from Lunali >>

 I say allow the "drop weapon on a rope" trick, but the weapon does it's base damage to you every time you do it as you have a rope guiding it to hit you in the leg.

The visual for this is absolutely hilarious to me.