Dueling wielding shenanigan

[Rukelnikov]

So I've been thinking, lets say I'm a Vhuman Ftr1 16 Dex with dueling style and TWF feat.

I start combat with a dagger in my hand. Then can I?

Action: Attack with +2 from Dueling
Use an Object: Draw 2 daggers
BA: Attack

[Darc_Vader]

I don’t believe so. The twf rules are specifically worded in a way that disallows it:

When you take the Attack action and Attack with a light melee weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a Bonus Action to Attack with a different light melee weapon that you’re holding in the other hand.

So to get the Dueling bonus you can’t have a weapon in your other hand when you attack, but to get the bonus action attack you have to be holding a weapon in your other hand when you attack.

Edit: you could get dueling to one attack and still get the bonus attack after level 5 if you draw between the attacks of your action though. Without the twf style though, you’re basically trading one instance of mod to damage for +2 to damage anyway.

[bid]

So to get the Dueling bonus you can’t have a weapon in your other hand when you attack, but to get the bonus action attack you have to be holding a weapon in your other hand when you attack.

When is when?

You need another light weapon in your other hand to use the BA attack. While you can interpret that this requirement must be met while doing your main attack roll, there's no explicit link.

[Man_Over_Game]

When is when?

You need another light weapon in your other hand to use the BA attack. While you can interpret that this requirement must be met while doing your main attack roll, there's no explicit link.

I did some research on this. It seems that the overall consensus is that you must have both weapons in hand when making your attacks to TWF with them:

Combining Dueling and Two Weapon Fighting styles

Does Two-Weapon fighting work if you aren't holding both weapons when you take the Attack action?

Can I draw a weapon before making a bonus action attack and get my Duelist bonus?

[Trustypeaches]

So, couldn’t you take the Attack action with a weapon in your main hand, then use a free object interaction to draw a weapon to your offhand and strike as a Bonus Action?

Maybe RAI you can’t, but RAW there’s nothing in the text suggesting you can’t.

[Crgaston]

If you have the Dual Wielder feat and Extra Attack, you could throw a dagger or hand axe as your first attack and add your Dueling bonus, then draw 2 weapons. Your 2nd attack would then allow you to proc your bonus action TWF attack.

[Brookshw]

So, couldn’t you take the Attack action with a weapon in your main hand, then use a free object interaction to draw a weapon to your offhand and strike as a Bonus Action?

Maybe RAI you can’t, but RAW there’s nothing in the text suggesting you can’t.

RAW is clear that you can't. As observed above in the discussion, when is the applicable issue. By the RAW, at such a time as you make an attack action we check to determine if you're satisfying the conditions required for the bonus attack. If you're not, then no bonus attack. The attack action is complete by the time you would be able to use an object to have a weapon in your offhand so you cannot satisfy required conditions during your attack action, and later satisfaction of the requisite conditions is not permitted by the RAW.

RAW aside, RAI's kind of fun on this one, under your proposed interpretation I could attack, use an object to switch the weapon to my other hand, and then attack again with that same weapon, allowing me to TWF with the same one hand weapon.

[Rukelnikov]

RAW is clear that you can't. As observed above in the discussion, when is the applicable issue. By the RAW, at such a time as you make an attack action we check to determine if you're satisfying the conditions required for the bonus attack. If you're not, then no bonus attack. The attack action is complete by the time you would be able to use an object to have a weapon in your offhand so you cannot satisfy required conditions during your attack action, and later satisfaction of the requisite conditions is not permitted by the RAW.

That's not the case if you have Extra Attack, you could throw a dagger, draw another and make a second thrown attack, you are limited to one "free" object interaction per turn though.

[Brookshw]

That's not the case if you have Extra Attack, you could throw a dagger, draw another and make a second thrown attack, you are limited to one "free" object interaction per turn though.

Fair point. I should have specified "attack" and not "attack action" in both the part you bolded, and above it. Mea culpa.

[bid]

I did some research on this. It seems that the overall consensus is that you must have both weapons in hand when making your attacks to TWF with them:

I agree with that consensus but feels the weak link is why both "a light melee weapon that you’re holding in one hand" and "a different light melee weapon that you’re holding in the other hand" are simultaneously fulfilled.

So I would not dismiss the opposite viewpoint (for RAW only, I would reject any attempt at RAI).