Two-Weapon Fighting 5e [DnD Rule Guide] - DnD Lounge (2024)

Say a level 5 Fighter has a scimitar in one hand and a dagger in his other hand. The first attack given is assumed to be the “main-hand,” while the two-weapon fighting attack is the “off-hand.” Extra attacks can be taken with either weapon.

Scimitar is slash, dagger is stab. Here are the Fighter’s possible attack options, using Extra Attack (EA) and two-weapon fighting (TWF):

With the scimitar in the “main hand”:

• Slash > Slash (EA) > Stab (TWF)

• Slash > Stab (TWF) > Slash (EA)

• Slash > Stab (TWF) > Stab (EA)

• Slash > Stab (EA) > Stab (TWF)

With the dagger in the “main hand”:

• Stab > Stab (EA) > Slash (TWF)

• Stab > Slash (TWF) > Stab (EA)

• Stab > Slash (TWF) > Slash (EA)

• Stab > Slash (EA) > Slash (TWF)

Even as the Fighter gains more EAs, he will only ever have one TWF.

Is Two-Weapon Fighting Good in 5e?

No, two-weapon fighting isn’t good in 5e; or, more accurately, two-weapon fighting is often suboptimal in 5e. However, that’s more to do with the other options available to martial classes than something wrong with two-weapon fighting. While comparatively poor, two-weapon fighting is by no means unplayable or even noticeably bad.

In fact, for the first four levels of play, two-weapon fighting actually has an edge. Before the Extra Attack feature becomes available to martial classes at level 5, two-weapon fighting represents the only consistent way to eke out multiple attacks every round.

Even without the two-weapon fighting style, the ability modifier-less “off-hand” attack also gives a second chance to land a critical strike or trigger other on-hit effects.

Two-weapon fighting only becomes comparatively bad once players get the Extra Attack feature. At that point, the +2 AC bonus of sword-and-board, the extra-big damage of great weapon fighting, and the added utility of reach from polearms become more attractive.

This problem is exacerbated with Fighters once they hit level 11 and get a second Extra attack. Basic math shows that two-weapon fighting’s benefit diminishes the more attacks a character has. All things being equal, going from 1 attack to 2 attacks is a 100% damage boost. Going from 3 attacks to 4 attacks is only a 33% bonus.

Another reason why two-weapon fighting is universally awkward to use, especially at higher levels, is that it requires a bonus action — that thing that players only get one of each turn. This can range from a minor annoyance on some subclasses, to making it downright unplayable on others (looking at you, Beast Master Rangers).

I’m not going to get into the nitty-gritty math of why two-weapon fighting falls behind other options, but suffice it to say that most characters and builds will do more overall damage and/or get greater utility by using a different approach.

Is Dual Wielder a Good Feat in 5e?

No, Dual Wielder is not a good feat in 5e. In fact, Dual Wielder’s relative weakness is a big part of why two-weapon fighting falls behind in its niche compared to other combat styles.

Upgrading your weapons from light (1d6) to non-light (1d8) results in an average gain of +2 damage per round of combat. If a player were to take ability score improvement for Strength or Dexterity, they would gain the same benefit (assuming they’re two-weapon fighting in either scenario).

Not to mention that Strength and Dexterity ASIs come with a host of other benefits, like an increased chance to hit, saving throw bonuses, and improved ability checks. Going for Dexterity will even match the +1 AC from Dual Wielder.

That being said, a Strength- and/or Dexterity-capped player might find their best straight-up damage boost, as well as a small defensive boon, in the Dual Wielder feat if they’re committed to two-weapon fighting.

If you’re looking for a more thorough tear-down of why the Dual Wielder feat ain’t so hot, I highly recommend ThinkDM’s great article on the subject.

Who Should Use Two-Weapon Fighting in 5e

While two-weapon fighting might be suboptimal for most characters, it does make sense on certain classes and builds. The unifying factor for all of these situations is that two-weapon fighting is good because it gives more chances to trigger on-hit effects.

Without further ado, here are the classes that will see the best results from using two-weapon fighting in DnD 5e:

• Barbarian. One word: Rage. This class feature allows the player to add damage (between +2 to +4, depending on level) to every Strength-based melee attack they land. Barbarians can do this between 2-6 times per long rest.

  Entering a Rage requires a bonus action, so a player won’t be able to use their two-weapon fighting bonus action attack on the same turn. However, Rage lasts for 1 minute, so a Barbarian can still benefit from two-weapon fighting and Rage for 9 rounds of combat.

  Besides bringing two-weapon fighting’s damage to a competitive level with great-weapon fighting, a Barbarian cutting down swaths of enemies in a flurry of steel and blood just makes sense thematically.

• Rogue. Rogues are drawn to two-weapon fighting for one reason: Sneak Attack. A Rogue does between 1d6 and 10d6 more damage (level-dependent) when they can land a Sneak Attack. They need advantage on the attack and/or an ally within 5 feet of their target to get this bonus damage.

  Most Rogues make triggering this a primary goal each round of combat. However, the bonus damage from Sneak Attack doesn’t do any good if the attack doesn’t land in the first place. Two-weapon fighting gives a bonus chance to land an attack and trigger this critically important damage. Do note that Sneak Attack can only trigger once per turn.

  On the downside, dual-wielding Rogues miss out on being able to use their Cunning Action feature each turn, since it also requires a bonus action.

• Paladin. Thematically, a person wielding two light weapons isn’t what comes to most people’s minds when they think of a Paladin. And between levels 5-11, two-weapon fighting really isn’t that good on Paladins.

  However, at 11th level, Paladins get the Improved Divine Smite class feature, which causes all melee weapon hits to deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage. This can trigger multiple times per turn. This represents an average of +4.5 radiant damage per hit.

  Essentially, from 11th-level onwards, Paladins are constantly getting an empowered version of a Barbarian’s Rage feature — not too shabby for a player interested in two-weapon fighting.

  The downside is that Paladins also like to cast spells sometimes, and without the War Caster feat, it can be awkward to cast spells while trying to use both of their weapons (although the cheesy, yet RAW-sound “drop the weapon, cast a spell, pick the weapon back up” trick is always available).

• Most Rangers. Rangers are the only class on this list that actually has two-weapon fighting style as an option (without feats), but that’s not the primary reason two-weapon fighting works so well with them.

  Hunter’s Mark, the class’s signature ability, adds 1d6 damage per hit — an average of 3.5. It requires a bonus action to cast, so a Ranger can’t use their bonus action attack on the same turn as they cast it.

  However, the spell’s long duration and ability to transfer between targets throughout the day means that it’s a reliable source of bonus damage. And again, the more damage a player does on-hit, the more attractive two-weapon fighting becomes.

Who Shouldn’t Use Two-Weapon Fighting in 5e

Now for the classes that don’t see much benefit from two-weapon fighting:

• Monk. A central feature of the Monk class is their ability to make one unarmed strike as a bonus action after attacking. Because of this, and the way their unarmed damage scales from 1d4 to 1d10 as they level, there’s really no point in equipping a 1d6 light weapon in their offhand.

• Fighter. Fighter gets two-weapon fighting style as a choice, so you might assume it’s a good option. And two-weapon fighting isn’t terrible all the time for Fighters; from levels 1-4 it’s actually pretty great, and from levels 5-11 it’s okay (but definitely suboptimal).

  At level 11, though, when Fighters get a second Extra Attack, that two-weapon fighting becomes noticeably and inarguably inferior. Anyone trying to maximize their damage is best off picking up a greatsword; even a polearm starts to win on damage alone, without even taking its added utility into account.

  Again, two-weapon fighting isn’t bad on Fighters. It’s just that all of the problems of two-weapon fighting become magnified on Fighters, while all the strengths of the other options become more apparent.

• Ranger (Beast Master). Beast Master Rangers and two-weapon fighting don’t mix at all, if you’re sticking with the rules as written. Using the base rules from the Player’s Handbook, attacking with their pet requires them to use their Extra Attack class feature or give up their own attack.

  That’s okay once they’re 5th level, but levels 3 and 4 sure do feel bad — either their pet doesn’t attack, or they take 0 attacks (since they need to take at least one attack to trigger their bonus action attack from two-weapon fighting).

  Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything attempted to fix this awkwardness by making it so that a Ranger could use a bonus action to command their pet to use its own “attack” action from its stat block. Huzzah for all Beast Master Rangers — except those who need that bonus action every turn, like Rangers hoping to dual wield some badass weapons.

  For them, they’re still capped at 3 total offensive actions per turn, the same as a non-Beast Master Ranger. They can either: Attack > EA > Pet Attack (bonus action) or Attack > TWF Attack (bonus action) > EA. Very, very lame, and something we’ll touch on in the DM tips below.

• Most spellcasters. While some Warlocks might think that Hex would work pretty well with two-weapon fighting, much the way Hunter’s Mark does for Rangers, they should think again. Spellcasters need a free hand to cast spells with somatic components (86% of spells in 5e), so two-weapon fighting is just too awkward to justify in most cases.

  On the other hand, the War Caster feat can get you over this hurdle, so don’t let me completely squash your battle-mage dreams. It’s just usually a bit simpler to pull off with a different approach.

DM Tips for Two-Weapon Fighting in 5e

For DMs hoping to help players that want to utilize two-weapon fighting for their character, keep these tips in mind:

• Let players draw both weapons regardless of the Dual Wielder feat. The “one free object interaction per round of combat” thing is a necessary rule for stopping shenanigans from players. However, when it prevents a player from literally equipping their weapons, it’s just stupid.

  Almost every DM ignores this rule; you should too.

• Let Natural Weapons count for two-weapon fighting. If a player is really excited about a Tabaxi or Aarakocra character they want to build, and this character relies on a flurry of unarmed strikes (but isn’t a Monk), allow them to count their Natural Weapons as light weapons to qualify for two-weapon fighting.

  It really won’t do any harm; in fact, Natural Weapons’ base damage is only 1d4, so if you’re feeling extra nice, you might even let them bump that up to 1d6 to match the optimal available option.

• Give Beast Master Rangers a break. Wizards of the Coast kinda dropped the ball on Beast Master Rangers, leaving DMs to clean up the mess. With regard to two-weapon fighting, figure out a way that allows them to use both their pet attack and their “off-hand” attack on the same turn.

  At my table, I call the pet’s action a “pet action,” while two-weapon fighting’s attack retains its “bonus action” status. This way, a Ranger still has to make choices about how to use their bonus action, but they’re always able to command their pet (that is why they chose the subclass, after all!)

• Change the rules. Two-weapon fighting isn’t unplayable, but if you’re unhappy with its power level, you can always change things up.

  I don’t want to get into specific home brews and house rules in this article, but plenty of people on the internet have. Here’s one from 5e game designer Mike Mearls on Sage Advice, for example (and the thread continuation).

  Do some research, do some math, and work with your players to bring two-weapon fighting feel balanced and fun to play.

Two-Weapon Fighting for Beginners

• Any character can dual wield. Two-weapon fighting only requires that both weapons be “light,” as classified on page 147 of the Player’s Handbook.

• A player does not add their ability modifier to the “off-hand” attack’s damage. Normally, when a player attacks with a weapon and it lands, they add their Strength modifier to their damage roll (or Dexterity, in some cases).

  So if a player lands a scimitar attack and has a +3 Strength modifier, they’ll roll a d6 and add 3 to the result to calculate their attack’s damage.

  But when a player attacks with a scimitar in their “off-hand,” they only roll a d6 to calculate their attacks damage — they don’t add their +3 Strength modifier. Note that if their Strength modifier was something negative like -2, this would apply to both the main-hand and off-hand attacks.

• The “off-hand” attack requires a bonus action. Players only have a maximum of one bonus action each turn. Most bonus actions are triggered by something; in the case of two-weapon fighting, a bonus action becomes available to you the moment you attack with your “main-hand” weapon.

• A player can break up their attacks. Just because a player gets a bonus action right after attacking with their “main-hand” weapon, doesn’t mean they have to use it immediately.

  A player can move 10 feet, attack Target X, and then move 20 feet more, and attack Target Y with their bonus action attack using their “off-hand” weapon.

Weapons for Two-Weapon Fighting in 5e

Without the Dual Wielder feat, a character can engage in DnD two-weapon fighting with any of the following one-handed light weapons:

Simple Melee Weapons

• Club: 1d4 bludgeoning

• Dagger: 1d4 piercing, finesse, thrown (20/60)

• Handaxe: 1d6 slashing, thrown (20/60)

• Light Hammer 1d4 bludgeoning, thrown (20/60)

• Sickle 1d4 slashing

Martial Melee Weapons

• Scimitar: 1d6 slashing, finesse

• Shortsword: 1d6 piercing, finesse

With the Dual Wielder feat, a character can engage in two-weapon fighting with any of the following one-handed non-light weapons:

Simple Melee Weapons

• Javelin: 1d6 piercing, thrown (30/120)

• Mace: 1d6 bludgeoning

• Quarterstaff: 1d6 bludgeoning, versatile (1d8)

• Spear: 1d6 piercing, thrown (20/60), versatile (1d8)

Martial Melee Weapons

• Battleaxe: 1d8 slashing, versatile (1d10)

• Flail: 1d8 bludgeoning

• Longsword: 1d8 slashing, versatile (1d10)

• Morningstar: 1d8 piercing

• Rapier: 1d8 piercing, finesse

• War Pick: 1d8 piercing

• Warhammer: 1d8 bludgeoning, versatile (1d10)

• Whip: 1d4 slashing, finesse, reach

Note that versatile weapons must be wielded as one-handed weapons to be eligible for two-weapon fighting.

Two-Weapon Fighting 5e FAQ

DnD 5e two-weapon fighting questions answered:

1. What are the rules for two-weapon fighting in 5e? The rules for two-weapon fighting are that “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” (PHB 195).

2. What is the advantage of two-weapon fighting? The advantage of two-weapon fighting is having the chance to land more attacks, which in turn leads to the opportunity for more critical hits. This is a good thing for features that get a lot of benefit from critical hits, like a Rogue’s Sneak Attack. It’s also an advantage for any character who deals on-hit damage, like a Barbarian’s Rage, as this damage will get added to more attacks.

3. Does two-weapon fighting give you an extra attack? Yes, two-weapon fighting does give you an extra attack; however, this is not the same as the Extra Attack feature that some classes have. All characters can take advantage of two-weapon fighting’s additional attack, provided both attacks are made with two light melee weapons held in different hands.

4. What is the difference between dual wielding and two-weapon fighting? There is no difference between dual wielding and two-weapon fighting. DnD 5e decided to name it two-weapon fighting in the game’s rulebooks, but players often call it dual wielding, as most video games do, or dual weapon fighting.

   Dual Wielder, however, is a feat that provides +1 AC while your character holds a separate melee weapon in each weapon and allows you to two-weapon fight non-light weapons.