Author Topic: Mike Mearls' current TWF fix  (Read 2432 times)

Offline Skyrock

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Mike Mearls' current TWF fix
« on: October 26, 2018, 07:27:01 PM »
https://twitter.com/mikemearls/status/1055927779336761344

Few people asked, latest version of two weapon fighting:
* Does not use bonus action, off-hand gets full damage bonus
* Choose one of the following when you attack:
1. Get one extra attack with off-hand, but all attacks at disadvantage
2. Add your off-hand damage die to all atks

If you have the extra attack feature. disadvantage applies only to off-hand. If that feature gives you another attack (3 total base), you no longer have disadvantage on the off hand.


This nerfs TWF for the one edge case where the old TWF rules were favourable (pure-classed Rogues wanting a second chance to apply their Sneak Attack in case that the first attack misses), except that their bonus action is now freed up for other stuff.

OTOH, for anyone else option #2 doesn't seem too terrible. 1d8+1d6+mod (e.g. longsword+shortsword) is slightly ahead of 2d6+mod for THF without feats or fighting styles, and the off-hand die adds up with extra attacks.
Not sure if there ever is a point where #1 is preferable. Disadvantage on all attacks is terrible, even if you get two of them early. 2x 1d8+mod and an extra 1d6+mod attack at disadvantage is terrible at Extra Attack(1). 3x 1d8+mod + 1x 1d6+mod at Extra Attack (2) is straight worse than 3x 1d8+1d6+mod, and more extra attacks just skew the numbers even more in favour of taking option #2.

Offline Power

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Re: Mike Mearls' current TWF fix
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2019, 02:04:47 AM »
Mounted Combatant negates the disadvantage from an extra attack by giving you advantage. Depending on your attack damage bonuses, it can be better to collect the extra attack. Also Lucky when applied to attacks with disadvantage lets you basically roll best of 3 (see here). So if you have the Lucky feat you may want to take the extra attack to collect super-advantage.