So, I feel a bit like an idiot asking this question. But, when you use two weapon fighting to attack with both weapons it is a full attack action correct? You can't move, charge, etc and still attack with both weapons. At least that's how I understand it.

What game system?

D20

Benefit: Your penalties on attack rolls for fighting with two weapons are reduced. The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off hand lessens by 6.

Normal: If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon. When fighting in this way you suffer a –6 penalty with your regular attack or attacks with your primary hand and a –10 penalty to the attack with your off hand. If your off-hand weapon is light the penalties are reduced by 2 each. (An unarmed strike is always considered light.)

Special: A 2nd-level ranger who has chosen the two-weapon combat style is treated as having Two-Weapon Fighting, even if he does not have the prerequisite for it, but only when he is wearing light or no armor.


it is not a full round attack

Actually, in order to make more than one attack, no matter how you get the extra attacks, you have to take a full round attack action. At least, that's how it works in DnD. See here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/comb...ombat.htm#fullAttack



While I understand that is the DnD 3.5 SRD, the basic rules for combat don't change all that much between d20 games (at least, as far as I know).

If you do want to get an attack with each weapon as a standard action, you need to spend (yet another, considering the feat tree for Two Weapon Fighting already) feat to do it. DnD has the feat Dual Strike (Complete Adventurer page 108). It requires both Two Weapon Fighting and Improved Two Weapon Fighting to take, and limits precision damage to only one of the attacks.

  There are some other exceptions in 3.X, such as the "Tiger Claw" style from the Tome of Battle, which may allow movement and/or charging in combination with the maneuver.

  If you're dealing with other D20 variants then the rules may differ on this point, since the often have their own takes on dual-wielding.

In reply to Killer Rabbitt (msg # 1):

You are correct, though you CAN 5' step and still full attack.

In reply to Killer Rabbitt (msg # 1):

AD&D: Yes. D&D 4th edition: No. Palladium: Yes, but there is a penalty to strike incurred if moving while simultaneously shooting a ranged weapon. Iron Kingdoms: Yes. Storyteller: Yes, but you may split your dice pool to both move and strike if the movement is challenge and not a trivial movement. Those are a few answers off the top of my head. Like Otghand already asked, it really depends.

In d20/pathfinder it's a full attack but that doesn't mean that it's the only thing you could do. For instance, you can pounce and then make your full attack.

I have been doin this wrong for years! And none of my dms have corrected me :(

Actually, in this system you can't fight with two weapons at all unless you have a power that specifically uses two weapons. A lot of them are simply a standard action, meaning that most 4th-edition two-weapon fighters are just as mobile as everyone else.

In reply to elecgraystone (msg # 8):

A full attack however takes a full round action... but as others have mentioned, a full round action does not preclude you from being able to make certain types of other actions.

You can take a 5' step... and they even make it clear that you can choose to take your 5' movement either before, after or even once in between two of your attacks.  So if you have several attacks, and use two to down an opponent, and none remain adjacent to you, you can take a 5' step and strike a new opponent.  (as long as someone else is within 5'.)  http://paizo.com/prd/combat.html#full-attack-action

There are however also some other clarifications that you can't use a 5' step in between cleave attacks and I believe some other examples, but it is pointed out the extra attacks in those cases are not part of a 'full attack' action.  Also if movement difficulty exists due to terrain, you may not be eligible for a 5' step.

Another type of action other than the 5' step, is a swift, or any free actions can be done, even when doing a full round action.  Hope that helps you some.  (these are 3.x/pathfinder rules... so not relevant to 4e or others necessarily)

Pounce is an action granted by a specific feat, that I believe allows you to use TWF at the end of a charge.  As a charge involves movement, you wouldn't be able to do a 5' step in between strikes, since a charge is not a full attack action, it is a charge action (which is normally another full round action which involves making an attack).

In reply to LoreGuard (msg # 11):

Pounce allows 'a full attack' after a charge. It's not always a feat, sometimes it's a class feature. In pathfinder you can have it as soon as 1st level.

Is it a class feature or race feature? (catfolk?)

In reply to The_Blob (msg # 13):

Summoners can pick it up at 1st(synthesist).  barbarians can at 10th (Beast Totem, Greater (Su)).

10th is also when some racial feats allow pounce. (kitsune/catfolk)

In reply to elecgraystone (msg # 14):

I think the original question of whether or not the normal rules (unadjusted by abilities or powers) require a full attack action to gain multiple attacks has been answered, though.  You do need a full attack action, which is normally a full round action, in D&D3.5 and Pathfinder.

In reply to Godzfirefly (msg # 15):

He said:
I'd think pounce is a very important exception to that statement. I wouldn't want him crying fowl when his character gets pounced by a cat because he think it's JUST the basics (full attack + 5' move). Better to get the full picture IMO.

Ok, I never understood the value of two weapon fighting in dnd, why does it soak up so many feats to make it worth it? Magical weapons, I guess I can understand depending on the powers. But other then that, it seems like a waste of a lot of feats for a mere 1 extra attack per turn.

In reply to Merevel (msg # 17):

3 points...

1: It all depends what you are adding to the attacks. You wield a +5 flaming, frost, acidic, sparking, sonic shortsword and you're looking at 6d6 damage plus whatever static damage you have. Add in sneak attack and you could be picking up a handful of dice to roll.

2: that 'mere 1 extra attack' is at your full attack bonus unlike the extra attacks you get from BAB. It's more likely to hit that those.

3: If you have anything that triggers from a crit, any extra attacks are golden.

Ok, fair enough there. With big bad weapons, but what about a lower leveled campaign? Say, low magic even?

In reply to Merevel (msg # 19):

It's even better then. WAY before you get 2 attacks from BAB you can get 2 attacks using 2 weapons. When doesn't a person with sneak attack want to get 2 chances to get it?

It's simple. Why wouldn't you want 2 chances to hit? Granted you can do more damage with a single weapon IF you hit. Getting another chance to hit AND getting to double up on bonuses (like weapon specialization) is nice.

Now it's not for everyone, but on the right one it's pretty sweet.

I am starting to think I just never put enough thought into it. Btw, my understanding was that you could only sneak attack once per round? them again I never realised haste 3.0 allows multiple spells per turn...

The following is for pathfinder. I'm unsure after all these years if it was the same in 3.0.

Sneak attack affects all attacks as long as the conditions that allowed it continues. For example a druid/rogue that pounces on a target that's flanked by an ally while in tiger form gets it on his bite, claw, claw and rake...

Another thing to think about. Using a double weapon can give you the best of both worlds. One end is one handed and the other is light OR you can use it as a two handed weapon. This allows you to switch between a harder hit or more attacks with the same weapon.

In 3.0 at least I always interpreted the rules that sneak attack was a single precise strike.