Is Dual Wielder a Good Feat? A Comprehensive Guide

The question of whether the Dual Wielder feat is truly worthwhile is a common one among players of tabletop role-playing games and fans of the fantasy genre. The allure of wielding two weapons simultaneously is undeniable, conjuring images of swashbuckling heroes and agile warriors. However, the practical application of this style, especially in a structured combat system like that found in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (5e), is where the debate begins. The short answer is: it depends on your build and playstyle, but generally, it’s not a top-tier feat compared to others. While it provides some notable benefits, the overall impact on combat effectiveness often falls short of feats like Great Weapon Master or Sharpshooter.

Understanding the Dual Wielder Feat

The Dual Wielder feat offers the following benefits:

• You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren’t light.
• You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you are wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand.
• You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one.

These benefits certainly sound appealing. The ability to wield a pair of longswords or rapiers instead of shortswords is a significant damage increase, and the extra AC is always welcome. However, this is where the advantages largely end, and where the complexities of the game system start to reveal some limitations.

Why Dual Wielding Often Falls Short

While the Dual Wielder feat removes some restrictions of the basic two-weapon fighting rules, it does not solve the core issues:

The Bonus Action Tax

In 5e, using your off-hand weapon requires your bonus action. This is a massive limitation. Many classes and subclasses rely on bonus actions for critical abilities – spells, rogue cunning actions, fighter maneuvers, and more. Constantly sacrificing your bonus action for a single extra attack is often inefficient, especially at higher levels where you could be using that bonus action for other more powerful effects.

Limited Damage Output

Even with the feat, your off-hand attack does not add your ability modifier to damage unless you have a specific class feature that allows it. This limits the potential damage output of dual wielding, making it difficult to compete with builds utilizing a single two-handed weapon or ranged attacks. The extra attack might seem like a boost, but the difference is marginal compared to a single power strike with an enhanced weapon.

Poor Scaling

The dual wielding playstyle doesn’t scale exceptionally well. As you level up, the impact of a single off-hand attack remains relatively static compared to the damage progression of great weapon or archery styles. Fighters get more attacks per action at level 5 and beyond, making the bonus action attack a poor choice compared to what other builds are doing. Magical items can sometimes address this limitation, but relying on them to make your build viable isn’t optimal.

Vulnerability

The article extract correctly notes that dual wielding limits defensive options. You can’t use a shield to block projectiles or enhance your AC further, rendering you more vulnerable on the battlefield. The +1 AC from the feat is a small compensation for the loss of a shield’s benefits.

Action Economy

In reality, the efficiency of wielding two weapons at once is highly debated. As the article points out, you aren’t necessarily dealing twice the damage in real-world combat scenarios. It’s more about dividing force and less about delivering efficiency. In the game itself, you often encounter situations where a single, well-placed, powerful attack will be more useful than two less damaging attacks.

When Dual Wielding Can Shine

Despite its drawbacks, dual wielding isn’t entirely without merit. Here’s when it can be viable:

Specific Class Synergies

Some classes, such as the Ranger, have subclasses that can enhance two-weapon fighting significantly (e.g. Hunter, which can add bonuses against multiple targets). These subclasses provide additional benefits that make the dual wield style more effective. Rogues can also gain some advantage from it, given Sneak Attack is a per-turn ability.

Early Game Impact

The Dual Wielder feat can be quite useful in the early levels of play. The damage boost of wielding two longswords compared to shortswords, combined with the +1 AC, can make a real difference while you’re still accumulating better gear.

Flanking and Utility

If you are fighting alongside a character focused on high single target damage, your off hand attack can be useful to activate effects like advantage, or to quickly eliminate a low health enemy. The extra attack, even without the bonus modifier, can be more useful as a tactical maneuver for the whole party, even if it isn’t the highest possible damage output for your character alone.

Conclusion

The Dual Wielder feat is a decent option with a limited scope. It allows a player to live out the fantasy of dual-wielding weapons but the reality of 5e combat often means a more effective playstyle can be achieved in other ways. It can be effective for certain builds or as a means to solve some early level challenges. However, the opportunity cost of a feat slot might be better allocated towards something else such as, Great Weapon Master, Polearm Master, Lucky, or Resilient.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I dual wield without the Dual Wielder feat?

Yes, you can dual wield without the Dual Wielder feat, but both weapons must have the ‘light’ property. This typically means using shortswords, daggers, or similar weapons. The feat allows you to wield non-light one-handed weapons.

2. Does the Dual Wielder feat increase my damage?

The Dual Wielder feat itself doesn’t directly increase damage, it just allows you to use more powerful weapons for your attacks. The off-hand attack still does not add your ability modifier to damage unless you have another feature which allows it.

3. Is dual wielding better than sword and shield?

Generally, no. Sword and shield is usually the superior option because the shield provides a significant AC boost and often has other utility. Dual wielding can do slightly more damage, but makes you a lot more vulnerable and costs your bonus action.

4. Does the Dual Wielder feat give a bonus to my hit roll?

No, it does not. The feat only allows you to dual wield one-handed weapons that aren’t light, provides +1 AC when dual wielding, and lets you draw or stow two weapons instead of one at a time.

5. What are the best classes for dual wielding?

Rangers with subclasses focused on two-weapon fighting, Rogues using Sneak Attack in conjunction with multiple attacks, and some specific Fighter subclasses can benefit from dual wielding. However, many other options are stronger.

6. What is the benefit of dual wielding pistols?

Dual wielding pistols is often considered more of a stylistic choice than a practical one. Similar to melee dual-wield, you’d be using your bonus action for the offhand shot and be unable to effectively use most other actions. It also makes you expend ammunition twice as quickly.

7. Does dual wielding work with ranged weapons?

The standard rules for dual wielding only apply to melee weapons. There are some very specific scenarios, items, and feats that would allow you to dual wield ranged weapons, but it is not commonly applicable.

8. Can you dual wield with a heavy armor?

Yes, the dual wielder feat does not require any type of armor. Heavy armor can impact your stealth checks, but won’t impact your ability to dual wield. However, light armor tends to be better suited for a dual-wield style because many of the skills and traits are suited for dex-based characters.

9. Does the Dual Wielder feat let me make an additional attack?

No. The Dual Wielder feat lets you attack with an off-hand weapon, but this still consumes your bonus action. Any additional attacks you have outside of your action are usually from another source.

10. Can I use spells while dual wielding?

Yes, most of the time. You can use spells with somatic or material components while dual wielding, as long as you don’t need a free hand to manipulate the component. If you need a free hand for a spell component, you would have to sheath your weapon before casting.

11. How does Extra Attack interact with dual wielding?

Extra Attack allows you to attack multiple times with your action. The Dual Wielder feat allows you to make one attack with your bonus action, but only after you’ve used your action to attack with a single weapon.

12. Is dual wielding better than using a two-handed weapon?

Generally, no. Two-handed weapons typically have better damage dice and the option for feats like Great Weapon Master. Dual wielding sacrifices a lot of power for a limited additional attack.

13. Is there a “best race” for dual wielding?

Racial traits do not usually impact your ability to dual wield or use the dual wielder feat. However, races that get bonuses to Dexterity, such as the Wood Elf, can synergize well with dual wield, as that is one of the most used skills and modifiers of that build.

14. Are there any magic items that enhance dual wielding?

Yes, there are several magic items that can boost dual wielding effectiveness, including items that grant extra attacks or provide damage bonuses. These can change the practicality of the dual wield style.

15. Is dual wielding considered realistic in real life?

As the article extract pointed out, dual wielding is generally not considered realistic or efficient in historical combat contexts. There are some scenarios, like sword and dagger, that provide some utility but it is very niche and not a universally viable fighting technique.