Dual Wielding Hand Crossbows?

[Goaty14]

Ok, so the PHB says that you can shoot, but not load, a hand crossbow with one hand. That said; to dual wield hand crossbows would require 1-2 more hands, but would using mage hand be RAW legal to reload dual wielded hand crossbows?

[Segev]

Ok, so the PHB says that you can shoot, but not load, a hand crossbow with one hand. That said; to dual wield hand crossbows would require 1-2 more hands, but would using mage hand be RAW legal to reload dual wielded hand crossbows?

Depends on whether your DM interprets it as being able to manipulate things as well as a hand, or only as being a lifting/translating force. And it really is a DM's call, because the rules don't explicitly state one way or the other. On the one hand, it's called "mage hand," and there's fluff in places suggesting it behaves like a hand. On the other, it only says it lifts things and moves them around. To perhaps back up either one, depending how you swing it, feats and class features exist to make it MORE dexterous; this could imply that it has dexterity up to just shy of what the feats empower, or that it has NO dexterity unless you have the feat.

Now: Unseen servants can unquestionably load them for you.

[ExLibrisMortis]

You should get two Tiny hirelings who sit on your backpack and load your crossbows for you. You just need to be able to pass them items as a free action! I'm sure there's a teamwork benefit for that, somewhere... (there isn't, but you should make one, it's fun and historical)

[Segev]

You should get two Tiny hirelings who sit on your backpack and load your crossbows for you. You just need to be able to pass them items as a free action! I'm sure there's a teamwork benefit for that, somewhere... (there isn't, but you should make one, it's fun and historical)

They can look just like super-deformed versions of you and cheer for you, calling your every move and idea brilliant!

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/tenchi/images/0/0d/Washuab1.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20120218091053

[Remuko]

They can look just like super-deformed versions of you and cheer for you, calling your every move and idea brilliant!

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/tenchi/images/0/0d/Washuab1.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20120218091053

Little Washuu! <3

[Fizban]

A combination of Quick Loading for the ammo and high CL applications of the Ghostly Reload spell will do the trick without resorting to any interpretations. Of course the real question is why you'd want to.

[King of Nowhere]

mage's hand only lifts up to 2.5 kilos of stuff, meaning it has limited strenght. I don't know how much strenght you need to reload a hand crossbow, but I'd think it's more than that if you want any realistic propulsive power behind the bolt.

[Segev]

mage's hand only lifts up to 2.5 kilos of stuff, meaning it has limited strenght. I don't know how much strenght you need to reload a hand crossbow, but I'd think it's more than that if you want any realistic propulsive power behind the bolt.

You might be surprised. The difference between an impulse and a steady application of force can be significant when hurling dart-like objects.

[Darrin]

Dragon Tail + Prehensile Tail gives you a third hand. Totemist 2 to grab the Girallon Arms soulmeld might also work.

Adding more hands (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=15034748&postcount=12).

[Jowgen]

Dual Wielding them is rather bad value for money at most levels. You can get a Double Hand-crossbow (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a), which "essentially offers a benefit identical to the Rapid Shot feat" for the price of EWP (can be gotten more easily than an extra feat), and you don't need to pay double as to have each hand-crossbow enchanted seperately.

It's only when you get to a level where you can (and wish to) make multiple off-hand attacks using the latter TWF-chain feats that you can get more damage out of dual wielding than wielding a dual; though you still pay the second-weapon premium and the investiment in whatever no-hand reload method you employ.

If you do want to go that route, my suggestion is the use a Glove of the Master strategist. You can free up and re-equip your hand as a free action with that one, although some DMs might frown at that one.