[RPG] For the purposes of Two Weapon Fighting, are pistols considered light weapons

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In the entry for firearms in Ultimate Combat, pistols are not explicitly given a classification of light weapon or otherwise, so I'm unsure how the Two Weapon Fighting feat would apply to dual-wielding pistols. The only piece of information I saw was that they can be easily concealed like light weapons.

The closest comparison I can draw is to hand crossbows, which like pistols are exotic weapons capable of being wielded and fired with a single hand. Hand crossbows are considered light weapons, so do the same rules apply to a pistol?

Best Answer

You fire with a -4/-4 for two weapon fighting with pistols because there is no rule anywhere saying that they are anything other than one handed weapons. The comparison for light crossbows is for "firing when prone" and "concealing", which is pretty weak to make a case. You would actually have the same penalty dual wielding light crossbows anyway (see below).

Crossbow, Light: You draw a light crossbow back by pulling a lever. Loading a light crossbow is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Normally, operating a light crossbow requires two hands. However, you can shoot, but not load, a light crossbow with one hand at a –2 penalty on attack rolls. You can shoot a light crossbow with each hand, but you take a penalty on attack rolls as if attacking with two light weapons (see page 202). This penalty is cumulative with the penalty for onehanded firing.

A light crossbow takes a -2 on being fired with one hand. This means you have a -2/-2 with a -2 to each for firing one handed... for -4/-4, the same as if you were just firing a one-handed weapon.

In addition, you are going to have problems with reloading, crossbows or pistols, since you need a hand free to reload them, which makes using a single double barrelled pistol more attractive in this case, since you always have a hand free.

It is worth noting that hand crossbows don't get the -2 for being wielded in one hand, but light crossbows and pistols weigh 4lb, and hand crossbows 2lb.