When a character has a one-handed weapon in each Weapon Slot (not including explosives), they may Dual Wield — firing or attacking with both weapons simultaneously as a single action.
Dual Wielding sacrifices accuracy for volume of fire. It allows one-handed weapons to compete with two-handed weapons in damage output by attacking twice in a single action at a reduced ⚡ AP cost compared to two separate attacks.
Quick Reference
Dual Wield Attacks:
- Single Fire: 5 ⚡ AP, -4 🎯 Accuracy both weapons (0 with Ambidextrous)
- Burst Fire: 7 ⚡ AP, -8 🎯 Accuracy both weapons (-4 with Ambidextrous)
- Called Shot (Ambidextrous R2): 6 ⚡ AP, both weapons same limb
Key Rules:
- Both weapons must be one-handed (no 💣 Explosives)
- Each weapon rolls and resolves independently
- Sneak Attack bonus applies to one weapon only
- CRITS and CRITFAILS are per-weapon
- Burst Fire Penalty stacks with Dual Wield Penalty per weapon
Requirements
To make a Dual Wield attack:
- Both Weapon Slots must contain a one-handed weapon (pistols, one-handed melee weapons, fist weapons, etc.)
- 💣 Explosives cannot be Dual Wielded
- Both weapons must be usable against the target (melee weapons require adjacency, ranged weapons require line of sight and range)
- You must have enough ⚡ AP for the Dual Wield ⚡ AP cost
Dual Wield Attacks
⚡ AP Cost
| Dual Wield Attack Type | AP Cost | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Single Fire (both weapons) | 5 ⚡ AP | None |
| Burst Fire (both weapons) | 7 ⚡ AP | Both weapons must have Fire Rate 1+ |
| Called Shot (both weapons, same limb) | 6 ⚡ AP | Ambidextrous Rank 2 |
🎯 Accuracy Penalty
Dual Wielding imposes an 🎯 Accuracy Penalty on both weapons, representing the difficulty of controlling two weapons simultaneously.
| Attack Type | Dual Wield Penalty | With Ambidextrous Rank 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Single Fire | -4 🎯 Accuracy on both weapons | 0 (penalty removed) |
| Burst Fire | -8 🎯 Accuracy on both weapons | -4 🎯 Accuracy on both weapons |
Note: Each weapon’s own Burst Fire Penalty stacks with the Dual Wield Penalty independently. A pistol with Burst Fire Penalty -3 being Dual Wielded on Burst Fire has a total penalty of -8 (dual wield) + -3 (weapon) = -11 without Ambidextrous, or -4 + -3 = -7 with Ambidextrous.
Resolution
Each weapon resolves as a separate attack within the same action:
- Roll to hit for each weapon independently (separate d20 rolls)
- Apply the Dual Wield 🎯 Accuracy Penalty (and Burst Fire Penalty if applicable) to each roll
- Determine hit location separately for each weapon — each weapon may hit a different limb (d20 on Hit Location table per weapon)
- Roll damage for each weapon independently
- Apply DT per hit from each weapon separately (minimum 1 damage per hit)
- Apply DR to each weapon’s damage separately
- Weapon effects (Bleed X, Embed X, etc.) can trigger from either or both weapons (once per weapon per attack)
Dual Wield Burst Fire Resolution
When both weapons are burst firing, resolve each weapon’s burst independently following the standard Burst Fire rules:
- Each weapon’s first shot determines hit location and CRIT status for that weapon’s burst
- Each weapon rolls its shots independently
- One weapon may CRIT while the other misses entirely
- Each weapon consumes ammunition independently
CRITs and CRITFAILs
CRIT: If one weapon CRITs, only that weapon benefits from CRIT Dice. The other weapon resolves normally. You do not gain double CRIT Dice from dual wielding.
CRITFAIL: If one weapon CRITFAILs, only that weapon loses 1 Condition. The other weapon’s attack resolves normally.
Both CRITFAIL: Both weapons lose 1 Condition.
Dual Wield and Called Shots
By default, Called Shots cannot be made during a Dual Wield attack. Both weapons hit random limbs determined by the Hit Location table.
The Ambidextrous perk (Rank 2) unlocks Dual Wield Called Shots:
- Both weapons target the same declared limb
- Costs 6 AP (5 base + 1 Called Shot surcharge)
- The Called Shot 🎯 Accuracy penalty applies to both weapons on top of any Dual Wield penalty
- Two hits to the same limb from a Dual Wield Called Shot can be devastating to that limb’s 💔 Cripple Threshold
Dual Wield and Sneak Attack
Sneak Attack bonus damage (+👤 Sneak skill level) applies to one weapon only — you choose which. The other weapon deals normal damage.
This prevents dual wielding from doubling Sneak Attack damage output.
Dual Wield and the Recoil Rule
Single Fire Dual Wield does not trigger the Recoil Rule (it is not Burst Fire).
Burst Fire Dual Wield triggers the Recoil Rule. If you make any subsequent attacks after a Dual Wield Burst Fire, those attacks suffer -4 🎯 Accuracy from Recoil (stacking as normal).
At 7 ⚡ AP for Dual Wield Burst Fire, most characters have 1-3 ⚡ AP remaining — not enough for another attack. The Recoil Rule is therefore rarely relevant for Dual Wield Burst Fire, but it prevents edge cases with very high ⚡ AP characters.
Dual Wield and Creature Cover
Each weapon’s attack is evaluated independently against Creature Cover thresholds. One weapon’s shot might hit the creature in front while the other reaches the intended target.
Dual Wield and the Glancing Rule
Each weapon is evaluated against the Glancing Threshold independently based on its own attack roll. One weapon’s hit may be Solid while the other is Glancing.
Mixed Weapon Dual Wielding
You may Dual Wield different weapon types as long as both are one-handed:
- Two pistols — standard ranged Dual Wield
- Two melee weapons — both must reach the target (adjacent tile)
- Pistol + melee weapon — only works if the target is valid for both (adjacent for the melee weapon, in range for the pistol). If at range, only the ranged weapon fires (this is not a Dual Wield attack — it’s just a normal single attack).
- Two different pistols — each resolves with its own damage, effects, and ammo
Mixed weapon Dual Wielding uses the same AP costs and penalties as any other Dual Wield attack.
The Ambidextrous Perk
Ambidextrous — You are equally skilled with both hands, allowing you to wield two weapons with exceptional coordination.
Rank 1 (AGI 6, Level 3):
- The Dual Wield Accuracy Penalty for Single Fire is removed (from -4 to 0)
- The Dual Wield Accuracy Penalty for Burst Fire is reduced (from -8 to -4)
Rank 2 (AGI 6, Level 10):
- You may declare Called Shots with both weapons during a Dual Wield attack, targeting the same limb. Costs 6 AP (5 base + 1 Called Shot surcharge).
Dual Wield vs Two Separate Attacks
| Method | AP Cost | Accuracy | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two separate single fire attacks | 6 AP (3+3) | Full accuracy | Full accuracy, flexible targeting |
| Dual Wield single fire | 5 AP | -4 each (0 with Ambidextrous) | 1 AP cheaper, simultaneous |
| Two separate burst fire attacks | 8 AP (4+4) | Full accuracy + Burst Penalty + Recoil on 2nd | Full accuracy on first burst |
| Dual Wield burst fire | 7 AP | -8 each (-4 with Ambidextrous) + Burst Penalty | 1 AP cheaper, no Recoil between them |
When to Dual Wield
Dual Wield is best when:
- You have the Ambidextrous perk (removing or reducing the penalty)
- You want to save 1 ⚡ AP for movement, Defend, or other actions
- You’re fighting low-Evasion targets where the accuracy penalty doesn’t matter
- You want to apply two different weapon effects in a single action (Bleed from one weapon, Burn from another)
Two separate attacks are best when:
- You don’t have Ambidextrous (the -4 penalty is too costly)
- You want to target different enemies or different limbs
- You’re fighting high-Evasion targets where accuracy matters
- You want Called Shots without Ambidextrous Rank 2