My first question pertains to reloading hand cross bows while dual wielding. If my rogue has a light weapon (such as Eagle's Claw) in his main hand and a hand crossbow in his second, can I have my rogue, while holding the light weapon in his main hand, by using his finger tips to grab the crossbow bolt and pull the crossbow back, reload the hand crossbow without sheathing or dropping his light weapon in his mainhand? My DM plays like that, at least he does with normal bows, but I wasn't sure if there were rules on the issue of reloading while holding a weapon in that hand. It says a hand crossbow can't be reloaded with one hand, but does the other hand have to be completely empty?
My other question is in regards to multiple attacks. It states that a character requires a BAB of +6 before they can attack again. Does this mean a character can't take a full action round and supplement their movement for a second attack in their given round unless they have a BAB of at least +6? If someone's BAB is +6, can they use both attacks and still move?
Thank you so much for helping to clear these things up.
Making a full attack (which is where the +6/+1 business comes in) is a full-round action; the only moving you can do if you perform a full attack is the 5' step. If you take a move action, that leaves you only a standard action to attack with, typically meaning you only make one attack at your full base attack bonus.
So what you're saying is, I can only make one attack per standard action regardless of my BAB? I don't think that's what you're saying, because then the additional attacks that the Improved TWF would be nullified. Are you saying that each standard action's amount of attacks is determined by the BAB and if you make more attacks than your BAB would otherwise allow you to make, you must use another standard action to make them?
With a single standard action (barring specific examples that explictly state otherwise), you only get to make one attack at your highest base attack bonus. One attack. Period. This is true regardless of how high your BaB is or how many Two Weapon Fighting feats you take. Even if your attack bonus was ∞, you'd still only get one attack. And you only get one standard action a round.
To make more than one attack, you have to make a Full Attack using a Full Round Action. Then, and only then, do you get to make the multiple attacks allowed by your base attack bonus. You must also make a full attack to take advantage of the Two Weapon Fighting feat chain. And keep in mind that the penalties from Two Weapon Fighting applies to all the attacks you make that round, and not just the extra ones you get from Two Weapon Fighting.
For example, an 8th level rouge has a base attack bonus of +6. As a full attack, he can make two attacks at +6 and +1. While wielding two daggers (which are both light weapons), utilizing the Two Weapon Fighting feat, he can make three attacks at +4, +4, and -1.
EDIT:
My first question pertains to reloading hand cross bows while dual wielding. If my rogue has a light weapon (such as Eagle's Claw) in his main hand and a hand crossbow in his second, can I have my rogue, while holding the light weapon in his main hand, by using his finger tips to grab the crossbow bolt and pull the crossbow back, reload the hand crossbow without sheathing or dropping his light weapon in his mainhand? My DM plays like that, at least he does with normal bows, but I wasn't sure if there were rules on the issue of reloading while holding a weapon in that hand. It says a hand crossbow can't be reloaded with one hand, but does the other hand have to be completely empty?
Technically, no. By a strict reading of the rules, loading both bows and crossbows, including the hand crossbow, requires a free hand. If you are wielding or holding a weapon or some other object in your other hand, its not free. And therefore, you cannot load your bow/crossbow.
That said, your DM's ruling is a reasonable one, and I would just go with it.
So what you're saying is, I can only make one attack per standard action regardless of my BAB?
That's exactly what I'm saying. Barring a specific bit of rules text that states otherwise (such as Manyshot), if you want to make multiple attacks in a round, you have to use a full-round action to do so.
Oh I see. So having a BaB of +6 affords me a second attack at +1, but if I'm dual wielding, then it applies a -2 and makes it a -1 to hit. What if I'm using a single light weapon in my off hand and my main hand is free? Do I still have the penalty as if I were dual wielding because it's my off hand?
The penalties for Two Weapon Fighting do not apply all the time, and you are not obligated to use Two Weapon Fighting just because you have a weapon in each hand. When you make a full attack, you must first choose whether or not do utilize Two Weapon Fighting before you make your first attack. If you choose not to utilize Two Weapon Fighting, you must choose one of the weapons you wielding to attack with, and then make a full attack as normal. If you instead choose to use Two Weapon Fighting, you take the appropriate penalties to all your attacks.
So to directly answer your question, if you are wielding a light weapon in your off-hand and no weapon in your main hand, you don't take any penalties to your attack rolls because you're only attacking with one weapon*.
*Though, technically, you could still choose to attack with two weapons by using unarmed strikes as your either your primary or off-hand weapon (or both at the same time if you have no weapons available to you).
By the way, thanks for answering these questions, I don't have the PHB personally and it's difficult to use the DM's ebook to answer these things.
Much of this information is in the System Reference Document. It's basically a free document, legally available from WoTC with the basic core rules of the 3.5 system. It has also been mirrored by several websites in a format that's easier to access and browse format, such as d20srd.org. It's not a complete replacement for the rule books. Some information and rules text are deliberately omitted, as well rules explanations and examples. But if you already have a good grasp of the rules, it is an excellent reference document. Which is the point, obviously.
Monk Abilities
A Psionic Fist’s class levels stack with his monk levels for the purpose of determining his unarmed damage and bonuses to Armor Class and unarmored speed. His class levels do not apply to other monk abilities such as flurry of blows, slow fall, and so on.
That's the Prestige Class (which I think is the 'generic' Fist of Zuoken). If you mean the feat:
Yes, it's bonus damage and it doesn't state that it requires an action. Note that you can only expend your psionic focus once, so if you're making multiple attacks, you can only add the damage to one.