When a hostile creature’s movement provokes an opportunity attack, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature instead of making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and target only. You can hold a crossbow in one hand while using the other to cast, unless your hands are glued to it.
You can still cast spells while holding a two-handed weapon, as long as the spell does not have any specific requirements that prevent it. Some spells, like Booming Blade, can still be cast with somatic components while holding the crossbow in one hand. War Caster allows you to use the somatic part of your spell even if you are holding weapons and shield.
In D and D 3e, spellcasters had more options but quickly fell back on using light crossbows when blowing through their spell slots. Cantrips can be used when using the Attack action and attacking with a one-handed weapon. When using the Attack action and attacking with a hand crossbow, you can use a bonus action to attack with a hand crossbow you are holding.
It is intentional that when you make a ranged attack roll within 5 feet of an enemy, you normally suffer disadvantage. Two-handed weapons don’t interfere with somatic components, and you can still cast spells with a somatic component if you have the other requirements met. The specifics of reaction and bonus actions are covered by Sage Advice.
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I think your juggling method is a severe misinterpretation of the rules. The way that the loading property is phrased it doesn’t state that you get to attack with an action, then bonus action, then reaction. It reads more that, If you use any of those three actions to attack, the ammo is expended and the weapon cannot be used again until the next turn. I think you explained how you got that third attack I’d probably see better how you’re able to make it, but just with the rules you showed it doesn’t seem like there’s a way to get multiple attacks off of a weapon with the loading property
This is just blatantly wrong. The object interaction is not the exact same anymore, it specifically states in you must use the UTILIZE action while in combat or time sensitive scenarios (anytime initiative has been rolled is likely the intent). Untilize is a full action (not free) and can be used as a part of the Attack action if necessary (to draw a sword before attacking).
11:05 You mention holding a shield and benefitting from the bonus action attack with a hand crossbow, but you’d need to consult with your DM whether or not they’d let you make a Light bonus attack with one hand. I polled r/onednd, and the vast majority intend to reject any form of dual-wielding while holding a shield, because it causes balance problems and/or is immersion-breaking.
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I don’t think this jugling actually work before extra attack, because the equip/unequip can only happen as part of your attack action, so with only one attack as part of your attack action I think you can only either equip or unequip and not both. After extra attack it is still uncertain wether you get one equip/unequip per attack or only one equip/unequip per attack action, and I am certain some DMs will interpret it as one equip/unequip per attack action. Though just going longbows taking sharpshooter at level 4, greatweapon master at level 6 (assuming you play a fighter) and just taking DEX to 20 at level 8, will do a little more damage at levels 8-11 anyway due to the 20 DEX. So even if you can’t jugle weapons you are not that far of by using a longbow.
The whole thing is being misinterpreted and perpetuated by all the content creators. Attack action. You only get 1 attack action unless second wind. So, that means you can only equip or unequip 1 weapon. So for example im a level 5 fighter and i have the handcrossbow in my hand. I take the attack action. I fire the crossbow. But i have my 2nd attack. Well I cant now i can unequip the one but i cant equip my 2nd one. The bonus action doesnt count as the attack action. This is the same for swords. Lets say im holding a dagger and shield. I can attack twice with my dagger and unequip it. But i cannot use another weapon. As i have none equipped. Maybe im missing something but it seems like massive misinformation is being spread.
The intent of the loading property is clearly only being able to load one bolt per action, bonus action, or reaction. Being able to get around it (with extra attack and no crossbow expert) by only loading one bolt into EACH CROSSBOW on an action, bonus action, or reaction, is absolutely a design oversight / sloppy writing and was not intended. It feels like a bad faith interpretation to me, and I think a lot of DMs won’t go for it until you have the crossbow expert feat.
I feel like 90% of D&D optimization at this point involves convincing your DM to let you do silly shit that breaks versimilitude so obviously that there’s no way it’s intended to work by the designers of the game, yeah sure everyone should just walk around carrying loaded crossbows despite the obvious danger of carrying a medieval spring-loaded projectile weapon
So, two things: When you do the example of juggling two crossbows without CE you keep a free hand open to satisfy the Ammunition property, but you totally ignore the action requirement of the Loading property. Also, when you do the example with CE, you assume that CE eliminates the Ammunition property (where the requirement for the open hand comes from) when it only eliminates the Loading property.
I do want to point out that there is another pretty good option for ranged combat now, dagger throwing. With the dual wielder feat we get 2 additional attacks (one with the nick property, and one from dual wielder), and we can start using a shield from level 1. They have slightly less range than a hand crossbow 20/60 vs 30/120, however you can have a long bow for backup similar to how hand crossbows have heavy crossbows for backup. This does however have the added benefit of being able to use dual wielding in melee when it comes up, which is going to be more damage than firing ranged weapons in melee even without disadvantage.