[FLP]

Hey there!
        I am quite new to Shadowrun and only very recently started playing 5th edition with some friends. My question is if you have 2 weapons that use different skills, which skill do you use for your dice pool with the multiple attacks action? For example if I was wielding a machine gun in one hand and a pistol in the other, would I use the automatics skill or the pistol skill for the dice pool?

[Rooks]

think you split the dice pool in half for each test so if you have agi 5 and blades 3 and automatics 5 and you slice n shoot you roll 4 dice for the melee attack and 5 for the shot

[Jack_Spade]

Either that, or you just use the lower value and be done with it.

[Adamo1618]

You can't shoot and melee attack in the same Initiative Pass. Two attack actions cannot be used in the same IP and besides, one is a Complex and one is a Simple Action. However the problem presents itself with a club and a blade or unarmed and then I have no clue.

[Glonthein]

Adamo1618 : I can't directly quote the corebook because i don't have it in english, but if I'm translating right, one of the "multiple attack" sentences should read like : "This action describes multiple attacks with a single melee weapon as well as an attack with two different weapons (firearms or melee weapons), or an attack against multiple opponnents with a burst fire." or something close to this in meaning.
So, with the second part of the sentence, it does say you can use a multiple attack action and use both weapons you have even if they are differents. Nowhere it says they have to be both melee or both firearms. So I don't really see the issue here. At least this is what I understand from the corebook in my language, but maybe it reads differently in english and there is a translation mistake, then.
As for the actual point of the topic, all it says is that the dicepool should be divided as equally as possible between all the attacks... I tend to read it as "you should do half and half, or third, third and third, etc", but it is a bit unclear.

[adzling]

Adamo is correct iirc.

[Sphinx]

One of the main benefits to carrying a weapon in each hand, apart from looking cool, is that it gives you more options in combat. Even if you only use one weapon at a time, carrying two saves you the effort (i.e., actions) required to stow one and ready another. Load one Predator with non-lethal ammo and one with explosive or armor-piercing, and you have choices. Carry a machine pistol in your off-hand for suppression fire, or a sword to slash at enemies who get too close. Remember that whichever weapon is in your off hand takes a -2 penalty (SR5 p.178) unless you have the Ambidextrous quality (p.71).

Attacking with two weapons simultaneously, John Woo style, means splitting your dice pool between two (or more) attacks. The Multiple Attacks free action (p.164) has to be combined with an appropriate attack action (e.g., Fire Weapon, Throw Weapon, Melee Attack, Cast Spell). It doesn't say you can combine different attack actions, only that you can divide one among multiple targets.

In the odd case where the dice pool would involve different skills, such as making a multiple Melee Attack with a blade in one hand and a club in the other, or a multiple Fire Weapon attack with a heavy pistol (Pistols skill) in one hand and a submachine gun (Automatics skill) in the other, I don't see any clear direction, so it's up to the GM. A friendly GM might let you average the two skill ratings, while a strict one might tell you to use the lowest skill rating.

[Xexanoth]

I would go with "get each dice pool and half it".

as for mele and range attack, "Fire Weapon"(simple action) and "Melee Attack"(complex action) are two different actions.
With "Multiple Attacks" you're using the one attack action you have to use more than one weapon/target more people, attacking with both a melee and a ranged weapon would require you to use two different attack actions which is against the rules.

[Mirikon]

Use the rules for multiple attacks. For weapons using different skills, I would have them take the average between the two dice pools, and then split those dice between the two attacks. I.E. if you have a Pistols (Semi-Automatics) dice pool of 14 (before things like smartlink), and a Blades (Swords) dice pool of 10, then let the player take 12 dice, split them between the two attacks how they will, apply any off-hand, range, visibility, or other such penalties to the already split pool, and go from there, using the complex action for it, since that is the longest action of the two.

[Novocrane]

4e, iirc, used the lower of the two base dice pools.

[Sphinx]

4e, iirc, used the lower of the two base dice pools.

True. Attacker Using a Second Firearm, SR4A p.150: "Characters can use two pistol- or SMG-class weapons, one in each hand, firing both with a single Simple Action. Doing so, however, requires that the character split his dice pool between the attacks. If two separate skills are being used (Pistols and Automatics), use the smallest dice pool."

[Mirikon]

4e, iirc, used the lower of the two base dice pools.

My bad. Then I would use that. Yes, you can do sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. Rule of Cool and all. But don't expect it to be nearly as effective as just using one or the other.