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The question is relatively simple and I have searched far and wide for an official ruling or good answer:

How many Pact Weapons can a Warlock create (have out) at the same time?

The RAW says:

You can use your action to create a pact weapon in your empty hand.

So the sentence uses singular in relation to the action, but...if I have two empty hands, can I create two weapons? Obviously not in the same turn, because it needs an action, but in two turns?

For example: Can I create two pact short swords that I wield at the same time?

I am looking to build a dual-wielding Hexblade Blade Pact Warlock, which in the future would also take the Dual Wielder feat.

As far as I can tell there is really nothing that says that I can't?

PS: I am aware of the Sage Advice ruling that bonding magical weapons as pact weapons "replaces" the pact weapon so its just one (because you can't bond two magical weapons since they replace each other), but assuming I never bond with a magical weapon.

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2 Answers 2

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You are limited to 1 pact weapon. This is clear in the rules (PHB 108):

Your pact weapon disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Clear oversight on my end not reading it carefully enough. Thanks a lot, that answers it. \$\endgroup\$
    – AdamTM
    Commented Nov 13, 2017 at 22:07
  • \$\begingroup\$ I will say that, if you are really set on building a Duel-Wielding Hexblade Blade Pact Warlock and want to have some extra weapons, you could take 3-4 levels of Fighter, going Eldritch Knight. Doing so would give you the ability to bond to two weapons, so you could have more weapons available to you, especially if you make a magic weapon your pact weapon, and you wouldn't lose too much. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jay Kay
    Commented Nov 14, 2017 at 20:24
  • \$\begingroup\$ I think it would be less efficient with dipping this far into fighter. I think with the Hexblade patron its no longer beneficial to go eldritch knight but i need to playtest this first. The plan would be probably to dip into Fighter for one level to pick up proficiencies and two weapon fighting. Since this is XGE content its implied we can use XGE spells so Shadow Blade is a light+finesse weapon perfect as an offhand with superior damage so the dual pactblades arent even that necessary. My DM however ruled that you cant use Hex Warrior with a conjured weapon. \$\endgroup\$
    – AdamTM
    Commented Nov 17, 2017 at 8:30
  • \$\begingroup\$ This deserves its own question, but I think your DM is right and wrong. Hex Warrior is limited to a single weapon but it has nothing to do with conjured weapons. However, since you must designate this special weapon following a long rest, and you cannot sustain shadow blade for more than a minute, it would be an extremely poor choice. \$\endgroup\$
    – Nick Brown
    Commented Nov 21, 2017 at 0:46
  • \$\begingroup\$ The normal pact blade is a conjured weapon and that is explicitly allowed in the Hex Warrior description. \$\endgroup\$
    – RonV
    Commented Jan 4, 2018 at 19:30
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You Only Get 1

This is a case where I think you're trying to read into the rules for something that's not there. As you've stated, the rules use the singular in all their descriptions of the Warlock's pact weapon. As 5e uses plain language for the majority of their rules, it's reasonable to assume the intent is for a single weapon by virtue of the fact that they make no mention of multiple weapons at any point within the text of the feature nor in any examples related to it.

For comparison, consider the Eldritch Knight's Weapon Bond feature, which explicitly states that it may be performed on up to two weapons.

The exclusion of similar text with the Warlock's pact weapon is not an oversight unless Crawford says it is.

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