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So I have a Bladesinger and I just picked up a scimitar of speed.

Normally in a melee, I pop a shadow blade(SB) and Two-Weapon Fighting with a dagger. I don't have the dual wielder feat, so I don't get +dexmod to damage with the dagger.

If I were to use SB with the scimitar, does using the scimitar's ability to attack as a bonus action give me +dexmod damage if I used SB to attack with my action? Or does it fall under Two-Weapon Fighting?

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you can make one attack with it as a bonus action on each of your turns. (DMG 199)

This is an ability granted by the weapon itself and is unrelated to two-weapon fighting. Notice that you do not need to wield another weapon to use it. The rules of two-weapon fighting thus have no bearing here. You add your ability modifier as normal for an attack.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ And hey, perks...now you make the same number of attacks per round, but still have a free hand for somatic/material spells. \$\endgroup\$
    – guildsbounty
    Jan 18, 2018 at 14:36
  • \$\begingroup\$ Worth noting also that although the OP says that they don't get to add their DEX modifier to dagger damage in their 'off' hand due to not having the ‘Dual Wielder’ feat, that feat does NOT, in fact, confer that damage bonus to an ‘off’ hand weapon. I assume the OP was mixing it up with the ‘Two Weapon Fighting’ fighting style, which lets you add your STR/DEX modifier to damage. \$\endgroup\$
    – RickL
    Apr 20 at 13:54
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You don't have to use Two-Weapon Fighting

You are certainly allowed to, according to Player's Handbook page 195, under Two-Weapon Fighting:

When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand.

However, this rule states neither that this is the only way to attack with an off-hand weapon, or that it must be used when attacking with two weapons. The Scimitar of Speed gives you a better way to attack with a bonus action, on Dungeon Master's Guide, page 199:

...you can make one attack with [the scimitar] as a bonus action on each of your turns.

Since this rule allows you to make a bonus action attack without the rules of Two-Weapon fighting, you will get your dexterity modifier included in the damage.

Note that like the auxilary attack of Two-Weapon fighting, the scimitar's bonus action attack is a single attack, not an Attack action: Extra Attacks and other abilities that trigger based on Make an Attack action are not triggered.

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