Here Are The Most Popular D&D Feats (War Caster Leads The Pack!)

Mistwell · Feb 22, 2019

Azzy said:
Use a tether to keep your weapon from completely falling... then it's just dangling from your arm when you "drop" it.

In my game I'd require you make a check to cast a spell with a mace dangling from the hand you're using for somatics.

Dessert Nomad · Feb 22, 2019

Mistwell said:
In my game I'd require you make a check to cast a spell with a mace dangling from the hand you're using for somatics.

Oh yes, I hadn't even thought about the difficulty of making delicate somatic gestures with 3-4 feet of sword dangling from your arm while you do it. And is it really surprising that people are like "I'll take warcaster" instead of "I'll convince the DM that having a sword chained to my wrist is not at all hindering my movement"?

Mistwell · Feb 22, 2019

OverlordOcelot said:
Oh yes, I hadn't even thought about the difficulty of making delicate somatic gestures with 3-4 feet of sword dangling from your arm while you do it. And is it really surprising that people are like "I'll take warcaster" instead of "I'll convince the DM that having a sword chained to my wrist is not at all hindering my movement"?

I mean let's say he answers the weight of the weapon isn't on that arm because the full length of the weapon is on the ground and it's just the weight of the tether. OK, putting aside the mechanics of the length of tehter you'd need for a medium sized weapon to be fully on the ground and the risk of accidentally kicking it, this now assumes you're not moving around in your space like the rules assume you do (where it says there are no facing rules because you're in constant movement in your space).

OK, so now you're not moving around in your space like normal, because otherwise this weapon on the ground chained to your arm will get tangled in your legs. We have a rule for that - it's the Restrained condition. So now not only can't you move with a weapon chained to you that's on the ground, but attack rolls against you have advantage, and your attack rolls have disadvantage, and you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.

So either you're making a check to cast a spell with a medium weapon dangling it's weight from your somatic-casting arm, or you're restrained from the medium weapon laying on the ground tethered to you. Pick your poison. Both sound pretty bad to me.

TwoSix · Feb 22, 2019

Satyrn said:
Okay. Then it's the rule itself that's weird.

Sweet. Now I can't be accused of being a WotC shill who thinks they can do no wrong.

Fool! You're obviously just serving your War Caster lobby masters, deep in the bowels of Hasbro's finance department!

CleverNickName · Feb 22, 2019

ClaytonCross said:
You can drop your weapon as a free action and pick it up as part of an attack...per RAW.

Maybe I'm a little late to the discussion, but are we talking about 3rd Edition rules here? In 5th Edition (PHB 190), you can draw or sheathe a weapon in tandem with either your Movement or your Action.

That Action can be making an attack, casting a spell, disengaging, channeling divinity, wildshaping, whatever. Strategically dropping your weapon isn't really a thing anymore (unless the king's bodyguards insist.)

BookBarbarian · Feb 22, 2019

S'mon said:
Never seen this come up; admittedly I've never played at high level. But I'd think my approach still does well vs critters with Resistance, though a backup +1 greatsword might be handy.

The backup approach works fine.

I wouldn't say it's a problem limited to high level though. I once ran into a couple of Jackalweres in an AL game when I was level 1. Hell a +1 Dagger would have been handy.

Still I think a fair portion of players don't go with PAM because they prefer other weapons for aesthetics .

S'mon · Feb 22, 2019

BookBarbarian said:
Still I think a fair portion of players don't go with PAM because they prefer other weapons for aesthetics .

I call my barbarian's halberd a "long handled axe"

Mistwell · Feb 22, 2019

CleverNickName said:
Maybe I'm a little late to the discussion, but are we talking about 3rd Edition rules here? In 5th Edition (PHB 190), you can draw or sheathe a weapon in tandem with either your Movement or your Action.

That Action can be making an attack, casting a spell, disengaging, channeling divinity, wildshaping, whatever. Strategically dropping your weapon isn't really a thing anymore (unless the king's bodyguards insist.)

Yes but you cannot do BOTH on your turn. You get ONE object interaction and he's talking about dropping the weapon (free action) and then picking it up (single object interaction on your turn). If you sheath your weapon as part of spellcasting, you no longer have it in your hand after the spellcasting. So for example you will not be able to make an opportunity attack with that weapon if it comes up, until you draw your weapon again on a later turn. And of course if you draw it, you won't be able to sheath it on that turn. The only way to really avoid this is the war caster feat.

ClaytonCross · Feb 22, 2019

OverlordOcelot said:
Actually, Crawford has established that you don't need warcaster for casting spells that do have a material component if you've got a focus on your shield, but that you DO need it for casting spells with a somatic but no material component. So Cure Wounds, Divine Favor, Heroism, Lesser Restoration, Magic Weapon, Daylight, Dispel Magic, Elemental Weapon, Remove Curse, and Holy Weapon all require you to give the opponent a chance to pick your weapon up if you want to use them. And that's only if people use that odd, non-official ruling.

Yep and of all those the only one you would use in battle instead of before or after (as a rule) is Cure wounds, which you can ignore with lay on hands....?

CleverNickName · Feb 22, 2019

Mistwell said:
Yes but you cannot do BOTH on your turn.

I think you can, though...you can do either one of those in tandem with your Action and your Movement. (I might be reading that little sidebar wrong, though.) Seems like the rules would allow you to move 10 feet while sheathing your weapon as part of your movement, then cast a spell and draw your weapon as part of the Action. That lets you start and end your turn with a weapon in your hand, while still casting a spell and having your weapon at the ready for your Reaction.

It may or may not be a good idea to do this; especially if that movement would draw an opportunity attack. Still, it's completely possible without the War Caster feat.