D&D 5E Bardic Spellcasting

[WarpedAcorn]

We have a Bard in our group and after reading another thread I'm wondering if we've been playing wrong or not.

Regarding spellcasting, I have assumed that the Bard needed a single hand free in order to cast spells with S or M components. But someone mentioned that all Bardic spells (with M) require a Musical Instrument in order to work, and Musical Instruments are usually 2-Handed. Is this correct?

Alternatively, there is nothing preventing them from using the general magical components and not a Musical Focus right?

 

[KahlessNestor]

The bard only needs to be holding the instrument, so o ly needs the one hand for that. And yes, they can use a regular focua, I believe. I would fluff even song for a focus, not requiring either.

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[Hastati]

A bard "can" use a musical instrument as a spell focus in place of material components. However, there is no requirement to do so. The notation (M) in the spell lists stands for "material component" which can be replaced by either a component pouch or spell focus (note that material components that have a specific cost attributed to them cannot be substituted). A caster must have a hand free to access the material components of a spell, but it can be the same hand used for the somatic component. So, a spell with an (M) with no associated cost and (S) the bard could just hold their instrument (or component pouch) in one hand to cast the spell.

It can be any musical instrument, so could be macaras, castanets, spoons, or a penny whistle if you want.

A bard can't use an arcane focus (orb, crystal, wand, staff), as those can only be used by sorcerors, warlocks, and wizards, or a druidic focus.

 

[Hastati]

I should add, I'd love to see someone play a bard who uses spoons.

 

[Li Shenron]

We have a Bard in our group and after reading another thread I'm wondering if we've been playing wrong or not.

Regarding spellcasting, I have assumed that the Bard needed a single hand free in order to cast spells with S or M components. But someone mentioned that all Bardic spells (with M) require a Musical Instrument in order to work, and Musical Instruments are usually 2-Handed. Is this correct?

Alternatively, there is nothing preventing them from using the general magical components and not a Musical Focus right?

I think any spellcaster can always choose to use either a component pouch or spellcasting focus or the specific material components mentioned by the spell. This is for spells with an (M) component that doesn't cost money.

(If the spell has an (M) component that costs money, the spellcaster should have the specific component.)
(If the spell has no (M) component, the spellcaster doesn't need a spellcasting focus in any case.)

As far as I know, there is no "generic spellcasting focus", but each class has its own types: holy symbol for Cleric and Paladin, arcane focus for Wizard and Sorcerer and Warlock, druidic focus for Druid and musical instrument for Bard.

A spellcasting focus "occupies" an otherwise free hand (however, if the spell has both (S) and (M) components, both can use the same hand), but as odd as it may sound, you don't need to do anything with it (such as playing the instrument).

I would find it a bit ridiculous to have a Bard waving a lute in the off-hand for the sole purpose of casting an M-spell (granted, not as ridiculous as a Bard waving a piano), but this is as easy to avoid as by simply saying that the same Bard uses a component pouch while in combat, and instead when the situation allows (at least when she has 2 hands free) she would actually prefer to play the instrument while spellcasting, just because it's more cool.