D&D 5E Forging Arcane Focus or Holy Symbol into a Weapon or Shield?

[SilverBulletKY]

One of my players has been talking about doing this. I don't think there's been any written rules about it, but what are your thoughts about letting them do this and the cost of having something like this done?

 

[SilverfireSage]

One of my players has been talking about doing this. I don't think there's been any written rules about it, but what are your thoughts about letting them do this and the cost of having something like this done?

I'd let one of my players do it. It's pretty much the same as having the holy symbol on a necklace around your neck and striking with a sword. I'd say the cost would be about double that of a normal weapon/shield + the cost of the holy symbol, but nothing more than that. Seems like a fun flavory kind of addition really.

 

[Roger]

I'd let this slide. The cost I'd associate with it would be "Hey look, that dude loves That God I Don't Like so much he put her holy symbol on his shield! Get him!"

 

[Umbran]

Moreover, it means that if he isn't in armor, he probably doesn't have the focus in hand, either.

 

[Lawngnome4hire]

Holy symbol in the equipment chapter already has this actually. It's listed as holy symbol emblem, and has the same cost but no weight. It's intended to be used for shields, but weapons would make sense if you're OK with that.

 

[Li Shenron]

In 3e I had some DM who enforced the need of using one hand for a focus, but that edition had a quite strict action economy (and "hands" economy).

In 5e free hands don't really matter, except probably when trying to use a two-handed weapon (or two weapons) and a shield at the same time. Thus I really think embedding a holy symbol in your armor/shield/weapon only has a cosmetic effect, so I see no reason to disallow it.

 

[Lawngnome4hire]

There is one thing you may want to point out to your player. Strapping a shield on takes an actual action, you can't ready it as part of another action like you can with weapons. So if they get caught unprepared, they won't be able to cast until they take the time to strap it on.

 

[keterys]

In 5e free hands don't really matter, except probably when trying to use a two-handed weapon (or two weapons) and a shield at the same time. Thus I really think embedding a holy symbol in your armor/shield/weapon only has a cosmetic effect, so I see no reason to disallow it.

Well, you need a free hand to cast a spell with a somatic component, so clerics can't cast most of their spells with a weapon and shield (For two-handed it seems easy to have a hand off momentarily).

Not that having your focus on your shield alleviates that problem.

 

[SilverBulletKY]

Well, you need a free hand to cast a spell with a somatic component, so clerics can't cast most of their spells with a weapon and shield (For two-handed it seems easy to have a hand off momentarily).

Not that having your focus on your shield alleviates that problem.

Actually it would because they could put away their weapon as a bonus action, cast the spell is their action. Then on next turn draw their weapon again as a bonus action.

 

[gyor]

Unsheathing or Sheathing a single weapon (or 2 weapons if you have the twf feat) does not count as either an action or bonus action. Its essentially a free action.

Then there is the warcaster feat.

As for holy symbols there are 3 types mentioned in the PHB, Shield Embalem which has been mentioned already, which maoes your shield a holy symbol, Amulet (a holy symbol you wear around your neck), or my personal favourite a relic, a small pice of something really sacred in your religion. Think having a small finger bone of a saint in a wooden box vs. wearing a cross, a hindu with holy ash from a saint vs. a symbol of one of the Hindu Gods.

Amulets and Shield Embalems are more practical, but relics have more flavour and a story to them.

Maybe your relic is single hair from your God's time during the Time of Troubles when they had to take on mortal form, maybe its a piece of a saint, or a piece of rubble from a destroyed temple, or a trophy from killing a major enemy of the faith, or the tears of joy from your Gods Empyrean Children, or a feather from a Solar in service to your God, a drop of blood from one of your Gods Chosen, a physical manifestation of your Gods presence from when that God chose you to serve, or a medicine bag filled with sacred objects, a some object from your God's divine realms, a piece of a sacred prophecy, and so many, many more ideas.