Spelljammer Dark Sun confirmed? Or, the mysterious case of the dissappearing Spelljammer article...

[Maxperson]

Yeah, the Players Handbook discussion of the "weave" also distinguishes between arcane and divine. The distinction is without mechanics, and often vague − and even debatable such as the Bard − but it does exist.

Plus, the "psionic tag" officially exists.

The designers mention the "power sources", explicitly arcane, divine, psionic, and primal, and "others", probably including martial.

The "sources" are a powerful organizer of themes and tropes, and invite a mechanical design space for future products.

The distinction is not without mechanics as I have pointed out twice now. Holy symbols serve as a divine focus for clerics and paladins, which is a mechanical interaction with the divine magic category, and an arcane focus does the same for wizards, sorcerers and warlocks with a mechanical interaction with the arcane magic category. And of course defiling on Athas, mentioned in the 5e DMG is a mechanical interaction with the arcane magic category.

 

[Parmandur]

The rules I quoted were for 5e. An arcane focus is usable ONLY for arcane spells. That not all arcane casters can use one isn't relevant. It's still a rule that interacts with the arcane magic category. Holy symbols work as a focus for divine spells. That only clerics and paladins can use them doesn't make them not a rule that interacts with the divine magic category. The 5e DMG specifically mentions in the magic section of world building that arcane magic(the category) can drain life from the world.

It's weak like alignment, but it exists in 5e.

A Bard can acquire any Cleric or Druid Spell and use an Arcane Focus such as Bagpipes to cast said Spell, and "Arcane Focus" can include a Longsword or pack of cards depending on the Subclass. Arcana Domain Clerics get to use their Holy Symbol to cast what would normally be wizard only Spells.

If you can point to where any Spell specifies that it cannot be cast with a lute or deck of cards but needs a wand, I would be curious to see it. There is no marker on any Spell as "Arcane" or "Divine" and if a Class gets access to a Spell, then they can use their Class or subclass designated Focus to substitute for any Material components without a GP cost.

 

[Maxperson]

If a sorcerer/cleric multiclass uses the spell Enhance Ability, which focus can they use?

The holy symbol will work only for their divine spells and an arcane focus will work only for their arcane spells. The rules are clear. Each type of focus only works for its category of magic.

Having spells that are both divine and arcane, means the distinction is meaningless.

This is completely false. Unless every spell is both arcane and divine, the distinction has meaning.

The difference between Druid spells and Cleric spells is not greater than the distinction between Druid spells and Bard spells.

This isn't relevant to whether or not there are mechanical rules that interact with the magical categories. I mean, I've stated for the third time now that the mechanical interaction is weak(only a few rules), but it does exist.

 

[Maxperson]

A Bard can acquire any Cleric or Druid Spell and use an Arcane Focus such as Bagpipes to cast said Spell, and "Arcane Focus" can include a Longsword or pack of cards depending on the Subclass. Arcana Domain Clerics get to use their Holy Symbol to cast what would normally be wizard only Spells.

If you can point to where any Spell specifies that it cannot be cast with a lute or deck of cards but needs a wand, I would be curious to see it. There is no marker on any Spell as "Arcane" or "Divine" and if a Class gets access to a Spell, then they can use their Class or subclass designated Focus to substitute for any Material components without a GP cost.

The bard acquires it as an arcane spell, though, not as a divine one. Same with Arcana Domain clerics and their few spells. These exceptions to the rules are only examples of specific beats general, not examples that the general rule does not exist.

 

[Parmandur]

The distinction is not without mechanics as I have pointed out twice now. Holy symbols serve as a divine focus for clerics and paladins, which is a mechanical interaction with the divine magic category, and an arcane focus does the same for wizards, sorcerers and warlocks with a mechanical interaction with the arcane magic category. And of course defiling on Athas, mentioned in the 5e DMG is a mechanical interaction with the arcane magic category.

I sympathize with your reading, because I looked at this with 3E goggles for a long time, too, but the Arcane and divine magic categories don't exist in 5E, not like the School's whi h do categorize spells. They were replaced with Class Spell lists, which can be circumvented and bent.

 

[Parmandur]

The bard acquires it as an arcane spell, though, not as a divine one. Same with Arcana Domain clerics and their few spells. These exceptions to the rules are only examples of specific beats general, not examples that the general rule does not exist.

Where is the general rule that distinguishes Arcane and Divine magic categories? Itspecific Class based rules all the way down here.

 

[Maxperson]

I sympathize with your reading, because I looked at this with 3E goggles for a long time, too, but the Arcane and divine magic categories don't exist in 5E, not like the School's whi h do categorize spells. They were replaced with Class Spell lists, which can be circumvented and bent.

They DO exist since mechanics exist to interact with them. If you can show the foci or defiling to not be mechanics, then you can be right. Otherwise you are flat out wrong. They are weak categories, far weaker than schools of magic, but weakness doesn't stop them from being a category with mechanics(foci) attached.

 

[Synthil]

The bard acquires it as an arcane spell, though, not as a divine one.

Exactly. The magic and spells itself aren't defined by being divine or arcane and not bound to specific foci; the classes are. As Parmandur stated.

 

[Maxperson]

Where is the general rule that distinguishes Arcane and Divine magic categories? Itspecific Class based rules all the way down here.

This is missing the forest for the trees. The classes are specified as arcane or divine BECAUSE of the two categories of magic, not in place of it.

 

[Maxperson]

Exactly. The magic and spells itself aren't defined by being divine or arcane and not bound to specific foci; the classes are. As Parmandur stated.

They are bound unless you have a specific exception. A bard cannot pick up a holy symbol and use it as a focus for the cure wounds spell he got for his bard list, even if he is a multiclassed as a cleric. He has to use an arcane focus, since it is an arcane spell for him.