D&D 5E Clerics -- no casting with shield and weapon?

[AsmodeusDM]

Is it correct in 5e that with a shield and a weapon wielded; a cleric will not be able to cast spells with a somatic and/or material component (needing one free hand to do so)?

If so; is it the game intention for clerics to be either combatants OR spellcasters, but not both simultaneously?

 

[Mephista]

Clerics can use a holy symbol, which can be emblazoned on their shield, to replace their material components.

If you get the Warcaster Feat, you can ignore somantic components when having both hands holding weapons and/or shields. If you don't have the feat, you need a free hand for somantic components.

Arcane gishes have it worse - there is no arcane focus that can be in shield form.

 

[MonkeezOnFire]

Jeremy Crawford has answered questions about this on twitter. According to him the same hand that is used to hold a holy symbol can be the same hand that is used to perform somatic components of spells. Since a shield can be a holy symbol, you can use the hand that is holding a shield to perform somatic components.

Link: http://thesageadvice.wordpress.com/2014/11/26/holy-symbol-replace-somatic-components/

 

[Li Shenron]

In 5e it's almost irrelevant, you can just more or less free your hand to cast the spell whenever you want.

Somatic spell components are still there but what for? Mostly for special circumstances such as being bound or hanging from somewhere, but IMO not for balancing spellcasting.

 

[AsmodeusDM]

Only asking because of the Warcaster feat... trying to figure out who that was for / why it was relevant?

 

[Mephista]

Only asking because of the Warcaster feat... trying to figure out who that was for / why it was relevant?

Well, an eldrtich knight using sword and shield combo could use a V, S spell with the warcaster feat instead of using a sword and wand combo, or sword and empty hand, for instance. Those are actually more common than you think.

The blade warlocks love the opportunity attacks with eldrtich blasts, but other casters do as well. Cantrips scale better than a single sword attack, usually.

Bonus Concentration checks in melee? Big yes please!


I suppose that, for the cleric or paladin, its not as big an issue.

 

[pepticburrito]

Is it correct in 5e that with a shield and a weapon wielded; a cleric will not be able to cast spells with a somatic and/or material component (needing one free hand to do so)?

If so; is it the game intention for clerics to be either combatants OR spellcasters, but not both simultaneously?

In the description of material components it says that the same hand that is used for material components can be used for somatic. In the same section, it also says a focus can be used in place for material components (that aren't consumed or have a listed value). In the description for holy symbol (equipment section of the book) it says that the shield emblazoned with a holy symbol acts as a focus for Clerics and Paladins.

Therefore, if a Cleric or Paladin has a shield emblazoned with their holy symbol and the spell has material components, then they can cast that spell with impunity without a free hand. If that spell also has Somatic components along with those material, it also can be cast with impunity (same hand rule from material components).

The only spells they have problems casting in such a case are ones with Somatic, but no material. A focus is of no use for those spells. It is for this case, the the feat War Caster exists.

Take note, there are very important spells that have consumed components. Protection from Evil and Good being an example. They will always need a freehand to cast that spell.