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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tessarael" data-source="post: 8942626" data-attributes="member: 12909">If I understand correctly, A5E has omitted the 5E D&D techniques to get around material components requiring a free hand (to be clear, this is not a critique of A5E):<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You must have a free hand for material components; or you must be hold your spellcasting focus or be able to touch your spellcasting focus instead, providing the material components have no cost nor part of the target is required.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You can have a tattoo as a focus, but it still requires a free hand to touch it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You can have a staff as a focus if it is an arcane or nature focus, and that can be used as the two-handed quarterstaff weapon, but it is the only such option. However, you cannot use a quarterstaff as a one-handed weapon in A5E.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">As a Cleric or Herald you do not have the option of having your holy symbol on your shield to use it as a divine focus.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There's no Bard archetype that permits them to use their weapon as a spellcasting focus.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There's no Warlock archetype that permits them to use their weapon as a spellcasting focus.</li> </ul>So to cast a spell with material components you must either:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Have one hand free, e.g., with a weapon in your main hand</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sheath one weapon if you have two weapons drawn, or are using weapon + shield, to have one hand free</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Temporarily hold your two-handed weapon in one hand while spellcasting, to have one hand free</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If you are using a quarterstaff as your arcane or nature focus, you can keep holding it two-handed while using it to spellcast.</li> </ul>This seems to penalize the weapon + shield option the most, as you won't be able to make an attack of opportunity until you draw your weapon again next turn, after you've sheathed your weapon to spellcast. In the other cases, you've still got a weapon drawn to whack someone with.A5E still permits seen components to be cast with your hands full, if you are holding your spell focus. So if your DM permits a shield as a divine focus or a weapon as an arcane focus (e.g., with Ruby of the War Mage from Xanathar's Guide to Everything, which requires attunement; or the Improved Pact Weapon eldritch invocation from Warlock), then you can still do so without a free hand; or you can use a (quarter)staff as mentioned above. Otherwise, you still need that free hand for the material and seen components.The Battle Caster feat permits you to perform seen components while use a weapon or shield with your hands. It does not negate the need for a free hand to touch or hold your spellcasting focus. The Battle Caster feat does help the weapon + shield wielder avoid the need to sheathe their weapon to cast a spell with V,S components. For the two-weapon fighter and the two-handed weapon user, that benefit from the Battle Caster feat is not necessary, given that you can sheathe one weapon or temporarily hold the two-handed weapon in one hand.Am I missing anything here? Are there any class features or magic items in A5E core rules that permit a one-handed weapon or shield to be used as an arcane, divine, or nature focus?</blockquote>

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