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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sword of Spirit" data-source="post: 8378441" data-attributes="member: 6677017">So, I'm not getting the issue with needing a hand to do the same stuff everyone else needs a hand to do. The Artificer seems to me to have the most permissive spellcasting focus rules in the game.Let's assume that the standard rules for spellcasting focuses and material components apply, and you need it in your hand. You still get lots of choices with your infusions. You can use a weapon or shield if you are a melee character, or a wand if you are a cantrip caster. You could even use a ring or gauntlet/gloves (combine gauntlets of ogre power with your two-handed weapon if you want to use that). If you DM thinks an artificer wearing their magitech gauntlets or ring aren't considered to be "holding" the spellcasting focus, there are more potential problems here than one class. As others have said, you are in one heck of a Month Haul campaign if the random magic items you found are so good you can't spare a hand for an enhanced or radiant or repulsion weapon/shield/wand, or keep it free to use your glove or ring. Most casters are more limited than artificers. Armorers can use their armor as a spell casting focus (I'm assuming they can do so while wearing it, because it would be silly to assume they have to take it off and wave it around in their hand to get the benefit). Artillerists can turn any magic wand/staff/rod into a spellcasting focus. Yes, it would be better if a battle smith could turn a magic weapon or shield into a spellcasting focus. No there being enough good magic items in a party that the Artificer has a weapon and shield that are both better than what he can make with an infusion is not something likely to come up in the vast majority of games.Granted, the alchemist has real problems (both with focuses and in general), and it's weird they didn't notice before publishing it, but I'm not seeing an issue with the spellcasting focus usage for the other subclasses.I also think it's a reasonable interpretation (given the way the armorer works) that using infused items is supposed to override the requirement of having the item in hand. There is a reasonable chance that the design intent was you could just infuse a pair of boots and use them as a focus. Maybe someone should corner Jeremy Crawford on it and ask him to answer without referencing the book. (If he looks at the book he'll realize the most literal reading requires you to have it in your hand and report that. If he doesn't, maybe he'll tell us how he runs it and what the designers' were intending instead.)</blockquote>

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