How mean are you to your clerics???

[Azazu]

I dm a group and just recently realized that I am being tto nice to my cleric. He is a battle hardened cleric. Prone to buff up and charge in. But he also casts spells in battle.

He wears full plate, carries a large shield and weild a warhammer. Should be have to sheathe the weapon (or drop it) to cast a spell???

 

[Augurian]

The rules state they you need at least one free hand to cast spells... I (as a DM) stick to that rule, but never had to point it out to my players. None of the clerics in my campaigns are really battle priests, they usually just stay just out of battle and heal their comrades and only kick those who get too close to them.

 

[Wolffenjugend]

I just came to the same realization when asking myself why there is a buckler and light shield in the game when they essentially do the same thing (I think; but that's not the point of this post).

I've ruled that a cleric (or any spellcaster for that matter) wielding a weapon in one hand and a heavy shield in the other must either: a) drop their weapon to the ground; b) sheathe their weapon; or c) have a strap put on their weapon that allows it to "dangle" while they use the hand for casting (obviously this wouldn't work for a really heavy weapon).

If the caster has a buckler or light shield, I allow them to transfer the weapon to their shield hand either as a move-equiv action or as part of a move-action. I allow transferring the weapon back as a free action. Basically, a cleric could swap his weapon into his shield hand (if it's light/buckler), cast the spell, and then swap it back so long as a move-action or move-equiv action was spent.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

It depends upon the spell. Spells without somatic components can be cast just fine while holding a weapon and a shield. So those few spells (Blindness/Deafness, Holy Word (IIRC) and a few others) and Stilled spells are just fine. Otherwise you need a free hand. (IME, clerics are indeed the most likely characters to overlook this. Paladins are usually pretty good about it as are fighter/wizards and bards).

So, how do clerics deal with it? The cleric I'm currently playing wields a greatsword so it's not too much of a problem. He just lets go of the sword with one hand, casts the spell, then puts his hand back on the sword. That's never caused any problems (although a clever foe might exploit it by trying a grapple check or something while he's not wielding the sword). Most DMs let characters switch grips on a weapon at will (for instance, attack with the bastard sword one handed in round one and then switch to two hands when you start power attacking in round 2)--and those who don't generally let the cleric spend an MeA to do so. (Which I think is silly myself--after all, it's an MeA to pick the weapon up off of the ground or to draw it from its sheath; it should be a good deal easier to just put a hand back on it. And I've never seen any DM question how wizards are wielding their quarterstaffs while casting spells).

Other good routes would be wearing a buckler and simply casting with the buckler hand (which still counts as a free hand) or wearing a light shield and holding the weapon in the shield hand while casting. (Which may or may not constitute a move action depending upon the DM).

Another route that I've seen clerics use is simply to walk around with their weapon in the sheath. Wear a spiked gauntlet so that you still threaten but cast your spells before you move into combat. Quickdraw might make this route even easier for the battle cleric.

 

[Keith]

Hello,

The parts above other than the house rules are right, I think. One point is that you ask about the weapon, so I thought I would point that they could take off their shield as another alternative. They can certainly use a weapon with one hand and cast with the other- there is nothing in the rules about which hand you must have free to cast a spell with a somatic component. But you do have to have one, and any hand with a weapon or large shield in it isn’t free.

This isn’t mean; it is part of the rules which balance the classes for the benefit of all players.

 

[Storminator]

In my PBeM priests (clerics and paladins) are not allowed to use shields at all. The holy symbol is a glove on the left hand, and it can't be covered. There's a splinter sect of paladins that uses bucklers, but they are considered near-heretics and can't wear the bucklers in tournements.

There was an NPC named Justin the Shield, that was a protector of priests. When he died heroically he spawned a group called Shieldbrothers. The SBs are the "shields" the priests can't wear.

PS

 

[frankthedm]

Players LOVE to forget when they have thier hands full, whether its for spellcasting, climbing, having a lightsource, grasping for life after jumping a chasm or when they need to draw a different weapon.

1e elegently required the weapon in hand had to be written down on the character sheet, and requiring this may be the best solution if the players continualy try to benefit from selective memory.

 

[Zaruthustran]

But you do have to have one, and any hand with a weapon or large shield in it isn’t free.

Or light shield.

"Shield, Light, Wooden or Steel: You strap a shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand."

Any shield, item, or weapon held in the hand prevents that hand from being "free"/prevents it from being used as a somatic component.

Bucklers aren't held in hand; they're the only type of shield that lets you cast.

-z

 

[Hypersmurf]

Spells without somatic components can be cast just fine while holding a weapon and a shield.

Don't forget Focus, Divine Focus, and Material components.

-Hyp.

 

[Hardhead]

An old Sage Advice column clarified that you could "change grips" as a free action. For example, if you had a quarterstaff in your hand, you could let go with one hand and cast a spell, and still move.