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Message: <blockquote data-quote="tetrasodium" data-source="post: 9092547" data-attributes="member: 93670">No you do not need such a thing.  It's bneeded only under the most tortured reading of the rules.  In 2e & 3.x it might have even been a bit of an extreme case of rules lawyering to claim that. <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/spellcasting#CastingaSpell" target="_blank">Here are the relevant rules</a>.  It starts out with some talk about action costs & similar but nothing relevant to focus items  so I'll skip ahead to where it begins to near focus items.[spoiler="Components"]A spell's components are the physical requirements you must meet in order to cast it. Each spell's description indicates whether it requires verbal (V), somatic (S), or material (M) components. If you can't provide one or more of a spell's components, you are unable to cast the spell.[/spoiler]Thank you Mario but the princess is in another castle!  This says almost nothing mechanically so far.[spoiler="Verbal"]Most spells require the chanting of mystic words. The words themselves aren't the source of the spell's power; rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion. Thus, a character who is gagged or in an area of silence, such as one created by the <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/silence" target="_blank">silence</a> spell, can't cast a spell with a verbal component.[/spoiler]You can't be silenced or gagged if the spell has a verbal component.  This leaves out the important bit that past editions made sure to be clear on though & says nothing about loudly strong voice or so on & as a result practically begs for a battle between player & GM if the player really really wants  free silent spell by simply declaring they want to whisper the verbal component if the GM disagrees.  Still nothing about focus items or free hands.[spoiler="Somatic"]Spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures.[/spoiler]Again nothing about focus items.  You are left a free hand while wielding the vast majority of weapons, so far almost the entire "casting a spell" section has been useless words for the sake of words & even the sections covered tend to create as many problems as they solve. <a href="https://twitter.com/mikemearls/status/516806505547706368" target="_blank">Worse is that you can even wield a 2h weapon & then take one hand off it next round as part of your free object interaction in order to cast a spell  instead of attack</a>[spoiler="I *wish* I were making that up"][MEDIA=twitter]516806505547706368[/MEDIA][/spoiler][spoiler="Material"]Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in “Equipment”) in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell. A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components -- or to hold a spellcasting focus -- but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.[/spoiler]Player:"well I have a component pouch on my belt & my rapier/longsword/held greatsword leaves me with a free hand so I'm good right?" -> facepalming GM:..[spoiler="well no.. but.."]Component Pouch. A component pouch is a small, watertight leather belt pouch that has compartments to hold all the material components and other special items you need to cast your spells, except for those components that have a specific cost (as indicated in a spell's description).[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/equipment#ArcaneFocus[/URL]GM: [ispoiler]Holy mother of god... why are there so many useless words[/ispoiler][/spoiler]No.   You do not need a focus or versatile weapon to cast spells & even spells with a somatic or a material component you only need to have SAY you have a free hand & a component pouch in your pack/belt. Without once present elements like ASF & ACP that connected to some of those three VSM components it's almost guaranteed that nobody is tracking what gish friendly spells use what parts of VSM & nongish builds aren't considering how they would be impacted to not just equip their PC under the time saving assumption that all spells use all parts of VSM so it probably doesn't even matter what a spell uses as long as the caster is proficient with their armor choice.The one exception* is sword & board because the sword is in one hand & board (shield) the other keeping both occupied unless you drop one as part of casting the spell and I kid you not <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/combat#BeingProne" target="_blank">pick it back up as part of your attack</a> next time you have an action* I think but would not be at all skeptical if told I had a critical rule very wrong on S&B</blockquote>

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