D&D 5E [Rules Question] Two-handed Weapons and Somatic Components

[Gargoyle]

Other things to consider.

Could you use material components while holding a two-handed weapon?

You must have a hand free to access a material component, but it can be the same hand that is used for the somatic component. So unless you rule that they can't hold a two-handed weapon with one hand while casting, then yes. Officially they haven't said whether you can carry (not attack with) a greatsword in one hand, but I don't think we really need them to tell us that. Of course you can carry it with one hand.

How about draw and then put away an arcane focus?

You can draw a sword as part of an attack, so I'd say you can draw an arcane focus as part of casting a spell. Sheathing a sword can also be done as part of an action, so you could put away an arcane focus as part of movement. Since there are no particular rules on this for arcane foci, and since we have clear rules on this for other items, I don't see a need for official clarification.

Divine casters are ok here as they can wear their focus rather than hold it. However they also have a number of touch spells. Surely you need a free hand for this or can you kick someone with a cure wounds spell?

t just says "make a melee attack", and has the range of touch, so I'd say this was a DM call, but it makes me smile to think of a kicking cleric. But most of the time, no; I don't think I'd treat this as an unarmed strike; it doesn't say to. I'd go with the assumption that it's just a touch with the hands delivering the spell, not a punch, kick, elbow strike, or head butt. An unarmed strike could be any of those things, but the delivery of touch spells should be through the hands unless otherwise specified, since the hand is what is needed to be free to cast the spell.

I don't think we will get a formal answer about any of this stuff. Some groups will hand wave all of this and others will like to emphasize the benefits of versatile weapons and component pouches over arcane focuses (in some cases)

I think people are overthinking a lot of these and that we really don't need formal answers about most of this stuff, just a little reading of the rules and common sense interpretation. Of course they invited this confusion by giving us options like arcane focus and not enough examples, so I don't think the questions are wrong to ask.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Is there no penalty for using a two-handed weapon and wanting to cast spells? If there is a penalty/consequence, what is it?

Here's my take, based on p. 79 of 5B:
1. Somatic components require one free hand.
2. Material components can be accessed by the same hand as somatic components.
3. Spellcasting focus or materials ouch can replace non-priced components.

From this I infer
a. caster with shield can not have a weapon her hand while casting a spell with somatic components, but
b. caster with a 2-handed sword can hold the sword in the off-hand, and cast soma tics with the other, using a focus as needed.

In situation a. either the weapon goes into the shield hand (which might make the shield ineffective for that round), or it is stored/dropped.

What's not clear to me is

c. if the caster has more than one attack (fighter5/wizard 1) and one attack is a spell and the other is with a weapon, if the caster can use a two-handed weapon (i.e. does the somatic component take up the attack or the action?). My preference would be to allow it, since the caster is making a tactical choice i not using shield, etc.

You raise the possibility of EK (Eldritch Knight?). I expect there will be a way to use certain weapons as a spell casting focus, or just having the focus around your neck will be sufficient.

 

[Mirtek]

c. if the caster has more than one attack (fighter5/wizard 1) and one attack is a spell and the other is with a weapon,

Doesn't work. Casting a spell is one action. All of a fighters extra attacks are also one action.

You can't substitude one of your extra attacks for a spells, since a spell consumes your full action and your extra attacks also consume your full action. You can either cast or attack twice (or thrice or four times), you can not mix them.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Doesn't work. Casting a spell is one action. A fighters extra attack is also an action.

You can't substitude one of your extra attacks for a spells, since a spell consumes your full action and your extra attacks also consume your full action. You can either cast or attack twice, you can not mix them

You're completely right. I misread. Thanks.

 

[Mirtek]

You're completely right. I misread. Thanks.

Although in the alpha the EK has the ability to make a weapon attack after casting a cantrip. So we're actually back to the 2h-holding+casting dilemma

 

[mach1.9pants]

For me once you attack with a two handed weapon you cannot cast a spell with somatic (or material) components until the start of your next turn. You are committing yourself to the weapon, rather than just carrying it.

You could also see the EK cantrip above as a specific rule trumping a general rule, they are trained for that swapping components and weapons around. It's their schtick.

 

[Plaguescarred]

I'm assuming you can let go with one hand to cast a spell, then put your hand back to swing later.

I'm assuming too and its probably not an issue to let it go.

At best a DM could treat the un-handling as a free use item as part of its action (the second handling would require an action) and then could resume handling on its next turn as part of its action when attacking.

 

[gyor]

An Eldrich Knight should be taking War Caster anyway by the time they get War Magic feature.

 

[Thaumaturge]

And [MENTION=6670153]gyor[/MENTION] (I assume) asked [MENTION=697]mearls[/MENTION] on twitter. "Nope" is the answer.

So we can disagree, but that's his ruling.

Thaumaturge.

 

[mach1.9pants]

And [MENTION=6670153]gyor[/MENTION] (I assume) asked [MENTION=697]mearls[/MENTION] on twitter. "Nope" is the answer.

So we can disagree, but that's his ruling.

Thaumaturge.

Asked what exactly?