Read the spellcasting focus rules?Specific beats general.
This entry is very specific in that it says you can use one of these objects as a spell casting focus when you cast Bard spells. It does not say Bard spells with a material component.
What the Focus rules say is ultimately irrelevant in this case. That is a general rule for using a Focus to replace a Material component.Read the spellcasting focus rules?
They describe what it means to be a spellcasting focus and when you can use them. And they only permit using them when replacing M components, and only focuses that work with that kind of spell.
They are worded poorly.
You can fix them, but that fact doesnpt mean the rules say that.
I get that the spellcasting focus rules are dumb, so don't play with them as written.
Except there is no specific rule saying that?What the Focus rules say is ultimately irrelevant in this case. That is a general rule for using a Focus to replace a Material component.
The specific rule is that you can use this specific type of focus to cast your Bard spells and then add that 1d6 extra healing.
I actually looked it up, and the rule was "no", but it got errated...
By the book, maybe, sorta, kinda, but not worth doing.You can still use a focus even if the spell doesn't require that you use one.
Right?
I'm not understanding the issue.
No. Specific to the instrument of the bards.Is that errata applicable to this case as well?
Ehhh... I don't see it.Except there is no specific rule saying that?
The theme of this thread is correct: it badly needs errata.
Unless they go on the official D&D beyond website, and see how WotC interpret it...I'd wager that the overwhelming majority of players aren't going to split hairs over the definitions because this isn't 4e with it's hard-definition keyword focus.