D&D 5E (2024) War Priest bonus action without War Caster Feat

[Zardnaar]

I think the intent was that Clerics and Paladins could cast their spells while wielding a weapon and shield.

The game balance of some spells having somatic components but not material is to prevent stacking a shield with other defenses such as the Shield spell.

In practice, the distinction is very clunky, and the rules very complicated and hard to remember if you follow the details. Most folks don't play by the rules as written + Sage Advice, either allowing somatic only component spells to be cast providing you have a focus in hand (seems reasonable to me), or requiring the War Caster feat; and a few rules lawyer it and do the sheathe/draw tactic which is the "correct" but clunky way.

I think that was the intent. No one seems to pay attention though eg EKs always picking shield spell.

If we have a hard ass DM I dont bother using weapons as a cleric or I would take warcaster.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

That would result in the War Caster feat being unneeded in most cases, but it is already seldom needed with draw/sheathe juggling. Something that should be cleaned up for 6th edition - just get rid of somatic only spells, making somatic something that is done with a focus or material component.

War caster would still be a great feat even with just the concentration bonus and spell opportunity attacks.

 

[Tessarael]

War caster would still be a great feat even with just the concentration bonus and spell opportunity attacks.

The D&D 2024 one is okayish. The D&D 2014 is pretty weak IMHO, as it lacks the +1 ability score.

 

[Zardnaar]

The D&D 2024 one is okayish. The D&D 2014 is pretty weak IMHO, as it lacks the +1 ability score.

2014 one can be taken essentially as an origin feat for humans though

 

[Horwath]

The D&D 2024 one is okayish. The D&D 2014 is pretty weak IMHO, as it lacks the +1 ability score.

If you allow opportunity attacks on "allies" then it's a good feat.
might get to squeeze in a cure spell or two during combat outside your turn.

 

[Plaguescarred]

That’s my reading as well, but IMO if that’s what the designers actually intended they were idiots. If one can do the gestures for spells with material components while holding a focus there’s no freaking logical reason one cannot do gestures for spells without material components while holding the focus.

The component rules are so often ignored because they make absolutely no sense.

Devs intended that way since 5E 2014. You need a free hand for each components but the same hand that hold a Shield's Holy Symbol can be used to make forceful gestures, as further confirmed by Sage Advice 2014 and Sage Advice 2024.

So if such a Cleric isn't using Material component, his hand holding the Shield isn't free for Somatic.

Somatic component: A spellcaster must use at least one of their hands to perform these movements.
Material component: The spellcaster must have a hand free to access them, but it can be the same hand used to perform Somatic components, if any.

 

[Horwath]

Devs intended that way since 5E 2014. You need a free hand for each components but the same hand that hold a Shield's Holy Symbol can be used to make forceful gestures, as further confirmed by Sage Advice 2014 and Sage Advice 2024.

So if such a Cleric isn't using Material component, his hand holding the Shield isn't free for Somatic.

this logic didn't make sense in 2014, now, or ever

 

[FrogReaver]

Devs intended that way since 5E 2014. You need a free hand for each components but the same hand that hold a Shield's Holy Symbol can be used to make forceful gestures, as further confirmed by Sage Advice 2014 and Sage Advice 2024.

So if such a Cleric isn't using Material component, his hand holding the Shield isn't free for Somatic.

That's exactly the intention i called dumb right? Like I'm not misunderstanding you?