Weapons, Wristbands, and Somatic business

[Wellby]

Dear Sages,

In our party we have a Dwarven Cleric, who always holds a shield and wields a one-handed Dwarven Waraxe, and we have a Gnome Illusionist Ranger, who lately has been wielding a nice +2 Mace, and in the other hand, holds the party's Hooded Lantern.

Thus, both of our spellcasters have their hands full in the middle of combat. How does D&D deal with weapons in hands, casting spells?

We've simply stated that both these gents have leather wristbands on their weapons, and throughout a battle, those weapons get 'dropped' (swing down from a suddenly opened hand) while the owner casts a somatic spell, then the next round, simply get 're-grabbed' and used again.

Is this legit? How do others handle this?

AND, if a cleric spell is simply DF and Verbal (I imagine there are some), is it understood that he doesn't have to grab that Moradin symbol, and can simply wear it and ask for divine power?

 

[Hyperfist]

One hand has to be free in order to cast a spell with a somatic component. If both hands are occupied, spells with somatic components can't be cast. Unless you have a feat like somatic weaponry which allows you to do that.

The wristband idea makes sense. But if they do that, then they can't wear bracers...cause they occupy the same slot.

Do clerics and druids suffer from spell failure?

 

[DogBackward]

Also, it should be at least a Swift action, if not a Move, to re-grasp the weapons. It's not much faster than drawing it from a sheath at all, really. Other than that, I'd think a weight that big hanging off your wrist would give at least a 5% ASF for that gnome, the same as for a buckler, which is also held at the wrist, and not even swinging about on a string, either. It's tough to make precise hand movements when you have such a large weight hanging off of your wrist and swinging about like that.

Hyperfist; No, Divine spells have no ASF% no matter what armor you wear.

 

[Zelc]

If the cleric is holding only a Light Shield or Buckler, he can use that hand to manipulate the spell components. No dice for a Heavy Shield though.