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<blockquote data-quote="Distracted DM" data-source="post: 9607140" data-attributes="member: 6894926">IME the big benefit isn't attacks of opportunity, it's having a shield's +2 or more AC. +2 or 3 AC is a big deal in 5e, especially since the Shield spell stacks with a shield in 5e. Ofc a caster CAN have a shield in one hand and a spell focus/free hand in the other; the big thing is that lots of other things require a free hand, and doing those things means you won't have a wand in your hand to cast spells between turns... the most common uses for that other hand in my game are drinking a potion, and climbing. So many times characters are climbing and end up engaging in combat, but climbing requires a free hand, but they always want shields, and donning/doffing a shield is an action.. so they get stuck if they're climbing cuz they need a free hand... OR they wanted to drink a potion, so they stowed their staff/weapon and drank, but now they don't have the action economy left to draw their stowed implement. I also don't want to handwave it away, saying &quot;ok you can have a weapon/focus and shield and just do whatever; climb, drink, etc,&quot; I'd be killing the reason to take War Caster right there. I feel like if you don't want to bother with the pain in the butt action mechanics and you're gonna house-rule something, you're either going to:A. handwave it away, as above &quot;ok you can have a weapon/focus and shield and just do whatever.&quot;orB. just say &quot;you need warcaster if you want to do any of that, we're not going to do with you trying to juggle actions to get around the rules.&quot; 5e currently rides the fence between A and B, and yeah it makes it a pain if your players want to have their cake and eat it too.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Distracted DM, post: 9607140, member: 6894926"] IME the big benefit isn't attacks of opportunity, it's having a shield's +2 or more AC. +2 or 3 AC is a big deal in 5e, especially since the Shield spell stacks with a shield in 5e. Ofc a caster CAN have a shield in one hand and a spell focus/free hand in the other; the big thing is that lots of other things require a free hand, and doing those things means you won't have a wand in your hand to cast spells between turns... the most common uses for that other hand in my game are drinking a potion, and climbing. So many times characters are climbing and end up engaging in combat, but climbing requires a free hand, but they always want shields, and donning/doffing a shield is an action.. so they get stuck if they're climbing cuz they need a free hand... OR they wanted to drink a potion, so they stowed their staff/weapon and drank, but now they don't have the action economy left to draw their stowed implement. I also don't want to handwave it away, saying "ok you can have a weapon/focus and shield and just do whatever; climb, drink, etc," I'd be killing the reason to take War Caster right there. I feel like if you don't want to bother with the pain in the butt action mechanics and you're gonna house-rule something, you're either going to: A. handwave it away, as above "ok you can have a weapon/focus and shield and just do whatever." or B. just say "you need warcaster if you want to do any of that, we're not going to do with you trying to juggle actions to get around the rules." 5e currently rides the fence between A and B, and yeah it makes it a pain if your players want to have their cake and eat it too. [/QUOTE]

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