Can some Tools be used as a Druidic focus?

Question

While I was thinking about multiclassing Druid with Artificer, I wonder how broad the definition of Druidic Focus is. Might this definition cover some Tools to use the same focus for both Druid and Artificer spells by RAW?

1. What Tools (or part of tools) can be used as a Druidic focus, and can they? For example, Herbalist Kit contains mortar and pestle, which may well be wooden (and the pestle itself can be classified as a wooden wand).
2. In particular, Alchemist's Supplies are of the greatest interest because Alchemical Savant. Is it possible to consider a glass beaker or pouch with reagents as druidic focus, since reagents themselves can actually be considered a druidic focus (sprig of mistletoe or something like this)?
3. "Baba Yaga's Mortar and Pestle" by description is also can be used as a some Tools, and Pestle can used as a staff (which, as I understand it, can be used as a druidic focus). Can this artifact be used simultaneously as a focus for druid and artificer?

Answer 1

Definition in the Equipment section is

Druidic Focus. A druidic focus might be a sprig of mistletoe or holly, a wand or scepter made of yew or another special wood, a staff drawn whole out of a living tree, or a totem object incorporating feathers, fur, bones, and teeth from sacred animals. A druid can use such an object as a spellcasting focus.

Nothing on that list matches anything on the list of tools on D&D Beyond.

It is worth noting that description of druidic focus looks open-ended, more like a set of examples than an exhaustive list. And tools, especially Artisan Tools, are described more as what they do than what they actually contain:

Artisan's Tools. These special tools include the items needed to pursue a craft or trade. The table shows examples of the most common types of tools, each providing items related to a single craft. Proficiency with a set of artisan's tools lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability checks you make using the tools in your craft. Each type of artisan's tools requires a separate proficiency.

From my real world experience, I did use wooden "wands" of different shapes to shape clay (sculpting and pottery tools) and a polished flat piece of deer bone for leatherworking and bookbinding purposes. So there is a room for sacred druidic objects also used as a crafting tools all right, but as with everything not directly referenced in rules, DM has the last word.

Personally, as a DM I would allow the tool to be a druidic focus if it is indeed one of the above, because I know what they are and that they are used, unchanged, since antiquity to this day so would almost always be setting-appropriate. I would also be open to my player showing me how the tool meets the requirements if it is outside of the scope. If the craft may be considered especially druid-related, the better. I'd accept leatherworking tools more happily than bookbinding ones, for example. I'd also add a few gp to the cost.

I would not be open to arguments like "But my all-purpose tool is build from the bone of a sacred animal!". No, it isn't. It would say so if it were. Some tools are naturally, obviously or historically made out of wood and/or bone. The others are not, and arguing that "but mine is!" sounds too much as gaming the system.

Didn't have this exact problem with artificer, but I had similar issue with druid/wizard and a staff. Making price 10gp (because the basic material was essentially free and 5gp each was for making it holy or arcane) and requiring player to describe how it was made and why druids are OK with that did the trick well enough.

Answer 2

Just ask your DM.

I have played lots of games with lots of DMs. Inevitably, this always comes up with casters:

Can I use ________ as a spellcasting focus?

For the arcane caster classes, it’s usually pretty straightforward, but the Druid’s focus requirements are a bit odd. They range from as simple as a sprig of mistletoe, to as complex as carving one out of a whole tree. Only the DM can really tell you what counts for them, you aren’t going to be able to say “see, it’s in the rules” with this one. I’ve played with DMs whose approach to Spellcasting focuses was “I don’t really care” since component pouches existed anyway, and I’ve played with DMs who were pretty strict about focus design. I’ve even been both of those DMs at different points.

I tend to be pretty liberal and permissive about what can be used as a focus, unless a player is trying to game the system and get an advantage.

Answer 3

By default, no.

By default, any given focus item is either arcane or druidic or a holy symbol, and not a mixture of two of them. A yew wand may be a focus for a druid, but an arcane wand isn't necessarily the same kind of thing, even if it's also made from yew. This isn't unique to focus items; in the same way, the tool sets for carpentry and woodworking are similar, but not the same, and one can't really substitute for the other.

From an in-game perspective, this might be explained as the construction of a focus being specifically tuned to certain kinds of magical energy in ways that would interfere with other energies.

A DM should consider allowing it.

Having to switch out items can lead to 'juggling' for a player who wants to (or is being forced to) adhere strictly to the rules about what's in each hand and what they can and can't do with their single free item interaction. It's not necessarily desirable to make one of the players spend a lot of extra attention on equipment manipulation simply because of their multiclassing choices, and it can be frustrating for the player in question.

To be fair, this isn't entirely unlike many other multiclass (or even single-class) characters, who have to manage their use of, say, a melee weapon and an instrument, or a dagger and a greataxe.

Still, a DM should at least consider allowing a multiclass player to have a dual-role focus implement, like a staff drawn from a living tree in accordance with druidic tradition that has also been carved with mystical runes to make it a viable arcane focus as well. It probably shouldn't be available for easy purchase, though, since that's a very specific and unusual set of requirements. A good balance might be to allow the character to craft or acquire such an item during downtime as a Common magic item (worth a minor side-quest to acquire materials for, but not terribly taxing). If the focus is later lost, stolen, or broken, the character will have to put in the effort to replace it.