Does the Undead Warlock Spirit Projection ability allow you to gain the effects of items held or equip?

Question

Undead Warlock's Spirit Projection states that both the body and the spirit is affected by damage and effects that apply to each equally. So from my understanding anything and everything that affects one affects the other, including equipment.

It does state that you don't replicate the equipment but the part that links the stats and effects would make me think that you can use your spellcasting focus and any equipment on you that has a passive ability.

"Your spirit can become untethered from your physical form. As an action, you can project your spirit from your body. The body you leave behind is unconscious and in a state of suspended animation.

Your spirit resembles your mortal form in almost every way, replicating your game statistics but not your possessions. Any damage or other effects that apply to your spirit or physical body affects the other. Your spirit can remain outside your body for up to 1 hour or until your concentration is broken (as if concentrating on a spell). When your projection ends, your spirit returns to your body or your body magically teleports to your spirit's space (your choice)."

My DM doesn't know exactly how to answer this with 100% certainty and I'm not sure either. Though I argue that the fact that it allows you to cast Form of Dread which allows you to frightened on hit and to use the Grave Touched to increase damage on hit in addition for the fact that it allows you to cast Conjuration and Necromancy without any S,V,or M's but it does not say anything about not having a focus.

Can I get some clarity about this? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Your spirit form can hold or equip items and benefit from them

Spirit Form has your body's game statistics and does not say you cannot interact with the physical world or carry objects, so it will be able to do that (just like other creatures with the special ability of incorporeal movement). This can include carrying your spell focus. It however will not create a free copy of the focus to use. Normally it would, as your game statistics include your equipment, but spirit form explicitly excludes it:

Your spirit resembles your mortal form in almost every way, replicating your game statistics but not your possessions.

That means that the spririt form does not have access to the equipment that remains on your physical body, and that includes any spell foci, or material components.

Spirit projection states that:

Any damage or other effects that apply to your spirit or physical body affects the other

Your equipment is not an effect that is affecting your physical body. First, the game does not define effect, so we use the dictionary definition of "a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause", and your equipment is not causing a change on you, you are using the equipment to do something. Second, when the game talks about damage or other effects, it seems obvious from the context that it means things like spells causing conditions like aging on you, or maybe positive buffs like an aid spell.

So, your Spirit Form will not be able to cast spells that require your equipment, unless you give that equipment to your Spirit Form, with one exception:

When you cast a spell of the conjuration or necromancy school, the spell doesn’t require verbal or somatic components or material components that lack a gold cost.

Your Spirit form will be able to cast any conjuration or necromancy spells with no need for componetns (unless they carry a gold cost).