60
votes
Accepted
PC cleric lost holy symbol - what now?
Your player has the right of it, mostly
All of the following information can be found for free in the D&D 5e Source Reference Document PDF as well as on the official 5e online supplement D&D ...
- 26.7k
43
votes
PC cleric lost holy symbol - what now?
You can make a Holy symbol by following the rules for this downtime activity below:
Crafting: You can craft nonmagical objects, including adventuring
equipment and works of art. You must be ...
- 3,165
39
votes
Can Yew Wands be used as a focus for both druids and wizards?
You might say something like: "Oh, well, a wizard can use a wand to cast spells, and a druid's yew wand is a wand, so the wizard can use that."
But a wizard's arcane focus isn't just any old ...
- 90.6k
30
votes
Can Hexblade warlocks use a staff and shield?
You can use a staff and shield, because you can use staves one-handed anyway
A quarterstaff is a simple melee weapon with the versatile property, meaning that you can wield it one-handed without ...
- 66.5k
29
votes
Accepted
Casting a Somatic, non-Material spell while holding a focus
You will need the free use of a hand without the focus
This was elaborated on in the Rules of spellcasting sage advice column.
Another example: a cleric’s holy symbol is emblazoned on her shield. She ...
- 26.7k
28
votes
Can a spellcaster use a focus not specified by his or her class?
Spellcasters can only use the focus specified by their class, by reasoning that it is specified what kind of focus they can use. It doesn't say they can use a focus, it tells you exactly what kind of ...
- 57.2k
27
votes
Is it possible to use a weapon as a normal weapon and an arcane focus at the same time?
A weapon can be an arcane focus in some cases, but you've gotten a few things confused/wrong.
Arcane focus staffs work as quarterstaffs; not all quarterstaffs work as arcane focuses
You said:
I read ...
- 50.3k
27
votes
Accepted
If a character can use a +X magic weapon as a spellcasting focus, does it add the bonus to spell attacks or spell save DCs?
No they do not.
D&D 5e is a game where things only do what the rules covering them say they do. Magic items each have their own description and they only do what that description specifically says,...
- 13.9k
26
votes
Accepted
Can a glass eye be an Arcane focus?
Maybe. But not likely RAW.
An Arcane Focus is (PHB, 151):
An arcane focus is a special item—an orb, a crystal, a rod, a specially constructed staff, a wand-like length of wood, or some similar item—
...
- 126k
26
votes
Can a Spell Focus or Component Pouch be used with a spell that has costless consumed components?
No, you need to supply the material component.
Consumed components require the material component to be supplied in the same way that components with a value must be supplied.
From the Basic Rules (...
- 126k
25
votes
Accepted
Can a Spell cast with Subtle Spell and an Arcane Focus be Counterspelled?
If you follow Xanathar's Optional rules,
Yes, the spell could still be countered.
From XGtE, p. 85, "Perceiving a Caster at Work":
To be perceptible, the casting of a spell must involve a ...
- 47k
25
votes
Accepted
Can any magic item rod be used as an arcane focus?
Jeremy Crawford unofficially tweeted that this works for wands, though the rules do not mention it.
Since the only hint (apart from their names) that magical rods, wands and staves can be used as ...
- 8,270
24
votes
What is allowed to be an Arcane focus?
Arcane Focus is a Specific Item
The arcane focus is found in the Adventuring Gear section of the equipment chapter (PH page 150, SRD page 69, SRD link). Your options for arcane focus are:
Crystal
Orb
...
- 12.2k
23
votes
Can a Bard use an arcane focus?
Bards cannot use an arcane focus
The description of the Arcane Focus which explicitly defines which classes are allowed to use it as a focus:
A sorcerer, warlock, or wizard can use such an item as a ...
- 95.6k
22
votes
Does Wild Shape require a Druidic focus?
A druid doesn't need a spellcasting focus to use Wild Shape.
A druidic focus is described as this:
Druidic Focus. A druidic focus might be a sprig of mistletoe or holly, a wand or scepter made of ...
- 27.5k
22
votes
Accepted
Can a Bard use an arcane focus?
Bards can't use an Arcane Focus
In the Bard class features there is a "Spellcasting Focus" section stating:
You can use a musical instrument (see the Tools section) as a spellcasting focus ...
- 36.6k
22
votes
Can I use a gauntlet as an arcane focus?
A magic item might be required for this
An arcane focus is usually a dedicated item.
An arcane focus is a special item [..] designed to channel the power
of arcane spells. (PHB 151)
It is not ...
- 61.9k
21
votes
Can I craft an Arcane Focus Shield?
Shield is not one of the available options for an arcane focus. You're 100% in house-rule territory.
One of the reasons for allowing Clerics (and Paladins) the use of a holy symbol on a shield is ...
- 49k
21
votes
Does using Instruments of the bard gives disadvantage to enemies if I use it to cast wizard spells?
In short: No
If you look at the Bard Class Description....
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a musical instrument as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells
Emphasis Mine, from PHB p89.
And on the ...
- 66.4k
21
votes
Do the Warlock's Pact of the Tome cantrips need their material components?
You may use your Arcane Focus
The Pact of the Tome description says...
When you gain this feature, choose three cantrips from any class’s spell list (the three needn’t be from the same list) [...] If ...
- 66.4k
21
votes
Can I use a spider leg as wand for my druidic focus?
Probably
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 ...
- 12.3k
20
votes
Accepted
Can an Elven Wizard use a bow for an arcane focus?
Going strictly by the Player's Handbook?
No.
If you're allowed to use Xanathar's Guide to Everything?
Yes, with a Ruby of the War Mage.
XGtE introduces a number of common magical items, one of ...
20
votes
Can a 1-handed weapon and a spellcasting focus both be ready to be used?
Yes, you can be prepared to Cast or Attack when "dual-wielding" like this
A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components--or to hold a spellcasting focus -- but it can ...
- 6,465
20
votes
What is allowed to be an Arcane focus?
Action Economy
The purpose of material components (which includes a spellcasting focus) is to control action economy.
To cast a spell you need a hand free to hold the components. To hit someone you ...
- 23.4k
19
votes
If you have a focus for your spell casting do you need to pay materials?
Sometimes.
(PHB p.203, "Components") Your focus can only replace some of your material components. Specifically, components with a listed value are not substituted by the focus.
For example, ...
- 102k
19
votes
Accepted
How does a character multiclassing into warlock get a focus?
You have to buy one, you don't get it for free
Multiclassing does not provide you with the starting equipment for a class:
You don't, however, receive the class's starting equipment
Buying a Focus
...
- 126k
19
votes
Accepted
Can an Eldritch Knight use a Ruby of the War Mage?
Yes, the Eldritch Knight can use a Ruby-ed Weapon as a focus
You don't need a special feature to use a spellcasting focus. You normally need a feature which lets you use X item type (arcane or druidic ...
- 48.9k
18
votes
Accepted
Must a multiclassed caster use 2 different spellcasting focuses?
One pouch is enough, but one focus isn't
Relevant rules:
A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus in place of the components specified for a spell. (Player's Handbook, page 203)
...
- 54.2k
18
votes
Accepted
Can a wizard using an arcane focus quarterstaff and a shield still cast somatic component spells?
The rules on somatic and material components say:
If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures.
[...]
A spellcaster must have ...
- 28.7k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible