Somatic Components of a Spell

[Dr. Cliché]

If a sorcerer has a Focus in one hand and a sword (or other weapon) in the other, can he use the hand with the Focus to perform the somatic component of a spell?

[Millstone85]

Only if the spell has a material component.

[SirGraystone]

If there's a Somatic component, you need a free hand or the War Caster feat.

[Millstone85]

Another example: a cleric’s holy symbol is emblazoned on her shield. She likes to wade into melee combat with a mace in one hand and a shield in the other. She uses the holy symbol as her spellcasting focus, so she needs to have the shield in hand when she casts a cleric spell that has a material component. If the spell, such as aid, also has a somatic component, she can perform that component with the shield hand and keep holding the mace in the other.

If the same cleric casts cure wounds, she needs to put the mace or the shield away, because that spell doesn’t have a material component but does have a somatic component. She’s going to need a free hand to make the spell’s gestures. If she had the War Caster feat, she could ignore this restriction.In short, "M, S" works the same as M alone, but differently from S alone.

[DarkKnightJin]

If there's a Somatic component, you need a free hand or the War Caster feat.

Millstone's right. If the spell has an S and an M component, the same hand can be used for both component parts. It's in the RAW and everything. It's why Clerics get to cast with a Shield in hand if that's where their symbol is on.

[ThePolarBear]

If a sorcerer has a Focus in one hand and a sword (or other weapon) in the other, can he use the hand with the Focus to perform the somatic component of a spell?

Just to add a little on what the others wrote: "only if the spell also has a Material component that can be swapped with the use of a Focus." So, no Material component that gets consumed in the use OR that has a price tag attached.

[Dalebert]

This is why I'm a fan of a crystal focus worn on a necklace. Keep your hand free to handle your necklace as needed. You don't have to be constantly holding it. A strict DM might say you use your free object interaction to grab it and that's still fine. It's attached so you can let go at any time without the use of any action. In that case, you could also choose to be holding it in your hand most of the time during a dungeon crawl, for instance, and you can still let go at any time and it's right there.

[LeonBH]

I like turning the arcane foci into rings rather than necklace. I've also become fond of the Improved Pact Weapon invocation, which lets the Warlock use their Pact Weapon as a spellcasting focus.

[DarkKnightJin]

I like turning the arcane foci into rings rather than necklace. I've also become fond of the Improved Pact Weapon invocation, which lets the Warlock use their Pact Weapon as a spellcasting focus.

I might use that focus ring idea. I usually have the holy symbol and/or arcane focus crystal as part of the same necklace. Then again, the only Divine/Arcane multiclass I've run so far was a Paladin/Warlock.

[Tanarii]

You're doing it wrong. Keep the sword in one hand, the other hand free, and the focus on your belt.

A free hand can be used to cast spells with an S component, and it can also be used to access any M-component, Component Pouch, or Focus needed. You don't need to use an object interaction to access a Focus when casting a spell that has an M component, you just need a free hand and access to it.

[LeonBH]

If you put it on your belt, the DM may charge you an object interaction to pull it out, as they would if it was a weapon.

If you don't pull it out but just keep it strapped to your belt, I find it hard to justify holding it and performing S components with it when you don't have full control of the focus.

Seems harder than a necklace or ring overall.

[Dr. Cliché]

I like turning the arcane foci into rings rather than necklace. I've also become fond of the Improved Pact Weapon invocation, which lets the Warlock use their Pact Weapon as a spellcasting focus.

I like Improved Pact Weapon as well.

Having your Focus as a ring is a neat idea. I'll have to remember that one.


You're doing it wrong. Keep the sword in one hand, the other hand free, and the focus on your belt.

But what if your focus is a Rod of Pact Keeping or a staff or such?

If you're using a mundane focus, sure, but all the magical ones have to be held.

[Talamare]

Here is the thing...

If they are holding an Arcane Focus in hand... Just ignore the HARD RULES restriction of S & M being legal and S being illegal

Why?

Because it is 100% HARD RULES Legal to Drop the Sword, Cast the Spell, and Pick up the Sword

So, instead of stressing about super minor details... Just try to enjoy the game.

[Tanarii]

But what if your focus is a Rod of Pact Keeping or a staff or such?

If you're using a mundane focus, sure, but all the magical ones have to be held.
Two ways to handle it:

Option 1: Literal RAW, ignoring the commonly implied but not necessarily accurate RAI interpretation of the SA:
A free hand can be used for S components.
The same free hand can be used to access and hold a focus.
So again, when casting an S only spell that you need your focus for, use the free hand to do the S component, then access and hold your focus.
In other words, the way RAW is written is its a one-two punch. You don't wave your staff or rod around in a S-component pattern. You use your free hand for the S component part of the spell and use the same free hand to access a m component or access and hold a focus for the M component part of the spell. This works for a non-M component spell.

Also remember the SA RAI talking about putting away their mace so they can cast an S component spell is about clerics and Shields. They cannot remove shields from their hands, so to get a free hand needed to S component spell, they must put away the mace.

Option 2, accepting the SA Cleric RAI as applying to a non-Holy-Symbol focus:
Put away your sword.