8wGremlin
2018-08-02, 10:59 PM
The Wayfinders Guide to Eberron (WGtE) , has an optional rule:
In Eberron, an arcane focus is a weapon. As such, it can be interesting to give a focus some of the same trade-offs as mundane weapons: do you sacrifice your free hand for greater power?
If you use this optional rule, when a caster uses a two-handed arcane focus to cast an offensive cantrip (a cantrip requiring a saving throw or an attack roll), the range of the cantrip is increased by 50 percent.
By this rule, a staff always requires two hands, while rods can be used with either one or two hands. Using a two-handed arcane focus fulfills the somatic component requirement for a spell.
So how can we optimise this:
What foci need two hands?
Staff
Rods (versatile)
Bards can use a musical instrument as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells. some of those are 2 handed, but they have to be BARD spells
College of Sword bards can use a simple or martial melee weapon, you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells
RUBY OF THE WAR MAGE (XgTE, Wondrous item, common) turns a simple or martial weapon in to a spell focus for All your spells! <--- this is good!
With this we can extend the range of any cantrip we cast by 50%, by using a 2 handed weapon with the Ruby of the war mage.
So what Cantrips can we use with this?
Booming blade, green flame blade would now have a range of 7.5 feet (so more than one square, but not fully 2 squares)
But wait! the feat Spell Sniper this makes any spell with an attack roll range is double. So booming blade would have a range on 15'
Distant Spell (Sorcerer Metamagic) can make this even longer
When you cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double the range of the spell. When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can spend 1 sorcery point to make the range of the spell 30 feet.
Thorn Whip with with 45' or 90' with both, could be interesting
Eldritch blast from near orbit especially with Eldritch spear as well!
In Eberron, an arcane focus is a weapon. As such, it can be interesting to give a focus some of the same trade-offs as mundane weapons: do you sacrifice your free hand for greater power?
If you use this optional rule, when a caster uses a two-handed arcane focus to cast an offensive cantrip (a cantrip requiring a saving throw or an attack roll), the range of the cantrip is increased by 50 percent.
By this rule, a staff always requires two hands, while rods can be used with either one or two hands. Using a two-handed arcane focus fulfills the somatic component requirement for a spell.
So how can we optimise this:
What foci need two hands?
Staff
Rods (versatile)
Bards can use a musical instrument as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells. some of those are 2 handed, but they have to be BARD spells
College of Sword bards can use a simple or martial melee weapon, you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells
RUBY OF THE WAR MAGE (XgTE, Wondrous item, common) turns a simple or martial weapon in to a spell focus for All your spells! <--- this is good!
With this we can extend the range of any cantrip we cast by 50%, by using a 2 handed weapon with the Ruby of the war mage.
So what Cantrips can we use with this?
Booming blade, green flame blade would now have a range of 7.5 feet (so more than one square, but not fully 2 squares)
But wait! the feat Spell Sniper this makes any spell with an attack roll range is double. So booming blade would have a range on 15'
Distant Spell (Sorcerer Metamagic) can make this even longer
When you cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double the range of the spell. When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can spend 1 sorcery point to make the range of the spell 30 feet.
Thorn Whip with with 45' or 90' with both, could be interesting
Eldritch blast from near orbit especially with Eldritch spear as well!