Bard spell casting with voice

[sleepyhead]

Would allowing a bard to their voice as a spell focus effect anything? It frees up a hand but so does wrapping your kazoo around your neck with a necklace. Would it mess up with your vocal components?

[Lestrange]

I think it makes you a bit better than any other caster when the party gets captured/robbed. Wizards need their wands or bat guano, warlocks need their scary diadem, clerics need a symbol - why not just wear a necklace with an orb as a focus and sing for flavor as the verbal component? The DM has the final say but I'd hesitate to allow someone to use a focus like that.

Also, just as part of the lore, a focus is supposed to channel or structure the magic as a step in the spellcasting process. You say the words, wave your hands, and hold up the staff to call down lightning. Or you sing the song, wiggle your fingers, and play the violin to shatter that window. Maybe at high level your singing is so good you can control magic.

Sorry, I've got a lot of thoughts bouncing around. Hope this helps

[Anymage]

You can always use a spell component pouch if you want to cast your spells with assorted gunk instead of by plucking a lute.

I'd allow a bard to use another type of focus instead of an instrument if they really didn't like the visuals that an instrument provided. If you really preferred waving a crystal around instead of banging a drum, more power to you. Requiring M components does give a way for spellcasters to be disarmed, though, and allowing someone to sidestep that entirely is a bit much to hand out for free.

[Makorel]

Sing into your wand like it's a microphone.

[Galithar]

Sing into your wand like it's a microphone.

It's in blue, but I'm gonna repeat it in Black because I'm serious. That keeps the mechanical considerations in check while also giving the fluff of singing for casting. Bonus points for the fact that no one in universe should understand why you're singing at a stick because microphones don't exist!

[Lestrange]

Sing into your wand like it's a microphone.

perfect. I may steal this some day

[Misterwhisper]

perfect. I may steal this some day

Use a staff and carry it like a mic stand.

[TheCrowing1432]

Well if your performance check is singing.....

[Chad.e.clark]

I believe the focus is the instrument itself, not the sound that it makes. PHB makes no mention of having to perform with the instrument for it to be a focus, instruments are magic pieces of wood for bards like staffs are magic pieces of wood for wizards.