War Caster

[Skrum]

The second ability lets a character make the somatic components of spells while their hands are holding weapons or a shield. But...that leaves out material. They still need a hand for their spell component pouch/focus. Seems like a real oversight. Or they were intending for this feat to be a lot worse than it looks at first glance :smallconfused:

[Frogreaver]

The second ability lets a character make the somatic components of spells while their hands are holding weapons or a shield. But...that leaves out material. They still need a hand for their spell component pouch/focus. Seems like a real oversight. Or they were intending for this feat to be a lot worse than it looks at first glance :smallconfused:

It's less good than it initially reads, but its not as bad as you initially think after finding out for the first time that's how it works. Most spells that require material components are concentration or blasty and require an action. Meaning you are most likely to cast them early in the combat and then pull out a weapon. Most mobility and defensive spells don't require material components.

[Arkhios]

The second ability lets a character make the somatic components of spells while their hands are holding weapons or a shield. But...that leaves out material. They still need a hand for their spell component pouch/focus. Seems like a real oversight. Or they were intending for this feat to be a lot worse than it looks at first glance :smallconfused:

There are enough spells without material components for this not to be a big problem.

It's more about having options, rather than making it a must-have feat for every caster.

[Willowhelm]

Also IIRC a cleric’s focus can be on something like their shield so that takes care of the No-cost material components for them.

There are other options that are similar and for some spells the material component is the weapon (eg booming blade which is frequently the spell in mind for the warcaster OA spell)

And all of this is assuming you’re playing at a table where the DM is bothered by RAW for item manipulation and action economy.

[Arkhios]

Also IIRC a cleric’s focus can be on something like their shield so that takes care of the No-cost material components for them.

In general, shields may bear a Holy Symbol, and thus, be usable as spellcasting focus by anyone using Holy Symbols as such (currently only Clerics and Paladins, but no one's stopping a DM from expanding the options; likewise, maybe some day we'll get a new class - or a subclass for another class - that does that).

[Mastikator]

Ruby of the Warmage (common) from Xanathar's lets you use your weapon as an arcane focus. Problem solved.

[Psyren]

If you're using a two-hander (e.g. a polearm or a bow) you can just take your hand off while casting. So this is only a problem for SaB/TWF, and generally the only folks doing the former are "divine casters" who can just slap their holy symbol on the shield.