Starting at 6th level, when you cast a bard spell that deals damage or restores hit points through the Spiritual Focus
Can you use this ability for all your spells, if you insist on using the spiritual focus, or only on those, that need a material component that can be substituted by an arcane/spiriual focus?
Raw only those that have material components that the spiritual focus replaces. So spells like, Healing Word or Vicious Mockery do not qualify as they have no material components.
So those that qualify are:
Cloud of Daggers
Heat Metal
Phantasmal Force
Shatter
Dream
Regenerate
Keep in mind to that the damage/ healing only works on 1 instance of damage. So a spell like heat metal will only get 1 extra d6.
Starting at 6th level, when you cast a bard spell that deals damage or restores hit points through the Spiritual Focus
Can you use this ability for all your spells, if you insist on using the spiritual focus, or only on those, that need a material component that can be substituted by an arcane/spiriual focus?
Thy in advance
You have to ask your DM. Spells aren't cast "through" foci at all, but Tasha's introduced this question with Artillerists. There's no RAW for it, so all any of us can do is guess based on our own interpretations.
It *could* be that WOTC means when you use the focus to replace a component in the spell, or it *could* mean when you just hold it, which is how every other focus rule in the game works (see e.g. Moon Sickles or Rods of the Pact Keeper). Hell, it could mean you need a hoop-shaped focus and you literally cast through the hole in the middle. There's no rule pre-Tasha's using this language, and Tasha's didn't explain it, either. So ask your DM, and if you *are* the DM, just make something up. No matter what you decide, no-one can credibly argue with you.
See I disagree. RAW, Artificers, regardless of subclass have to have a spell focus in hand to cast spells, Artillerist says you can use your arcane firearm as your spellcasting focus though. For Artificers, all spells are cast through their focus.
Specifically here's the text. All artificer spells require the focus all the time:
Spellcasting
You have studied the workings of magic and how to channel it through objects. As a result, you have gained the ability to cast spells. To observers, you don’t appear to be casting spells in a conventional way; you look as if you’re producing wonders using mundane items or outlandish inventions.
Tools Required
You produce your artificer spell effects through your tools. You must have a spellcasting focus—specifically thieves’ tools or some kind of artisan’s tool—in hand when you cast any spell with this Spellcasting feature. You must be proficient with the tool to use it in this way. See chapter 5, “Equipment,” in the Player’s Handbook for descriptions of these tools.
After you gain the Infuse Item feature at 2nd level, you can also use any item bearing one of your infusions as a spellcasting focus.
Moon Sickle and Rod of the Pact Keeper also specify just holding the item imparts the bonuses. They don't say anything about casting through the foci.
Bard's don't have that luxury. Look at Instrument of the Bards.
Starting at 6th level, when you cast a bard spell that deals damage or restores hit points through the Spiritual Focus
Can you use this ability for all your spells, if you insist on using the spiritual focus, or only on those, that need a material component that can be substituted by an arcane/spiriual focus?
Thy in advance
You have to ask your DM. Spells aren't cast "through" foci at all, but Tasha's introduced this question with Artillerists. There's no RAW for it, so all any of us can do is guess based on our own interpretations.
It *could* be that WOTC means when you use the focus to replace a component in the spell, or it *could* mean when you just hold it, which is how every other focus rule in the game works (see e.g. Moon Sickles or Rods of the Pact Keeper). Hell, it could mean you need a hoop-shaped focus and you literally cast through the hole in the middle. There's no rule pre-Tasha's using this language, and Tasha's didn't explain it, either. So ask your DM, and if you *are* the DM, just make something up. No matter what you decide, no-one can credibly argue with you.
Casting through a focus in not something that is new just with Tasha's. It's the first time it's explicitly been pushed as part of features.
But that's really how Foci have always worked. It's why they work in place of some spell ingredients. They help to focus the magic that your using to make the effect instead of focusing it through the sympathetic nature of specific ingredients to specific types of spells. It's the Point of a Focus and how it works. Artificer just brought light to that because it's one of the few things that have features that call the use of Focus and how they are used to the forefront because of their requirements in using them and even having special kinds of them in effect.
Scroll to the Cons section. It clearly says spells that require material components. Foci are ONLY used to replace material components in spells. Sure your Druid might hold a yew wand when they cast Faerie Fire, but its mechanically, not being cast through the wand. The wand/ focus is only use when there is a material component in the spell.
Artificer IS different because they NEED their tools in order to cast spells. So unlike a Druid, who can cast Faerie Fire with nothing in hand. Artificers are require to cast ANY spell through their tools as per their spellcasting ability.
Tools Required
You produce your artificer spell effects through your tools.
No other class has this requirement, but it means that the Artillerist's Arcane Firearm feature works regardless.
Foci, RAW, are only used in spells that have material components of non-monetary value. You don't just "channel magic" through them.
Like we said though, its entirely up to the DM on the ruling. RAW, the Spiritual Focus level 6 benefit has few spells that it'll affect, but I have a feeling the RAI was supposed to be any spell. Personally I rule it as RAI cause otherwise the feature is just too weak.
Scroll to the Cons section. It clearly says spells that require material components. Foci are ONLY used to replace material components in spells. Sure your Druid might hold a yew wand when they cast Faerie Fire, but its mechanically, not being cast through the wand. The wand/ focus is only use when there is a material component in the spell.
This is actually wrong.
Mechanically it is being cast through the Wand. The Reason being the word Focus. As a Verb it has a meaning of "to Concentrate" It is concentrating your magic in to the form of the spell to be released and used on others. Foci do not magically change in function or effect Just because they are suddenly in the hands of an Artificer. That is not how they work.
The cons of the Guide that your linking to do not counter what I am saying. They merely state what foci the spell are needed for and reiterate that they work in the place of material components which are By their nature an affinity focus to magic of their own right but individual to particular spells.
So your not actually not altering anything that I have said.
A Bard using a musical instrument as a focus is just using the instrument and thus the music as the concentrating the magical energies through the instrument and the music to then release the spell as a useful effect upon a target. Without using it through such things the magic would just fizzle.
This is why magical foci are mostly all held and can be done so as part of the Somatic Components. They can play an active roll in the motions of the magical gestures that you are making to help make the spell work. They aren't just some random item you have to have on hand. They actually play a part in casting the spell.
Personally I'm of the opinion that you can always use your focus for casting, even when you don't need to (spell doesn't have material components); while the rules don't explicitly say this, they also don't say the opposite either as far as I can tell.
If you think about it, when you cast a spell with no material components, then using a focus is still providing the material components required by your spell – it just happens to be nothing.
The reason why you normally wouldn't want to cast using your focus all the time is that you need a hand free to be able to touch or hold the focus (or reach for a component pouch), which means that that hand may not be free to hold something else, or that you simply can't do it (already using both hands and don't want to drop something).
Personally I'm of the opinion that you can always use your focus for casting, even when you don't need to (spell doesn't have material components); while the rules don't explicitly say this, they also don't say the opposite either as far as I can tell.
If you think about it, when you cast a spell with no material components, then using a focus is still providing the material components required by your spell – it just happens to be nothing.
The reason why you normally wouldn't want to cast using your focus all the time is that you need a hand free to be able to touch or hold the focus (or reach for a component pouch), which means that that hand may not be free to hold something else, or that you simply can't do it (already using both hands and don't want to drop something).
Yes, I think there are multiple valid interpretations of casting through a focus, seeing as it's a wholly undefined term. Here are the ones I've thought of so far:
Casting through a focus is defined as using it in place of an M component.
Casting through a focus is something you can just choose to do with a focus. There are multiple sub-interpretations here.
Can you cast through multiple foci at once?
Do you need to hold any foci you are casting through?
The RAW is literal and you need a hoop-shaped focus, and to cast through the hole in the hoop.
I'm sure there are more I haven't thought of. So far it comes up only for Artillerist Artificers and Spirits Bards, that I know of - if anyone knows of anywhere else in the game where the text is used, that would be helpful. I know when I tried to find out what it means for a statblock to not list an alignment, the answer was in Candlekeep Mysteries, of all places - Tasha's does it without explanation, and such a statblock violates the MM rules for reading a statblock, so I had no idea what it meant. (For the curious, the answer seems to be an explicit call-out for the DM to pick any alignment they like). It could easily be the same here, where the rules text is defined in a module somewhere, but I don't know where to look and haven't found it.
Personally I'm of the opinion that you can always use your focus for casting, even when you don't need to (spell doesn't have material components); while the rules don't explicitly say this, they also don't say the opposite either as far as I can tell.
If you think about it, when you cast a spell with no material components, then using a focus is still providing the material components required by your spell – it just happens to be nothing.
The reason why you normally wouldn't want to cast using your focus all the time is that you need a hand free to be able to touch or hold the focus (or reach for a component pouch), which means that that hand may not be free to hold something else, or that you simply can't do it (already using both hands and don't want to drop something).
I agree with this 100%. I don't think it's RAI that a class feature of the Spirit Bard was intended to work only with six spells.
It would appear that WotC's bad rules have struck once again... 😑
I'm just going to make a minor correction to this. It would appear that WotC's badly written rules have struck once again. I know the distinction is small, but it's kind of important. Something can be poorly written without inherently being bad (IMO).
Personally I'm of the opinion that you can always use your focus for casting, even when you don't need to (spell doesn't have material components); while the rules don't explicitly say this, they also don't say the opposite either as far as I can tell.
If you think about it, when you cast a spell with no material components, then using a focus is still providing the material components required by your spell – it just happens to be nothing.
The reason why you normally wouldn't want to cast using your focus all the time is that you need a hand free to be able to touch or hold the focus (or reach for a component pouch), which means that that hand may not be free to hold something else, or that you simply can't do it (already using both hands and don't want to drop something).
I've never been against using your focus anyway just because a spell doesn't specifically ask for one. I've Long considered spells that don't require a focus something akin to Harry Potter's magic but with a twist in a way. It's more convenience than anything to be able to cast without one. But the spell isn't necessarily quite the same for doing so. While the Rules don't give a mechanical difference It could be explained in lots of ways when it comes to Theme and Role Play aspects. It could be That they are subtly less powerful than they could be (Harry Potters answer to it) or it could be that more raw magic leaks out in some way to create the same effect. Or whatever else your heart's desire and imagination can come up with.
I know people keep trying to make magic subtle by twisting things to being hide-able as much as possible like that's the only way to make use of it in various crafty ways. But there is so much that makes it kind of dramatic and noticeable and I'm never going to go against playing that up a bit more. Because if you think about it. That's kind of the point of many magical spells in some ways. Most of the Iconic spells are something that does something bold and Flashy. A display that not just anybody can pull off. Even amongst your fellow Adventurer's. Even Invisibility is rarely used in a subtle way. It's almost always some dramatic poofing from sight in a noticeable location even it might just be in front of your party members as you prep to sneak into a place. Even Most Mind control spells aren't really subtle. The person knows that it affects them. They are just unable to care and/or do anything about it while the spell actually lasts upon them. And waving that wand, or staff, or holy symbol around all the time is a great misdirection for when you do break out a spell that doesn't need you to without it so it's useful in that regard as well.
It's also working for any Magical Secrets you pick up that it can apply to, as well as Negative Energy Flood if you wanna pick that up using Spiritual Session.
I haven't looked at what Secrets would actually benefit though.
Feels like a DM call to me, in terms of RAW vs RAI. I’d be inclined to allow players to cast other spells through the focus for purposes of flavour - so maybe sometimes they’d benefit from the boost, and other times they wouldn’t, based on if they had the focus to hand. (Bonus Action to pull from a pouch, probably?)
Because it’s only a single bonus die, it doesn’t feel unbalanced.
On a related segue, I backed the Alleyman’s Tarot on Kickstarter - looking forward to playing a College of Spirits Bard whenever F2F games resume properly!
It definitely needs to be a DM call, but I personally think it should be interpreted more loosely, otherwise it is an extremely underwhelming ability.
There are only a small handful of spells that can actually benefit from the feature, and it only adds a single D6 at 6th level, so it's not like it's a particularly powerful ability anyway. There are only two healing spells in the game that can benefit from the extra Dice (Good Berry, where it would only affect one roll, and Regeneration), and only a handful of damaging Bard spells.
Sure, it works with Magical Secrets, but by Level 10 that extra D6 damage is pretty minimal. And lets face it, Vicious Mockery doing 2D4 + 1D6 damage at Level 6 is hardly game breaking.
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Hi!
The Spiritual focus ability says:
Can you use this ability for all your spells, if you insist on using the spiritual focus, or only on those, that need a material component that can be substituted by an arcane/spiriual focus?
Thy in advance
Raw only those that have material components that the spiritual focus replaces. So spells like, Healing Word or Vicious Mockery do not qualify as they have no material components.
So those that qualify are:
Cloud of Daggers
Heat Metal
Phantasmal Force
Shatter
Dream
Regenerate
Keep in mind to that the damage/ healing only works on 1 instance of damage. So a spell like heat metal will only get 1 extra d6.
You have to ask your DM. Spells aren't cast "through" foci at all, but Tasha's introduced this question with Artillerists. There's no RAW for it, so all any of us can do is guess based on our own interpretations.
It *could* be that WOTC means when you use the focus to replace a component in the spell, or it *could* mean when you just hold it, which is how every other focus rule in the game works (see e.g. Moon Sickles or Rods of the Pact Keeper). Hell, it could mean you need a hoop-shaped focus and you literally cast through the hole in the middle. There's no rule pre-Tasha's using this language, and Tasha's didn't explain it, either. So ask your DM, and if you *are* the DM, just make something up. No matter what you decide, no-one can credibly argue with you.
See I disagree. RAW, Artificers, regardless of subclass have to have a spell focus in hand to cast spells, Artillerist says you can use your arcane firearm as your spellcasting focus though. For Artificers, all spells are cast through their focus.
Specifically here's the text. All artificer spells require the focus all the time:
Spellcasting
You have studied the workings of magic and how to channel it through objects. As a result, you have gained the ability to cast spells. To observers, you don’t appear to be casting spells in a conventional way; you look as if you’re producing wonders using mundane items or outlandish inventions.
You produce your artificer spell effects through your tools. You must have a spellcasting focus—specifically thieves’ tools or some kind of artisan’s tool—in hand when you cast any spell with this Spellcasting feature. You must be proficient with the tool to use it in this way. See chapter 5, “Equipment,” in the Player’s Handbook for descriptions of these tools.
After you gain the Infuse Item feature at 2nd level, you can also use any item bearing one of your infusions as a spellcasting focus.
Moon Sickle and Rod of the Pact Keeper also specify just holding the item imparts the bonuses. They don't say anything about casting through the foci.
Bard's don't have that luxury. Look at Instrument of the Bards.
https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/04/09/if-attuned-to-an-instrument-of-the-bards-does-the-target-make-its-save-with-disadvantage/.
But, it's all up to the DM really.
Casting through a focus in not something that is new just with Tasha's. It's the first time it's explicitly been pushed as part of features.
But that's really how Foci have always worked. It's why they work in place of some spell ingredients. They help to focus the magic that your using to make the effect instead of focusing it through the sympathetic nature of specific ingredients to specific types of spells. It's the Point of a Focus and how it works. Artificer just brought light to that because it's one of the few things that have features that call the use of Focus and how they are used to the forefront because of their requirements in using them and even having special kinds of them in effect.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/981-bard-101-college-of-spirits-in-van-richtens-guide
Scroll to the Cons section. It clearly says spells that require material components. Foci are ONLY used to replace material components in spells. Sure your Druid might hold a yew wand when they cast Faerie Fire, but its mechanically, not being cast through the wand. The wand/ focus is only use when there is a material component in the spell.
Artificer IS different because they NEED their tools in order to cast spells. So unlike a Druid, who can cast Faerie Fire with nothing in hand. Artificers are require to cast ANY spell through their tools as per their spellcasting ability.
Tools Required
You produce your artificer spell effects through your tools.
No other class has this requirement, but it means that the Artillerist's Arcane Firearm feature works regardless.
Foci, RAW, are only used in spells that have material components of non-monetary value. You don't just "channel magic" through them.
Like we said though, its entirely up to the DM on the ruling. RAW, the Spiritual Focus level 6 benefit has few spells that it'll affect, but I have a feeling the RAI was supposed to be any spell. Personally I rule it as RAI cause otherwise the feature is just too weak.
This is actually wrong.
Mechanically it is being cast through the Wand. The Reason being the word Focus. As a Verb it has a meaning of "to Concentrate" It is concentrating your magic in to the form of the spell to be released and used on others. Foci do not magically change in function or effect Just because they are suddenly in the hands of an Artificer. That is not how they work.
The cons of the Guide that your linking to do not counter what I am saying. They merely state what foci the spell are needed for and reiterate that they work in the place of material components which are By their nature an affinity focus to magic of their own right but individual to particular spells.
So your not actually not altering anything that I have said.
A Bard using a musical instrument as a focus is just using the instrument and thus the music as the concentrating the magical energies through the instrument and the music to then release the spell as a useful effect upon a target. Without using it through such things the magic would just fizzle.
This is why magical foci are mostly all held and can be done so as part of the Somatic Components. They can play an active roll in the motions of the magical gestures that you are making to help make the spell work. They aren't just some random item you have to have on hand. They actually play a part in casting the spell.
Personally I'm of the opinion that you can always use your focus for casting, even when you don't need to (spell doesn't have material components); while the rules don't explicitly say this, they also don't say the opposite either as far as I can tell.
If you think about it, when you cast a spell with no material components, then using a focus is still providing the material components required by your spell – it just happens to be nothing.
The reason why you normally wouldn't want to cast using your focus all the time is that you need a hand free to be able to touch or hold the focus (or reach for a component pouch), which means that that hand may not be free to hold something else, or that you simply can't do it (already using both hands and don't want to drop something).
Characters: Bullette, Chortle, Dracarys Noir, Edward Merryspell, Habard Ashery, Legion, Peregrine
My Homebrew: Feats | Items | Monsters | Spells | Subclasses | Races
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Please don't reply to my posts unless you've read what they actually say.
Yes, I think there are multiple valid interpretations of casting through a focus, seeing as it's a wholly undefined term. Here are the ones I've thought of so far:
I'm sure there are more I haven't thought of. So far it comes up only for Artillerist Artificers and Spirits Bards, that I know of - if anyone knows of anywhere else in the game where the text is used, that would be helpful. I know when I tried to find out what it means for a statblock to not list an alignment, the answer was in Candlekeep Mysteries, of all places - Tasha's does it without explanation, and such a statblock violates the MM rules for reading a statblock, so I had no idea what it meant. (For the curious, the answer seems to be an explicit call-out for the DM to pick any alignment they like). It could easily be the same here, where the rules text is defined in a module somewhere, but I don't know where to look and haven't found it.
I agree with this 100%. I don't think it's RAI that a class feature of the Spirit Bard was intended to work only with six spells.
It would appear that WotC's bad rules have struck once again... 😑
I'm just going to make a minor correction to this. It would appear that WotC's badly written rules have struck once again. I know the distinction is small, but it's kind of important. Something can be poorly written without inherently being bad (IMO).
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I've never been against using your focus anyway just because a spell doesn't specifically ask for one. I've Long considered spells that don't require a focus something akin to Harry Potter's magic but with a twist in a way. It's more convenience than anything to be able to cast without one. But the spell isn't necessarily quite the same for doing so. While the Rules don't give a mechanical difference It could be explained in lots of ways when it comes to Theme and Role Play aspects. It could be That they are subtly less powerful than they could be (Harry Potters answer to it) or it could be that more raw magic leaks out in some way to create the same effect. Or whatever else your heart's desire and imagination can come up with.
I know people keep trying to make magic subtle by twisting things to being hide-able as much as possible like that's the only way to make use of it in various crafty ways. But there is so much that makes it kind of dramatic and noticeable and I'm never going to go against playing that up a bit more. Because if you think about it. That's kind of the point of many magical spells in some ways. Most of the Iconic spells are something that does something bold and Flashy. A display that not just anybody can pull off. Even amongst your fellow Adventurer's. Even Invisibility is rarely used in a subtle way. It's almost always some dramatic poofing from sight in a noticeable location even it might just be in front of your party members as you prep to sneak into a place. Even Most Mind control spells aren't really subtle. The person knows that it affects them. They are just unable to care and/or do anything about it while the spell actually lasts upon them. And waving that wand, or staff, or holy symbol around all the time is a great misdirection for when you do break out a spell that doesn't need you to without it so it's useful in that regard as well.
It's also working for any Magical Secrets you pick up that it can apply to, as well as Negative Energy Flood if you wanna pick that up using Spiritual Session.
I haven't looked at what Secrets would actually benefit though.
Feels like a DM call to me, in terms of RAW vs RAI. I’d be inclined to allow players to cast other spells through the focus for purposes of flavour - so maybe sometimes they’d benefit from the boost, and other times they wouldn’t, based on if they had the focus to hand. (Bonus Action to pull from a pouch, probably?)
Because it’s only a single bonus die, it doesn’t feel unbalanced.
On a related segue, I backed the Alleyman’s Tarot on Kickstarter - looking forward to playing a College of Spirits Bard whenever F2F games resume properly!
It definitely needs to be a DM call, but I personally think it should be interpreted more loosely, otherwise it is an extremely underwhelming ability.
There are only a small handful of spells that can actually benefit from the feature, and it only adds a single D6 at 6th level, so it's not like it's a particularly powerful ability anyway. There are only two healing spells in the game that can benefit from the extra Dice (Good Berry, where it would only affect one roll, and Regeneration), and only a handful of damaging Bard spells.
Sure, it works with Magical Secrets, but by Level 10 that extra D6 damage is pretty minimal. And lets face it, Vicious Mockery doing 2D4 + 1D6 damage at Level 6 is hardly game breaking.