Im working on a hexblade character who uses a spear, and wondered if they would be able to fulfill the somatic components of a spell RAW by just taking a hand off their weapon for the casting.
It seems like such a small thing, but I'd hate to find out a was depending on something like that just for it be bending the rules.
Absolutely. You only need two hands to use a two-handed weapon.
To further clarify, you only need two hands on the weapon when you attack with it, most DMs allow you to drop a hand and add it back as you attack, without any shenanigans with object interactions.
That said, if you were to cast a spell with an M requirement, then object interactions would start trickling in as you gather components or a focus.
So: with a 2H weapon, V, S, and VS spells would be easy with no issues, but anything with M you could let go one hand off the sword, draw a focus/components (free object interaction), and cast the spell, but you couldn't use the weapon again until you were able to stow/drop the focus or components, possibly as a free object interaction on your next turn.
Component pouches don’t need to be held or drawn, only accessed with a free hand. Icon is incorrect if you’re using a component pouch, but correct if you’re using a spell focus (though, if you’re willing to just drop the focus on the ground, dropping is free and would let you finish attacking).
Component pouched are mechanically distinct from spell focuses, and better in this one important way.
One thing to note, if the caster has neither a focus, nor a component pouch, they can still cast the spell provided they have access to the actual component(s).
Specific components within your pocket function identically to a Component Pouch: they don't need to be drawn and held (generally, unless the spell description says otherwise), only "accessed" (i.e., have a hand free while casting the spell). A Component Pouch is just a quantum pocket that at any given moment has every non-cost material component, in all other respects its mechanically the same as stuffing your pockets full of bat guano and elderberry or whatever.
But spell focuses are different, they must be actually drawn and "held" to get their benefit. That's the problem with them, which creates free object interaction issues.
A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components — or to hold a spellcasting focus — but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.
If your DM rules that hands holding focuses can't perform the somatic components of S and VS spells that lack an M component, then it will still matter. But, again, you're a 2H weapon instead of a 1H weapon + Shield, so you won't need Warcaster and should be golden. And do note that you'll need to be Pact of the Blade to use a 2-handed weapon as your Hexblade's weapon, if you didn't already plan for that, but a Versatile weapon used with two hands (like a spear) is no problem and doesn't require that Pact.
If your DM rules that hands holding focuses can't perform the somatic components of S and VS spells that lack an M component, then it will still matter. But, again, you're a 2H weapon instead of a 1H weapon + Shield, so you won't need Warcaster and should be golden. And do note that you'll need to be Pact of the Blade to use a 2-handed weapon as your Hexblade's weapon, if you didn't already plan for that, but a Versatile weapon used with two hands (like a spear) is no problem and doesn't require that Pact.
Technically, only the pact weapon can be 2-handed but benefits from being a hex weapon. A hex weapon that is not a pact weapon can never be 2-handed.
You also need the improved pact weapon invocation in order to use a pact weapon as a focus.
The first post said "Im working on a hexblade character who uses a spear...", so I assume that the "2 handed weapon" is really just a d8 Versatilespear. But yes, using a true Two-handed weapon like a Pike as a Hexblade really can start to monopolize your pact and invocation choices.
You have to have Improved Pact weapon invocation in order to use your pact weapon as a spell focus, neither pact of the blade (pre 2024 class update) or Hexblade allow you to use your weapon as a spellcasting focus. honestly Pact of the blade is a horrible standalone pact that does next to nothing, the only thing that saves it is the invocations, the update to pact of blade in DnD next makes the pact pretty good as it is a mixture of the hexblade warrior(add charisma to attack and damage) pact of the blade (all of its dnd 5e features)and improved pact weapon(spell casting focus).
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Im working on a hexblade character who uses a spear, and wondered if they would be able to fulfill the somatic components of a spell RAW by just taking a hand off their weapon for the casting.
It seems like such a small thing, but I'd hate to find out a was depending on something like that just for it be bending the rules.
Absolutely. You only need two hands to use a two-handed weapon.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
To further clarify, you only need two hands on the weapon when you attack with it, most DMs allow you to drop a hand and add it back as you attack, without any shenanigans with object interactions.
That said, if you were to cast a spell with an M requirement, then object interactions would start trickling in as you gather components or a focus.
So: with a 2H weapon, V, S, and VS spells would be easy with no issues, but anything with M you could let go one hand off the sword, draw a focus/components (free object interaction), and cast the spell, but you couldn't use the weapon again until you were able to stow/drop the focus or components, possibly as a free object interaction on your next turn.
Component pouches don’t need to be held or drawn, only accessed with a free hand. Icon is incorrect if you’re using a component pouch, but correct if you’re using a spell focus (though, if you’re willing to just drop the focus on the ground, dropping is free and would let you finish attacking).
Component pouched are mechanically distinct from spell focuses, and better in this one important way.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
One thing to note, if the caster has neither a focus, nor a component pouch, they can still cast the spell provided they have access to the actual component(s).
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Specific components within your pocket function identically to a Component Pouch: they don't need to be drawn and held (generally, unless the spell description says otherwise), only "accessed" (i.e., have a hand free while casting the spell). A Component Pouch is just a quantum pocket that at any given moment has every non-cost material component, in all other respects its mechanically the same as stuffing your pockets full of bat guano and elderberry or whatever.
But spell focuses are different, they must be actually drawn and "held" to get their benefit. That's the problem with them, which creates free object interaction issues.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
The spell focus issue doesn't matter much for my hexblade, since their weapon can also be a spellcasting focus. Thank ya'll for the answers though!
If your DM rules that hands holding focuses can't perform the somatic components of S and VS spells that lack an M component, then it will still matter. But, again, you're a 2H weapon instead of a 1H weapon + Shield, so you won't need Warcaster and should be golden. And do note that you'll need to be Pact of the Blade to use a 2-handed weapon as your Hexblade's weapon, if you didn't already plan for that, but a Versatile weapon used with two hands (like a spear) is no problem and doesn't require that Pact.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Technically, only the pact weapon can be 2-handed but benefits from being a hex weapon. A hex weapon that is not a pact weapon can never be 2-handed.
You also need the improved pact weapon invocation in order to use a pact weapon as a focus.
I'm assuming they either have all that or something like ruby of the war mage.
The first post said "Im working on a hexblade character who uses a spear...", so I assume that the "2 handed weapon" is really just a d8 Versatile spear. But yes, using a true Two-handed weapon like a Pike as a Hexblade really can start to monopolize your pact and invocation choices.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
You have to have Improved Pact weapon invocation in order to use your pact weapon as a spell focus, neither pact of the blade (pre 2024 class update) or Hexblade allow you to use your weapon as a spellcasting focus. honestly Pact of the blade is a horrible standalone pact that does next to nothing, the only thing that saves it is the invocations, the update to pact of blade in DnD next makes the pact pretty good as it is a mixture of the hexblade warrior(add charisma to attack and damage) pact of the blade (all of its dnd 5e features)and improved pact weapon(spell casting focus).