I'm making a war casting paladin wizard multiclass who has polearm master and war caster feats. But I plan to use a glaive and have the reach to help cast more spells. The problem I have is that in order to cast spells on my turn i have to wield the glaive in one hand, and I would assume an opportunity attack requires both my hands for the two handed weapons. Can you invoke an opportunity attack from a glaive even if it is impossible to wield the glaive in two hands (For this case it is impossible)? And also does it take an action to both put away a spellcasting focus (Amulet in this case) put the glaive in both hands (When it is already in one hand) so your able to attack and then get back the amulet in a hand from (For example) your belt? Sorry if that is a long question. I can clarify if need be in the comments.
Using a two handed weapon requires both hands at the time you make the attack, so you cannot make an opportunity attack while holding something in your other hand. You might consider using a component pouch instead of a focus, as you aren't actually required to hold a component pouch, just have a free hand.
Glaives have the two-handed property, so you can’t make any kind of attack with one one-handed, opportunity or otherwise.
You get one free object interaction (drawing/stowing whatever) per turn; after you’ve used that, further object interactions take an action.
Assuming your non-glaive hand is free, grabbing the glaive with it so that you’ve got two hands on it does not require any kind of action or interaction.
Your paladin spells would probably be OK - if you've picked an amulet or an emblem then you can touch it fairly easily without worrying about drawing/stowing rules. Might be a little harder for your wizard focus though.
a intresting idea to do aswell, it would be up to the dm descression, is to have your spell casting focus attached to the glaive. that way it would more be a shift of hands to use it and technicly speaking your hand wouldent have to leave the glaith enless. you have to move your hand in a way to cast the spell
If you're holding the glaive with two hands, I would not impose any extra burden to let go with one hand to free it up for casting. Then it's just a matter of deciding whether you want to attack two-handed or cast a spell one-handed.
You only need to have two hands to attack with a glaive when you make the attack - not before or after. You can stand around holding the glaive with one hand with no problem. Cast spells and still make an opportunity attack with the glaive as long as the other hand isn't holding anything. You can't attack at all with the glaive if one hand is holding the glaive and the other hand is holding something else since you no longer have a hand free to make the attack.
As far as casting spells go, since you have the warcaster feat, you do not to have an empty hand to cast spells. You can cast them even when both hands are holding items - sword and shield - or attacking with a polearm.
"You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands."
"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."
Since the same hand that performs the somatic components can be used to interact with the material components - war caster allows you to both perform the somatic components and interact with the material components using the same hand even if that hand is holding a weapon or shield.
As a GM, I force the player to make a choice with real consequences.
End your turn with two hands on the weapon - you can make an opportunity attack with the glaive but can't cast spells with M or S. End your turn with one hand on the weapon - you can't make an opportunity attack with the glaive but can cast spells with M or S.
As an aside, my reading of the War Caster feat is that it only applies to V and VS and S spells. If the spell has material components then the caster needs a free hand.
The spellcasting focus being used here is an Amulet. That gets worn, around your neck. You don't need a hand, free or otherwise, to use it.
They have Warcaster. So Somatic components can be completed while wielding weapons. No Conflicts with Glaive.
They have an amulet focus worn around their neck. No conflicts with Glaive.
Why do they ever need to let go of the glaive? They don't.
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I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
The spellcasting focus being used here is an Amulet. That gets worn, around your neck. You don't need a hand, free or otherwise, to use it.
The rules for spellcasting foci do not make an exception to the requirement of a free hand for wearing the focus. Presumably you have to reach up and touch it or something.
The spellcasting focus being used here is an Amulet. That gets worn, around your neck. You don't need a hand, free or otherwise, to use it.
The rules for spellcasting foci do not make an exception to the requirement of a free hand for wearing the focus. Presumably you have to reach up and touch it or something.
The general rules don't, but the specific rules for holy symbols do: "To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield." Holding it in hand is the normal way to use a spellcasting focus that every class that can use them can do. Clerics and paladins get two additional means of using them, both which clearly do not require the use of a hand (unless they're dropping their weapons to reach over and rub their shields, which is a hilarious image, but clearly not what's happening).
The spellcasting focus being used here is an Amulet. That gets worn, around your neck. You don't need a hand, free or otherwise, to use it.
The rules for spellcasting foci do not make an exception to the requirement of a free hand for wearing the focus. Presumably you have to reach up and touch it or something.
Well, one, not all foci need to be held to work, that'll be a little class feature specific.
And, two, how does having a Glaive prevent what you're describing? A focus can be accessed by the "same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components" and a warcaster can "can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands". There seems be no conflict here. The hands that they hold weapons with can access the focus.
But, even if there were, letting go of the Glaive with one hand, touching the amulet around your neck, and then regripping the glaive are all non or free actions, all of which you could do in a turn with ease. Letting go: Non-action. Touching the amulet: Non-action. Regripping the Glaive: free item interact.
That is the entire purpose of the warcaster feature, to allow spellcasting while wielding weapons and shields.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
The spellcasting focus being used here is an Amulet. That gets worn, around your neck. You don't need a hand, free or otherwise, to use it.
The rules for spellcasting foci do not make an exception to the requirement of a free hand for wearing the focus. Presumably you have to reach up and touch it or something.
The general rules don't, but the specific rules for holy symbols do: "To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield." Holding it in hand is the normal way to use a spellcasting focus that every class that can use them can do. Clerics and paladins get two additional means of using them, both which clearly do not require the use of a hand (unless they're dropping their weapons to reach over and rub their shields, which is a hilarious image, but clearly not what's happening).
I don't think that what you are claiming here is established fact according to RAW. Component rules say that "A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components — or to hold a spellcasting focus". Nothing in the item description for a holy symbol specifically overrides the need to touch or hold a material component or focus with a free hand. If the symbol is on your shield then you are already holding a focus, but if it is worn on your body then the need for a free hand to hold or touch it remains.
Regardless of that, you are able to take a hand off the glaive, touch the amulet to cast a spell, and return your hand to the glaive to use it for Opportunity Attacks and the like without requiring any object interactions at all. Accessing components (or touching a focus that replaces them) is all part of the casting of a spell.
The spellcasting focus being used here is an Amulet. That gets worn, around your neck. You don't need a hand, free or otherwise, to use it.
The rules for spellcasting foci do not make an exception to the requirement of a free hand for wearing the focus. Presumably you have to reach up and touch it or something.
The general rules don't, but the specific rules for holy symbols do: "To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield." Holding it in hand is the normal way to use a spellcasting focus that every class that can use them can do. Clerics and paladins get two additional means of using them, both which clearly do not require the use of a hand (unless they're dropping their weapons to reach over and rub their shields, which is a hilarious image, but clearly not what's happening).
I don't think that what you are claiming here is established fact according to RAW. Component rules say that "A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components — or to hold a spellcasting focus". Nothing in the item description for a holy symbol specifically overrides the need to touch or hold a material component or focus with a free hand. If the symbol is on your shield then you are already holding a focus, but if it is worn on your body then the need for a free hand to hold or touch it remains.
Regardless of that, you are able to take a hand off the glaive, touch the amulet to cast a spell, and return your hand to the glaive to use it for Opportunity Attacks and the like without requiring any object interactions at all. Accessing components (or touching a focus that replaces them) is all part of the casting of a spell.
The description of the Holy Symbol in Chapter 5 explicitly says the following:
"Holy Symbol. A holy symbol is a representation of a god or pantheon. It might be an amulet depicting a symbol representing a deity, the same symbol carefully engraved or inlaid as an emblem on a shield, or a tiny box holding a fragment of a sacred relic. Appendix B lists the symbols commonly associated with many gods in the multiverse. A cleric or paladin can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus, as described in chapter 10. To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield."
The specific rules for holy symbols allow a cleric or paladin to use them as a spellcasting focus by holding it in hand, wearing it visibly or bearing it on a shield. This is a case of the specific rules for holy symbols superceding the general rules for other spellcasting foci. So a cleric or paladin can use a holy symbol that is worn or embossed on a shield as a spellcasting foci. They can still hold it if they like but they are given two additional specific options for actual USE.
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I'm making a war casting paladin wizard multiclass who has polearm master and war caster feats. But I plan to use a glaive and have the reach to help cast more spells. The problem I have is that in order to cast spells on my turn i have to wield the glaive in one hand, and I would assume an opportunity attack requires both my hands for the two handed weapons. Can you invoke an opportunity attack from a glaive even if it is impossible to wield the glaive in two hands (For this case it is impossible)? And also does it take an action to both put away a spellcasting focus (Amulet in this case) put the glaive in both hands (When it is already in one hand) so your able to attack and then get back the amulet in a hand from (For example) your belt? Sorry if that is a long question. I can clarify if need be in the comments.
Using a two handed weapon requires both hands at the time you make the attack, so you cannot make an opportunity attack while holding something in your other hand. You might consider using a component pouch instead of a focus, as you aren't actually required to hold a component pouch, just have a free hand.
Glaives have the two-handed property, so you can’t make any kind of attack with one one-handed, opportunity or otherwise.
You get one free object interaction (drawing/stowing whatever) per turn; after you’ve used that, further object interactions take an action.
Assuming your non-glaive hand is free, grabbing the glaive with it so that you’ve got two hands on it does not require any kind of action or interaction.
Thank you. I think I will get a component pouch.
Good to know. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks
You could potentially acquire a Ruby of the War Mage, which lets you turn a weapon into a spellcasting focus.
Helpful rewriter of Japanese->English translation and delver into software codebases (she/e/they)
Your paladin spells would probably be OK - if you've picked an amulet or an emblem then you can touch it fairly easily without worrying about drawing/stowing rules. Might be a little harder for your wizard focus though.
a intresting idea to do aswell, it would be up to the dm descression, is to have your spell casting focus attached to the glaive.
that way it would more be a shift of hands to use it and technicly speaking your hand wouldent have to leave the glaith enless. you have to move your hand in a way to cast the spell
If you're holding the glaive with two hands, I would not impose any extra burden to let go with one hand to free it up for casting. Then it's just a matter of deciding whether you want to attack two-handed or cast a spell one-handed.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
You only need to have two hands to attack with a glaive when you make the attack - not before or after. You can stand around holding the glaive with one hand with no problem. Cast spells and still make an opportunity attack with the glaive as long as the other hand isn't holding anything. You can't attack at all with the glaive if one hand is holding the glaive and the other hand is holding something else since you no longer have a hand free to make the attack.
As far as casting spells go, since you have the warcaster feat, you do not to have an empty hand to cast spells. You can cast them even when both hands are holding items - sword and shield - or attacking with a polearm.
"You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands."
"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."
Since the same hand that performs the somatic components can be used to interact with the material components - war caster allows you to both perform the somatic components and interact with the material components using the same hand even if that hand is holding a weapon or shield.
As a GM, I force the player to make a choice with real consequences.
End your turn with two hands on the weapon - you can make an opportunity attack with the glaive but can't cast spells with M or S.
End your turn with one hand on the weapon - you can't make an opportunity attack with the glaive but can cast spells with M or S.
As an aside, my reading of the War Caster feat is that it only applies to V and VS and S spells. If the spell has material components then the caster needs a free hand.
The spellcasting focus being used here is an Amulet. That gets worn, around your neck. You don't need a hand, free or otherwise, to use it.
Why do they ever need to let go of the glaive? They don't.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
The rules for spellcasting foci do not make an exception to the requirement of a free hand for wearing the focus. Presumably you have to reach up and touch it or something.
The general rules don't, but the specific rules for holy symbols do: "To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield." Holding it in hand is the normal way to use a spellcasting focus that every class that can use them can do. Clerics and paladins get two additional means of using them, both which clearly do not require the use of a hand (unless they're dropping their weapons to reach over and rub their shields, which is a hilarious image, but clearly not what's happening).
While true, the character in the OP was a wizard.
Well, one, not all foci need to be held to work, that'll be a little class feature specific.
And, two, how does having a Glaive prevent what you're describing? A focus can be accessed by the "same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components" and a warcaster can "can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands". There seems be no conflict here. The hands that they hold weapons with can access the focus.
But, even if there were, letting go of the Glaive with one hand, touching the amulet around your neck, and then regripping the glaive are all non or free actions, all of which you could do in a turn with ease. Letting go: Non-action. Touching the amulet: Non-action. Regripping the Glaive: free item interact.
That is the entire purpose of the warcaster feature, to allow spellcasting while wielding weapons and shields.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
Is Paladin too.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
Then he can cast paladin spells with a worn focus.
I don't think that what you are claiming here is established fact according to RAW. Component rules say that "A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components — or to hold a spellcasting focus". Nothing in the item description for a holy symbol specifically overrides the need to touch or hold a material component or focus with a free hand. If the symbol is on your shield then you are already holding a focus, but if it is worn on your body then the need for a free hand to hold or touch it remains.
Regardless of that, you are able to take a hand off the glaive, touch the amulet to cast a spell, and return your hand to the glaive to use it for Opportunity Attacks and the like without requiring any object interactions at all. Accessing components (or touching a focus that replaces them) is all part of the casting of a spell.
The description of the Holy Symbol in Chapter 5 explicitly says the following:
"Holy Symbol. A holy symbol is a representation of a god or pantheon. It might be an amulet depicting a symbol representing a deity, the same symbol carefully engraved or inlaid as an emblem on a shield, or a tiny box holding a fragment of a sacred relic. Appendix B lists the symbols commonly associated with many gods in the multiverse. A cleric or paladin can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus, as described in chapter 10. To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield."
The specific rules for holy symbols allow a cleric or paladin to use them as a spellcasting focus by holding it in hand, wearing it visibly or bearing it on a shield. This is a case of the specific rules for holy symbols superceding the general rules for other spellcasting foci. So a cleric or paladin can use a holy symbol that is worn or embossed on a shield as a spellcasting foci. They can still hold it if they like but they are given two additional specific options for actual USE.