My questions are related to the Sorcerer Class specifically to the Subclass Draconic Bloodline in the 2024 rules. Like its a bit confusing for what actually counts to trigger the conditions in that case for my Character.
Let's start with the "Armor". Because at Level 3 I get the Class Feature "Draconic Resilience" thanks to my subclass. As the description says "While you aren’t wearing armor" I only get the benefits if I don't have any Armor on me. Like if I search for Armor on this side it shows me for example "Bark Armor", "Chain Armor" or "Powered Armor" what in my eyes would be obviously wearing armor if I have them equipped so I can't use anything like that. But what about Shields? I mean unlike for the Monk Shields are not listed next to Armor and they also have their own proficiency even I would say they are also armor? So can I basically use a Shield and not wear anything else? Like (item names because I watch a DnD video about them) can I wear a "Goggles of Night", "Boots of Elven Kind", "Hat of Disguise", "Cloak of Protection" or "Gauntlets of Ogre Power"? I would assume out of them I would say only the Gauntlets would count? I just want to understand what I can wear without losing my Draconic Resilience benefits.
Now to the "Weapons". Also at Level 3 I get access to "Draconic Spells", the one that matters for me right now would be the Level 2 Spell "Alter Self". Since we are in the Weapon part of my question you surely know it's about the last section "Natural Weapon". I can use it to turn my hands in for example Claws. Now I have some cases in mind and wonder if they work together with that spell.
Case 1: I make 1 Level into Monk for the "Unarmed Strikes". "Unarmed Strikes" says "Instead of using a weapon to make a melee attack, you can use a punch, kick, headbutt, or similar forceful blow", so would I be able to make a Bonus attack while the Spell is still active or would a hit with claws not qualify for an equal force? Or can it even be considered as an "unarmed attack"? Like I don't have a Weapon in my hand I just use my claws so from my understanding I am unarmed?
Case 2: I make 1 Level into Warlock for the "Eldritch Invocations" where I choose "Pact of the Blade". From what I found online, according to something called "sage advice" it's stated I can use Natural Weapons like I get from my Spell as my Pact Weapon making me use Cha if I use Natural Weapons. So can I now use "Alter Self" through "Pact of the Blade" as a Bonus Action without using Spell Slot? Because I can just conjure my pact weapon? And what proficiency would that be I get through the Pact?
Case 3: I take the "Rune Shaper" Feat. What allows me to "inscribe each rune you know onto one nonmagical Weapon". So can I now put Runes on my hands? I mean according to the Pact ruling they would be seen as a weapon and they are not magical right? So I would put the Storm Rune on them so I am able to Cast the first Level Spell "Thudnerwave" from it without any Spell Slots used.
Case 4: I take 8 Levels into Cleric and take the Tempest Domain subclasse. I can "infuse my Weapon with divine Energy" so as soon as I hit them with my weapon they get extra Thunder Damage from "Divine Strike".
Case 5: An Artificer using there infusions to use "Enhanced Weapon" to grant me a +1 on attack roles for my Weapon. That should work right?
Case 6: I take the Feat "Dual Wielder". Do Claws on each Hand from "Alter Self" as 2 separate melee weapons giving me the +1 on AC or would they count as one single Weapon? And if not would it then count as a 2 handed weapon and benefit from Great Weapon Mastery?
I really hope someone can help me clarify how these things work together.
Shields are not armor. You can use a shield and still gain the benefits of Draconic Resilience. However, shields only provide a benefit if you have training with them, which the Sorcerer class doesn't provide. If you have that training from some other feature, then you can use it. None of the other items you mentioned, including Gauntlets of Ogre Power, are armor either.
As for Alter Self, the description of the spell's "Natural Weapons" effect explicitly says you can use it for Unarmed Strikes.
To address your numbered cases:
The spell says you can use the natural weapons for Unarmed Strikes, so you can use them for Unarmed Strikes.
The old (2014) version of Sage Advice did indeed say that natural weapons like those from Alter Self count as weapons. The 2024 rules do not say this and the spell's description has been changed to make it clearer that they are not intended to be used with features that require the use of weapons. You cannot use Pact of the Blade to gain the benefits of Alter Self as a bonus action without using a spell slot, because that doesn't make any sense and nowhere in any of the rules does it say you can do that.
I doubt you will find any DM that will agree that natural weapons created entirely by magic count as nonmagical weapons.
Again, in the 2014 rules this probably technically works; in the 2024 rules it doesn't, because you can only use them for Unarmed Strikes.
Your natural weapons are not a nonmagical object, so they cannot hold Artificer infusions.
The old version of Dual Wielder only applies its AC bonus "when you are wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand", which you are not doing if you are using natural weapons. They do not count as a single weapon or as a two-handed weapon because the rules do not say that they do. They do not have the Heavy property, so they do not qualify for the damage bonus from Great Weapon Master.
Unfortunately, the rules text is not 100% consistent regarding whether or not a Shield "counts as" Armor for the purposes of Feature interactions like this. Some text that supports the idea that they are totally separate concepts includes this line in Equipment --> Armor:
Every type of armor falls into a category: Light, Medium, or Heavy. The category determines how long it takes to don or doff the armor (as shown in the table).
There is no mention of Shield in that statement. (This should probably be corrected via errata)
Note that this referenced table originally included a Shield "category" that did NOT list how long it takes to don or doff -- perhaps suggesting that this was not a category of Armor. That has since changed via errata such that this table entry for the Shield now explicitly shows "Shield (Utilize Action to Don or Doff)" which defines how long it takes to don or doff the Shield category, suggesting that this is indeed a category of Armor just like the three others.
Another place where it might appear that Shields are separate from Armor appears in Equipment --> Armor --> Armor Training:
Anyone can don armor or hold a Shield, but only those with training can use them effectively
However, in my opinion, this language is a holdover from the original publication where Shields were not listed as having any time cost to don or doff. My hunch is that this was a deliberate change away from the 2014 rules which did require an action to don or doff a Shield because they were intending to make the game much easier to perform various "weapon juggling" such as what is seen in the new Attack action rules. If Shields were "free" to don or doff then there would no longer be any issue with switching between sword and board and a bow and arrow and back again. Ultimately, after the initial publication, this was changed back again with the above errata which once again requires an action to don or doff a Shield. So, the point here is that the above sentence wasn't really trying to call out Shields as being totally separate from Armor -- they were just acknowledging the fact that you don't don a Shield like you don armor, you just "hold" it. (Again, this has since been changed.) Now, currently, the more correct terminology is more like what we had in 2014 where you would "wield" a Shield in order to "equip" it for the armor class bonus and if you only "hold" it, then it's just like holding a book or a something. You are not actually "using" it as a shield if you simply "hold" it. But the entirety of the "Armor Training" section of rules is worded in a way that assumes that Shields are not donned. All of that wording makes less sense now, but it was not updated along with the above change.
Anyway, this is the long way of stating that the better interpretation of the rules is that Shields DO "count as" Armor for the purposes of Features interactions like the one in the OP . . .
-- The PHB has an artistic graphic showing a picture of two shields listed within a Shields category that is pictured within the large overall box that is labeled "Armor".
-- The Armor table clearly shows a 4th category of armor called "Shield" which contains a single table entry -- Shield. There is seemingly no difference between this category and the Light, Medium and Heavy categories in terms of how that table is presented.
-- Magic Items are placed into one of 9 possible categories: Armor, Potions, Rings, Rods, Scrolls, Staffs, Wands, Weapons or Wonderous Items. There is no "Shield" category. The +1 Shield is listed as an example of a magic item that belongs to the Armor category.
-- An example of a Feature that goes out of its way to make an exception for Shields is the Barbarian's Unarmored Defense Feature:
While you aren’t wearing any armor, your base Armor Class equals 10 plus your Dexterity and Constitution modifiers. You can use a Shield and still gain this benefit.
The initial statement about not "wearing any armor" would include all Shields as well as all other Armor. This Feature explicitly makes an exception for Shields. Meaning, even though Shields DO "count as" armor, which isn't allowed, this feature does allow for using a Shield because the Feature explicitly says that it does.
So, circling back to the Draconic Sorcerer's Draconic Resilience feature -- it just says, "while you aren't wearing armor" and does not make any explicit exception for using a shield so you cannot use one in combination with this Feature.
As for whatever else you might be wearing, including magic items, they would only cause a problem if they belong to the Armor category. Of the specific ones that you listed, the Goggles of Night, the Boots of Elvenkind, the Hat of Disguise, the Cloak of Protection, and the Gauntlets of Ogre Power all belong to the Wonderous Items category, not the Armor category, so you can wear any of these without interfering with your Draconic Resilience feature.
As for the questions regarding the Alter Self spell, as a starting point it's always important to remember the rule of thumb "spells do what they say".
From Alter Self:
You grow claws (Slashing), fangs (Piercing), horns (Piercing), or hooves (Bludgeoning). When you use your Unarmed Strike to deal damage with that new growth, it deals 1d6 damage of the type in parentheses instead of dealing the normal damage for your Unarmed Strike, and you use your spellcasting ability modifier for the attack and damage rolls rather than using Strength.
So, the spell effect is pretty specific. While the spell is active, whenever you make an Unarmed Strike with this "new growth", you resolve that attack in the manner described by the spell description. That's it.
Case 1: Yes, if Alter Self is active and you have 1 Level of Monk then you can make these Unarmed Strikes as a Bonus Action.
Case 2: It's unclear what you're trying to accomplish here. With Alter Self already active you do not need to expend any Bonus Action in order to have access to the effects from that spell description. Even if there was some benefit for doing so, I also don't see any rules support for being able to bond with these "growths" via Pact of the Blade, which requires you to bond with a Simple or Martial or magical weapon. Despite the feature within the Alter Self spell being titled "Natural Weapons", those are not actually weapons at all. They are "growths" of your body that you can utilize for your Unarmed Strikes in a specific way for the duration. Keep in mind that the Bonus Action for Pact of the Blade is only to be able to have the weapon. You must still spend the normal additional action economy in order to actually make attacks with that weapon.
Case 3: No. Alter Self does not actually create any weapon including any nonmagical weapon. This does not work.
Case 4: In the 2024 rules, Unarmed Strikes are no longer considered to be in the category of "weapon attacks". This no longer works. From the Rules Glossary:
Unarmed Strike
Instead of using a weapon to make a melee attack, you can use a punch, kick, headbutt, or similar forceful blow. In game terms, this is an Unarmed Strike—a melee attack that involves you using your body to damage, grapple, or shove a target within 5 feet of you.
Weapon
A weapon is an object that is in the Simple or Martial weapon category.
Weapon Attack
A weapon attack is an attack roll made with a weapon.
Case 5: The prerequisite for Enhanced Weapon is that you must begin that process with a simple or martial weapon. Alter Self does not provide that. This does not work.
Case 6: The 2024 version of Dual Wielder does not provide any +1 AC benefit. But even if it did, you are not wielding melee weapons as a result of the Alter Self spell. This does not work. Alter Self has no interaction with the Great Weapon Master feat either.
The Alter Self spell only does exactly what it says. While the spell is active, whenever you make an Unarmed Strike with this "new growth", you resolve that attack in the manner described by the spell description. That's it.
2. You cannot, but that would be a lot of investment to avoid casting the spell. For one Sorcery point, you can make Alter Self last 24 hours. It will still require concentration. It will use your spellcasting stat for attack and damage (Charisma). If you still want to multiclass into Warlock, you have much better options. You can conjure any simple or martial melee weapon and you become proficient in it and can use it as a spellcasting focus. You can have a magical trident that deals 1d8 or 1d10 piercing, necrotic, radiant, or psychic damage and can throw it. Do you want Pact of the Blade in order to have free claws? It can't help you. Do you want Pact of the Blade in order to deal a variety of damage types? It can work for that and there are better options than the Alter Self options or the simple/martial weapon equivalents (Handaxe, Mace, or Spear).
3. You can inscribe the Storm rune on your clothes as long as they are not magical. You don't need to inscribe it on a weapon.
4. This works with Pact of the Blade but not with Alter Self. That would be a lot of investment for the feature and would cut you off from a lot of Sorcerer features. Is this worth losing out on or delaying Elemental Affinity, 2 to 4 extra metamagic options, Dragon Wings, the Dragon Companion and more? Even one level of multiclassing with block you from achieving Arcane Apotheosis.
5. No. However, they are unarmed strikes so Wraps of Unarmed Power would work. An Artificer can replicate them at level 2.
6. No. They do not interact with Dual Wielder or Great Weapon Master, but a Pact Weapon might (see 2, above). You can get a small benefit from Tavern Brawler. It will improve your damage while Alter Self is not up and whether Alter Self is up or not, you can benefit from the damage reroll and the free push. Punch, push 5 feet out of reach and leave without provoking an attack of opportunity is a solid strategy for a caster. Particularly if you can push them into someone else reach.
Ok that's interesting but I have some questions about the cases.
Case 1 is the opposite from what I expected since mostly what I found online was saying you can't use Natural Weapons for Unarmed Strikes from the Monk but I guess it could help if I actually want to do that.
Case 2 is confusing me since I thought because of the ruling in the saga advice or how it's called from 2014 it did say you can choose them as your Pact Weapon. In my head it was mostly like if an enemy is close I could hit them with "Alter Self" as a physical attack and cast Eldritch Blast since I get that from being a Warlock in that case. So did the ruling change now or why can't the Natural Weapons be my Pact Weapon? To be noted Dragonborn Species is what the character is and if I then take dragon claws I thought it would fit together for Pact of the Blade.
Case 3 is the same reasoning as in case 2 I thought it would work because of the Sage Advice thing I found online.
Case 4 is confusing me a lot since reading through the Cleric subclass Tempest Domain I don't see anything mentioning Unarmed Strikes. It says "At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 thunder damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8." So what has Unarmed Strikes to do with it?
Case 4 is again because of Sage Advice what I thought would apply here.
Case 5 is making sense yes. Even you basically have 2 weapons to attack with it's probably still considered as one weapon? And Great Weapon makes even more sense.
IMO, the wording "Natural Weapon" in Alter Self is just descriptive, and doesn't have any mechanical meaning. The mechanical part is the effect that applies when you use your Unarmed Strike to deal damage.
Acno_Cero there are also some threads in the subforum about "natural weapons" in relation to Unarmed Strikes, in case you can get something useful for your rulings:
Case 1 is the opposite from what I expected since mostly what I found online was saying you can't use Natural Weapons for Unarmed Strikes from the Monk but I guess it could help if I actually want to do that.
In 2014, "Natural Weapons" were considered weapons and not unarmed strikes. Alter Self has a Natural Weapon effect but it explicitly says that it is an Unarmed Strike.
Case 2 is confusing me since I thought because of the ruling in the saga advice or how it's called from 2014 it did say you can choose them as your Pact Weapon. In my head it was mostly like if an enemy is close I could hit them with "Alter Self" as a physical attack and cast Eldritch Blast since I get that from being a Warlock in that case. So did the ruling change now or why can't the Natural Weapons be my Pact Weapon? To be noted Dragonborn Species is what the character is and if I then take dragon claws I thought it would fit together for Pact of the Blade.
The Sage Advice from 2014 never said you can summon Natural Weapons as Pact Weapons. It does say that they are weapons. This must have been someone trying to exploit the technicality in that wording and the Pact of the Blade wording. In 2014, I would never allow natural weapons as Pact of the Blade weapons under a rules as written (RAW) interpretation. I don't think it was ever valid. It is simply harder to make a case for it in 2024.
Case 4 is confusing me a lot since reading through the Cleric subclass Tempest Domain I don't see anything mentioning Unarmed Strikes. It says "At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 thunder damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8." So what has Unarmed Strikes to do with it?
It took me a moment to find this ability it's a mess. Effectively, I believe Divine Strike at level 8 is replaced with Blessed Strikes at level 7 in 2024. In 2014, you had Divine Strikes as a level 8 subclass ability with an optional Blessed Strikes replacing it. In 2024, all clerics have Blessed Strikes at a level 7 and there is no level 8 Subclass ability. In 2024, you would have Radiant or Necrotic options and not Thunder.
It works with Weapon Strikes and doesn't work with Unarmed Strikes. Alter Self's "Natural Weapon" option gives you an Unarmed Strike and not a weapon of any kind.
Natural Weapons. You grow claws (Slashing), fangs (Piercing), horns (Piercing), or hooves (Bludgeoning). When you use your Unarmed Strike to deal damage with that new growth, it deals 1d6 damage of the type in parentheses instead of dealing the normal damage for your Unarmed Strike, and you use your spellcasting ability modifier for the attack and damage rolls rather than using Strength.
You could combine Blessed Strikes with a Pact Weapon but not the attack from Alter Self.
Case 5 is making sense yes. Even you basically have 2 weapons to attack with it's probably still considered as one weapon? And Great Weapon makes even more sense.
No. Your attack from Alter Self is an Unarmed Strike, not a weapon.
Regarding whether shields are considered armor, there's a SAC answer indicating that they are different things:
Can you use a Shield with Mage Armor?
Mage Armor works with a Shield. Shields are grouped with armor in the equipment rules in the Player’s Handbook, but various game features distinguish between the armor you don and a Shield you wield. Take a look at the Monk’sUnarmored Defense feature and compare it to the Barbarian’s version. In the Monk’s version, you must both forgo wearing armor and forgo wielding a Shield if you want to benefit from the feature, whereas a Barbarian must only forgo wearing armor.
I hope sending links here from other sites is fine. I just want to make sure where I got the "Natural Weapons count as Weapons" idea from. Not sending it to convince you that it's true, more so to make sure if this was really trying to be used as some sort of exploit or if I just did understand something wrong.
But if that really doesn't work, is there a way to make something similar work? Because from my understanding you can't cast Spells if you have 2 weapons or 1 and a Shield. Also I would really like to be able to attack my opponent in close combat, because I did read that casting a Spell would give you disadvantage in your attack if the enemy is to close. I hope that's the right wording I am still very new to DnD. So if there is a spell, Item, Class Feature or anything else that can make a similar setting work, I would love to know what I would need to get.
Because from my understanding you can't cast Spells if you have 2 weapons or 1 and a Shield.
It's a little more complicated than that. Spells that have somatic components require a free hand. Not all spells have somatic components, and the War Caster feat removes this restriction.
Also I would really like to be able to attack my opponent in close combat, because I did read that casting a Spell would give you disadvantage in your attack if the enemy is to close.
You have disadvantage on ranged attacks if there's an enemy within 5 feet of you. That includes ranged weapon attacks and ranged spell attacks, but it doesn't include melee spell attacks, and it doesn't affect spells that require the target to make a saving throw rather than rolling an attack.
Ok good to know that it only affects Spells with a Somatic Component, I thought it's nice to have but that part of War Caster would be actually useful then. Since it doesn't affect Spells that only have Verbal or Material Components, I would be totally fine if I have no free hand thanks to War Caster. And if I use for example "Chill Touch" instead of a ranged Spell then it's not a problem either.
I hope sending links here from other sites is fine. I just want to make sure where I got the "Natural Weapons count as Weapons" idea from. Not sending it to convince you that it's true, more so to make sure if this was really trying to be used as some sort of exploit or if I just did understand something wrong.
That Reddit post is 5 years old and is indeed exploiting a technicality of the wording. It references the 2014 Players Handbook and 2014 Sage Advice Compendium.
Legacy Edition (Anything that has not been updated is still considered "current" and RAW. Some games do not allow legacy content. If something has been updated, for 2024 games, the updated rules/rulings apply.)
Asking rules questions here is an excellent place to start a fight get answers for the current edition. ;) Posting a Reddit link is fine and gives us context regarding your source. However, I still don't know what you want for your character. Do you want to be a pile of shenanigans in a trenchcoat or is there a theme you want to build around? Are you building for a theoretical game or a planned game? Are you starting at level 1 or higher?
Essentially, Pact of the Blade is intended to replicate standard, mundane, manufactured melee weapons. These are primarily in the Weapons table of the Player's Handbook.
But if that really doesn't work, is there a way to make something similar work? Because from my understanding you can't cast Spells if you have 2 weapons or 1 and a Shield. Also I would really like to be able to attack my opponent in close combat, because I did read that casting a Spell would give you disadvantage in your attack if the enemy is to close. I hope that's the right wording I am still very new to DnD. So if there is a spell, Item, Class Feature or anything else that can make a similar setting work, I would love to know what I would need to get.
As a Sorcerer, you are actually well equipped to handle the scenario. If you multiclass into Warlock, you get some options, but I would stay straight Sorcerer, particularly if you're new.
If you are attacking via the Alter Self "Natural Weapons", your hands are free to cast. As mentioned earlier, this can also be slightly boosted by the Tavern Brawler origin feat.
A Spell Casting Focus allows you to cast spells that have material components with your focus as long as the material components aren't consumed and don't have a cost specified. If the spell has somatic components, you can perform them with the focus as well. If the spell doesn't have material components, the focus doesn't help.
A Sorcerer can use Arcane Foci (Staff, Wand, or Orb) for this purpose. A Staff bought as an Arcane Focus (5 GP) can be used as a weapon and a focus.
Pact Weapons can be used as spellcasting foci.
Ruby of the War Mage allows you to attach it to a weapon and use that as a focus.
The Subtle Spell Metamagic costs 1 Sorcery Point but completely removes spell components except for Material Components that are consumed or have a cost. So, Burning Hands (no Material Component) and False Life (Material has no cost and is not consumed) are fine. Chromatic Orb (Material component has a cost) and Stoneskin (Material is consumed) will still have Material Components. Any spell you cast without any Verbal, Somatic, or Material components cannot be Counterspelled.
The War Caster feat (available at level 4+) allows you to perform Somatic components with a weapon and shield in hand but doesn't do anything for Material Components. War Caster + Ruby of the War Mage should cover just about every scenario.
In addition, make a note of your spells and their components. True Strike uses your weapon as a material component so you can cast it while armed just fine. Mind Sliver has only Verbal Components so what you have in hand doesn't matter. Thunderclap only has Somatic components so you absolutely need a free hand to cast it unless you have the War Caster feat.
Regarding whether shields are considered armor, there's a SAC answer indicating that they are different things:
Can you use a Shield with Mage Armor?
Mage Armor works with a Shield. Shields are grouped with armor in the equipment rules in the Player’s Handbook, but various game features distinguish between the armor you don and a Shield you wield. Take a look at the Monk’sUnarmored Defense feature and compare it to the Barbarian’s version. In the Monk’s version, you must both forgo wearing armor and forgo wielding a Shield if you want to benefit from the feature, whereas a Barbarian must only forgo wearing armor.
Unfortunately, this is another case where the Sage Advice answer is wrong.
Its own answer contradicts itself. The whole reason why the Monk's Unarmored Defense feature works differently than the Barbarian's is because the Barbarian feature explicitly includes an exception for Shields. Not the other way around. By default, Shields DO "count as" Armor when features say something like "while not wearing armor". The Barbarian feature uses a phrase like this, but then explicitly declares that the Barbarian may use a shield and still benefit from that feature. The Mage Armor spell makes no such exception and thus should not work correctly while a Shield is donned.
Once a Shield is donned it becomes worn armor just like other types of armor. Again, this was an errata change -- the initial publication did not include the requirement to don a shield, but that has been added back in recently.
Admittedly, the Monk feature does seem to go out of its way to mention that Shields are not allowed even though this should be the default. I think that there has been a trickle-down effect where certain things like this were worded in a way that assumed that Shields are never donned and that change has had some consequences. I'd be curious to know if this Sage Advice answer was published before the errata for donning Shields.
I think that the confusion lies in the fact that the term "Armor" is used in two different ways. First, it seems that the term "Armor" is used as a broad category of equipment which includes the subcategories of Light, Medium, Heavy and Shields (magic items are clearly categorized this way, for example). Within this, there is a distinction between worn Armor (Light, Medium and Heavy) which follows certain rules such as how non-proficiency impacts use which is separate from a wielded Shield which follows a separate rule. When a game feature refers to Armor, it is not always clear which of these two uses are meant.
I could probably be convinced that certain features are referring to the second way while others are referring to the first way, but I don't think that the text itself always makes it obvious.
Oh well that's that's sad that they just trying to exploit something. And yes I know it's that old but I just did hope it still applies since I did not really found anything else regarding to that. Especially since I don't know what's the best place to check for something like that, that's why I ended up asking here for help. But now I know better.
Oh yes right the focus I remember. With one of them, depending on the Class to play, I can basically cast any Spell without worry about Somatic or Material Components as long as the don't have the cost or being consumed part. Even that topic reminds me on another question out of many I try to find an answer to right now but one problem at a time haha
And for Subtle Spell I think the Warlock has something similar with the pact magic? I saw a video where it was mentioned that if they have an specific patron they get something like that where it basically looks like as if they don't cast anything.
About the what do "you" want part....well that's what I try to find out basically to be honest. Right now I just building a character in general since I don't have a DM or a group but I want to build a character that fits any campaign as long as the DM is fine with my concept. And yes I have a semi line I want to tackle through playing with it. I made the character as a Level 1 character right now here on DnD Beyond. All I know was from the start that I wanted to play as a Spellcaster so I did my research about all the classes, but since basically every spellcaster out of the PHB has some features I like outside of 2 it doesn't make it really easy. That's why I was thinking about making a Spellcaster multi Class mix (also being the reason why my post included so many other Spellcasting Classes then Sorcerer). Sorcerer was the most appealing because of the Draconic Bloodline subclass next to Warlock with the pact magic. But at the end I did decide against making a bunch of Classes into one Character since as many people recommend me to not do it based on it would do a lot worse compared to just a Sorcerer or only 2 Classes. I really liked the Idea of my Spellcaster running around the World like in the Sage Background. In search of more Magic I do jobs to learn even more about it in different aspects. And I also like the idea of my ancestors being related to my abilities no matter if it's the Cleric, Warlock or Sorcerer I did have an idea for each to make it work because of a specific ancestor I have in mind for my character. I even thought about doing some homebrew stuff for a class but I am worried that I could make it to strong and I don't want that other players have less fun because I did make mine to strong, even if a dm would probably say something if it's way to strong. And I don't want to be the "it's about me guy" because I know it can be annoying to play with people like that. That's why I try to find some people who can give me some recommendations that work with the goal that my character wants to achieve in a campaign or (depending on the group using one character through multiple campaigns). For example if a campaign goes from Level 1 to 13. Then it would be nice if I can start into the next campaign as a Level 13 character and reach Level 20 at the end.
So now I am one step closer to understanding the game better thanks to you and the others who helped me with my questions until now :)
Oh yes right the focus I remember. With one of them, depending on the Class to play, I can basically cast any Spell without worry about Somatic or Material Components as long as the don't have the cost or being consumed part. Even that topic reminds me on another question out of many I try to find an answer to right now but one problem at a time haha
Almost! If a spell has somatic components without Material Components, the focus can't help. In order to use a focus for a spell, the spell has to have material components (and those components must not have a cost and must not be consumed by the spell).
And for Subtle Spell I think the Warlock has something similar with the pact magic? I saw a video where it was mentioned that if they have an specific patron they get something like that where it basically looks like as if they don't cast anything.
Yes, the Great Old One patron. It has pros and cons compared to Sorcerer's Subtle Spell.
Psychic Spells is only available to the Great Old One patron while Subtle Spell can be selected by any Sorcerer. (Advantage Sorcerer)
Psychic Spells only works with Enchantment and Illusion spells while Subtle Spell can be any school of magic. (Advantage to Sorcerer)
Psychic Spells only removes Verbal and Somatic components while Subtle Spell can also remove material components if the material has not cost and is not consumed. (Advantage Sorcerer)
Psychic Spells is not limited in use while Subtle Spell requires a Sorcery Point per use. (Advantage Great Old One Warlock).
All I know was from the start that I wanted to play as a Spellcaster so I did my research about all the classes, but since basically every spellcaster out of the PHB has some features I like outside of 2 it doesn't make it really easy. That's why I was thinking about making a Spellcaster multi Class mix (also being the reason why my post included so many other Spellcasting Classes then Sorcerer). Sorcerer was the most appealing because of the Draconic Bloodline subclass next to Warlock with the pact magic. But at the end I did decide against making a bunch of Classes into one Character since as many people recommend me to not do it based on it would do a lot worse compared to just a Sorcerer or only 2 Classes. I really liked the Idea of my Spellcaster running around the World like in the Sage Background. In search of more Magic I do jobs to learn even more about it in different aspects. And I also like the idea of my ancestors being related to my abilities no matter if it's the Cleric, Warlock or Sorcerer I did have an idea for each to make it work because of a specific ancestor I have in mind for my character. I even thought about doing some homebrew stuff for a class but I am worried that I could make it to strong and I don't want that other players have less fun because I did make mine to strong, even if a dm would probably say something if it's way to strong. And I don't want to be the "it's about me guy" because I know it can be annoying to play with people like that. That's why I try to find some people who can give me some recommendations that work with the goal that my character wants to achieve in a campaign or (depending on the group using one character through multiple campaigns). For example if a campaign goes from Level 1 to 13. Then it would be nice if I can start into the next campaign as a Level 13 character and reach Level 20 at the end.
I would say starting out, pick your favorite class and stick to that. Then, try another class. Once you have tried a few classes, then consider multiclassing. Every element you layer on adds complexity when you are learning and a spellcaster is more complex than some of the other class options. If Sorcerer is your favorite, and it sounds like it is, play that first. It's a solid first class. Another option, if you are feeling daring is to see if you can find someone running Turn of Fortune's Wheel as a way to experiment. If someone disagrees with this suggestion, feel free to correct me.
And it doesn't sound like you have to be worried about being "too strong" or the "it's about me guy". Most games are going to take place in the earlier levels and it is rare to get into the late teens.
Oh but wouldn't the Spells that have no Material Cost and only Somatic components being covered by War Caster?
Yes thanks that's the one I did mean I just forgot the name. And yeah that's good that Great Old one is worse for my case because the ancestor I did have in mind for my backstory and goal would be a specific fiend even if also fits as an ancestor being usable for a Cleric or the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer. Since I really like the lore behind her and it fits that I wanted to play as some sort of Lawful Evil character.
And yes I would believe Sorcerer is my favorite that is true, probably close after comes the Warlock. That's why my thought was mostly doing a Multi class of them both so I can benefit from the synergy they have.
Now I am curious about what the Wheel of Fortune is in DnD looks like something more for my list to find out about haha
Thanks for this information. It's definitely strange that this Sage Advice answer for Mage Armor would have been written after the errata which required Shields to be donned. Such an error could be explained if it was based on outdated information. But it's just really difficult to get around the fact that the word "donned" means to become worn pretty much no matter how you slice it. Once Shields were required to become donned, they become "worn" armor just like the other categories of armor, despite the fact that the authors seemingly previously had made an effort to only use the word "worn" when describing actual suits of armor and they use words like "held" and "wielded" for Shields.
It really seems like at some point in the development cycle they were trying to do away with the concept of Shields being donned and had moved away from the action economy cost associated with doing so. In that model, a Shield would simply be "wielded" by virtue of simply being held combined with having the appropriate training (proficiency) for shields and in that way "wielding" a shield would be very much akin to "wielding" a sword. It would occupy a hand and that's about it.
I firmly believe that the fact that shields are now required to be donned means that shields are now "worn" just like other types of armor and therefore features which become active "when not wearing any armor" includes all worn armor including shields. I am just not seeing anything in the text which can provide sufficient counterargument to that even though it does seem as though the original intent (before the errata) was that Shields should be considered to be not "worn".
Now I am curious about what the Wheel of Fortune is in DnD looks like something more for my list to find out about haha
Wheel of Fortune is a game show. Turn of Fortune's Wheel is a specific adventure from Planescape that has a twist which adds some complexity but also allows you to explore some additional character ... options. At home we are just getting started in it.
Thanks for this information. It's definitely strange that this Sage Advice answer for Mage Armor would have been written after the errata which required Shields to be donned. Such an error could be explained if it was based on outdated information. But it's just really difficult to get around the fact that the word "donned" means to become worn pretty much no matter how you slice it. Once Shields were required to become donned, they become "worn" armor just like the other categories of armor, despite the fact that the authors seemingly previously had made an effort to only use the word "worn" when describing actual suits of armor and they use words like "held" and "wielded" for Shields.
It is worth noting that the 2014 Sage Advice also refers to donning shields as some of the 2024 rulings are basically copy and pasted from 2014.
SA252: "Can the Disarming Attack maneuver disarm a creature of a shield it has donned? No. Disarming Attack forces a creature to drop an object it is holding. Donned shields aren’t merely held." This is carried forward in the 2024 Sage Advice, SAC Fighter2.
The Mage Armor and Shields ruling was carried forward from 2014 to 2024, SAC Spells MageArmor1.
This one throws me. (Acno_Cero, ignore this, it's not true in 2024. It only applies to 2014 games.)
SA289: "Can you gain the magical bonus of a +2 shield if you are holding the shield without taking an action to don it? Yes, but only the magical +2, which says you gain it when holding the shield. You gain the shield’s base AC bonus only if you use your action to don the shield as normal (see “Getting Into and Out of Armor” in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook)."
What? Thankfully, this is not true in 2024, SAC MagicItems9.
I don't know if this helps your thoughts on the rulings or not, but it was interesting.
My questions are related to the Sorcerer Class specifically to the Subclass Draconic Bloodline in the 2024 rules. Like its a bit confusing for what actually counts to trigger the conditions in that case for my Character.
Let's start with the "Armor". Because at Level 3 I get the Class Feature "Draconic Resilience" thanks to my subclass. As the description says "While you aren’t wearing armor" I only get the benefits if I don't have any Armor on me. Like if I search for Armor on this side it shows me for example "Bark Armor", "Chain Armor" or "Powered Armor" what in my eyes would be obviously wearing armor if I have them equipped so I can't use anything like that. But what about Shields? I mean unlike for the Monk Shields are not listed next to Armor and they also have their own proficiency even I would say they are also armor? So can I basically use a Shield and not wear anything else? Like (item names because I watch a DnD video about them) can I wear a "Goggles of Night", "Boots of Elven Kind", "Hat of Disguise", "Cloak of Protection" or "Gauntlets of Ogre Power"? I would assume out of them I would say only the Gauntlets would count? I just want to understand what I can wear without losing my Draconic Resilience benefits.
Now to the "Weapons". Also at Level 3 I get access to "Draconic Spells", the one that matters for me right now would be the Level 2 Spell "Alter Self". Since we are in the Weapon part of my question you surely know it's about the last section "Natural Weapon". I can use it to turn my hands in for example Claws. Now I have some cases in mind and wonder if they work together with that spell.
Case 1: I make 1 Level into Monk for the "Unarmed Strikes". "Unarmed Strikes" says "Instead of using a weapon to make a melee attack, you can use a punch, kick, headbutt, or similar forceful blow", so would I be able to make a Bonus attack while the Spell is still active or would a hit with claws not qualify for an equal force? Or can it even be considered as an "unarmed attack"? Like I don't have a Weapon in my hand I just use my claws so from my understanding I am unarmed?
Case 2: I make 1 Level into Warlock for the "Eldritch Invocations" where I choose "Pact of the Blade". From what I found online, according to something called "sage advice" it's stated I can use Natural Weapons like I get from my Spell as my Pact Weapon making me use Cha if I use Natural Weapons. So can I now use "Alter Self" through "Pact of the Blade" as a Bonus Action without using Spell Slot? Because I can just conjure my pact weapon? And what proficiency would that be I get through the Pact?
Case 3: I take the "Rune Shaper" Feat. What allows me to "inscribe each rune you know onto one nonmagical Weapon". So can I now put Runes on my hands? I mean according to the Pact ruling they would be seen as a weapon and they are not magical right? So I would put the Storm Rune on them so I am able to Cast the first Level Spell "Thudnerwave" from it without any Spell Slots used.
Case 4: I take 8 Levels into Cleric and take the Tempest Domain subclasse. I can "infuse my Weapon with divine Energy" so as soon as I hit them with my weapon they get extra Thunder Damage from "Divine Strike".
Case 5: An Artificer using there infusions to use "Enhanced Weapon" to grant me a +1 on attack roles for my Weapon. That should work right?
Case 6: I take the Feat "Dual Wielder". Do Claws on each Hand from "Alter Self" as 2 separate melee weapons giving me the +1 on AC or would they count as one single Weapon? And if not would it then count as a 2 handed weapon and benefit from Great Weapon Mastery?
I really hope someone can help me clarify how these things work together.
Shields are not armor. You can use a shield and still gain the benefits of Draconic Resilience. However, shields only provide a benefit if you have training with them, which the Sorcerer class doesn't provide. If you have that training from some other feature, then you can use it. None of the other items you mentioned, including Gauntlets of Ogre Power, are armor either.
As for Alter Self, the description of the spell's "Natural Weapons" effect explicitly says you can use it for Unarmed Strikes.
To address your numbered cases:
pronouns: he/she/they
Unfortunately, the rules text is not 100% consistent regarding whether or not a Shield "counts as" Armor for the purposes of Feature interactions like this. Some text that supports the idea that they are totally separate concepts includes this line in Equipment --> Armor:
There is no mention of Shield in that statement. (This should probably be corrected via errata)
Note that this referenced table originally included a Shield "category" that did NOT list how long it takes to don or doff -- perhaps suggesting that this was not a category of Armor. That has since changed via errata such that this table entry for the Shield now explicitly shows "Shield (Utilize Action to Don or Doff)" which defines how long it takes to don or doff the Shield category, suggesting that this is indeed a category of Armor just like the three others.
Another place where it might appear that Shields are separate from Armor appears in Equipment --> Armor --> Armor Training:
However, in my opinion, this language is a holdover from the original publication where Shields were not listed as having any time cost to don or doff. My hunch is that this was a deliberate change away from the 2014 rules which did require an action to don or doff a Shield because they were intending to make the game much easier to perform various "weapon juggling" such as what is seen in the new Attack action rules. If Shields were "free" to don or doff then there would no longer be any issue with switching between sword and board and a bow and arrow and back again. Ultimately, after the initial publication, this was changed back again with the above errata which once again requires an action to don or doff a Shield. So, the point here is that the above sentence wasn't really trying to call out Shields as being totally separate from Armor -- they were just acknowledging the fact that you don't don a Shield like you don armor, you just "hold" it. (Again, this has since been changed.) Now, currently, the more correct terminology is more like what we had in 2014 where you would "wield" a Shield in order to "equip" it for the armor class bonus and if you only "hold" it, then it's just like holding a book or a something. You are not actually "using" it as a shield if you simply "hold" it. But the entirety of the "Armor Training" section of rules is worded in a way that assumes that Shields are not donned. All of that wording makes less sense now, but it was not updated along with the above change.
Anyway, this is the long way of stating that the better interpretation of the rules is that Shields DO "count as" Armor for the purposes of Features interactions like the one in the OP . . .
-- The PHB has an artistic graphic showing a picture of two shields listed within a Shields category that is pictured within the large overall box that is labeled "Armor".
-- The Armor table clearly shows a 4th category of armor called "Shield" which contains a single table entry -- Shield. There is seemingly no difference between this category and the Light, Medium and Heavy categories in terms of how that table is presented.
-- Magic Items are placed into one of 9 possible categories: Armor, Potions, Rings, Rods, Scrolls, Staffs, Wands, Weapons or Wonderous Items. There is no "Shield" category. The +1 Shield is listed as an example of a magic item that belongs to the Armor category.
-- An example of a Feature that goes out of its way to make an exception for Shields is the Barbarian's Unarmored Defense Feature:
The initial statement about not "wearing any armor" would include all Shields as well as all other Armor. This Feature explicitly makes an exception for Shields. Meaning, even though Shields DO "count as" armor, which isn't allowed, this feature does allow for using a Shield because the Feature explicitly says that it does.
So, circling back to the Draconic Sorcerer's Draconic Resilience feature -- it just says, "while you aren't wearing armor" and does not make any explicit exception for using a shield so you cannot use one in combination with this Feature.
As for whatever else you might be wearing, including magic items, they would only cause a problem if they belong to the Armor category. Of the specific ones that you listed, the Goggles of Night, the Boots of Elvenkind, the Hat of Disguise, the Cloak of Protection, and the Gauntlets of Ogre Power all belong to the Wonderous Items category, not the Armor category, so you can wear any of these without interfering with your Draconic Resilience feature.
As for the questions regarding the Alter Self spell, as a starting point it's always important to remember the rule of thumb "spells do what they say".
From Alter Self:
So, the spell effect is pretty specific. While the spell is active, whenever you make an Unarmed Strike with this "new growth", you resolve that attack in the manner described by the spell description. That's it.
Case 1: Yes, if Alter Self is active and you have 1 Level of Monk then you can make these Unarmed Strikes as a Bonus Action.
Case 2: It's unclear what you're trying to accomplish here. With Alter Self already active you do not need to expend any Bonus Action in order to have access to the effects from that spell description. Even if there was some benefit for doing so, I also don't see any rules support for being able to bond with these "growths" via Pact of the Blade, which requires you to bond with a Simple or Martial or magical weapon. Despite the feature within the Alter Self spell being titled "Natural Weapons", those are not actually weapons at all. They are "growths" of your body that you can utilize for your Unarmed Strikes in a specific way for the duration. Keep in mind that the Bonus Action for Pact of the Blade is only to be able to have the weapon. You must still spend the normal additional action economy in order to actually make attacks with that weapon.
Case 3: No. Alter Self does not actually create any weapon including any nonmagical weapon. This does not work.
Case 4: In the 2024 rules, Unarmed Strikes are no longer considered to be in the category of "weapon attacks". This no longer works. From the Rules Glossary:
Case 5: The prerequisite for Enhanced Weapon is that you must begin that process with a simple or martial weapon. Alter Self does not provide that. This does not work.
Case 6: The 2024 version of Dual Wielder does not provide any +1 AC benefit. But even if it did, you are not wielding melee weapons as a result of the Alter Self spell. This does not work. Alter Self has no interaction with the Great Weapon Master feat either.
The Alter Self spell only does exactly what it says. While the spell is active, whenever you make an Unarmed Strike with this "new growth", you resolve that attack in the manner described by the spell description. That's it.
My opinion is mostly as wagnarokkr said. However:
2. You cannot, but that would be a lot of investment to avoid casting the spell. For one Sorcery point, you can make Alter Self last 24 hours. It will still require concentration. It will use your spellcasting stat for attack and damage (Charisma). If you still want to multiclass into Warlock, you have much better options. You can conjure any simple or martial melee weapon and you become proficient in it and can use it as a spellcasting focus. You can have a magical trident that deals 1d8 or 1d10 piercing, necrotic, radiant, or psychic damage and can throw it. Do you want Pact of the Blade in order to have free claws? It can't help you. Do you want Pact of the Blade in order to deal a variety of damage types? It can work for that and there are better options than the Alter Self options or the simple/martial weapon equivalents (Handaxe, Mace, or Spear).
3. You can inscribe the Storm rune on your clothes as long as they are not magical. You don't need to inscribe it on a weapon.
4. This works with Pact of the Blade but not with Alter Self. That would be a lot of investment for the feature and would cut you off from a lot of Sorcerer features. Is this worth losing out on or delaying Elemental Affinity, 2 to 4 extra metamagic options, Dragon Wings, the Dragon Companion and more? Even one level of multiclassing with block you from achieving Arcane Apotheosis.
5. No. However, they are unarmed strikes so Wraps of Unarmed Power would work. An Artificer can replicate them at level 2.
6. No. They do not interact with Dual Wielder or Great Weapon Master, but a Pact Weapon might (see 2, above). You can get a small benefit from Tavern Brawler. It will improve your damage while Alter Self is not up and whether Alter Self is up or not, you can benefit from the damage reroll and the free push. Punch, push 5 feet out of reach and leave without provoking an attack of opportunity is a solid strategy for a caster. Particularly if you can push them into someone else reach.
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Ok that's interesting but I have some questions about the cases.
Case 1 is the opposite from what I expected since mostly what I found online was saying you can't use Natural Weapons for Unarmed Strikes from the Monk but I guess it could help if I actually want to do that.
Case 2 is confusing me since I thought because of the ruling in the saga advice or how it's called from 2014 it did say you can choose them as your Pact Weapon. In my head it was mostly like if an enemy is close I could hit them with "Alter Self" as a physical attack and cast Eldritch Blast since I get that from being a Warlock in that case. So did the ruling change now or why can't the Natural Weapons be my Pact Weapon? To be noted Dragonborn Species is what the character is and if I then take dragon claws I thought it would fit together for Pact of the Blade.
Case 3 is the same reasoning as in case 2 I thought it would work because of the Sage Advice thing I found online.
Case 4 is confusing me a lot since reading through the Cleric subclass Tempest Domain I don't see anything mentioning Unarmed Strikes. It says "At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 thunder damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8." So what has Unarmed Strikes to do with it?
Case 4 is again because of Sage Advice what I thought would apply here.
Case 5 is making sense yes. Even you basically have 2 weapons to attack with it's probably still considered as one weapon? And Great Weapon makes even more sense.
IMO, the wording "Natural Weapon" in Alter Self is just descriptive, and doesn't have any mechanical meaning. The mechanical part is the effect that applies when you use your Unarmed Strike to deal damage.
As mentioned here or in Why aren't natural weapons able to be use for two-weapon fighting style?, the term "natural weapons" doesn't appear in the 2024 rules, except in that spell (AFAIK). Previously, in the 2014 rules, it was mentioned in the 2014 MM.
Acno_Cero there are also some threads in the subforum about "natural weapons" in relation to Unarmed Strikes, in case you can get something useful for your rulings:
(note that some of the following threads are from before the 2025 Monster Manual and the updated 2024 SAC)
In 2014, "Natural Weapons" were considered weapons and not unarmed strikes. Alter Self has a Natural Weapon effect but it explicitly says that it is an Unarmed Strike.
The Sage Advice from 2014 never said you can summon Natural Weapons as Pact Weapons. It does say that they are weapons. This must have been someone trying to exploit the technicality in that wording and the Pact of the Blade wording. In 2014, I would never allow natural weapons as Pact of the Blade weapons under a rules as written (RAW) interpretation. I don't think it was ever valid. It is simply harder to make a case for it in 2024.
It took me a moment to find this ability it's a mess. Effectively, I believe Divine Strike at level 8 is replaced with Blessed Strikes at level 7 in 2024. In 2014, you had Divine Strikes as a level 8 subclass ability with an optional Blessed Strikes replacing it. In 2024, all clerics have Blessed Strikes at a level 7 and there is no level 8 Subclass ability. In 2024, you would have Radiant or Necrotic options and not Thunder.
It works with Weapon Strikes and doesn't work with Unarmed Strikes. Alter Self's "Natural Weapon" option gives you an Unarmed Strike and not a weapon of any kind.
You could combine Blessed Strikes with a Pact Weapon but not the attack from Alter Self.
No. Your attack from Alter Self is an Unarmed Strike, not a weapon.
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My houserulings.
Regarding whether shields are considered armor, there's a SAC answer indicating that they are different things:
It makes sense the way that you explained it. Also I was referring to this post I found on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/s/zUFFoau6sN
I hope sending links here from other sites is fine. I just want to make sure where I got the "Natural Weapons count as Weapons" idea from. Not sending it to convince you that it's true, more so to make sure if this was really trying to be used as some sort of exploit or if I just did understand something wrong.
But if that really doesn't work, is there a way to make something similar work? Because from my understanding you can't cast Spells if you have 2 weapons or 1 and a Shield. Also I would really like to be able to attack my opponent in close combat, because I did read that casting a Spell would give you disadvantage in your attack if the enemy is to close. I hope that's the right wording I am still very new to DnD. So if there is a spell, Item, Class Feature or anything else that can make a similar setting work, I would love to know what I would need to get.
It's a little more complicated than that. Spells that have somatic components require a free hand. Not all spells have somatic components, and the War Caster feat removes this restriction.
You have disadvantage on ranged attacks if there's an enemy within 5 feet of you. That includes ranged weapon attacks and ranged spell attacks, but it doesn't include melee spell attacks, and it doesn't affect spells that require the target to make a saving throw rather than rolling an attack.
pronouns: he/she/they
Ok good to know that it only affects Spells with a Somatic Component, I thought it's nice to have but that part of War Caster would be actually useful then. Since it doesn't affect Spells that only have Verbal or Material Components, I would be totally fine if I have no free hand thanks to War Caster. And if I use for example "Chill Touch" instead of a ranged Spell then it's not a problem either.
That Reddit post is 5 years old and is indeed exploiting a technicality of the wording. It references the 2014 Players Handbook and 2014 Sage Advice Compendium.
Some references:
Asking rules questions here is an excellent place to
start a fightget answers for the current edition. ;) Posting a Reddit link is fine and gives us context regarding your source. However, I still don't know what you want for your character. Do you want to be a pile of shenanigans in a trenchcoat or is there a theme you want to build around? Are you building for a theoretical game or a planned game? Are you starting at level 1 or higher?Essentially, Pact of the Blade is intended to replicate standard, mundane, manufactured melee weapons. These are primarily in the Weapons table of the Player's Handbook.
As a Sorcerer, you are actually well equipped to handle the scenario. If you multiclass into Warlock, you get some options, but I would stay straight Sorcerer, particularly if you're new.
In addition, make a note of your spells and their components. True Strike uses your weapon as a material component so you can cast it while armed just fine. Mind Sliver has only Verbal Components so what you have in hand doesn't matter. Thunderclap only has Somatic components so you absolutely need a free hand to cast it unless you have the War Caster feat.
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Unfortunately, this is another case where the Sage Advice answer is wrong.
Its own answer contradicts itself. The whole reason why the Monk's Unarmored Defense feature works differently than the Barbarian's is because the Barbarian feature explicitly includes an exception for Shields. Not the other way around. By default, Shields DO "count as" Armor when features say something like "while not wearing armor". The Barbarian feature uses a phrase like this, but then explicitly declares that the Barbarian may use a shield and still benefit from that feature. The Mage Armor spell makes no such exception and thus should not work correctly while a Shield is donned.
Once a Shield is donned it becomes worn armor just like other types of armor. Again, this was an errata change -- the initial publication did not include the requirement to don a shield, but that has been added back in recently.
Admittedly, the Monk feature does seem to go out of its way to mention that Shields are not allowed even though this should be the default. I think that there has been a trickle-down effect where certain things like this were worded in a way that assumed that Shields are never donned and that change has had some consequences. I'd be curious to know if this Sage Advice answer was published before the errata for donning Shields.
I think that the confusion lies in the fact that the term "Armor" is used in two different ways. First, it seems that the term "Armor" is used as a broad category of equipment which includes the subcategories of Light, Medium, Heavy and Shields (magic items are clearly categorized this way, for example). Within this, there is a distinction between worn Armor (Light, Medium and Heavy) which follows certain rules such as how non-proficiency impacts use which is separate from a wielded Shield which follows a separate rule. When a game feature refers to Armor, it is not always clear which of these two uses are meant.
I could probably be convinced that certain features are referring to the second way while others are referring to the first way, but I don't think that the text itself always makes it obvious.
The update in DDB for the Armor table was noticed around September 4, 2024: 2024 rules - errata already?
The first errata release for the new core rulebooks came out on April 16, 2025 (Sage Advice and Errata for the New Core Rules is Live)
The updated SAC was released on April 30, 2025.
Oh well that's that's sad that they just trying to exploit something. And yes I know it's that old but I just did hope it still applies since I did not really found anything else regarding to that. Especially since I don't know what's the best place to check for something like that, that's why I ended up asking here for help. But now I know better.
Oh yes right the focus I remember. With one of them, depending on the Class to play, I can basically cast any Spell without worry about Somatic or Material Components as long as the don't have the cost or being consumed part. Even that topic reminds me on another question out of many I try to find an answer to right now but one problem at a time haha
And for Subtle Spell I think the Warlock has something similar with the pact magic? I saw a video where it was mentioned that if they have an specific patron they get something like that where it basically looks like as if they don't cast anything.
About the what do "you" want part....well that's what I try to find out basically to be honest. Right now I just building a character in general since I don't have a DM or a group but I want to build a character that fits any campaign as long as the DM is fine with my concept. And yes I have a semi line I want to tackle through playing with it. I made the character as a Level 1 character right now here on DnD Beyond. All I know was from the start that I wanted to play as a Spellcaster so I did my research about all the classes, but since basically every spellcaster out of the PHB has some features I like outside of 2 it doesn't make it really easy. That's why I was thinking about making a Spellcaster multi Class mix (also being the reason why my post included so many other Spellcasting Classes then Sorcerer). Sorcerer was the most appealing because of the Draconic Bloodline subclass next to Warlock with the pact magic. But at the end I did decide against making a bunch of Classes into one Character since as many people recommend me to not do it based on it would do a lot worse compared to just a Sorcerer or only 2 Classes. I really liked the Idea of my Spellcaster running around the World like in the Sage Background. In search of more Magic I do jobs to learn even more about it in different aspects. And I also like the idea of my ancestors being related to my abilities no matter if it's the Cleric, Warlock or Sorcerer I did have an idea for each to make it work because of a specific ancestor I have in mind for my character. I even thought about doing some homebrew stuff for a class but I am worried that I could make it to strong and I don't want that other players have less fun because I did make mine to strong, even if a dm would probably say something if it's way to strong. And I don't want to be the "it's about me guy" because I know it can be annoying to play with people like that. That's why I try to find some people who can give me some recommendations that work with the goal that my character wants to achieve in a campaign or (depending on the group using one character through multiple campaigns). For example if a campaign goes from Level 1 to 13. Then it would be nice if I can start into the next campaign as a Level 13 character and reach Level 20 at the end.
So now I am one step closer to understanding the game better thanks to you and the others who helped me with my questions until now :)
Almost! If a spell has somatic components without Material Components, the focus can't help. In order to use a focus for a spell, the spell has to have material components (and those components must not have a cost and must not be consumed by the spell).
Yes, the Great Old One patron. It has pros and cons compared to Sorcerer's Subtle Spell.
I would say starting out, pick your favorite class and stick to that. Then, try another class. Once you have tried a few classes, then consider multiclassing. Every element you layer on adds complexity when you are learning and a spellcaster is more complex than some of the other class options. If Sorcerer is your favorite, and it sounds like it is, play that first. It's a solid first class. Another option, if you are feeling daring is to see if you can find someone running Turn of Fortune's Wheel as a way to experiment. If someone disagrees with this suggestion, feel free to correct me.
And it doesn't sound like you have to be worried about being "too strong" or the "it's about me guy". Most games are going to take place in the earlier levels and it is rare to get into the late teens.
I have never played here, but you can try looking for a game in Play-By-Post, D&D Organized Play (may be a little stricter than your average table), or Looking for Players & Groups.
In any case, welcome to the Party and I look forward to seeing you around. :D
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Oh but wouldn't the Spells that have no Material Cost and only Somatic components being covered by War Caster?
Yes thanks that's the one I did mean I just forgot the name. And yeah that's good that Great Old one is worse for my case because the ancestor I did have in mind for my backstory and goal would be a specific fiend even if also fits as an ancestor being usable for a Cleric or the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer. Since I really like the lore behind her and it fits that I wanted to play as some sort of Lawful Evil character.
And yes I would believe Sorcerer is my favorite that is true, probably close after comes the Warlock. That's why my thought was mostly doing a Multi class of them both so I can benefit from the synergy they have.
Now I am curious about what the Wheel of Fortune is in DnD looks like something more for my list to find out about haha
So thanks again and me too
Thanks for this information. It's definitely strange that this Sage Advice answer for Mage Armor would have been written after the errata which required Shields to be donned. Such an error could be explained if it was based on outdated information. But it's just really difficult to get around the fact that the word "donned" means to become worn pretty much no matter how you slice it. Once Shields were required to become donned, they become "worn" armor just like the other categories of armor, despite the fact that the authors seemingly previously had made an effort to only use the word "worn" when describing actual suits of armor and they use words like "held" and "wielded" for Shields.
It really seems like at some point in the development cycle they were trying to do away with the concept of Shields being donned and had moved away from the action economy cost associated with doing so. In that model, a Shield would simply be "wielded" by virtue of simply being held combined with having the appropriate training (proficiency) for shields and in that way "wielding" a shield would be very much akin to "wielding" a sword. It would occupy a hand and that's about it.
I firmly believe that the fact that shields are now required to be donned means that shields are now "worn" just like other types of armor and therefore features which become active "when not wearing any armor" includes all worn armor including shields. I am just not seeing anything in the text which can provide sufficient counterargument to that even though it does seem as though the original intent (before the errata) was that Shields should be considered to be not "worn".
Yes. I was just saying that Spellcasting Foci wouldn't help. War Caster won't help until level 4+ (you can't get normally beforehand).
Wheel of Fortune is a game show. Turn of Fortune's Wheel is a specific adventure from Planescape that has a twist which adds some complexity but also allows you to explore some additional character ... options. At home we are just getting started in it.
It is worth noting that the 2014 Sage Advice also refers to donning shields as some of the 2024 rulings are basically copy and pasted from 2014.
SA252: "Can the Disarming Attack maneuver disarm a creature of a shield it has donned? No. Disarming Attack forces a creature to drop an object it is holding. Donned shields aren’t merely held." This is carried forward in the 2024 Sage Advice, SAC Fighter2.
The Mage Armor and Shields ruling was carried forward from 2014 to 2024, SAC Spells MageArmor1.
This one throws me. (Acno_Cero, ignore this, it's not true in 2024. It only applies to 2014 games.)
SA289: "Can you gain the magical bonus of a +2 shield if you are holding the shield without taking an action to don it?
Yes, but only the magical +2, which says you gain it when holding the shield. You gain the shield’s base AC bonus only if you use your action to don the shield as normal (see “Getting Into and Out of Armor” in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook)."
What? Thankfully, this is not true in 2024, SAC MagicItems9.
I don't know if this helps your thoughts on the rulings or not, but it was interesting.
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