Quote from NightskyPirate >>

This is deliberate. The only way he could be remotely be considered correct in that interpretation is if it said "a free hand AND hold". Even then, that's are more strict version, because then there are TWO requirements.

But... nope...

Rav, you're wrong.

You must chew on the corn
You must have teeth to chew on the corn
You must have teeth and chew on the corn

 Your example doesn't even follow the same sentence structure which helps identify that you're simply confused. Really do stick with one of my examples, I format it in the same structure as the rule.

You must have a free schedule to work nights or weekends.

1. You must work nights and weekends.
2. You must have an available schedule.

Do you know which it is? Do you know why?

Identify the object of the sentence and the rest falls into place. http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/objects.htm

.................................................

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.

Guess we need to dissect this sentence to help illustrate how sentences like this work.

So, to start off, we need to know the subject. Who/what are we even talking about here.

• A spellcaster

Okay. A spellcaster. Cool. Someone who is casting a spell. This sentence is about a spellcaster. But... what about them? Certainly there is more here...

• must have
• a hand

Blam Blam. A requirement, and the object required. They "Must Have".... "A Hand". Well, seems pretty straightforward so far, is there more? Oh! Looks like there is!

• free to

Ah, the hand needs to be free to... do something. "A Spellcaster must have a hand" would be such a weird thing to say all by itself lol. Yes yes, of course, the hand the spellcaster must have... needs to be free to do something. But what?

• to access a spell's material components
• or
• to hold a spellcasting focus

We have here two things that the hand must be free to do, but, we have an option here because of the OR. It must be free to do one or the other of these things. Cool cool, we need a free hand capable of doing one of two options. Fun. What else?

• but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.

Oh right, the line yall keep pretending doesn't even exist in the book at all. This is the bit that tells us that the hand which is free can be the same hand as which provides S components. But thankfully it is separated by a 'but' meaning it is its own clause and we can just set it aside for the time being.

So what did we learn?

we learned that this sentence is about a spellcaster, someone casting a spell. We learned it was structured as a requirement that needs fulfilling and that the requirement was for a hand, a hand which is free, free to either access or hold.

What did we not learn? We didn't learn that the requirement also included the having completed the accessing or holding bits. Only the availability to be able to do them.

And so, the rules do not care if you ever actually hold the focus, only that you have the ability to do so.

What we're trying to drill into your head is that there are different interpretations of what "having a free hand to" means. The most correct and obvious option is that you must hold the arcane focus to use it. 

You think the mechanical, technical rules relevant part ends with "A spellcaster must have a hand free"?

No. Nonono. Nope. Wrong. It very certainly includes the action that the free hand is required for- accessing the components or holding the focus.

Quote from NightskyPirate >>

LETS GO A STEP FURTHER:

Hold. Verb. To grasp, carry, or support with one's arms or hands.

By referencing a free hand, it is established that it is the hand that must be performing said actions.

Yes, yes, the word Hold is a verb. But the verb you're looking for here is Have. Because the requirement is "Must" and what must we do? Have.

Must Have.

Must - requirement.

Have - the doing that is required

It doesn't say Must Hold. It says Must have.

You're genuinely off base here my friend, I really recommend you stop and rethink what you're saying.

A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components

Must. Have.

The required doing, is a requirement to do: The Having.

A fighter must have a free hand to attack with a weapon in their hand. 

Quote from LeviRocks >>

What we're trying to drill into your head is that there are different interpretations of what "having a free hand to" means. The most correct and obvious option is that you must hold the arcane focus to use it. 

 There are an infinite number of wrong ways to read something, I agree.

Rav, you're honestly off base. Its saying you must have X to do Y. There's no break.

Quote from LeviRocks >>

A fighter must have a free hand to attack with a weapon in their hand. 

 Yeah, what's funny is this in line with MY interpretation of what a free hand means, and not yalls.

I fully believe a free hand is something not doing something mechanically. In which cast having a free hand to attack with a weapon in their hand makes perfect sense, since the tool is for the action, so long as their hand isn't busy with something else it is free to attack with.

But that isn't what yall seem to think a free hand means, you've been arguing that a free hand MUST be an empty one.

So what are you even arguing here?

Quote from NightskyPirate >>

Rav, you're honestly off base. Its saying you must have X to do Y. There's no break.

 It says you must have an X free to do Y. It doesn't say X must do Y.

If you cannot concede this point then you're unable to read English capably enough to really be involved in these topics as an authority. You may want to relegate yourself to only asking questions and leave the answering to others.

I know it sucks to be wrong when you're already this invested into failing to prove youre correct, but the words on the page are black and white. You can't force them to be different words.

We're arguing that you have to hold the item if you want to use it, the same as any weapon, or magic item. 

You know what, you're a lost cause. If you can't see that our rulings for the original question, which is the topic of this thread, are correct RAW, and you've spent 20ish pages arguing nonsense, you've taken too much of my time. I sure hope you don't spread this misinformation to anyone else. Ignoring in 3. 2. 1. Now. 

No, it really does say you must have X to do Y - or Z. You're forgetting the earlier part of this.

"Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in “Equipment”) in place of the components specified for a spell."

So. Yes. You must have Y or Z (or the exact components specified). And to do Y or Z, you must have X. So you must have X must have Y or Z (or the exact components specified).

And that's this inane gibberish form of your own talk. (smh)

"I can't win on the 'holding a focus gives this spell a new M requirement" argument, so I'll try the 'what even is holding?' tactic" This is an argument of desperation.

Quote from WolfOfTheBees >>

"I can't win on the 'holding a focus gives this spell a new M requirement" argument, so I'll try the 'what even is holding?' tactic" This is an argument of desperation.

Obviously, yes. Trolls tend to do that. 

To be clear to anyone on this thread who is not Rav, RAW, you cannot cast spells with somatic components with your hands full, even if one of those objects is a spellcasting focus. 

Also.

"You must have a free schedule to work nights or weekends."

In the real world, that does mean you must work nights and weekends. Maybe not all nights, or all weekends, but you're gonna work 'em.

My answer to the original post (completely ignoring the 26.9 pages of content since then):

Swish and flick. You can do that with a wand, but not with a mace or shield so easily. From a RAI perspective, I think somatic components can be performed as long as you have at least one hand that can do fine motor control easily.

Quote from LeviRocks >>

Quote from WolfOfTheBees >>

"I can't win on the 'holding a focus gives this spell a new M requirement" argument, so I'll try the 'what even is holding?' tactic" This is an argument of desperation.

Obviously, yes. Trolls tend to do that. 

To be clear to anyone on this thread who is not Rav, RAW, you cannot cast spells with somatic components with your hands full, even if one of those objects is a spellcasting focus. 

 Naw, if it isn't clear, and it probably isn't for you because you have difficulty following along... that is the nonsense that arises from taking your interpretation seriously. I've said a million times that I don't think the hand isn't free at all unless it is doing something. Holding a focus for spellcasting isn't doing something other than being available for spellcasting.

You can twist that however you want to make it seem absurd, but it is by far the most consistent and reasonable interpretation of the rules text that exists here.

Your hand is free to cast spells if it is holding a focus, because that its literally all it can be used for. And that is literally what the rules tell us. We know it is free because we've established it isn't doing anything else, like wielding something else, and it can be used for spellcasting because it meets all the necessary requirements to do so. It isn't doing anything else so it is free.

As someone said earlier, swish and flick. Holding a wand doesn't prevent you from performing S components. Nothing says it does. Nothing. You can repeat it all you want but not one single person here has quoted actual rules saying otherwise. If you can't quote the text that supports your view. Your view is not RAW.

Rav, I saw that you posted. Even though I cannot see your posts, I can assume you were again spreading nonsense. If anyone is having doubts about the RAW ruling for this, you only have to reference the rules:

Somatic (S)

Spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures.

Material (M)

Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5, “Equipment”) in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.

If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell.

A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components — or to hold a spellcasting focus — but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.

If the spell has only somatic components with no material components that aren't consumed and have no cost, you cannot use the same hand that's holding the spellcasting focus to make the somatic components. 

If it has somatic and material components, and there is no cost to the material components and they are not consumed, you may use the same hand for the spellcasting focus and material components. 

This is the correct ruling in general. There are exceptions to nearly every rule in D&D. This applies to every spellcaster automatically. 

This is all you need to know about RAW. RAI, you're supposed to be able to do somatic components with a spellcasting focus in any case if you're holding it. I always rule it this way. I don't use the RAW ruling, because it's not Rule of Fun or RAI. 

"Holding a wand doesn't prevent you from performing S components. Nothing says it does."

Having a hand free to hold a focus does not mean that the hand is free when holding a focus.

Thus when you're holding a focus in your hand, your hand is not free.

Somatic (S)

Spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures.

You don't have free use of a hand if there's something in it.