Can you use two arcane foci at the same time? For example, a wand in one hand, a staff in the other.
It seems like it should work, since you can use the same hand for material and somatic components, and the focus just replaces the material components.
On the other hand, if you can do somatic components with a staff in the same hand, then war caster seems pretty meaningless.
I don’t see why not, but why would you want to? I see no rules benefit to using two compared to one and a lot more utility with a free hand or literally any other item.
you would be unable to cast a VS or S spell without a free hand (or warcaster) also
I don’t see why not, but why would you want to? I see no rules benefit to using two compared to one and a lot more utility with a free hand or literally any other item.
you would be unable to cast a VS or S spell without a free hand (or warcaster) also
The feat only allows S components "when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands." If you choose to use two non-weapon foci, you'd still have to put one away.
The only use I could possibly see for this would be two spells that require specific foci (eg, Scrying) but even then, just switch the two around as needed.
I don’t see why not, but why would you want to? I see no rules benefit to using two compared to one and a lot more utility with a free hand or literally any other item.
you would be unable to cast a VS or S spell without a free hand (or warcaster) also
The feat only allows S components "when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands." If you choose to use two non-weapon foci, you'd still have to put one away.
I figured the staff in the OP could be considered a quarter staff (most of the magic staves can) but you are correct
I don’t see why not, but why would you want to? I see no rules benefit to using two compared to one and a lot more utility with a free hand or literally any other item.
you would be unable to cast a VS or S spell without a free hand (or warcaster) also
The feat only allows S components "when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands." If you choose to use two non-weapon foci, you'd still have to put one away.
I figured the staff in the OP could be considered a quarter staff (most of the magic staves can) but you are correct
In the specific instance in question: One of my players wanted to use a staff of defense in one hand, and a wand of the war mage in the other. Both offer passive bonuses that aren't available when not in hand. The question was, can you hold both and still cast spells with somatic components?
The character would effectively be in the same situation as a character with a fucus in one hand and something else (such as a weapon) in the other.
If a spell has both M and S components then the hand holding the focus can be the same as the hand doing the somantic component so there is no problem with that. If the spell has a somantic compent but no material component the spell requires a free hand (that is not holding a focus) so one the the foci wopuld need ot be put away before the spell is cast. Putting the item away would use your interaction with object so you would not be able to put the focus away, cast a spell and grab thefocus again in the same turn but you could put the item away and cast a spell (with somantic but no material components) one turn and then on your next turn pick up the focus and cast a spell.
I don’t see why not, but why would you want to? I see no rules benefit to using two compared to one and a lot more utility with a free hand or literally any other item.
you would be unable to cast a VS or S spell without a free hand (or warcaster) also
The feat only allows S components "when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands." If you choose to use two non-weapon foci, you'd still have to put one away.
I figured the staff in the OP could be considered a quarter staff (most of the magic staves can) but you are correct
In the specific instance in question: One of my players wanted to use a staff of defense in one hand, and a wand of the war mage in the other. Both offer passive bonuses that aren't available when not in hand. The question was, can you hold both and still cast spells with somatic components?
I can’t see the staffs stats as I don’t have the access, but the DMG says magic staves can be used as a quarter staff unless the staff description says otherwise. You would need the Warcaster feat to cast S or VS spells while holding both, but the feat would work as the staff can be considered a weapon (unless it’s description says otherwise)
I don’t see why not, but why would you want to? I see no rules benefit to using two compared to one and a lot more utility with a free hand or literally any other item.
you would be unable to cast a VS or S spell without a free hand (or warcaster) also
The feat only allows S components "when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands." If you choose to use two non-weapon foci, you'd still have to put one away.
I figured the staff in the OP could be considered a quarter staff (most of the magic staves can) but you are correct
In the specific instance in question: One of my players wanted to use a staff of defense in one hand, and a wand of the war mage in the other. Both offer passive bonuses that aren't available when not in hand. The question was, can you hold both and still cast spells with somatic components?
I can’t see the staffs stats as I don’t have the access, but the DMG says magic staves can be used as a quarter staff unless the staff description says otherwise. You would need the Warcaster feat to cast S or VS spells while holding both, but the feat would work as the staff can be considered a weapon (unless it’s description says otherwise)
Yeah. I see now that this exact situation is addressed in Sage Advice.
This is really fiddly, but I guess that's what happens when you want to do something funky like that.
While holding to arcane foci might be funky, holding a weapon and an arcane focus is not but is just as fiddly. A lot of dms I know ignore the rule and allow you to cast any spell if you have a focus is one hand and something else in the other but this is not RAI
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Can you use two arcane foci at the same time? For example, a wand in one hand, a staff in the other.
It seems like it should work, since you can use the same hand for material and somatic components, and the focus just replaces the material components.
On the other hand, if you can do somatic components with a staff in the same hand, then war caster seems pretty meaningless.
I don’t see why not, but why would you want to? I see no rules benefit to using two compared to one and a lot more utility with a free hand or literally any other item.
you would be unable to cast a VS or S spell without a free hand (or warcaster) also
The feat only allows S components "when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands." If you choose to use two non-weapon foci, you'd still have to put one away.
The only use I could possibly see for this would be two spells that require specific foci (eg, Scrying) but even then, just switch the two around as needed.
Chilling kinda vibe.
I figured the staff in the OP could be considered a quarter staff (most of the magic staves can) but you are correct
In the specific instance in question: One of my players wanted to use a staff of defense in one hand, and a wand of the war mage in the other. Both offer passive bonuses that aren't available when not in hand. The question was, can you hold both and still cast spells with somatic components?
The character would effectively be in the same situation as a character with a fucus in one hand and something else (such as a weapon) in the other.
If a spell has both M and S components then the hand holding the focus can be the same as the hand doing the somantic component so there is no problem with that. If the spell has a somantic compent but no material component the spell requires a free hand (that is not holding a focus) so one the the foci wopuld need ot be put away before the spell is cast. Putting the item away would use your interaction with object so you would not be able to put the focus away, cast a spell and grab thefocus again in the same turn but you could put the item away and cast a spell (with somantic but no material components) one turn and then on your next turn pick up the focus and cast a spell.
I can’t see the staffs stats as I don’t have the access, but the DMG says magic staves can be used as a quarter staff unless the staff description says otherwise. You would need the Warcaster feat to cast S or VS spells while holding both, but the feat would work as the staff can be considered a weapon (unless it’s description says otherwise)
Yeah. I see now that this exact situation is addressed in Sage Advice.
This is really fiddly, but I guess that's what happens when you want to do something funky like that.
While holding to arcane foci might be funky, holding a weapon and an arcane focus is not but is just as fiddly. A lot of dms I know ignore the rule and allow you to cast any spell if you have a focus is one hand and something else in the other but this is not RAI