An incredibly fun gimmicky setup I ran for a short game with my friend. We went from level 1 to 6 and this is the class I played. Feedback or ideas are absolutely welcome. Lets see what your ideas are for this!!
Choose Booming Blade and Witchbolt (I Know, Bare With Me)
Str 15 (16), Dex 10, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 15 (16), Cha 8 (Point Buy)
Subclass: Tempest Domain
Weapon: Quarterstaff and Shield
Special Note: If a Spell has a Somatic Only component (or a V,S) such as spiritual weapon or call lightning, you can drop your quarterstaff and pick it up as an object interaction before attacks (Make it sound cool: “a minor electrical jolt shoots from my hand and into my quarterstaff as I pick it up and swing it at the goblin, crushing its skull in”. ). It’s like thor but with a staff!
* Dropping the shield is too hard – less ac and a dm may consider unstrapping and restrapping or whatever an action.
Cleric 1
AC 20 (16 Chain Mail, 2 Shield, 2 Shield of Faith)
Wrath of the Strom on Hit (2d8 thunder or lightning) 3/Long rest
USE Booming Blade Cantrip! (Magic Initiate)
Damage/Turn: 4-9 (1d6+3) + 1-8 Thunder if they move (Willing movement only)!
Cleric 2
Channel Divinity 1/Short Rest – Can now do max damage on Wrath of the Storm Once
Reminder: You automatically have THUNDERWAVE PREPARED!! –16 DMG AOE!!!
Actually you can’t drop it and pick it up as that is two separate object interactions. Dropping a shield IS a full action, it literally says so in the rules for donning and doffing armour. Likewise casting a spell like call lightning and using it each round takes up your full action. So no, you can’t drop a quarterstaff, cast call lightning, pick up your quarterstaff and then hit the enemy with it all in the same turn. Unless you have something like the fighters action surge.
dropping a weapon is essentially free (not the same as doffing a shield), and picking one up (assuming neither you nor it have moved in the interim) is an object-interaction, which you get one of, for free, as part of your regular action.
I hate to break this to you, but you are incorrect. First off, releasing a weapon is considered a free action and is not on the object interaction table. This is confirmed by Jeremy Crawford. Secondly, at the top of my post i mentioned not dropping the shield, hence, like you said, action for removing armor and shields.
Jeremy Crawford
@JeremyECrawford
@DnDMontreal The intent is that letting go of something requires no appreciable effort. But picking it up does.
The problem that dropping the quarterstaff seems to be addressing is the fact that, despite Quarterstaves still functioning as a spellcasting focus, by RAW you can't use a hand occupied with holding a spellcasting focus to perform the somatic components of a spell if that spell does not also include a material component. It's a little confusing, because the rules also state that if a spell has a material component you can use the same hand that performs the somatic components to also use the material components... which I think leads to the assumption that you can perform somatic components with a spellcasting focus in your hand (and many DM's aren't strict enough to be so literal about the rules), but I believe you actually need a fully free hand to perform spells with somatics but no material.
As a cleric, my holy symbol is painted on my shield. The shield functions as both my focus and my somatic if the spell has both. If I only have a somatic component spell (no material), I nees a free hand, hence dropping the staff. I'm not a wizard. In the case of witchbolt, I only need a free hand to cast the spell not concentrate. The free hand can do both somatic and material or somatic only.
Magic Initiate forces you to use the spellcasting ability modifier of the class you choose for the feat, not your base class. It also only allows you to cast the 1st-level spell once per day. So no, Witch Bolt is still garbage.
This build is MAD and at level 6 still only has +2 in your two core modifiers (STR and WIS). Edit: Sorry, I missed that these were bumped to 16 with racial modifiers.
Many spells are circumstantial and "garbage"; however, I enjoy finding uses for things that aren't normally used or popular. In this build, int is my dump stat, so ya, I know I use it for witchbolt, but I only have to hit once. Beyond that, booming blade is great for anyone action build and made magic Initiate a great choice. It doesnt matter what the stat is. Also, 16 in two primary stats is great for level 6, considering you only have one advancement option at that level and most builds get a feat first anyway.
I hate to break this to you, but you are incorrect. First off, releasing a weapon is considered a free action and is not on the object interaction table. This is confirmed by Jeremy Crawford. Secondly, at the top of my post i mentioned not dropping the shield, hence, like you said, action for removing armor and shields.
Jeremy Crawford
@JeremyECrawford
@DnDMontreal The intent is that letting go of something requires no appreciable effort. But picking it up does.
Jeremy’s twitter feed is not considered RAW. In fact WotC has previously stated that it is just his personal opinion and does not form an official rule for the game. Some dm’s will allow it but others won’t. This entire tactic is cheesy, and it definitely doesn’t work the way you think it does.
1. Call lightning and shield of faith are concentration spells so you can’t use them at the same time.
2. Call lightning uses your action every turn which means you only have a bonus action left, so no casting booming blade, no attacking with your staff.
3. You only get the bonus action attack from polearm master when you take the ‘attack’ action, casting booming blade is the ‘cast a spell’ action so doesn’t qualify.
4. A quarterstaff does not have the reach quality so the range is 5ft not 10’. It also requires your reaction to make the opportunity attack so you only get it once per turn.
5. The polearm extra attack uses your bonus action, Spiritual Weapon uses your bonus action. Therefore you can’t use both at the same time.
6. Witchbolt is only once per long rest and is universally considered a terrible spell. It also uses your entire action each turn meaning no casting booming blade, no hitting with the quarterstaff, no using call lightning.
7. To get the bonus damage from booming blade the enemy has to move voluntarily using their own movement. Forced movement such as from a shove, crusher feat etc does not trigger it. They are standing right next to you and within melee range so can hit you without moving unless you yourself move triggering an opportunity attack on you.
8. Witch bolt uses your int modifier meaning you have just a +1 to the attack until level 5 when it becomes +2. So you are going to rely on getting a lucky roll on your one attempt per day.
9. You can’t use the holy symbol on your shield for witch bolt as it is a wizard spell. It has v, s, m components so you need a free hand.
10. Wrath of the storm requires your reaction so can’t be used if you make an opportunity attack.
11. Spirit guardians is a concentration spell so can’t be used with call lightning.
12. Booming blade only adds additional damage to the attack at level 5, before that it is useless with this tactic as there is no need for the target to move - they are in melee range with you.
Literally everyone here is telling you it doesn’t work the way you want it to and the bits that do work are suboptimal. There are far better ways to do it. Your current action economy for the round is as follows;
Cast spirit guardians (full action), cast shield of faith (full action), cast/use call lightning (full action), use wrath of the storm (reaction), drop quarterstaff (free action) use witch bolt (full action), pick up quarterstaff (free action), cast booming blade (full action), attack with quarterstaff (full action) bonus action attack from polearm master (bonus action), cast or use spiritual weapon (bonus action), make attack of opportunity (reaction).
So you are taking 6 full actions, 2 bonus actions, 2 free actions and 2 reactions on your turn. Not to mention that 4 of the spells are concentration. Do you not see how this ‘tactic’ does not work?
@Beadsinger. Thank you for the feedback. They are abilities I have access to as options at different cleric levels not per round (gotta love communication, right). I understand that you can't do concentration on more than one spell at a time. I also understand that booming blade only works if they move (since I have one attack a round, might as well use if not using PAM or spiritual weapon). Also, ya 5' staff is my bad. I was originally experimenting with a glaive but found shield better, so mixed that up. Lastly, picking up a weapon is not a free action (you said this when you mentioned my single round 8 action attack).
As another option, what about dipping into storm sorcery for 3 levels? Would put me at 9th level and I would have metamagic, transmuted spell, and 3 sorcery points. Might open up so cool new options.
As others said, this is already quite MAD. Between cleric casting, melee and wizard spells, you already have 3 different abilities governing your attacks. Now you want to go storm sorcerer and add a 4th? And that doesn’t even count needing a good con because you are in melee, and will want to maintain concentration. I mean, if you rolled ability scores, and rolled crazy good, maybe it could work. Yes, tempest cleric and storm sorcerer have good synergy, but wizard too is too much, you are spreading yourself too thin.
Tempest clerics, just out of the box, are crazy good melee casters. Really one of the closest things in the game to a really good gish, and it seems you’ve discovered that. I don’t think a feat for a 1/day wizard spell you won’t be good at (and is a pretty crappy spell in the base case) really brings much to the party. Booming blade is well and good, but instead keep your str at 15 for the heavy armor and put more points into wisdom and use your cantrips. Spend that feat on warcaster so you can avoid all the juggling and be better at keeping concentration. Or resilient con if you’re not too worried about the juggling.
@Beadsinger. Thank you for the feedback. They are abilities I have access to as options at different cleric levels not per round
Lastly, picking up a weapon is not a free action (you said this when you mentioned my single round 8 action attack).
I know they are accessed at different levels. The way you have phrased your post gives the impression you are using them all at the same time when the ability comes available.
Picking up your weapon counts as your one free object interaction - you only get one object interaction per turn. In game play it is usually shortened to simply free action. I’ve never heard anyone actually say “I use my free object interaction to do xyz” every time it’s their turn in an actual game.
@xalthu. Well, to be honest, I like making build based on ability and effect. I don't particularly care about being as strong as possible (such as 20 capped stats). I know that is very important for high level play, such as tier 3 and 4, but most of the games I've ever played even in 2nd edition, haven't gone much past 10 or 11, which would be tier 2, making two stats alone to hard since you only get 2 ability upgrades (4th and 8th in a class, or 4th x2 for multi).
@xalthu. Well, to be honest, I like making build based on ability and effect. I don't particularly care about being as strong as possible (such as 20 capped stats). I know that is very important for high level play, such as tier 3 and 4, but most of the games I've ever played even in 2nd edition, haven't gone much past 10 or 11, which would be tier 2, making two stats alone to hard since you only get 2 ability upgrades (4th and 8th in a class, or 4th x2 for multi).
And thematic is great. Its a really fun way to play, and I don't think anyone is arguing against that. Its just that at some point, you will actually have to make an attack roll, or force someone to make a save. And missing your attacks while enemies make their saves means your theme will kind of go out the window, since you won't be pulling off any of your tricks,, since many of your attacks won't hit.
And besides spreading your abilities too thin, you've got action economy problems with lots of things competing with each other. You've got wrath of the storm fighting with PAM for your reaction. Spiritual weapon fighting with PAM for your bonus action -- and not for nothing, healing word also wanting your bonus action. The there's witch bolt competing with making an attack, or casting a different spell. The action economy doesn't exist to be able to pull of all of the things you are trying to pull off. So my advice, and the advice of pretty much everyone here, is to focus on the one or two you things you will actually do, and focus on being good at them, rather than being mediocre at five or six things.
I got ya. I guess thats why charisma builds are so popular, bards, warlocks, sorcerer, paladins all use same stat. So would you say limit your reaction, bonus action to one powerful ability or include 2-3 options?
As a cleric, my holy symbol is painted on my shield. The shield functions as both my focus and my somatic if the spell has both.
No, it doesn't.
If a spell has a somatic component then you need a hand free. If a spell has a material component then you need a hand free. If a spell has both a somatic and a material component then you need a hand free (but only one hand, not two).
Without the war caster feat the only spells a cleric can cast while holding a weapon and a holy-symbol-emblazoned shield are V or M or VM spells. Light, tongues and word of radiance.
Also, as noted above, not all GMs rule that dropping an item is a free action.
FInally, that holy symbol better not be painted on. They need to be carefully engraved or inlaid. Your god isn't going to be happy if you just fingerpainted their emblem on a dirty old shield. :-)
Somatic, per basic rules, "If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures."
Warcaster Feat, per PHB, "You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands."
Material, per basic rules, "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."
The Shield, per basic rules, "A holy symbol is a representation of a god or pantheon. A cleric or paladin can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus, as described in the Spellcasting section. To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield."
Thus:
1) S OR V, S - Free Hand (hence droping the quarterstaff), correct, without warcraster, i need a free hand, drop staff as i mentioned at the beginning of the post.
2) V, M OR V, S, M - I can hold staff and the shield and cast.
Thus, you are incorrect, I can, per RAW, cast a V,M or a V,S,M with a shield in hand. If it has no Material, such as V,S or S only, then yes, i need the free hand (unless i have warcaster).
Also, you can use whatever you want as long as your deity allows it, thats part of the roleplaying effect. Whether it is painted on, embossed, engraved or whatnot is irrelavant.
Anyone relying on dropping the quarterstaff every round will find that the DM will start having it bounce away from being immediately at the PCs feet, thus requiring them to move to retrieve it; or perhaps an enemy will decide to use a ready action to pick it up.
I think everyone is getting a little off topic with the quarterstaff thing. Nearly every game I have ever played in doesn't obsess over small things like this in a fantasy world. The warcaster feat is more for the concentration and reaction benefits. Its similar to the gold weight, ammunition tracking, and encumbrance rules (please, don't start on these), Minor things cause too much micromanaging and realism thinking in a fantasy game. That's why arcane focuses were made to begin with and why many don't even bother with material components. These characters can already do things normal people can't, it's insane. That being said, the hope of the thread was to get ideas for improvement on a fun build idea resembling thor, raiden, or Zeus. Let's assume that the DM and player has talked about this beforehand and agreed it's not an issue. Thanks all.
@Beardsinger. How would you build a tempest cleric. Assume your level 6 like I am. Thanks 🙂
An incredibly fun gimmicky setup I ran for a short game with my friend. We went from level 1 to 6 and this is the class I played. Feedback or ideas are absolutely welcome. Lets see what your ideas are for this!!
THE TEMPEST CLERIC LEVEL 1 to 6!
Race: Variant Human, +1 Str and +1 Wis, Feat Magic Initiate (Wizard)
Str 15 (16), Dex 10, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 15 (16), Cha 8 (Point Buy)
Subclass: Tempest Domain
Weapon: Quarterstaff and Shield
Special Note: If a Spell has a Somatic Only component (or a V,S) such as spiritual weapon or call lightning, you can drop your quarterstaff and pick it up as an object interaction before attacks (Make it sound cool: “a minor electrical jolt shoots from my hand and into my quarterstaff as I pick it up and swing it at the goblin, crushing its skull in”. ). It’s like thor but with a staff!
* Dropping the shield is too hard – less ac and a dm may consider unstrapping and restrapping or whatever an action.
Cleric 1
AC 20 (16 Chain Mail, 2 Shield, 2 Shield of Faith)
Wrath of the Strom on Hit (2d8 thunder or lightning) 3/Long rest
USE Booming Blade Cantrip! (Magic Initiate)
Damage/Turn: 4-9 (1d6+3) + 1-8 Thunder if they move (Willing movement only)!
Cleric 2
Channel Divinity 1/Short Rest – Can now do max damage on Wrath of the Storm Once
Reminder: You automatically have THUNDERWAVE PREPARED!! –16 DMG AOE!!!
Cleric 3
2 Level Spell Slots: Spiritual Weapon: BONUS ACTION!
*Reminder: SHATTER (2 level) IS ALWAYS PREPARED!! 24DMG MINI AOE (10 feet)
Damage/Turn: 8-16 (1d6+3, 1d8+3 (Spiritual Weapon) + 1-8 if they move (Booming Blade)!
Cleric 4
Feat: Polearm Master!
Damage/Turn: 8-16 (1d6+3, 1d4+3) - no booming blade, TWO ATTACKS!
Polearm Bonus Attack when come within 10 ft (1d6+3)
Cleric 5
Channel Divinity #2!!! Destroy Undead!! – You ARE a CLERIC!!
3 Level Spell Slots: Spirit Guardians: 3d8 Radiant (or Necrotic)Damage/Turn!
Use Booming Blade Again! – 2d8 if they move!!
Cleric 6
Extra Use of Channel Divinity! Now You can use Twice per Long rest!!
Thunderbolt Strike!! You CAN Push Away Tiny to Large 10ft on Lightning Damage
Reminder Sources of Lightning Damage at this point!:
Actually you can’t drop it and pick it up as that is two separate object interactions. Dropping a shield IS a full action, it literally says so in the rules for donning and doffing armour. Likewise casting a spell like call lightning and using it each round takes up your full action. So no, you can’t drop a quarterstaff, cast call lightning, pick up your quarterstaff and then hit the enemy with it all in the same turn. Unless you have something like the fighters action surge.
dropping a weapon is essentially free (not the same as doffing a shield), and picking one up (assuming neither you nor it have moved in the interim) is an object-interaction, which you get one of, for free, as part of your regular action.
I hate to break this to you, but you are incorrect. First off, releasing a weapon is considered a free action and is not on the object interaction table. This is confirmed by Jeremy Crawford. Secondly, at the top of my post i mentioned not dropping the shield, hence, like you said, action for removing armor and shields.
INTERACTING WITH OBJECTS AROUND YOU
Here are a few examples of the sorts of thing you can do in tandem with your movement and action:
The problem that dropping the quarterstaff seems to be addressing is the fact that, despite Quarterstaves still functioning as a spellcasting focus, by RAW you can't use a hand occupied with holding a spellcasting focus to perform the somatic components of a spell if that spell does not also include a material component. It's a little confusing, because the rules also state that if a spell has a material component you can use the same hand that performs the somatic components to also use the material components... which I think leads to the assumption that you can perform somatic components with a spellcasting focus in your hand (and many DM's aren't strict enough to be so literal about the rules), but I believe you actually need a fully free hand to perform spells with somatics but no material.
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As a cleric, my holy symbol is painted on my shield. The shield functions as both my focus and my somatic if the spell has both. If I only have a somatic component spell (no material), I nees a free hand, hence dropping the staff. I'm not a wizard. In the case of witchbolt, I only need a free hand to cast the spell not concentrate. The free hand can do both somatic and material or somatic only.
Magic Initiate forces you to use the spellcasting ability modifier of the class you choose for the feat, not your base class. It also only allows you to cast the 1st-level spell once per day. So no, Witch Bolt is still garbage.
This build is MAD and at level 6 still only has +2 in your two core modifiers (STR and WIS). Edit: Sorry, I missed that these were bumped to 16 with racial modifiers.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
Many spells are circumstantial and "garbage"; however, I enjoy finding uses for things that aren't normally used or popular. In this build, int is my dump stat, so ya, I know I use it for witchbolt, but I only have to hit once. Beyond that, booming blade is great for anyone action build and made magic Initiate a great choice. It doesnt matter what the stat is. Also, 16 in two primary stats is great for level 6, considering you only have one advancement option at that level and most builds get a feat first anyway.
P.S. what does MAD mean? You like the idea or no?
MAD = Multiple Ability Dependent, a build which depends on more than 2 high ability scores
DAD = Dual Ability Dependent, a build which depends on 2 high ability scores
SAD = Single Ability Dependent, a build which depends on 1 high ability score
Jeremy’s twitter feed is not considered RAW. In fact WotC has previously stated that it is just his personal opinion and does not form an official rule for the game. Some dm’s will allow it but others won’t. This entire tactic is cheesy, and it definitely doesn’t work the way you think it does.
1. Call lightning and shield of faith are concentration spells so you can’t use them at the same time.
2. Call lightning uses your action every turn which means you only have a bonus action left, so no casting booming blade, no attacking with your staff.
3. You only get the bonus action attack from polearm master when you take the ‘attack’ action, casting booming blade is the ‘cast a spell’ action so doesn’t qualify.
4. A quarterstaff does not have the reach quality so the range is 5ft not 10’. It also requires your reaction to make the opportunity attack so you only get it once per turn.
5. The polearm extra attack uses your bonus action, Spiritual Weapon uses your bonus action. Therefore you can’t use both at the same time.
6. Witchbolt is only once per long rest and is universally considered a terrible spell. It also uses your entire action each turn meaning no casting booming blade, no hitting with the quarterstaff, no using call lightning.
7. To get the bonus damage from booming blade the enemy has to move voluntarily using their own movement. Forced movement such as from a shove, crusher feat etc does not trigger it. They are standing right next to you and within melee range so can hit you without moving unless you yourself move triggering an opportunity attack on you.
8. Witch bolt uses your int modifier meaning you have just a +1 to the attack until level 5 when it becomes +2. So you are going to rely on getting a lucky roll on your one attempt per day.
9. You can’t use the holy symbol on your shield for witch bolt as it is a wizard spell. It has v, s, m components so you need a free hand.
10. Wrath of the storm requires your reaction so can’t be used if you make an opportunity attack.
11. Spirit guardians is a concentration spell so can’t be used with call lightning.
12. Booming blade only adds additional damage to the attack at level 5, before that it is useless with this tactic as there is no need for the target to move - they are in melee range with you.
Literally everyone here is telling you it doesn’t work the way you want it to and the bits that do work are suboptimal. There are far better ways to do it. Your current action economy for the round is as follows;
Cast spirit guardians (full action), cast shield of faith (full action), cast/use call lightning (full action), use wrath of the storm (reaction), drop quarterstaff (free action) use witch bolt (full action), pick up quarterstaff (free action), cast booming blade (full action), attack with quarterstaff (full action) bonus action attack from polearm master (bonus action), cast or use spiritual weapon (bonus action), make attack of opportunity (reaction).
So you are taking 6 full actions, 2 bonus actions, 2 free actions and 2 reactions on your turn. Not to mention that 4 of the spells are concentration. Do you not see how this ‘tactic’ does not work?
@Beadsinger. Thank you for the feedback. They are abilities I have access to as options at different cleric levels not per round (gotta love communication, right). I understand that you can't do concentration on more than one spell at a time. I also understand that booming blade only works if they move (since I have one attack a round, might as well use if not using PAM or spiritual weapon). Also, ya 5' staff is my bad. I was originally experimenting with a glaive but found shield better, so mixed that up. Lastly, picking up a weapon is not a free action (you said this when you mentioned my single round 8 action attack).
As another option, what about dipping into storm sorcery for 3 levels? Would put me at 9th level and I would have metamagic, transmuted spell, and 3 sorcery points. Might open up so cool new options.
As others said, this is already quite MAD. Between cleric casting, melee and wizard spells, you already have 3 different abilities governing your attacks. Now you want to go storm sorcerer and add a 4th? And that doesn’t even count needing a good con because you are in melee, and will want to maintain concentration. I mean, if you rolled ability scores, and rolled crazy good, maybe it could work. Yes, tempest cleric and storm sorcerer have good synergy, but wizard too is too much, you are spreading yourself too thin.
Tempest clerics, just out of the box, are crazy good melee casters. Really one of the closest things in the game to a really good gish, and it seems you’ve discovered that. I don’t think a feat for a 1/day wizard spell you won’t be good at (and is a pretty crappy spell in the base case) really brings much to the party. Booming blade is well and good, but instead keep your str at 15 for the heavy armor and put more points into wisdom and use your cantrips. Spend that feat on warcaster so you can avoid all the juggling and be better at keeping concentration. Or resilient con if you’re not too worried about the juggling.
I know they are accessed at different levels. The way you have phrased your post gives the impression you are using them all at the same time when the ability comes available.
Picking up your weapon counts as your one free object interaction - you only get one object interaction per turn. In game play it is usually shortened to simply free action. I’ve never heard anyone actually say “I use my free object interaction to do xyz” every time it’s their turn in an actual game.
@xalthu. Well, to be honest, I like making build based on ability and effect. I don't particularly care about being as strong as possible (such as 20 capped stats). I know that is very important for high level play, such as tier 3 and 4, but most of the games I've ever played even in 2nd edition, haven't gone much past 10 or 11, which would be tier 2, making two stats alone to hard since you only get 2 ability upgrades (4th and 8th in a class, or 4th x2 for multi).
And thematic is great. Its a really fun way to play, and I don't think anyone is arguing against that. Its just that at some point, you will actually have to make an attack roll, or force someone to make a save. And missing your attacks while enemies make their saves means your theme will kind of go out the window, since you won't be pulling off any of your tricks,, since many of your attacks won't hit.
And besides spreading your abilities too thin, you've got action economy problems with lots of things competing with each other. You've got wrath of the storm fighting with PAM for your reaction. Spiritual weapon fighting with PAM for your bonus action -- and not for nothing, healing word also wanting your bonus action. The there's witch bolt competing with making an attack, or casting a different spell. The action economy doesn't exist to be able to pull of all of the things you are trying to pull off. So my advice, and the advice of pretty much everyone here, is to focus on the one or two you things you will actually do, and focus on being good at them, rather than being mediocre at five or six things.
I got ya. I guess thats why charisma builds are so popular, bards, warlocks, sorcerer, paladins all use same stat. So would you say limit your reaction, bonus action to one powerful ability or include 2-3 options?
No, it doesn't.
If a spell has a somatic component then you need a hand free.
If a spell has a material component then you need a hand free.
If a spell has both a somatic and a material component then you need a hand free (but only one hand, not two).
Without the war caster feat the only spells a cleric can cast while holding a weapon and a holy-symbol-emblazoned shield are V or M or VM spells. Light, tongues and word of radiance.
Also, as noted above, not all GMs rule that dropping an item is a free action.
FInally, that holy symbol better not be painted on. They need to be carefully engraved or inlaid. Your god isn't going to be happy if you just fingerpainted their emblem on a dirty old shield. :-)
Almost greenstone_walker,
Somatic, per basic rules, "If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures."
Warcaster Feat, per PHB, "You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands."
Material, per basic rules, "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."
The Shield, per basic rules, "A holy symbol is a representation of a god or pantheon. A cleric or paladin can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus, as described in the Spellcasting section. To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield."
Thus:
1) S OR V, S - Free Hand (hence droping the quarterstaff), correct, without warcraster, i need a free hand, drop staff as i mentioned at the beginning of the post.
2) V, M OR V, S, M - I can hold staff and the shield and cast.
Thus, you are incorrect, I can, per RAW, cast a V,M or a V,S,M with a shield in hand. If it has no Material, such as V,S or S only, then yes, i need the free hand (unless i have warcaster).
Also, you can use whatever you want as long as your deity allows it, thats part of the roleplaying effect. Whether it is painted on, embossed, engraved or whatnot is irrelavant.
Anyone relying on dropping the quarterstaff every round will find that the DM will start having it bounce away from being immediately at the PCs feet, thus requiring them to move to retrieve it; or perhaps an enemy will decide to use a ready action to pick it up.
I think everyone is getting a little off topic with the quarterstaff thing. Nearly every game I have ever played in doesn't obsess over small things like this in a fantasy world. The warcaster feat is more for the concentration and reaction benefits. Its similar to the gold weight, ammunition tracking, and encumbrance rules (please, don't start on these), Minor things cause too much micromanaging and realism thinking in a fantasy game. That's why arcane focuses were made to begin with and why many don't even bother with material components. These characters can already do things normal people can't, it's insane. That being said, the hope of the thread was to get ideas for improvement on a fun build idea resembling thor, raiden, or Zeus. Let's assume that the DM and player has talked about this beforehand and agreed it's not an issue. Thanks all.
@Beardsinger. How would you build a tempest cleric. Assume your level 6 like I am. Thanks 🙂