I understand that spell slots and pact slots can be used interchangeably, but if you multiclassed from warlock to a class like Paladin, would you need another spell focus for the spells of the new class?
Each spell you know and prepare is associated with one of your classes, and you use the spellcasting ability of that class when you cast the spell. Similarly, a spellcasting focus, such as a holy symbol, can be used only for the spells from the class associated with that focus.
This is under Chapter 6 which deals with multiclassing. If you have two classes that require two types of spellcasing focus (a holy symbol and a weapon for exemple), he/she must have both focus handy. Only your slots are interchangeably, the spellcasting ability and the spellcasting focus no.
However, a component pouch acts mechanically the same as a spellcasting focus, but it has no restrictions about which classes can or cannot use it, but i suppose your question was about using a weapon as a spellcasting focus and a shield in the other hand. If this is the case so no, if he would multiclass paladin he would need to use a holy symbol (or the pouch) for the paladin's spells and so he would need one free hand or the Warcaster feat, unless you GM agree to houserule something.
Related clarifying question: do you know of any text describing the limits on a holy emblem? It seems kind of vague, like it can be painted on a shield, weapon, breastplate, amulet, etc.
Related clarifying question: do you know of any text describing the limits on a holy emblem? It seems kind of vague, like it can be painted on a shield, weapon, breastplate, amulet, etc.
I don't think there is such a text, i suppose it's really up only to you GM, but the intent looks clear to me, that mechanically they should use 2 different focus or the pouch, the fact that the holy symbol is kinda vague as rapresentation, as a GM, would not change at my table that mechanically he should have a free hand or the warcaster feat for cast a paladin's spell, but maybe your GM see it in a different way.
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!" - Hunter S. Thompson
When life is bleak, all hope is lost, a wall is at your back, you always have one option left...attack! Attack! ATTACK! - Me
The new feat in AU will let you add a spell and use spell casting from that caster stat use a holy symbol. Sorry I can not remember the name of the feat at the moment.
As others have said, a component pouch is a universal arcane focus.
Otherwise you can only use focuses that fit the class spells you're using.
There is the Artificer Initiate feat, which in addition to giving you one Artificer cantrip and one level 1 spell, also allows you to use a designated tool as an arcane focus for all spells with intelligence casting. That's quite good for Arcane Tricksters and Eldritch Knights who normally don't have access to a spell focus (other than the aforementioned component pouch).
One of the things I like about the Improved Pact Weapon invocation is that it makes your pact weapon a spell focus. If you multiclass with College of Swords Bard, which can use any weapon it's proficient with as a spell focus, that kills two birds with one stone.
Actually, cleric spells can have their holy symbol on a shield. "A cleric or paladin can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus. To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield." -PHB P151
Clerics are almost unique like this in that they dont need a hand free for M componets, so can cast handless** if they dont require S componets or a component with a gold cost. The only requirement is you boldly anounce your deity by having it clearly visible around your neck on an amulet, or blazen on your clothes or shield for example. Having it on the shield will also allow you to use the shield as the Somatic componets since a focus can be the same hand as your Somatic componets:
"A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components—or to hold a spellcasting focus—but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components."
Since the shield is the paladin or cleric's focus, it can be the hand that does the somatics too. An amulet bearing cleric would still need to have a hand free to do somatics though.
A staff main weapon is the most versatile (though you could chose to be unarmed with a wand too), working for druids, sorcerers, wizards, and warlocks. Aditionally staves count as polarms for polarm mastery. Paladins and clerics require a holy symbol, so a shield or amulet. Artificers require crafting tools, or any infused item from L2, so could substitute in an infused shield or weapon. finally bards need an instrument. A lot are 2 handed which is terrifying but nothing says you need to be playing it thank the gods... so anything you can carry in one hand is fine! (I strongly suggest you dont pick a pipe organ or piano...)
The people who have a bad day are arcane tricksters, eldritch Knights, and rangers who only have material component pouches as an option by default.
So... a quick class breakdown: Shield: Artificer (infused), Cleric, Paladin Staff: Druid, sorcerer, wizard, warlock, Artificer (infused) Other weapon: Artificer (infused), Swords Bard, warlock (improved pact weapon invocation L5), ruby of the warmage attuned common item (all classes) instrument: Artificer (replicate magic item infusion: Instrument of scribing/illusion/the bards (common grade)), Bard Amulet: Paladin, Cleric, Artificer (replicate magic item: Clockwork/dark shard Amulet), Warlock (Dark Shard Amulet), Sorcerer (Bloodwell vial) Clothing or other wondrous items: Artificer (Infused), Paladin, Cleric, Wizard with hat of wizardry** Component pouch: All except Artificer.
** Hat of wizardry also allows handless M casting for wizards, but the may still need a hand for somatics.
Special notes: Warcaster feat removes hand requirement for somatics if you have a shield or weapon in hand. This makes no difference if the weapon or shield is already your focus since the hand holding your focus can also do the somatics... so little use for a paladin or cleric using a shield, or a sword bard with weapon in hand... or anyone with a ruby of the warcaster. Its main use I can see is for clerics or paladins (or crazy melee wizards who wear hats of wizardry) who wish to fight with 2 handed or dual wield weapons, or in the special case of the crazy wizard with a sword and shield. Eldritch knights, arcane tricksters and rangers too if they have a ruby of the war caster (mandatory, as they need to use this to remove the M component of the component pouch which would otherwise still need a hand). This said the two handed user probably wouldn't need this part of the feat either since you can take one hand off your two handed weapon and cast freely and not drop it. Basicly making this feat feature only really needed for dual wielders, but then you usually take it for its other benefits to be fair.
Edit: added a few vials.. let me know if I missed something and I can edit it in.
Component pouch in hand fixes all issues for all classes except Artificer.
Ruby of warmage fixes all issues for all classes except Artificer if you want to wield a weapon
Artificer'd need to also infuse an item and have a hand free or infuse the item in hand specificly like a weapon or shield.
Worth noting you'd still need to touch any non zero GP cost item to cast, which may need a hand free, so component pouch builds do have this advantage.
Me? I use an attuned pistol in one hand for artificer, and wield a staff for cleric, druid, and sorceress in the other. Most of the time I'm swinging my shillelagh and shooting away. I also wear a holy amulet for cleric, and carry a viol in a case on my person for bard. I just have to swap foci or holster the gun ocasionally when I need a bard or cleric spell. I like the aesthetic of wands and crystals and tools more than a bag of bat poo and dead bugs. Ewww!
I think there are some magic item focuses that are carefully non-specific as to class.
Ruby of the War Mage lets you turn any martial or simple weapon into a spellcasting focus that can be used with any class.
The exception to this would be the few subclasses where you can only use a component pouch to cast spells, which include the Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster, I believe.
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I understand that spell slots and pact slots can be used interchangeably, but if you multiclassed from warlock to a class like Paladin, would you need another spell focus for the spells of the new class?
PHB page 164.
This is under Chapter 6 which deals with multiclassing. If you have two classes that require two types of spellcasing focus (a holy symbol and a weapon for exemple), he/she must have both focus handy. Only your slots are interchangeably, the spellcasting ability and the spellcasting focus no.
However, a component pouch acts mechanically the same as a spellcasting focus, but it has no restrictions about which classes can or cannot use it, but i suppose your question was about using a weapon as a spellcasting focus and a shield in the other hand. If this is the case so no, if he would multiclass paladin he would need to use a holy symbol (or the pouch) for the paladin's spells and so he would need one free hand or the Warcaster feat, unless you GM agree to houserule something.
Thanks for clarifying that!
Related clarifying question: do you know of any text describing the limits on a holy emblem? It seems kind of vague, like it can be painted on a shield, weapon, breastplate, amulet, etc.
I don't think there is such a text, i suppose it's really up only to you GM, but the intent looks clear to me, that mechanically they should use 2 different focus or the pouch, the fact that the holy symbol is kinda vague as rapresentation, as a GM, would not change at my table that mechanically he should have a free hand or the warcaster feat for cast a paladin's spell, but maybe your GM see it in a different way.
Here is a more detailed description of what a holy symbol can be.
https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Reliquary#content
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!"
- Hunter S. Thompson
When life is bleak, all hope is lost, a wall is at your back, you always have one option left...attack! Attack! ATTACK!
- Me
The new feat in AU will let you add a spell and use spell casting from that caster stat use a holy symbol. Sorry I can not remember the name of the feat at the moment.
I spell Goodly.
I think there are some magic item focuses that are carefully non-specific as to class.
Itinerant Deputy Shire-reave Tomas Burrfoot - world walker, Raft-captain, speaker to his dead
Toddy Shelfungus- Rider of the Order of Ill Luck, Speaker to Friends of Friends, and Horribly big nosed
Jarl Archi of Jenisis Glade Fee- Noble Knight of the Dragonborn Goldcrest Clan, Sorcerer of the Noble Investigator;y; Knightly order of the Wolfhound
As others have said, a component pouch is a universal arcane focus.
Otherwise you can only use focuses that fit the class spells you're using.
There is the Artificer Initiate feat, which in addition to giving you one Artificer cantrip and one level 1 spell, also allows you to use a designated tool as an arcane focus for all spells with intelligence casting. That's quite good for Arcane Tricksters and Eldritch Knights who normally don't have access to a spell focus (other than the aforementioned component pouch).
One of the things I like about the Improved Pact Weapon invocation is that it makes your pact weapon a spell focus. If you multiclass with College of Swords Bard, which can use any weapon it's proficient with as a spell focus, that kills two birds with one stone.
Actually, cleric spells can have their holy symbol on a shield.
"A cleric or paladin can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus. To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield." -PHB P151
Clerics are almost unique like this in that they dont need a hand free for M componets, so can cast handless** if they dont require S componets or a component with a gold cost. The only requirement is you boldly anounce your deity by having it clearly visible around your neck on an amulet, or blazen on your clothes or shield for example. Having it on the shield will also allow you to use the shield as the Somatic componets since a focus can be the same hand as your Somatic componets:
"A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components—or to hold a spellcasting focus—but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components."
Since the shield is the paladin or cleric's focus, it can be the hand that does the somatics too. An amulet bearing cleric would still need to have a hand free to do somatics though.
A staff main weapon is the most versatile (though you could chose to be unarmed with a wand too), working for druids, sorcerers, wizards, and warlocks. Aditionally staves count as polarms for polarm mastery.
Paladins and clerics require a holy symbol, so a shield or amulet.
Artificers require crafting tools, or any infused item from L2, so could substitute in an infused shield or weapon.
finally bards need an instrument. A lot are 2 handed which is terrifying but nothing says you need to be playing it thank the gods... so anything you can carry in one hand is fine! (I strongly suggest you dont pick a pipe organ or piano...)
The people who have a bad day are arcane tricksters, eldritch Knights, and rangers who only have material component pouches as an option by default.
So... a quick class breakdown:
Shield: Artificer (infused), Cleric, Paladin
Staff: Druid, sorcerer, wizard, warlock, Artificer (infused)
Other weapon: Artificer (infused), Swords Bard, warlock (improved pact weapon invocation L5), ruby of the warmage attuned common item (all classes)
instrument: Artificer (replicate magic item infusion: Instrument of scribing/illusion/the bards (common grade)), Bard
Amulet: Paladin, Cleric, Artificer (replicate magic item: Clockwork/dark shard Amulet), Warlock (Dark Shard Amulet), Sorcerer (Bloodwell vial)
Clothing or other wondrous items: Artificer (Infused), Paladin, Cleric, Wizard with hat of wizardry**
Component pouch: All except Artificer.
** Hat of wizardry also allows handless M casting for wizards, but the may still need a hand for somatics.
Special notes: Warcaster feat removes hand requirement for somatics if you have a shield or weapon in hand. This makes no difference if the weapon or shield is already your focus since the hand holding your focus can also do the somatics... so little use for a paladin or cleric using a shield, or a sword bard with weapon in hand... or anyone with a ruby of the warcaster. Its main use I can see is for clerics or paladins (or crazy melee wizards who wear hats of wizardry) who wish to fight with 2 handed or dual wield weapons, or in the special case of the crazy wizard with a sword and shield. Eldritch knights, arcane tricksters and rangers too if they have a ruby of the war caster (mandatory, as they need to use this to remove the M component of the component pouch which would otherwise still need a hand). This said the two handed user probably wouldn't need this part of the feat either since you can take one hand off your two handed weapon and cast freely and not drop it. Basicly making this feat feature only really needed for dual wielders, but then you usually take it for its other benefits to be fair.
Edit: added a few vials.. let me know if I missed something and I can edit it in.
So in conclusion:
Component pouch in hand fixes all issues for all classes except Artificer.
Ruby of warmage fixes all issues for all classes except Artificer if you want to wield a weapon
Artificer'd need to also infuse an item and have a hand free or infuse the item in hand specificly like a weapon or shield.
Worth noting you'd still need to touch any non zero GP cost item to cast, which may need a hand free, so component pouch builds do have this advantage.
Me? I use an attuned pistol in one hand for artificer, and wield a staff for cleric, druid, and sorceress in the other. Most of the time I'm swinging my shillelagh and shooting away. I also wear a holy amulet for cleric, and carry a viol in a case on my person for bard. I just have to swap foci or holster the gun ocasionally when I need a bard or cleric spell. I like the aesthetic of wands and crystals and tools more than a bag of bat poo and dead bugs. Ewww!
Ruby of the War Mage lets you turn any martial or simple weapon into a spellcasting focus that can be used with any class.
The exception to this would be the few subclasses where you can only use a component pouch to cast spells, which include the Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster, I believe.