Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 MinisterKohobi Oct 07, 2014 16:02:10	Since we are all new to 5th edition, my DM made a house rule that we can change anything about our characters up though 3rd level. I made a human varient fighter and picked up the dual weilder feat. My intention is to eventually make a 12th eldritch knight / 8th wizard (either evocater or conjurer). Our groups arcane caster dropped out of the campaign so I picked up a wizard level at 2nd character level. However, after 3 sessions of play I feel like I need more ability to crowd control / tank so I would like to retool my guy and eventually go down the pole arm master / warcaster / sentinel feat path. The problem is my DM has come down on the side of not allowing casting while holding a 2 handed weapon without the warcaster feat. I want fighter to be my foundational class for the constitution save proficiency, so I wouldn't be able to take warcaster at 1st level because I wouldn't be able to cast spells. I've searched the forums and the PHB and I can't seem to find anything that says either way if you can delay choosing a feat. If I could then I could have picked up warcaster at 2nd character level when I picked up my one wizard level.   Can you, by RAW, keep a feat choice open and make the choice a level or two later?     Thanks for reading my post, MK
#2 Plaguescarred1 Oct 07, 2014 16:53:43	Unless the DM approves, I don't think you can delay choosing a feat since you can forgo improving your ability score to take a feat instead when you reach a level in which your class gives you the Ability Score Improvement feature;   (To make it short ''At certain levels...you can take a feat of your choice....'')     PHB165 Feats:  At certain levels, your class gives you the Ability Score Improvement feature. Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking that feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
#3 lawrencehoy Oct 07, 2014 21:50:58	Explain to your DM that, while wielding (attacking with) a two-handed weapon requires two hands, holding a two-handed weapon does not necessarily require two hands. So, unless you are talking about casting as part of a melee attack, I don't think holding a two-handed weapon should interfere with casting. I would agree that combining casting and melee, in a single action, should not be permitted with a two-handed weapon (unless the spell has no material or somatic components).
#4 Coredump00 Oct 07, 2014 23:52:42	If you can cast with one hand free, you should be able to cast with the other hand holding our polearm.     I think the prerequisite is silly.....  Ask you DM if you can take it as a fighter... it just won't help until you get some spellcasting levels.
#5 2Chlorobutanal Oct 08, 2014 1:56:42	I would say that you cannot "hold a feat" for later levels unless your DM allows it.  As a DM, I would not allow it, and as a player, I would not ask for it.   Playing an Eldritch Knight or Fighter/Wizard until level 4 (or higher) without War Caster isn't such a big deal, in my opinion.  You can alter you weapon selection (quarterstaff, longsword), spell selection (V-only), or combat tactics (draw/sheathe your weapon between casting spells) to be completely functional until you have the feat.   You may want to note that War Caster doesn't really work with Polearm Master, if you were intending to use them together for opportunity attacks.  (Polearm Master requires a weapon such as a polearm or staff, and War Caster allows you to make a spell attack, which is not a weapon attack).
#6 MinisterKohobi Oct 15, 2014 22:35:52	Here's how we ended up working it out: Arcane focus staffs can be used as quartersaffs. I am going to pay a little more to get an arcane staff focus that is also durable enuf to knock heads. Hands occupied by arcane fioci are not considered occupied for somantic components. That way I can use it with the polearm master feat until 4th level fighter when I can pick up warcaster and use a halberd full time. I may carry a halberd with me now and just drop it at the point in melee when I want to cast. I also may use the arcane focus staff as the haft of my future halberd. heh.   Thank you for taking the time to read my question and reply, MK
#7 -ktkenshinx- Oct 15, 2014 22:46:30	Plaguescarred wrote:
#8 MinisterKohobi Oct 16, 2014 14:06:28	-ktkenshinx- wrote: