Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 kanageddaamen Aug 25, 2014 11:39:30	To me it seems that druids are severly hampered if they decide to use a shield and wield a weapon. In this setup, there appears to be no way they can cast a spell that requires somatic components (unless they are a War Caster) and/or material components without stowing or dropping either their shield or weapon, then drawing their focus. This is particularly odd when looking at the Shillelagh cantrip.  It requires a quarterstaf for club as a material component, but it also requires the use of a focus.  In this way, when you would want to use shillelagh (in melee combat,) you can't benefit from a shield? Am I missing something?
#2 Be3Al2 Aug 25, 2014 11:57:28	They are no worse off than clerics with shield and weapon. Or possibly a little bit worse off if they do not use a staff that is also a druidic focus. The quarterstaff or club used as a component could probably also be the focus (I haven't had time to read all the spells in the PH yet, so I might be wrong).
#3 akschmid Aug 25, 2014 18:07:34	As per PHB 151 a cleric (and a paladin) can use an emblem on a shield as a Holy Symbol or wear it visibly as an amulet.  As a DM I'd probably rule tht a Drud couls wear a sprig of mistletoe or holly as a focus in the same manner.   EDIT: In addition, per PHB 203 "A character can can use a a component pouch or a spell casting focus (found in chapter 5) in place of the component specified for a spell." So technically you need a club or a staff or a focus for that Shilelaigh, but for verisimilitude I'd jst say a club or a staff.
#4 pezdresden Aug 26, 2014 8:52:38	For material components, the PHB says on page 203:   "A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus in place of the components specified for a spell. ... A spellcaster must have a hand free to access these components, but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components."   I interpret this to mean that one does not need to spend time drawing the focus, nor does one need to have it in hand for the duration of the spell. So long as you have the focus in an accessible place, accessing it is wrapped into the casting time of the spell. Thus one could cast shillelagh (accessing the focus/components and doing the gestures) as a bonus action, draw the shillelagh as one's free manipulate-an-object action, then attack as one's action all with one hand, while one's other hand is full of a shield or whatever.   Likewise, if you have a weapon in hand, then you can stow the weapon as your free manipulate-an-object action, then cast a spell with your newly freed hand as your action. Heck you could even attack first if your spell uses a bonus action to cast. Next round you could draw the weapon as your free manipulate-an-object action, then attack as your action. None of this requires your other hand to be free.
#5 2Chlorobutanal Aug 26, 2014 9:54:58	Start combat with club or staff stowed.  Shield can be already strapped or not.   (0. Action - Don your shield.) 1. Cast shillelagh as a bonus action using your free hand. 2. Draw your newly-magical weapon. 3. Take an attack action (if you didn't don your shield this turn.)   Hmm, in retrospect the spell description says the weapon "you are holding," but casting a spell includes accessing the M components, which in this case could mean drawing the weapon. It would be reasonable to assume that since the club or staff is an M component in the shillelagh spell, a hand already holding the staff or club is considered "free" for its casting. Other spells would require stowing either your weapon or doffing your shield, though. Of course, War Caster obviates the concerns alltogether.