Can a Pact of the Blade warlock with Improved Pact Weapon use a reach weapon as a spellcasting focus to...











up vote
4
down vote

favorite
1












The warlock's (Pact of the Blade-only) Improved Pact Weapon eldritch invocation (Xanathar's Guide to Everything, p. 57) states that you can use your pact weapon as a spellcasting focus. Using a whip, let's say, would give your weapon a reach of 10 feet.



Using a reach weapon as a spellcasting focus, can you deliver a touch spell through it to a creature 10 feet away from you?










share|improve this question
























  • Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already. Clarification: It's the Improved Pact Weapon eldritch invocation that lets you use your weapon as a spellcasting focus, not the Pact of the Blade feature.
    – V2Blast
    Nov 10 at 7:09















up vote
4
down vote

favorite
1












The warlock's (Pact of the Blade-only) Improved Pact Weapon eldritch invocation (Xanathar's Guide to Everything, p. 57) states that you can use your pact weapon as a spellcasting focus. Using a whip, let's say, would give your weapon a reach of 10 feet.



Using a reach weapon as a spellcasting focus, can you deliver a touch spell through it to a creature 10 feet away from you?










share|improve this question
























  • Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already. Clarification: It's the Improved Pact Weapon eldritch invocation that lets you use your weapon as a spellcasting focus, not the Pact of the Blade feature.
    – V2Blast
    Nov 10 at 7:09













up vote
4
down vote

favorite
1









up vote
4
down vote

favorite
1






1





The warlock's (Pact of the Blade-only) Improved Pact Weapon eldritch invocation (Xanathar's Guide to Everything, p. 57) states that you can use your pact weapon as a spellcasting focus. Using a whip, let's say, would give your weapon a reach of 10 feet.



Using a reach weapon as a spellcasting focus, can you deliver a touch spell through it to a creature 10 feet away from you?










share|improve this question















The warlock's (Pact of the Blade-only) Improved Pact Weapon eldritch invocation (Xanathar's Guide to Everything, p. 57) states that you can use your pact weapon as a spellcasting focus. Using a whip, let's say, would give your weapon a reach of 10 feet.



Using a reach weapon as a spellcasting focus, can you deliver a touch spell through it to a creature 10 feet away from you?







dnd-5e spells class-feature weapons warlock






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Nov 10 at 7:13









V2Blast

18.2k248114




18.2k248114










asked Nov 10 at 6:28









L. H.

232




232












  • Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already. Clarification: It's the Improved Pact Weapon eldritch invocation that lets you use your weapon as a spellcasting focus, not the Pact of the Blade feature.
    – V2Blast
    Nov 10 at 7:09


















  • Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already. Clarification: It's the Improved Pact Weapon eldritch invocation that lets you use your weapon as a spellcasting focus, not the Pact of the Blade feature.
    – V2Blast
    Nov 10 at 7:09
















Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already. Clarification: It's the Improved Pact Weapon eldritch invocation that lets you use your weapon as a spellcasting focus, not the Pact of the Blade feature.
– V2Blast
Nov 10 at 7:09




Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already. Clarification: It's the Improved Pact Weapon eldritch invocation that lets you use your weapon as a spellcasting focus, not the Pact of the Blade feature.
– V2Blast
Nov 10 at 7:09










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
11
down vote



accepted










No, a focus does not deliver spells



Page 202 of the Player's Handbook states (emphasis mine):




Material (M)



Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5) in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.



If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell. A spellcaster must have a hand free to access these components - or to hold a spellcasting focus - but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.




Normally you would need one empty hand to hold your focus and do somatic components of the spell. Thus, could not hold a weapon and shield while casting. In effect, the Pact of the Blade feature removes this restriction by making your weapon a focus.






share|improve this answer























  • @V2Blast -- the PHB does not contain the words "or to hold a spellcasting focus" though I agree that it is implied.
    – ravery
    Nov 10 at 7:10










  • The most recent versions, in fact, do. That's why the basic rules say the same thing. See the errata: media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/PH-Errata.pdf
    – V2Blast
    Nov 10 at 7:11








  • 1




    @V2Blast - thanks for the link to the errata
    – ravery
    Nov 10 at 7:16


















up vote
2
down vote













No.



Using something as a spell focus means you no longer need to provide costless material components when casting a spell (Player's Handbook, p. 203, section on material components). There is no provision for delivering touch attacks through your spell focus, so unless a specific rule (e.g., an item or spell) says otherwise, you cannot do that.






share|improve this answer






























    up vote
    1
    down vote













    RAW says no (or tenuously unclear)



    Touch spells have no special rules apart from this bit in Player's Handbook, page 202, under Range:




    Some spells can target only a creature (including you) that you touch.




    Lacking a proper definition, to touch a target means the same as in natural English: you need to have body contact.



    I am aware that it's also idiomatic to "touch someone with something", however, this is not a very natural reading of the rules to me and would empower any caster to acquire a long, thin pole to poke their spell targets with.



    Whichever reading you prefer, the fact that the weapon is one's focus doesn't have any impact on using it to deliver touch spells.






    share|improve this answer





















      Your Answer





      StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function () {
      return StackExchange.using("mathjaxEditing", function () {
      StackExchange.MarkdownEditor.creationCallbacks.add(function (editor, postfix) {
      StackExchange.mathjaxEditing.prepareWmdForMathJax(editor, postfix, [["\$", "\$"]]);
      });
      });
      }, "mathjax-editing");

      StackExchange.ready(function() {
      var channelOptions = {
      tags: "".split(" "),
      id: "122"
      };
      initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

      StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
      // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
      if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
      StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
      createEditor();
      });
      }
      else {
      createEditor();
      }
      });

      function createEditor() {
      StackExchange.prepareEditor({
      heartbeatType: 'answer',
      convertImagesToLinks: false,
      noModals: true,
      showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
      reputationToPostImages: null,
      bindNavPrevention: true,
      postfix: "",
      imageUploader: {
      brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
      contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
      allowUrls: true
      },
      noCode: true, onDemand: true,
      discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
      ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
      });


      }
      });














      draft saved

      draft discarded


















      StackExchange.ready(
      function () {
      StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2frpg.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f135268%2fcan-a-pact-of-the-blade-warlock-with-improved-pact-weapon-use-a-reach-weapon-as%23new-answer', 'question_page');
      }
      );

      Post as a guest















      Required, but never shown

























      3 Answers
      3






      active

      oldest

      votes








      3 Answers
      3






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes








      up vote
      11
      down vote



      accepted










      No, a focus does not deliver spells



      Page 202 of the Player's Handbook states (emphasis mine):




      Material (M)



      Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5) in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.



      If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell. A spellcaster must have a hand free to access these components - or to hold a spellcasting focus - but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.




      Normally you would need one empty hand to hold your focus and do somatic components of the spell. Thus, could not hold a weapon and shield while casting. In effect, the Pact of the Blade feature removes this restriction by making your weapon a focus.






      share|improve this answer























      • @V2Blast -- the PHB does not contain the words "or to hold a spellcasting focus" though I agree that it is implied.
        – ravery
        Nov 10 at 7:10










      • The most recent versions, in fact, do. That's why the basic rules say the same thing. See the errata: media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/PH-Errata.pdf
        – V2Blast
        Nov 10 at 7:11








      • 1




        @V2Blast - thanks for the link to the errata
        – ravery
        Nov 10 at 7:16















      up vote
      11
      down vote



      accepted










      No, a focus does not deliver spells



      Page 202 of the Player's Handbook states (emphasis mine):




      Material (M)



      Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5) in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.



      If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell. A spellcaster must have a hand free to access these components - or to hold a spellcasting focus - but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.




      Normally you would need one empty hand to hold your focus and do somatic components of the spell. Thus, could not hold a weapon and shield while casting. In effect, the Pact of the Blade feature removes this restriction by making your weapon a focus.






      share|improve this answer























      • @V2Blast -- the PHB does not contain the words "or to hold a spellcasting focus" though I agree that it is implied.
        – ravery
        Nov 10 at 7:10










      • The most recent versions, in fact, do. That's why the basic rules say the same thing. See the errata: media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/PH-Errata.pdf
        – V2Blast
        Nov 10 at 7:11








      • 1




        @V2Blast - thanks for the link to the errata
        – ravery
        Nov 10 at 7:16













      up vote
      11
      down vote



      accepted







      up vote
      11
      down vote



      accepted






      No, a focus does not deliver spells



      Page 202 of the Player's Handbook states (emphasis mine):




      Material (M)



      Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5) in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.



      If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell. A spellcaster must have a hand free to access these components - or to hold a spellcasting focus - but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.




      Normally you would need one empty hand to hold your focus and do somatic components of the spell. Thus, could not hold a weapon and shield while casting. In effect, the Pact of the Blade feature removes this restriction by making your weapon a focus.






      share|improve this answer














      No, a focus does not deliver spells



      Page 202 of the Player's Handbook states (emphasis mine):




      Material (M)



      Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5) in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.



      If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell. A spellcaster must have a hand free to access these components - or to hold a spellcasting focus - but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.




      Normally you would need one empty hand to hold your focus and do somatic components of the spell. Thus, could not hold a weapon and shield while casting. In effect, the Pact of the Blade feature removes this restriction by making your weapon a focus.







      share|improve this answer














      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer








      edited Nov 10 at 7:06









      V2Blast

      18.2k248114




      18.2k248114










      answered Nov 10 at 6:50









      ravery

      7,79711556




      7,79711556












      • @V2Blast -- the PHB does not contain the words "or to hold a spellcasting focus" though I agree that it is implied.
        – ravery
        Nov 10 at 7:10










      • The most recent versions, in fact, do. That's why the basic rules say the same thing. See the errata: media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/PH-Errata.pdf
        – V2Blast
        Nov 10 at 7:11








      • 1




        @V2Blast - thanks for the link to the errata
        – ravery
        Nov 10 at 7:16


















      • @V2Blast -- the PHB does not contain the words "or to hold a spellcasting focus" though I agree that it is implied.
        – ravery
        Nov 10 at 7:10










      • The most recent versions, in fact, do. That's why the basic rules say the same thing. See the errata: media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/PH-Errata.pdf
        – V2Blast
        Nov 10 at 7:11








      • 1




        @V2Blast - thanks for the link to the errata
        – ravery
        Nov 10 at 7:16
















      @V2Blast -- the PHB does not contain the words "or to hold a spellcasting focus" though I agree that it is implied.
      – ravery
      Nov 10 at 7:10




      @V2Blast -- the PHB does not contain the words "or to hold a spellcasting focus" though I agree that it is implied.
      – ravery
      Nov 10 at 7:10












      The most recent versions, in fact, do. That's why the basic rules say the same thing. See the errata: media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/PH-Errata.pdf
      – V2Blast
      Nov 10 at 7:11






      The most recent versions, in fact, do. That's why the basic rules say the same thing. See the errata: media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/PH-Errata.pdf
      – V2Blast
      Nov 10 at 7:11






      1




      1




      @V2Blast - thanks for the link to the errata
      – ravery
      Nov 10 at 7:16




      @V2Blast - thanks for the link to the errata
      – ravery
      Nov 10 at 7:16












      up vote
      2
      down vote













      No.



      Using something as a spell focus means you no longer need to provide costless material components when casting a spell (Player's Handbook, p. 203, section on material components). There is no provision for delivering touch attacks through your spell focus, so unless a specific rule (e.g., an item or spell) says otherwise, you cannot do that.






      share|improve this answer



























        up vote
        2
        down vote













        No.



        Using something as a spell focus means you no longer need to provide costless material components when casting a spell (Player's Handbook, p. 203, section on material components). There is no provision for delivering touch attacks through your spell focus, so unless a specific rule (e.g., an item or spell) says otherwise, you cannot do that.






        share|improve this answer

























          up vote
          2
          down vote










          up vote
          2
          down vote









          No.



          Using something as a spell focus means you no longer need to provide costless material components when casting a spell (Player's Handbook, p. 203, section on material components). There is no provision for delivering touch attacks through your spell focus, so unless a specific rule (e.g., an item or spell) says otherwise, you cannot do that.






          share|improve this answer














          No.



          Using something as a spell focus means you no longer need to provide costless material components when casting a spell (Player's Handbook, p. 203, section on material components). There is no provision for delivering touch attacks through your spell focus, so unless a specific rule (e.g., an item or spell) says otherwise, you cannot do that.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited Nov 10 at 6:43

























          answered Nov 10 at 6:37









          Zhuge

          2,68721324




          2,68721324






















              up vote
              1
              down vote













              RAW says no (or tenuously unclear)



              Touch spells have no special rules apart from this bit in Player's Handbook, page 202, under Range:




              Some spells can target only a creature (including you) that you touch.




              Lacking a proper definition, to touch a target means the same as in natural English: you need to have body contact.



              I am aware that it's also idiomatic to "touch someone with something", however, this is not a very natural reading of the rules to me and would empower any caster to acquire a long, thin pole to poke their spell targets with.



              Whichever reading you prefer, the fact that the weapon is one's focus doesn't have any impact on using it to deliver touch spells.






              share|improve this answer

























                up vote
                1
                down vote













                RAW says no (or tenuously unclear)



                Touch spells have no special rules apart from this bit in Player's Handbook, page 202, under Range:




                Some spells can target only a creature (including you) that you touch.




                Lacking a proper definition, to touch a target means the same as in natural English: you need to have body contact.



                I am aware that it's also idiomatic to "touch someone with something", however, this is not a very natural reading of the rules to me and would empower any caster to acquire a long, thin pole to poke their spell targets with.



                Whichever reading you prefer, the fact that the weapon is one's focus doesn't have any impact on using it to deliver touch spells.






                share|improve this answer























                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote









                  RAW says no (or tenuously unclear)



                  Touch spells have no special rules apart from this bit in Player's Handbook, page 202, under Range:




                  Some spells can target only a creature (including you) that you touch.




                  Lacking a proper definition, to touch a target means the same as in natural English: you need to have body contact.



                  I am aware that it's also idiomatic to "touch someone with something", however, this is not a very natural reading of the rules to me and would empower any caster to acquire a long, thin pole to poke their spell targets with.



                  Whichever reading you prefer, the fact that the weapon is one's focus doesn't have any impact on using it to deliver touch spells.






                  share|improve this answer












                  RAW says no (or tenuously unclear)



                  Touch spells have no special rules apart from this bit in Player's Handbook, page 202, under Range:




                  Some spells can target only a creature (including you) that you touch.




                  Lacking a proper definition, to touch a target means the same as in natural English: you need to have body contact.



                  I am aware that it's also idiomatic to "touch someone with something", however, this is not a very natural reading of the rules to me and would empower any caster to acquire a long, thin pole to poke their spell targets with.



                  Whichever reading you prefer, the fact that the weapon is one's focus doesn't have any impact on using it to deliver touch spells.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered Nov 10 at 6:56









                  kviiri

                  31.5k7118186




                  31.5k7118186






























                      draft saved

                      draft discarded




















































                      Thanks for contributing an answer to Role-playing Games Stack Exchange!


                      • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                      But avoid



                      • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                      • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                      Use MathJax to format equations. MathJax reference.


                      To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.





                      Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.


                      Please pay close attention to the following guidance:


                      • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                      But avoid



                      • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                      • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                      To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                      draft saved


                      draft discarded














                      StackExchange.ready(
                      function () {
                      StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2frpg.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f135268%2fcan-a-pact-of-the-blade-warlock-with-improved-pact-weapon-use-a-reach-weapon-as%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                      }
                      );

                      Post as a guest















                      Required, but never shown





















































                      Required, but never shown














                      Required, but never shown












                      Required, but never shown







                      Required, but never shown

































                      Required, but never shown














                      Required, but never shown












                      Required, but never shown







                      Required, but never shown







                      Popular posts from this blog

                      Guess what letter conforming each word

                      Port of Spain

                      Run scheduled task as local user group (not BUILTIN)