Can a multi-class spellcaster have one thing be two different focuses?

Question

In my group, I have a Cleric 1/ Bard 1 character. He bangs on his engraved shield (cleric focus) to turn it into a war drum (bard focus).

What are the rules concerning if a player can have two different class foci, and if they can be the same thing?

Answer 1

They have to be different spellcasting foci if the classes require two types of spellcasing foci

PHB page 164.

Spells Known and Prepared

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 foci (a holy symbol and a musical instrument for a cleric/bard), he/she must have both foci handy.

A Components Pouch Can Be Used Across Classes

A component pouch acts mechanically the same as a spellcasting focus, but it has no restrictions about which classes can or cannot use it. A cleric/bard can use the same component pouch to cast cleric and bard spells.

Answer 2

Yes, you can have multiple spell-casting foci on a single object

I should make a distinction, yes you can have multiple spell-casting foci on a single object. However you cannot use a single focus to cast spells for the others (e.g. the clerics focus should be used to cast cleric spells). Also some are mutually exclusive.

As your example, a holy symbol definition can be found on pg. 154 of the PHB. It states...

Holy Symbol. A holy symbol is a representation of a god or pantheon. lt might be an amulet depicting a symbol representing a deity, the same symbol carefully engraved or inlaid as an emblem on a shield, or a tiny box holding a fragment of a sacred relic. Appendix B lists the symbols commonly associated with many gods in the multiverse. A cleric or paladin can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus, as described in chapter lO. To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield. [PHB, Pg. 154]

So the important factor of the cleric focus is the symbol/emblem/engraving. The items becomes the focus once it has this attribute. There is some discussion in regards to having multiple foci on a single object, however the rule states the following...

Similarly, a spellcasting focus, such as a holy symbol, can be used only for the spells from the class associated with that focus. [PHB, Pg. 164]

This means that your cleric focus cannot be substituted as say a spellbook for a Wizard, or a musical instrument for a Bard. This however does not imply that a focus cannot have multiple foci on it. Some examples...

1. A wizard whos staff has a symbol of his deity engraved could be used for Wizard and Cleric/Paladin spells.
2. A musical weapon with an engraving for a deity could be used as a holy symbol (as well as a Bard's focus).

I do believe most of this is up to interpretation however, and it is probably best to ask the DM before you make this assumption. And one last point - a focus can be substituted for a components bag. So in reality, other then being a bit of flavor for your character, the only real difference is that you might save some gold not having to buy components.

Answer 3

No, you cannot do this. Spellcasting foci are discrete items in the rules.

The fact that Chapter 5, Equipment has discrete entries for each type of spellcasting focus -- arcane, bardic, druidic, and holy symbol -- indicates that each focus is a discrete object. The equipment chapter lists the various mundane weapons, armors, and other pieces of a gear an adventurer might come across or want to buy throughout the course of his or her adventures.

The equipment section has several sections. The one we are concerned with is the one titled Adventuring Gear.

The introduction for this section says:

This section describes items that have special rules or require further explanation.

As we read through this section, we see many different items listed, from alchemist's fire to ball bearings to potions of healing to 10' telescoping poles. We also see that for each type of spellcasting focus, there is a discrete entry.

Using the rules and information in the book as a basis, when a character in game goes to the store and buys a bag of ball bearings, he doesn't get to ask the shopkeep if his bag can be special and also include caltrops. Even though ball bearings and caltrops serve a similar purpose and are used in a similar way, you can't combine the two into a special bag of ball-bearing caltrops. They are discrete items described separately in the book.

Now, at this point you might say, "well, what's to stop me from mixing those two items together?"

The answer is, simply, nothing. The rules don't say anything at all about that, so if you want to it's up to you and your DM to determine how that works. Still, it's not something the rules say you can do with those items.

We can apply the same logic to spellcasting foci. Each focus type has its own discrete entry in the book. There is an entry for arcane focus, for bardic focus, druidic focus, and holy symbol. Each object is a specific type of adventuring gear that, according to this section of the book, [has] special rules or require[s] further explanation.

Furthermore, when we look at the table of adventuring gear, we see specific items (5e SRD or Basic Rules):

Arcane focus

Item	Cost	Weight
Crystal	10 gp	1 lb.
Orb	20 gp	3 lb.
Rod	10 gp	2 lb.
Staff	5 gp	4 lb.
Wand	10 gp	1 lb.

Druidic focus

Item	Cost	Weight
Sprig of mistletoe	1 gp	—
Totem	1 gp	—
Wooden staff	5 gp	4 lb.
Yew wand	10 gp	1 lb.

Holy symbol

Item	Cost	Weight
Amulet	5 gp	1 lb.
Emblem	5 gp	—
Reliquary	5 gp	2 lb.

Musical instrument

Item	Cost	Weight
Bagpipes	30 gp	6 lb.
Drum	6 gp	3 lb.
Dulcimer	25 gp	10 lb.
Flute	2 gp	1 lb.
Lute	35 gp	2 lb.
Lyre	30 gp	2 lb.
Horn	3 gp	2 lb.
Panflute	12 gp	2 lb.
Shawm	2 gp	1 lb.
Viol	30 gp	1 lb.

Notice that in the above list, the emblem does not list a weight. In accordance with the description of the holy symbol entry in this chapter, it could be an emblem on a shield, so in that case it has no weight of its own.

If the entries were not discrete -- if there was one entry that said "Spellcasting focus" and it had rules for each spellcasting type -- and there were not specific foci that you can actually purchase, with costs, then I can see a case for combining multiple foci into a single item. As it stands, the rules are clear -- one entry for arcane focus, one entry for druidic focus, one entry for bardic focus, and one entry for divine focus. They are discrete items by the rules and combining them into some other object not outlined in the rules is entering house rule territory.