Can an Alchemist combine their subclass bonus with an Enhanced Arcane Focus

artificerartificer-infusionsclass-featurednd-5e

Enhanced Arcane Focus is an artificer infusion that's applied to a rod, staff, or wand, and adds +1 to spell attack rolls.

Alchemist artificers also get the Alchemical Savant feature, which lets them add their Intelligence modifier to healing and elemental damage rolls when they use alchemist's supplies as the focus.

On the surface, it seems like these features can't be combined: Enhanced Arcane Focus can't apply to the specific focus needed for Alchemical Savant. But artificers have a lot of versatility in the foci they use, and I know there are magic items out there that can improve this versatility further (like the Ruby of the War Mage).

Is there any way to use the attack bonus of Enhanced Arcane Focus (or any similar bonus to spell attack rolls, like a Wand of the War Mage) and the damage bonus of Alchemical Savant on the same spell?

Best Answer

You just have to be holding the Infused Item

Enhanced Arcane Focus says:

Item: A rod, staff or wand (requires attunement) . . . While holding this item, a creature gains +1 bonus to spell attack rolls.

It doesn't require you to cast spells through it, in fact the rod, staff or ward doesn't even need to be an Arcane Focus, just that you've infused an item of those three categories and are holding it (and are attuned!).

Then you proceed to, while holding it, cast spells holding in your other hand with your Alchemical Supplies, giving you the +1 (or +2 at 10th level) benefit.

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