Dumb question, but still...
How many hands do you need to cast a spell? Assuming you're human, both of them, or just one?
If I'm a wizard holding a staff, can I let one hand go of it (a staff being a two-handed weapon) and cast a spell with just one hand free and take... whatever action to grasp it again in the next round?
(Yeah, that last part is a bit hazy, because unless I'm having Quick Draw, I assume that it would take me a move-action to grip my staff back with my free hand.)
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It is a free action to let go of the staff and to re-grab (with one hand) This is done so that casters can hold the staff and still be able to threaten the area around them. This means you need only one hand to cast the spell. Arcane Spell Failure however still takes place for the unused hand if it has a shield or similar object in it.
Two-Handed Weapons: What kind of action is it to remove your hand from a two-handed weapon or re-grab it with both hands?
Both are free actions. For example, a wizard wielding a quarterstaff can let go of the weapon with one hand as a free action, cast a spell as a standard action, and grasp the weapon again with that hand as a free action; this means the wizard is still able to make attacks of opportunity with the weapon (which requires using two hands).As with any free action, the GM may decide a reasonable limit to how many times per round you can release and re-grasp the weapon (one release and re-grasp per round is fair).
Drawing a weapon and changing your grip are different things.
It only takes one hand to cast a spell with Somatic or material components components, which is why you can do it while Grappled. Taking your hand on and off your staff is only a Free action, o you're good there.
Though I'm a mite hazy on whether that holds true for spells with both a material component and a Focus.
I think there's one or two. Then again IIRC those are spells with a casting time of 1 Minute+ so not likely to be relevant.
Ah, yes, fthis is one.
V, S, M, and DF.