How many of you actually use spell components? [Archive] - Wizards Community

How many of you actually use spell components? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
knightwriter
11-25-07, 12:48 PM I was just wondering how many of you spell slingers actually use the spell component rule, or how many of you are forced to use it by your dm?

I like the idea of it as it adds to the roleplaying aspect of my wizard but then again, it can get a little tiresome when I want to cast another fireball and I'm out of bat guano and sulphur.
HardcoreCasual
11-25-07, 12:58 PM I was just wondering how many of you spell slingers actually use the spell component rule, or how many of you are forced to use it by your dm?

I like the idea of it as it adds to the roleplaying aspect of my wizard but then again, it can get a little tiresome when I want to cast another fireball and I'm out of bat guano and sulphur.

Generally if I'm a spellcaster at level 1 I'll focus mainly on the spells without material components through level, sticking to the focuses and the V/S spells. At level 3 I'll take the Eschew Materials feat so I no longer have to worry about spell components unless I'm trying to do something specific. It's my way to negate the component rule for the most part, leaving me with the power to cast spells so long as I have my book.

Note: Me and my group play core only, so this is the only option I have for this sort of thing.
Talisman
11-25-07, 01:38 PM I ignore them unless there's some specific reason why a spellcaster wouldn't have his stuff (captured, attacked in the bath, washed overboard in a storm, whatever). The "spell component pouch" is an excellent way to handle this.

Of course, if the component has a gp cost listed or is something exotic and bizarre (humanoid heart, dragon eyeball) I have the player keep track of 'em.
jradd777
11-25-07, 02:59 PM I ignore them unless there's some specific reason why a spellcaster wouldn't have his stuff (captured, attacked in the bath, washed overboard in a storm, whatever). The "spell component pouch" is an excellent way to handle this.

Of course, if the component has a gp cost listed or is something exotic and bizarre (humanoid heart, dragon eyeball) I have the player keep track of 'em.

That's kinda how we are... people keep track of it themselves, we trust each other, DM doesn't go overboard with it.
MrCustomer
11-25-07, 04:26 PM Keeping track of the Spell Book, Spells memmed and there details is annoying enough in my expereince, so I simple ignor ethe need for components, with the exception of spells that require specific components like say a pheonix feather, or a diamond worth 1000gp.

Have a Spell component pouch and assume that it has the small stuff, pinch of sulfur, eye of newt, bat guano, etc in it if you want to keep the component rules, but serriously having to track a silly inventory is going to make DnD more like accounting then exploring a realm of fantasy.
Vathelokai
11-25-07, 06:22 PM This conversation is going on over at the 'What's a DM to do: rules questions" board...

link
SearcherOmega
11-25-07, 06:30 PM It's generally assumed that you have minor material components as long as you have a spell component pouch on hand.
Cifer
11-25-07, 07:31 PM I'll just chime in here: As long as a wizard has his spell component pouch, it is assumed he regularly spends a negligible amount of money on refreshing it with all the ignorable components he needs for his spells. More expensive ones have to be paid...
KillerVole
11-25-07, 10:39 PM As a caster, my first feat is always eschew materials. It saves me a lot of trouble.
sacerd
11-26-07, 07:40 AM I use them as a DM when running a game simply because that is part of what keeps wizards Balanced.
1red13
11-27-07, 01:45 AM I don't worry about spell components except for certain circumstances. I don't worry about material components...well to be truthful because its cumbersome.

I assume they have the material components on hand inwhen needed. i doubt many dms worry about the fireballs or other such spells that would certainly destroy all the carefully catalogued spell components. I sure woudln't want to have to make saves for each spell component that a spell caster needs to carry.

The instances were i do enforce spell components where a caster is bound silenced or similar situations. In these instances there are feats that would overcome the situation.

I do believe that there is a feat Eschew Materials that would solve the material component problem.
solandras
11-27-07, 10:09 AM I usually don't bother with making my players keep track of them unless they are extremely rare components, or expensive ones. The spell component pouch says that it assumes you have an infinite amount of any component that doesn't cost anything, but some of that is hard to believe. For instance, I forgot what spell it is, but it says that you need the ashes of a vampire who was killed by the sun. I HIGHLY doubt all wizards have huge amounts of that available.
aotrscommander
11-27-07, 10:43 AM I generally totally ignore noncostly material components. The wizards are assumed to have them, but otherwise they are simply unimportant.

I frequently offer Eschew Materials as a replacement class feature for spellcasters.
Dog_O_War
11-27-07, 11:10 AM I use them, because they are in the book. Also, while I don't keep an exacting list of what spell components my players have, I just keep track on what spells they use alot of, and will say after awhile that they are running low on said component(s).

Keeps 'em sharp, and the game fair.
zelf_gale
11-27-07, 11:30 AM I use spell components and I use the spell component pouch, whenever I play or DM. The reason I stick by the use of this is that it is a drawback for spellcasters that is essential for balance.

1) A missing spell component pouch effectively shuts down many spells for an imprisoned spellcaster.

2) Having to take the Eschew Materials feat to remove this drawback removes an alternative feat selection.

3) Requiring casters to track all material components with listed costs is necessary for low level balance. For example there are spells with low costs, 5g or less per casting, that have noticeably more power than spells of the same level. For a low level caster not requiring the purchase of these components makes them significantly more powerful.

I do not however require spellcasters to roleplay the acquisition of either spell components with a unlisted cost or if the component is readily available (such as a pearl in a fishing community or in any merchant community). I house rule that spell components with unlisted costs are so cheap because the spells that require them only use an extremely small portion of what is stocked in a spell component pouch. Therefore they don't have an unlimited supply, just a relatively large supply to the amount required for an adventuring campaign. Spellcasters are aware of the properties of these ingredients when they come upon them, collect them without having to say so explicitly, and trade them with other spellcasters they meet for components they are running low on. I also often house rule that many magically potent substances can be substituted for spell components with unlisted costs, to help improve the realism of the trade of extremely rare items. Please note that all of these house rules only effect the fluff of the rules, not the mechanics.

Rules quotes from the SRD

Spell Component Pouch: A spellcaster with a spell component pouch is assumed to have all the material components and focuses needed for spellcasting, except for those components that have a specific cost, divine focuses, and focuses that wouldn’t fit in a pouch.

ESCHEW MATERIALS [GENERAL]

Benefit: You can cast any spell that has a material component costing 1 gp or less without needing that component. (The casting of the spell still provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.) If the spell requires a material component that costs more than 1 gp, you must have the material component at hand to cast the spell, just as normal.
HermitIX
11-27-07, 12:29 PM I use them. I love the flavor of them. I also keep track of how many pages I have in my spell book, so it might just be me. I think the hassles of a class make the game more fun. Spell components really are not cumbersome in play. You really just ignore them unless there is a reason not to. Just like a familiar.

You pick up odds and ends when you travel. If you want to role play it, just have your wizard go to the local magic shop once a month, and plunk down 1cp and get restocked. Or go to a temple of some god with magic in its portfolio and get restocked for free. The only time it should matter is if your DM is actively trying to stop you from being able to cast spells, then he might take away your pouch. But if he is trying to keep you from casting spells, DMs usually go for the tie you up and gag you approach totally forgetting the pouch.

I like to know what my material components are. I used the sand for my sleep spells in a puzzle my DM made up. Also I used wax from one of the candle nubs I use for my summoning spells to make a little voodoo doll and bluff some guards.
Dog_O_War
11-27-07, 01:34 PM I use them. I love the flavor of them. I also keep track of how many pages I have in my spell book, so it might just be me. I think the hassles of a class make the game more fun. Spell components really are not cumbersome in play. You really just ignore them unless there is a reason not to. Just like a familiar.

You pick up odds and ends when you travel. If you want to role play it, just have your wizard go to the local magic shop once a month, and plunk down 1cp and get restocked. Or go to a temple of some god with magic in its portfolio and get restocked for free. The only time it should matter is if your DM is actively trying to stop you from being able to cast spells, then he might take away your pouch. But if he is trying to keep you from casting spells, DMs usually go for the tie you up and gag you approach totally forgetting the pouch.

I like to know what my material components are. I used the sand for my sleep spells in a puzzle my DM made up. Also I used wax from one of the candle nubs I use for my summoning spells to make a little voodoo doll and bluff some guards.

Wow, yer the self-maintaining wizard player I've been looking for.
Adrian_Crane
11-28-07, 03:03 AM I like to know what my material components are. I used the sand for my sleep spells in a puzzle my DM made up. Also I used wax from one of the candle nubs I use for my summoning spells to make a little voodoo doll and bluff some guards.I'm playing a Wizard for the first time and also trying to track exactly what my components are, though I was doing it more for flavor--"how do the components I choose to use reveal who my character is" (for spells that have a choice of a few things, or sometimes I'll sub in something more thematically fitting to my own Wizard that seems close enough to the listed component). I never really thought about using *components* to solve puzzles, but that's a really cool idea.
Surgo
11-28-07, 04:46 PM Spell components are a pretty horrible joke, and we've always ignored them completely in any game I've played in unless there was an actual cost listed for the component.
DracoPhoenix
11-29-07, 11:57 AM My Ł0.02

Well, the spell component pouch is 5g. So we just buy that and then just worry about the expensive components. We don't get attacked by repo-men, so that's not usually a problem.
Dunsel
11-29-07, 01:09 PM I believe the spell components were meant to be ignored for the most part b/c, if a DM actually pressed you to have x amt of this and y amt of that for each spell you intended to cast, your entire time spent in towns, villages and walking to and fro from said towns and villages, would be spent gathering spider webs and cow dung!

Once you have collected all this garbage, imagine the storage issues. Other than Heward's Handy Havesack (best item ever btw) the components would be organized unless you never had to swim, climb, jump, fall, etc. This would turn them into one big pile or worse - wet. If they got wet, look out! Now the dung and the spider webs are one and the wizard has no components. If it was really played with some realism, the wizard would have to continually straighten the spell pouch.

The vast majority of DMs are not exact in this matter and, those of us who run wizards are thankful!
narack
11-29-07, 06:38 PM Me i let my player cast it without as long as the component is Firstly not specific item (wood piece, paper, butter = non specific)
and also the item has to worth less than 100gp. if both condition arent meant he have to use them.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
knightwriter 11-25-07, 12:48 PM	I was just wondering how many of you spell slingers actually use the spell component rule, or how many of you are forced to use it by your dm? I like the idea of it as it adds to the roleplaying aspect of my wizard but then again, it can get a little tiresome when I want to cast another fireball and I'm out of bat guano and sulphur.
HardcoreCasual 11-25-07, 12:58 PM	I was just wondering how many of you spell slingers actually use the spell component rule, or how many of you are forced to use it by your dm? I like the idea of it as it adds to the roleplaying aspect of my wizard but then again, it can get a little tiresome when I want to cast another fireball and I'm out of bat guano and sulphur. Generally if I'm a spellcaster at level 1 I'll focus mainly on the spells without material components through level, sticking to the focuses and the V/S spells. At level 3 I'll take the Eschew Materials feat so I no longer have to worry about spell components unless I'm trying to do something specific. It's my way to negate the component rule for the most part, leaving me with the power to cast spells so long as I have my book. Note: Me and my group play core only, so this is the only option I have for this sort of thing.
Talisman 11-25-07, 01:38 PM	I ignore them unless there's some specific reason why a spellcaster wouldn't have his stuff (captured, attacked in the bath, washed overboard in a storm, whatever). The "spell component pouch" is an excellent way to handle this. Of course, if the component has a gp cost listed or is something exotic and bizarre (humanoid heart, dragon eyeball) I have the player keep track of 'em.
jradd777 11-25-07, 02:59 PM	I ignore them unless there's some specific reason why a spellcaster wouldn't have his stuff (captured, attacked in the bath, washed overboard in a storm, whatever). The "spell component pouch" is an excellent way to handle this. Of course, if the component has a gp cost listed or is something exotic and bizarre (humanoid heart, dragon eyeball) I have the player keep track of 'em. That's kinda how we are... people keep track of it themselves, we trust each other, DM doesn't go overboard with it.
MrCustomer 11-25-07, 04:26 PM	Keeping track of the Spell Book, Spells memmed and there details is annoying enough in my expereince, so I simple ignor ethe need for components, with the exception of spells that require specific components like say a pheonix feather, or a diamond worth 1000gp. Have a Spell component pouch and assume that it has the small stuff, pinch of sulfur, eye of newt, bat guano, etc in it if you want to keep the component rules, but serriously having to track a silly inventory is going to make DnD more like accounting then exploring a realm of fantasy.
Vathelokai 11-25-07, 06:22 PM	This conversation is going on over at the 'What's a DM to do: rules questions" board... link
SearcherOmega 11-25-07, 06:30 PM	It's generally assumed that you have minor material components as long as you have a spell component pouch on hand.
Cifer 11-25-07, 07:31 PM	I'll just chime in here: As long as a wizard has his spell component pouch, it is assumed he regularly spends a negligible amount of money on refreshing it with all the ignorable components he needs for his spells. More expensive ones have to be paid...
KillerVole 11-25-07, 10:39 PM	As a caster, my first feat is always eschew materials. It saves me a lot of trouble.
sacerd 11-26-07, 07:40 AM	I use them as a DM when running a game simply because that is part of what keeps wizards Balanced.
1red13 11-27-07, 01:45 AM	I don't worry about spell components except for certain circumstances. I don't worry about material components...well to be truthful because its cumbersome. I assume they have the material components on hand inwhen needed. i doubt many dms worry about the fireballs or other such spells that would certainly destroy all the carefully catalogued spell components. I sure woudln't want to have to make saves for each spell component that a spell caster needs to carry. The instances were i do enforce spell components where a caster is bound silenced or similar situations. In these instances there are feats that would overcome the situation. I do believe that there is a feat Eschew Materials that would solve the material component problem.
solandras 11-27-07, 10:09 AM	I usually don't bother with making my players keep track of them unless they are extremely rare components, or expensive ones. The spell component pouch says that it assumes you have an infinite amount of any component that doesn't cost anything, but some of that is hard to believe. For instance, I forgot what spell it is, but it says that you need the ashes of a vampire who was killed by the sun. I HIGHLY doubt all wizards have huge amounts of that available.
aotrscommander 11-27-07, 10:43 AM	I generally totally ignore noncostly material components. The wizards are assumed to have them, but otherwise they are simply unimportant. I frequently offer Eschew Materials as a replacement class feature for spellcasters.
Dog_O_War 11-27-07, 11:10 AM	I use them, because they are in the book. Also, while I don't keep an exacting list of what spell components my players have, I just keep track on what spells they use alot of, and will say after awhile that they are running low on said component(s). Keeps 'em sharp, and the game fair.
zelf_gale 11-27-07, 11:30 AM	I use spell components and I use the spell component pouch, whenever I play or DM. The reason I stick by the use of this is that it is a drawback for spellcasters that is essential for balance. 1) A missing spell component pouch effectively shuts down many spells for an imprisoned spellcaster. 2) Having to take the Eschew Materials feat to remove this drawback removes an alternative feat selection. 3) Requiring casters to track all material components with listed costs is necessary for low level balance. For example there are spells with low costs, 5g or less per casting, that have noticeably more power than spells of the same level. For a low level caster not requiring the purchase of these components makes them significantly more powerful. I do not however require spellcasters to roleplay the acquisition of either spell components with a unlisted cost or if the component is readily available (such as a pearl in a fishing community or in any merchant community). I house rule that spell components with unlisted costs are so cheap because the spells that require them only use an extremely small portion of what is stocked in a spell component pouch. Therefore they don't have an unlimited supply, just a relatively large supply to the amount required for an adventuring campaign. Spellcasters are aware of the properties of these ingredients when they come upon them, collect them without having to say so explicitly, and trade them with other spellcasters they meet for components they are running low on. I also often house rule that many magically potent substances can be substituted for spell components with unlisted costs, to help improve the realism of the trade of extremely rare items. Please note that all of these house rules only effect the fluff of the rules, not the mechanics. Rules quotes from the SRD Spell Component Pouch: A spellcaster with a spell component pouch is assumed to have all the material components and focuses needed for spellcasting, except for those components that have a specific cost, divine focuses, and focuses that wouldn’t fit in a pouch. ESCHEW MATERIALS [GENERAL] Benefit: You can cast any spell that has a material component costing 1 gp or less without needing that component. (The casting of the spell still provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.) If the spell requires a material component that costs more than 1 gp, you must have the material component at hand to cast the spell, just as normal.
HermitIX 11-27-07, 12:29 PM	I use them. I love the flavor of them. I also keep track of how many pages I have in my spell book, so it might just be me. I think the hassles of a class make the game more fun. Spell components really are not cumbersome in play. You really just ignore them unless there is a reason not to. Just like a familiar. You pick up odds and ends when you travel. If you want to role play it, just have your wizard go to the local magic shop once a month, and plunk down 1cp and get restocked. Or go to a temple of some god with magic in its portfolio and get restocked for free. The only time it should matter is if your DM is actively trying to stop you from being able to cast spells, then he might take away your pouch. But if he is trying to keep you from casting spells, DMs usually go for the tie you up and gag you approach totally forgetting the pouch. I like to know what my material components are. I used the sand for my sleep spells in a puzzle my DM made up. Also I used wax from one of the candle nubs I use for my summoning spells to make a little voodoo doll and bluff some guards.
Dog_O_War 11-27-07, 01:34 PM	I use them. I love the flavor of them. I also keep track of how many pages I have in my spell book, so it might just be me. I think the hassles of a class make the game more fun. Spell components really are not cumbersome in play. You really just ignore them unless there is a reason not to. Just like a familiar. You pick up odds and ends when you travel. If you want to role play it, just have your wizard go to the local magic shop once a month, and plunk down 1cp and get restocked. Or go to a temple of some god with magic in its portfolio and get restocked for free. The only time it should matter is if your DM is actively trying to stop you from being able to cast spells, then he might take away your pouch. But if he is trying to keep you from casting spells, DMs usually go for the tie you up and gag you approach totally forgetting the pouch. I like to know what my material components are. I used the sand for my sleep spells in a puzzle my DM made up. Also I used wax from one of the candle nubs I use for my summoning spells to make a little voodoo doll and bluff some guards. Wow, yer the self-maintaining wizard player I've been looking for.
Adrian_Crane 11-28-07, 03:03 AM	I like to know what my material components are. I used the sand for my sleep spells in a puzzle my DM made up. Also I used wax from one of the candle nubs I use for my summoning spells to make a little voodoo doll and bluff some guards.I'm playing a Wizard for the first time and also trying to track exactly what my components are, though I was doing it more for flavor--"how do the components I choose to use reveal who my character is" (for spells that have a choice of a few things, or sometimes I'll sub in something more thematically fitting to my own Wizard that seems close enough to the listed component). I never really thought about using components to solve puzzles, but that's a really cool idea.
Surgo 11-28-07, 04:46 PM	Spell components are a pretty horrible joke, and we've always ignored them completely in any game I've played in unless there was an actual cost listed for the component.
DracoPhoenix 11-29-07, 11:57 AM	My Ł0.02 Well, the spell component pouch is 5g. So we just buy that and then just worry about the expensive components. We don't get attacked by repo-men, so that's not usually a problem.
Dunsel 11-29-07, 01:09 PM	I believe the spell components were meant to be ignored for the most part b/c, if a DM actually pressed you to have x amt of this and y amt of that for each spell you intended to cast, your entire time spent in towns, villages and walking to and fro from said towns and villages, would be spent gathering spider webs and cow dung! Once you have collected all this garbage, imagine the storage issues. Other than Heward's Handy Havesack (best item ever btw) the components would be organized unless you never had to swim, climb, jump, fall, etc. This would turn them into one big pile or worse - wet. If they got wet, look out! Now the dung and the spider webs are one and the wizard has no components. If it was really played with some realism, the wizard would have to continually straighten the spell pouch. The vast majority of DMs are not exact in this matter and, those of us who run wizards are thankful!
narack 11-29-07, 06:38 PM	Me i let my player cast it without as long as the component is Firstly not specific item (wood piece, paper, butter = non specific) and also the item has to worth less than 100gp. if both condition arent meant he have to use them.