I would like the ability to track material components in the spell list. It can be as simple as a check box for non-consumable components and a tally for the number of consumable material components you have. It just seems much easier than writing the components out at the bottom of the inventory.
That or have all of the components created as items that can be added to your inventory. It'll give the component pouch's inventory some actual use.
Anything is better than writing down "Three uses of find familiar" or whatever in your other possessions.
You can add custom items to your inventory, or take existing items and edit the price. I track how much silver powder I have (for magic circle or ceremony) using custom items, and I track incense (for find familiar) using block of incense with the price changed
The point of this suggestion is to avoid having to do an extra workaround to do a basic D&D mechanic. Most classes have spellcasting, we should be able to track material components.
I was just presenting a stopgap solution. You said 'Anything is better than writing down "Three uses of find familiar" or whatever in your other possessions', so I provided you with an alternative way of doing it. Honestly, I find writing things into Other Possessions is much quicker and easier than adding an item from the inventory manager anyway
The point of this suggestion is to avoid having to do an extra workaround to do a basic D&D mechanic. Most classes have spellcasting, we should be able to track material components.
because you'd be adding several pages to the character sheet to include all the various spell components....to track something that 99% of players don't track and find no value in tracking. There's a ton of features that the majority of players DO care about that aren't implemented (or implemented incompletely). Those are the priority.
and its not really a basic D&D mechanic...having a component pouch or a spellcasting focus is the mechanic which is very specifically designed so players don't need to track components.
the above is for the consumable items with no value of course....but even the 'worth x gp' items, its a similar argument. Most players just don't bother. If it's 1,000gp diamond, they just lower their gold by that amount unless its an environment where the DM specifically says they can't find that item. Again here you're talking about the vast minority of cases.
Yikes, that was a long-winded response to a simple suggestion. (To HeathSmith, trapbuilder2 you're fine)
We already have both spell and inventory pages. Tracking costly material components is how spells are balanced. I don't think """99% of players""" ignore this basic rule. I'm not saying components should be the first thing dndbeyond should do, personally, I think they should improve the homebrew maker.
It is a basic D&D Mechanic. It is in Basic Rules, it is the first level feature of a lot of classes, it is a true or false value. Notice how I only mentioned material components with a cost, too.
You keep saying "a rule that most players don't bother" so I'm gonna take a page out of your book and make a wild assumption: You don't play spellcasters. Tracking costly components is something spellcasters always have to do. You say just lower the gold, but you need to actually purchase the items, which need to be tracked. For the diamond bit, it is famously used for revival spells like revivify, which you need to have the diamond on you before the character dies in order to use effectively. Even if you're in a town you usually can't buy the diamond to use. Not every campaign takes place in a town at all times.
You have a very incorrect assumption as to how D&D is played. It must be how your group plays. You're actually in the vast minority.
long winded? ha, you should look at some of the other responses on here.
I didn't say 99.9% of players ignore a rule...you're rewording that.
on your last line, my response isn't an assumption - it is my experience around 30+ years of playing. I stand behind my response...if you don't like it, that's a different issue.
I have a level 20 Wizard (now retired) and just used a cheap item I could clone as a spell component to be tracked in my inventory. These items were then stored in her spell component pouch. I only tracked GP value items and permanent items. I have one cloned item for the permanent items and in the notes for it I list them all. Then I list the GP items by spell name and adjust the gp value on that item to match what's listed in the spell. Then just increase/decrease the number of uses you have on hand. If you start out tracking it this way from the start, it's fairly easy to manage as you level up and gain spells. Most characters aren't going to have access to every available arcane spell so it's just a matter of keeping up with the permanent/gp value components. As for the divine ones, only track and retain those you're most likely to use. Obtaining and managing that inventory can be a fun part of the game for some. In the end, it's between you and your DM on how detailed they want it tracked. They might be happy with you just deducting the GP value of the component and assume you have it. Or they might want you to track it as I've detailed above in some form. Talk to your DM and find what works best for your game.
Yikes, that was a long-winded response to a simple suggestion. (To HeathSmith, trapbuilder2 you're fine)
That wasn't longwinded. You're being rather discourteous here.
Anyway. Your suggestion, which does have merit, will never be implemented. For fear of being too longwinded for you, and to demonstrate why they won't add this feature, I made a very short (only 3 min, relax) video response. Here ya go.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond. Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ thisFAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
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I would like the ability to track material components in the spell list. It can be as simple as a check box for non-consumable components and a tally for the number of consumable material components you have. It just seems much easier than writing the components out at the bottom of the inventory.
That or have all of the components created as items that can be added to your inventory. It'll give the component pouch's inventory some actual use.
Anything is better than writing down "Three uses of find familiar" or whatever in your other possessions.
You can add custom items to your inventory, or take existing items and edit the price. I track how much silver powder I have (for magic circle or ceremony) using custom items, and I track incense (for find familiar) using block of incense with the price changed
The point of this suggestion is to avoid having to do an extra workaround to do a basic D&D mechanic. Most classes have spellcasting, we should be able to track material components.
I was just presenting a stopgap solution. You said 'Anything is better than writing down "Three uses of find familiar" or whatever in your other possessions', so I provided you with an alternative way of doing it. Honestly, I find writing things into Other Possessions is much quicker and easier than adding an item from the inventory manager anyway
because you'd be adding several pages to the character sheet to include all the various spell components....to track something that 99% of players don't track and find no value in tracking. There's a ton of features that the majority of players DO care about that aren't implemented (or implemented incompletely). Those are the priority.
and its not really a basic D&D mechanic...having a component pouch or a spellcasting focus is the mechanic which is very specifically designed so players don't need to track components.
the above is for the consumable items with no value of course....but even the 'worth x gp' items, its a similar argument. Most players just don't bother. If it's 1,000gp diamond, they just lower their gold by that amount unless its an environment where the DM specifically says they can't find that item. Again here you're talking about the vast minority of cases.
...imo
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
Yikes, that was a long-winded response to a simple suggestion. (To HeathSmith, trapbuilder2 you're fine)
We already have both spell and inventory pages. Tracking costly material components is how spells are balanced. I don't think """99% of players""" ignore this basic rule. I'm not saying components should be the first thing dndbeyond should do, personally, I think they should improve the homebrew maker.
It is a basic D&D Mechanic. It is in Basic Rules, it is the first level feature of a lot of classes, it is a true or false value. Notice how I only mentioned material components with a cost, too.
You keep saying "a rule that most players don't bother" so I'm gonna take a page out of your book and make a wild assumption: You don't play spellcasters. Tracking costly components is something spellcasters always have to do. You say just lower the gold, but you need to actually purchase the items, which need to be tracked. For the diamond bit, it is famously used for revival spells like revivify, which you need to have the diamond on you before the character dies in order to use effectively. Even if you're in a town you usually can't buy the diamond to use. Not every campaign takes place in a town at all times.
You have a very incorrect assumption as to how D&D is played. It must be how your group plays. You're actually in the vast minority.
...imo
long winded? ha, you should look at some of the other responses on here.
I didn't say 99.9% of players ignore a rule...you're rewording that.
on your last line, my response isn't an assumption - it is my experience around 30+ years of playing. I stand behind my response...if you don't like it, that's a different issue.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
I have a level 20 Wizard (now retired) and just used a cheap item I could clone as a spell component to be tracked in my inventory. These items were then stored in her spell component pouch. I only tracked GP value items and permanent items. I have one cloned item for the permanent items and in the notes for it I list them all. Then I list the GP items by spell name and adjust the gp value on that item to match what's listed in the spell. Then just increase/decrease the number of uses you have on hand. If you start out tracking it this way from the start, it's fairly easy to manage as you level up and gain spells. Most characters aren't going to have access to every available arcane spell so it's just a matter of keeping up with the permanent/gp value components. As for the divine ones, only track and retain those you're most likely to use. Obtaining and managing that inventory can be a fun part of the game for some. In the end, it's between you and your DM on how detailed they want it tracked. They might be happy with you just deducting the GP value of the component and assume you have it. Or they might want you to track it as I've detailed above in some form. Talk to your DM and find what works best for your game.
"to track something that 99% of players don't track"
L
That wasn't longwinded. You're being rather discourteous here.
Anyway. Your suggestion, which does have merit, will never be implemented. For fear of being too longwinded for you, and to demonstrate why they won't add this feature, I made a very short (only 3 min, relax) video response. Here ya go.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.