The component pouch is commonly described as the “Hand Magic Focus,” for spellcasters. While this trope is true, the mechanics are not. Focuses replace the material components of spells that lack a cost, but the component pouch provides them. This technically means that any spellcaster can use a component pouch.
Each spellcasting class has its own set of focuses. Wizards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks use Arcane Focuses, Clerics and Paladins use Holy Symbols, Druids and Rangers use Druidic Focuses, and Artificers use tools. But there’s no rule that any of these classes CAN’T use a component pouch, since the pouch is not a focus. It merely provides the material components as opposed to supplementing them.
If you’re ever making a Druic, Sorcadin, or other multi-spellcaster, Spell Component Pouches make a fantastic supplement for a focus.
EDIT: I have been corrected, an artificer cannot use a component pouch. I also just don’t know why the fact that component pouches can be used by almost all spellcasters didn’t occur to me earlier.
EDIT: My point is this: Component Pouches function identically to focuses (aside from not actively occupying the hand), but are not restricted by magic type. Regardless if you’re an arcane, divine, or natural magic class, you can use a component pouch.
I think that the wording of Artificer seems to be that it's the only class that's not allowed to use a Component Pouch. " You must have a spellcasting focus—specifically thieves' tools or some kind of artisan's tool—in hand when you cast any spell with this Spellcasting feature " The use of the words "Must" and "Specifically", seems to me to imply that you are not allowed to use alternative spellcasting focuses. Even Artillerist, which gives a bonus specifically to spells cast with a wand, staff, or rod, still has language that implies that the option to do so is exclusive to the One wand/staff/rod that you modify to become your Arcane Firearm and doesn't seem to allow you to just pick up any wand off the ground and use it as a spellcasting focus.
I think that the wording of Artificer seems to be that it's the only class that's not allowed to use a Component Pouch. " You must have a spellcasting focus—specifically thieves' tools or some kind of artisan's tool—in hand when you cast any spell with this Spellcasting feature " The use of the words "Must" and "Specifically", seems to me to imply that you are not allowed to use alternative spellcasting focuses. Even Artillerist, which gives a bonus specifically to spells cast with a wand, staff, or rod, still has language that implies that the option to do so is exclusive to the One wand/staff/rod that you modify to become your Arcane Firearm and doesn't seem to allow you to just pick up any wand off the ground and use it as a spellcasting focus.
Note: Artificers can also use an Infusion, and have the option of infusing a wand (etc.) as an Enhanced Arcane Focus, so can use them that way.
But you're ultimately correct: Artificers have no real use of a Component Pouch, since they always need tools/infusion as a focus, and won't need the sorts of material components a pouch can provide.
The component pouch is commonly described as the “Hand Magic Focus,” for spellcasters. While this trope is true, the mechanics are not. Focuses replace the material components of spells that lack a cost, but the component pouch provides them.
This technically means that any spellcaster can use a component pouch.
I mean... this has always been true. Have you ever had any reason to think otherwise?
Each spellcasting class has its own set of focuses. Wizards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks use Arcane Focuses, Clerics and Paladins use Holy Symbols, Druids and Rangers use Druidic Focuses, and Artificers use tools. But there’s no rule that any of these classes CAN’T use a component pouch, since the pouch is not a focus. It merely provides the material components as opposed to supplementing them.
If you’re ever making a Druic, Sorcadin, Artifizard, or other multi-spellcaster, Spell Component Pouches make a fantastic supplement for a focus.
Others in this thread are correct: an Artificer has no use for a pouch, since their use of a focus instead is mandatory. For everyone else, a pouch is basically a focus only less aesthetically pleasing.
The pouches are in the game for people who don't wanna have to micromanage their inventory. They're an abstraction. They solve the narrative problem of where do you keep getting the components of your spells without having to track a spreadsheet. Trying to analyze the component pouch through the lens of an inventory micromanager leads to unneeded complications.
If you’re ever making a Druic, Sorcadin, ..., or other multi-spellcaster, Spell Component Pouches make a fantastic supplement for a focus.
Good point.
In PHb Other Adventuring Gear it says : A cleric or paladin can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus, as described in chapter 10. To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield.
The use of a Spell Component Pouch would provide an alternative.
Similarly, an artificer with a spellcasting multiclass might keep tools to hand and either juggle a focus or use a pouch.
If you’re ever making a Druic, Sorcadin, ..., or other multi-spellcaster, Spell Component Pouches make a fantastic supplement for a focus.
Good point.
In PHb Other Adventuring Gear it says : A cleric or paladin can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus, as described in chapter 10. To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield.
The use of a Spell Component Pouch would provide an alternative.
Similarly, an artificer with a spellcasting multiclass might keep tools to hand and either juggle a focus or use a pouch.
For my Forest Gnome Artificer, I took the Artificer Initiate feat. Partly to get free Mending and 1/day Identify, but also so that I can use Jeweler's Tools (2lbs) to cast any spells that use Intelligence for the modifier, so that I can go full-Artificer even with the racial Minor Illusion spell.
Identify has the Ritual tag, if you Prepare it instead you have lots of free castings of that. Artificers can ritually cast spells with the ritual tag if they have them prepared.
Yep. But my DM is allowing me to cast as a ritual beyond the free daily quick-Identify, at least once I get my hands on a pearl anyway.
...At least I think she is. If not, I suppose I'll switch to Cure Wounds or such to avoid the issue of ritual-casting. I'd be able to cast the feat-given spell with slots since it's of my main class.
yeah, I think something like cure wounds might be better for an assigned free slot from initiate. You can have Identify prepared in the standard way within the artificer spellcasting feature and, if you can then cast it as a ritual, you will be able to leave your artificer spell slots for additional castings of spells like cure wounds.
The component pouch is commonly described as the “Hand Magic Focus,” for spellcasters. While this trope is true, the mechanics are not. Focuses replace the material components of spells that lack a cost, but the component pouch provides them.
There is no reason to assume you can't infinitely pull components out of a pouch if they're in it; at least no reason provided by the rules. Nearly all components that a pouch can replace are not consumed, therefore there is no reason to believe that you'd ever run out of any components that a pouch holds (I think there is only one exception, you need to provide its components each casting which means you could run out of holy water or powdered iron and silver).
If you are saying that the pouch is not pre-loaded when you buy it, that is a ruling and I think a bad one. Since those valueless components need to be collected, that ruling does two things. First, it requires you to RP the act of collecting them, taking away from time that your entire group could be using to do something else. And second, it affords the DM the opportunity to eliminate spells for a caster choosing to use a component pouch instead of a focus ("You were unable to find any white cloth, no aid for your group. Oh. You have a holy symbol on your shield? Nevermind."). It is a waste of time ruling.
Edit: I'm not sure I see the point of your post. You even point out the relevant rule that the pouch replaces material components. What is the functional difference between RPing that you pull the required material out of the pouch and replace it or simply just use the pouch to fulfill the M requirement?
One of the reasons this matters is there is a widespread and groundless belief that you can actually pull an infinite supply of miscellaneous spell components from your pouch for "free" - so widespread it allegedly informed the rewrite of Booming Blade's component line.
Actually, the rewording was to ensure that you couldn't use a spell component pouch or an arcane focus, but had to use an ACTUAL MELEE WEAPON as the material component of the spell.
I consider a component pouch to be equivalent to a spellcasting focus in all ways - it's only providing flavour for how you describe your spellcasting.
One of the reasons this matters is there is a widespread and groundless belief that you can actually pull an infinite supply of miscellaneous spell components from your pouch for "free" - so widespread it allegedly informed the rewrite of Booming Blade's component line.
Actually, the rewording was to ensure that you couldn't use a spell component pouch or an arcane focus, but had to use an ACTUAL MELEE WEAPON as the material component of the spell.
I consider a component pouch to be equivalent to a spellcasting focus in all ways - it's only providing flavour for how you describe your spellcasting.
No no. There were people claiming they could pull infinite numbers of longswords out of their component pouches. It had to be stopped.
One of the reasons this matters is there is a widespread and groundless belief that you can actually pull an infinite supply of miscellaneous spell components from your pouch for "free" - so widespread it allegedly informed the rewrite of Booming Blade's component line.
Actually, the rewording was to ensure that you couldn't use a spell component pouch or an arcane focus, but had to use an ACTUAL MELEE WEAPON as the material component of the spell.
I consider a component pouch to be equivalent to a spellcasting focus in all ways - it's only providing flavour for how you describe your spellcasting.
It's implausible beyond all belief that they re-worded the component line to prevent people from making the attack with an improvised club instead of a real club. It's the same thing but much worse since it's harder to be proficient in and hasn't got the light property. That's not just a niche use, it's an underpowered niche use, totally unworthy of developer time and therefore WOTC money.
I'm not sure how we veered off into booming blade, but the old spell had a weapon as a material component which could have been bypassed by using a stand-in (focus or component pouch) but could leave you in a situation where you couldn't execute the text of the spell, which requires "making a melee attack with [the weapon used in the spell's casting]."
The designers thought that you should at least be forced to have the weapon that the text of the spell requires so that you could complete the casting of the spell, and that the text itself requiring the weapon was not enough. They already had a rule that said casters must have a component with a cost, so they doubled down on requiring that melee weapon with that rule.
Let's not read too much more into it than that.
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The component pouch is commonly described as the “Hand Magic Focus,” for spellcasters. While this trope is true, the mechanics are not. Focuses replace the material components of spells that lack a cost, but the component pouch provides them. This technically means that any spellcaster can use a component pouch.
Each spellcasting class has its own set of focuses. Wizards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks use Arcane Focuses, Clerics and Paladins use Holy Symbols, Druids and Rangers use Druidic Focuses, and Artificers use tools. But there’s no rule that any of these classes CAN’T use a component pouch, since the pouch is not a focus. It merely provides the material components as opposed to supplementing them.
If you’re ever making a Druic, Sorcadin, or other multi-spellcaster, Spell Component Pouches make a fantastic supplement for a focus.
EDIT: I have been corrected, an artificer cannot use a component pouch. I also just don’t know why the fact that component pouches can be used by almost all spellcasters didn’t occur to me earlier.
EDIT: My point is this: Component Pouches function identically to focuses (aside from not actively occupying the hand), but are not restricted by magic type. Regardless if you’re an arcane, divine, or natural magic class, you can use a component pouch.
I think that the wording of Artificer seems to be that it's the only class that's not allowed to use a Component Pouch. " You must have a spellcasting focus—specifically thieves' tools or some kind of artisan's tool—in hand when you cast any spell with this Spellcasting feature " The use of the words "Must" and "Specifically", seems to me to imply that you are not allowed to use alternative spellcasting focuses. Even Artillerist, which gives a bonus specifically to spells cast with a wand, staff, or rod, still has language that implies that the option to do so is exclusive to the One wand/staff/rod that you modify to become your Arcane Firearm and doesn't seem to allow you to just pick up any wand off the ground and use it as a spellcasting focus.
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Note: Artificers can also use an Infusion, and have the option of infusing a wand (etc.) as an Enhanced Arcane Focus, so can use them that way.
But you're ultimately correct: Artificers have no real use of a Component Pouch, since they always need tools/infusion as a focus, and won't need the sorts of material components a pouch can provide.
I don't know what the first sentence means, but the third is false. A component pouch can be used in place of Material components in the same way a focus can. A component pouch does have compartments to hold all the material components and other special items you need to cast your spells, but that doesn't mean a) it automatically provides them or, contextually more relevant, b) it fails to act like a focus in terms of replacing a component. One of the reasons this matters is there is a widespread and groundless belief that you can actually pull an infinite supply of miscellaneous spell components from your pouch for "free" - so widespread it allegedly informed the rewrite of Booming Blade's component line.
I mean... this has always been true. Have you ever had any reason to think otherwise?
Others in this thread are correct: an Artificer has no use for a pouch, since their use of a focus instead is mandatory. For everyone else, a pouch is basically a focus only less aesthetically pleasing.
The pouches are in the game for people who don't wanna have to micromanage their inventory. They're an abstraction. They solve the narrative problem of where do you keep getting the components of your spells without having to track a spreadsheet. Trying to analyze the component pouch through the lens of an inventory micromanager leads to unneeded complications.
I'm probably laughing.
Good point.
In PHb Other Adventuring Gear it says : A cleric or paladin can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus, as described in chapter 10. To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it in hand, wear it visibly, or bear it on a shield.
The use of a Spell Component Pouch would provide an alternative.
Similarly, an artificer with a spellcasting multiclass might keep tools to hand and either juggle a focus or use a pouch.
For my Forest Gnome Artificer, I took the Artificer Initiate feat. Partly to get free Mending and 1/day Identify, but also so that I can use Jeweler's Tools (2lbs) to cast any spells that use Intelligence for the modifier, so that I can go full-Artificer even with the racial Minor Illusion spell.
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Identify has the Ritual tag, if you Prepare it instead you have lots of free castings of that. Artificers can ritually cast spells with the ritual tag if they have them prepared.
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Yep. But my DM is allowing me to cast as a ritual beyond the free daily quick-Identify, at least once I get my hands on a pearl anyway.
...At least I think she is. If not, I suppose I'll switch to Cure Wounds or such to avoid the issue of ritual-casting. I'd be able to cast the feat-given spell with slots since it's of my main class.
Helpful rewriter of Japanese->English translation and delver into software codebases (she/e/they)
yeah, I think something like cure wounds might be better for an assigned free slot from initiate. You can have Identify prepared in the standard way within the artificer spellcasting feature and, if you can then cast it as a ritual, you will be able to leave your artificer spell slots for additional castings of spells like cure wounds.
Okay yeah. Thanks for helping me reconsider. (Always worth having a Cure spell in the back pocket, better to have and not need...)
Helpful rewriter of Japanese->English translation and delver into software codebases (she/e/they)
There is no reason to assume you can't infinitely pull components out of a pouch if they're in it; at least no reason provided by the rules. Nearly all components that a pouch can replace are not consumed, therefore there is no reason to believe that you'd ever run out of any components that a pouch holds (I think there is only one exception, you need to provide its components each casting which means you could run out of holy water or powdered iron and silver).
If you are saying that the pouch is not pre-loaded when you buy it, that is a ruling and I think a bad one. Since those valueless components need to be collected, that ruling does two things. First, it requires you to RP the act of collecting them, taking away from time that your entire group could be using to do something else. And second, it affords the DM the opportunity to eliminate spells for a caster choosing to use a component pouch instead of a focus ("You were unable to find any white cloth, no aid for your group. Oh. You have a holy symbol on your shield? Nevermind."). It is a waste of time ruling.
Edit: I'm not sure I see the point of your post. You even point out the relevant rule that the pouch replaces material components. What is the functional difference between RPing that you pull the required material out of the pouch and replace it or simply just use the pouch to fulfill the M requirement?
Actually, the rewording was to ensure that you couldn't use a spell component pouch or an arcane focus, but had to use an ACTUAL MELEE WEAPON as the material component of the spell.
I consider a component pouch to be equivalent to a spellcasting focus in all ways - it's only providing flavour for how you describe your spellcasting.
No no. There were people claiming they could pull infinite numbers of longswords out of their component pouches. It had to be stopped.
I'm probably laughing.
It's implausible beyond all belief that they re-worded the component line to prevent people from making the attack with an improvised club instead of a real club. It's the same thing but much worse since it's harder to be proficient in and hasn't got the light property. That's not just a niche use, it's an underpowered niche use, totally unworthy of developer time and therefore WOTC money.
I'm not sure how we veered off into booming blade, but the old spell had a weapon as a material component which could have been bypassed by using a stand-in (focus or component pouch) but could leave you in a situation where you couldn't execute the text of the spell, which requires "making a melee attack with [the weapon used in the spell's casting]."
The designers thought that you should at least be forced to have the weapon that the text of the spell requires so that you could complete the casting of the spell, and that the text itself requiring the weapon was not enough. They already had a rule that said casters must have a component with a cost, so they doubled down on requiring that melee weapon with that rule.
Let's not read too much more into it than that.