How can I tell if a component is able to be swapped out for a focus? The rules state:
A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell. If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell. A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components -- or to hold a spellcasting focus -- but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.
When look up a spell such as Resistance the description just tells me what the component is. In this case, a miniature cloak. Am I missing something?
Edit: Also, is it possible to make a hyperlink have the floating card effect that is present in the compendium? 'Coz that would be awesome.
In case of the spell Resistance, a component pouch or a spellcasting focus can replace the material components because no cost appears in the material components description. In case, for example, of the spell Heroes' feast, there is a cost in the material components. So in that case, component pouch or spellcasting focus can't replace the material with the cost.
In case of the spell Resistance, a component pouch or a spellcasting focus can replace the material components because no cost appears in the material components description. In case, for example, of the spell Heroes' feast, there a cost in the material components. So in that case, component pouch or spellcasting focus can't replace the material with the cost.
So the component language that says "which the spell consumes" is what I'm looking for then. That makes sense, I just hadn't come across a spell yet that had that. All the spells I looked up simply said something like "a drop of water" or what have you.
Yep. Also one more thing. In case of spells with only the Somatic component (hand gestures), the spellcaster has to have a free hand, with no weapon, shield or focus. In case of both material and somatic components, the hand handling the material component and doing the somatic component can be the same, and of course, can be the same hand wielding the focus.
Cool, good to know. Lots to keep in my head as I get closer to Go Time. Running my first real campaign starting Wednesday night. The butterflies are real.
Also keep in mind, there are some components with stated costs that do not get consumed with casting - the spell only consumes the component if it says so. For example, Identify doesn't cost you the pearl - but you need to have it; component pouches don't come with 100gp pearls.
Piggy-backing off of this material component question -- How do you handle PC's getting the material components needed? I mean if I have a PC who took a spell that requires a component, but I don't know that, or specifically what that component is, chances are I'm not going to leave it in a treasure cache. Plus tracking all of the spell components potentially needed by a PC would be super tedious for a DM (considering several spells may never be used), but I wouldn't want a player to think "man this item is never dropped anywhere so I'll never get to use that spell" without speaking up.
My idea is that maybe I set a rule that any component less than a certain value (<250 GP or <500 GP) can be purchased in a town or city. Anything of greater value will need to be sought out (either via a quest of some sort, asking an NPC, a specific vendor in a huge city or a remote area hard to get to). Any suggestions on this?
Like with the case of the Identify spell referenced above -- you need to have the pearl, but where do you get it?
If it has a cost you must buy/find a pearl worth at least that much. A DM who plans ahead might drop the pearl as loot. Otherwise, most DMs just let you spend the gold to buy a pearl and call it a day.
If it doesn't have a cost, you are generally just assumed to have it in your spell component pouch.
Given how many components there are, and how many spell casters, I'd recommend not doing quests to find them as it's just going to take forever for everyone to get all the components they need and worse if they level up doing so, you might have to start all over again.
As NightsLastHero said, most DMs allow the purchase of some spell components with costs. Most of them are things you can reasonably find in a market, after all - at least a large city market. Or a sorcerous academy or similar.
...and everyone assumes no-cost components are in the component pouch, but the most purists in the most gritty campaigns. Which is even harder now since you don't lose the components on cast. Gone are the days of having half a dozen spare crystal rods and bits of fur just in case. Besides, there's always the focus for that.
I'd argue against making it a set rule, however. The DM may want to pepper the adventure with interesting hurdles, or use them to introduce adventure hooks that fit in the campaign. For example, you may find pearls difficult to get because the bandits have interrupted the trade with the coastal villages to the west. The local bishop may sell you his, but he will ask you restore the trade route so he can get a new one. Or something.
Interestingly, higher level spells may have more demanding spell components (black pearl dust costing 500gp? A single jacinth worth 1000gp? That the spell consumes?!), but at those levels, you have an easier time finding them due to your own resources (and hopefully contacts/allies).
right, i was thinking like anything <500GP is available for purchase in any town/city. More expensive things might only be in big cities or have to be found.
How can I tell if a component is able to be swapped out for a focus? The rules state:
A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus in place of the components specified for a spell.
Good luck keeping the flame for a Heat Metal Spell in a component pouch... And, to me, if it won't work with a component pouch it shouldn't work with a spell focus.
There’s one more part to watch for. If it says, this component worth this amount of gold, you need that exact item in your inventory, it’s not part of a component pouch or spell focus
There's a few edge cases on the Material components, though. For the Summon Lesser Demons and Summon Greater Demon spells, the material component is "blood from a humanoid killed in the last 24 hours", and while it's not listed as consumed in the material description, the blood can be poured in a circle around yourself to protect you from what you summon. By RAW you can cast the spell with a focus, but most DMs would require you to have specifically acquired the blood if you want to make the circle. There's also Protection from Evil and Good which causes headaches as it calls for "holy water or powdered silver and iron, which the spell consumes", but doesn't give a gp value of the materials. This gets a lot of debate over whether it can be covered by a focus or component pouch, and if not what the cost should be. I think there was an SA saying to go with the holy water list price, but 25 gp per cast on a first level spell is not exactly a popular take.
I don't see the debate on protection from evil and good. Regardless of whether holy water is a costly component or not, the spell consumes the material component. A component pouch or spell casting focus is not valid for this spell.
I don't see the debate on protection from evil and good. Regardless of whether holy water is a costly component or not, the spell consumes the material component. A component pouch or spell casting focus is not valid for this spell.
Technically, yes, but without a fixed gp it can be difficult to adjudicate how the consumption is applied.
Is it bad that I just don’t bother with these components? I’m on my second campaign and I just find the action of obtaining certain specific materials tedious and it takes away from the overall plot to go out of your way to find some random object that will be used once for a spell, then requiring you to get another to cast the spell again. It’s just tedious and sure, it can balance spellcasters, sure, it adds more content, but my players barely make a small amount of progress through anything in the small sessions we can set up, and adding in the problem of actually getting things for one player to cast a single spell would just lower the amount of time we get to do anything. Your thoughts?
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I am Mr E, nothing more, nothing less. When I am done, there shall be nothing left except E.
How can I tell if a component is able to be swapped out for a focus? The rules state:
A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell. If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell. A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components -- or to hold a spellcasting focus -- but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.
When look up a spell such as Resistance the description just tells me what the component is. In this case, a miniature cloak. Am I missing something?
Edit: Also, is it possible to make a hyperlink have the floating card effect that is present in the compendium? 'Coz that would be awesome.
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
In case of the spell Resistance, a component pouch or a spellcasting focus can replace the material components because no cost appears in the material components description. In case, for example, of the spell Heroes' feast, there is a cost in the material components. So in that case, component pouch or spellcasting focus can't replace the material with the cost.
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
Yep. Also one more thing. In case of spells with only the Somatic component (hand gestures), the spellcaster has to have a free hand, with no weapon, shield or focus. In case of both material and somatic components, the hand handling the material component and doing the somatic component can be the same, and of course, can be the same hand wielding the focus.
Cool, good to know. Lots to keep in my head as I get closer to Go Time. Running my first real campaign starting Wednesday night. The butterflies are real.
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
Yeah I know. Do not worry, most of these things will come naturally.
Piggy-backing off of this material component question -- How do you handle PC's getting the material components needed? I mean if I have a PC who took a spell that requires a component, but I don't know that, or specifically what that component is, chances are I'm not going to leave it in a treasure cache. Plus tracking all of the spell components potentially needed by a PC would be super tedious for a DM (considering several spells may never be used), but I wouldn't want a player to think "man this item is never dropped anywhere so I'll never get to use that spell" without speaking up.
My idea is that maybe I set a rule that any component less than a certain value (<250 GP or <500 GP) can be purchased in a town or city. Anything of greater value will need to be sought out (either via a quest of some sort, asking an NPC, a specific vendor in a huge city or a remote area hard to get to). Any suggestions on this?
How do you get a one-armed goblin out of a tree?
Wave!
Like with the case of the Identify spell referenced above -- you need to have the pearl, but where do you get it?
How do you get a one-armed goblin out of a tree?
Wave!
As NightsLastHero said, most DMs allow the purchase of some spell components with costs. Most of them are things you can reasonably find in a market, after all - at least a large city market. Or a sorcerous academy or similar.
...and everyone assumes no-cost components are in the component pouch, but the most purists in the most gritty campaigns. Which is even harder now since you don't lose the components on cast. Gone are the days of having half a dozen spare crystal rods and bits of fur just in case. Besides, there's always the focus for that.
I'd argue against making it a set rule, however. The DM may want to pepper the adventure with interesting hurdles, or use them to introduce adventure hooks that fit in the campaign. For example, you may find pearls difficult to get because the bandits have interrupted the trade with the coastal villages to the west. The local bishop may sell you his, but he will ask you restore the trade route so he can get a new one. Or something.
Interestingly, higher level spells may have more demanding spell components (black pearl dust costing 500gp? A single jacinth worth 1000gp? That the spell consumes?!), but at those levels, you have an easier time finding them due to your own resources (and hopefully contacts/allies).
right, i was thinking like anything <500GP is available for purchase in any town/city. More expensive things might only be in big cities or have to be found.
How do you get a one-armed goblin out of a tree?
Wave!
thanks for the input!
How do you get a one-armed goblin out of a tree?
Wave!
Good luck keeping the flame for a Heat Metal Spell in a component pouch... And, to me, if it won't work with a component pouch it shouldn't work with a spell focus.
There’s one more part to watch for. If it says, this component worth this amount of gold, you need that exact item in your inventory, it’s not part of a component pouch or spell focus
There's a few edge cases on the Material components, though. For the Summon Lesser Demons and Summon Greater Demon spells, the material component is "blood from a humanoid killed in the last 24 hours", and while it's not listed as consumed in the material description, the blood can be poured in a circle around yourself to protect you from what you summon. By RAW you can cast the spell with a focus, but most DMs would require you to have specifically acquired the blood if you want to make the circle. There's also Protection from Evil and Good which causes headaches as it calls for "holy water or powdered silver and iron, which the spell consumes", but doesn't give a gp value of the materials. This gets a lot of debate over whether it can be covered by a focus or component pouch, and if not what the cost should be. I think there was an SA saying to go with the holy water list price, but 25 gp per cast on a first level spell is not exactly a popular take.
Edited to make the tooltip links work
I don't see the debate on protection from evil and good. Regardless of whether holy water is a costly component or not, the spell consumes the material component. A component pouch or spell casting focus is not valid for this spell.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Technically, yes, but without a fixed gp it can be difficult to adjudicate how the consumption is applied.
Is it bad that I just don’t bother with these components? I’m on my second campaign and I just find the action of obtaining certain specific materials tedious and it takes away from the overall plot to go out of your way to find some random object that will be used once for a spell, then requiring you to get another to cast the spell again. It’s just tedious and sure, it can balance spellcasters, sure, it adds more content, but my players barely make a small amount of progress through anything in the small sessions we can set up, and adding in the problem of actually getting things for one player to cast a single spell would just lower the amount of time we get to do anything. Your thoughts?
I am Mr E, nothing more, nothing less. When I am done, there shall be nothing left except E.
It's not bad ad you are not the only one :)