In the last game session I ran, the player of a 3rd level Arcane Trickster nearly had a heart attack when she saw how much it 'cost' to cast Chromatic Orb (a diamond of at least 50gp). So the sticker price is shocking especially to the fact that she never did any 'grocery' shopping to acquire more diamonds before setting out on the party's next grand adventure. So the Trickster is sitting in the middle of a dungeon and unable to cast her spell because she has no diamonds.
This question is for Players and DMs-- more of a gauge to see how others use material components in their game.
Players: How often in your game do your magic-using characters go 'grocery' shopping for spell components or pay those component costs when casting their spells?
DMs: How ofter do you enforce Material Components casting cost (when there is a cost) when a player casts a spell? Do you make the player have the specific material component or if they can cough up the gold that is enough?
Players: How often in your game do your magic-using characters go 'grocery' shopping for spell components or pay those component costs when casting their spells?
DMs: How ofter do you enforce Material Components casting cost (when there is a cost) when a player casts a spell? Do you make the player have the specific material component or if they can cough up the gold that is enough?
I make them have the specific items. I may let it go once if it is a mistake, or a misunderstanding, or a new player. But after that they must have what they need. But I put diamonds and such in hoards, and I give enough go to cover those tabs.
BTW, Chromatic Orb does not use up the diamond, I think? So it's a one-time cost to have.
I personally, as DM, never make people track material components, other than to check that they have enough money to have gotten them, unless they're rare enough money can't buy them. I figure it's safe to assume that a character that has learned a spell has also shopped for the component (if it's one they could shop for), without making the player track this stuff. (Same as I don't bother making players track rations unless they're on a survival campaign where every day of food is precious, and don't make them track ammo unless for some in-game reason the characters would actually have trouble getting enough.)
As a DM whenever I play as one and from experiences playing with the current campaign DM, we don’t usually take materials into account unless it’s very expensive and powerful. Buying a material isn’t out of the question either. I might raise this up next time we play and see what they’ve to say on it.
As a player I avoid any and all spells that require materials with a cost. Not because they're expensive, but simply because they are almost impossible to find outside of a big city. It's not like an average farmer could sell a perl worth two month's wages. Or for Warding Bond "a set of platinum rings worth 50 GP each". Such a set is alien and specific enough that I'd even be surprised if a dragon hoard had it.
I enforce any specific material cost that includes a price or that is consumed in the casting at my table. However, depending on the enemies, I do add material components in the treasure the player find, if that treasure belonged to a spellcaster.
I think the material components with cost should be adhered to but the DM should know what spells the players what to have and allow them to get access to things, if a low level character wants to have identify or Chromatic orb there are several ways of doing it, they are quite powerful spells for their level and the cost balances that.:
If they are in or near to a city they can buy it, this might be a considerable portion of their gold so they might have to decide betyween that and studded leather armor or something
If they are in a more rural setting a noble could give them a quest and reward them with an appropriate diamond or pearl
As others have said they can also finf it as loot.
Most consummed components are expensive, casting revivify or raise dead should be a sacrifice and rarely done. The party can get access to the items in the same way as above but need to be frugal with their use. If a village has been killed by raiders it should be a dilemma as to whether to raise the victims from the dead or not, and the amount they can do so should be limited (by more than spell slots, in many campaigns spending a week or two in the village to raise everyone is no sacrifice).
BTW, Chromatic Orb does not use up the diamond, I think? So it's a one-time cost to have.
That is correct.
Well that would clear things up a lot if it is a one-time cost and just pulled out of their component bag to cast the spell any time she needed. If I understand this correctly now Dragon's Breath, that needs an 'a hot pepper' is not consumed just available in hand to cast.
In that case of Material Component that is used up need to have the word 'Consume' such as Find Familiar that has the rule of '10 gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier' in it to be used.
BTW, Chromatic Orb does not use up the diamond, I think? So it's a one-time cost to have.
That is correct.
Well that would clear things up a lot if it is a one-time cost and just pulled out of their component bag to cast the spell any time she needed. If I understand this correctly now Dragon's Breath, that needs an 'a hot pepper' is not consumed just available in hand to cast.
In that case of Material Component that is used up need to have the word 'Consume' such as Find Familiar that has the rule of '10 gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier' in it to be used.
Correct. But if your Arcane Trickster has a Component Pouch, then it is assumed to contain stuff like the “hot pepper,” but not the diamond for Chromatic Orb since that has a specified cost. So whenever they want to cast Dragon’s Breath they just need to wave their component pouch around like a Grisgris bag, but they specifically need to pull out that diamond for Chromatic Orb.
Ok, a little off-topic but it ties into the original post based on some feedback in this thread.
So digger deeper in spells I found the following in PHB and I don't feel like I'm understanding this correctly.
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.
Using Dragon Breath in my example, I could either have the 'hot pepper' in hand or the Wizard has the spellcasting focus which negates the material component needed. For some reason, I don't think how I explained it is the intended rule. Or is the rule saying you need both the focus and the material component in hand when casting the spell?
Sorry, I want to make sure I understand this so I can walk backward into how to handle the shopping for components.
BTW, Chromatic Orb does not use up the diamond, I think? So it's a one-time cost to have.
That is correct.
Well that would clear things up a lot if it is a one-time cost and just pulled out of their component bag to cast the spell any time she needed. If I understand this correctly now Dragon's Breath, that needs an 'a hot pepper' is not consumed just available in hand to cast.
In that case of Material Component that is used up need to have the word 'Consume' such as Find Familiar that has the rule of '10 gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier' in it to be used.
Correct. But if your Arcane Trickster has a Component Pouch, then it is assumed to contain stuff like the “hot pepper,” but not the diamond for Chromatic Orb since that has a specified cost. So whenever they want to cast Dragon’s Breath they just need to wave their component pouch around like a Grisgris bag, but they specifically need to pull out that diamond for Chromatic Orb.
Ok, I think that clears up my question regarding the spellcaster focus and component. I think.
Using Dragon Breath in my example, I could either have the 'hot pepper' in hand or the Wizard has the spellcasting focus which negates the material component needed.
Mostly correct. The Wizard also has the option to use a Component Pouch instead of an Arcane Focus if they wish.
An Arcane Trickster cannot use an Arcane Focus, but can use a Component Pouch.
Ok, I'll ask this since this has become a discussion on all things components. For those who do 'grocery' shop what is the cost paid of those non-priced items listed in the spell blocks assuming this is more general pricing than specific to each component. Again, an example of Dragon's Breath 'hot pepper'?
I roughly equate 1cp to $1 and go from there. They could maybe get a 1/2 pound of hot peppers for 1cp, or it could be 1cp/pepper depending on how rare of an agricultural product it is for the geographic location in which the purchase is made.
I roughly equate 1cp to $1 and go from there. They could maybe get a 1/2 pound of hot peppers for 1cp, or it could be 1cp/pepper depending on how rare of an agricultural product it is for the geographic location in which the purchase is made.
I could really mess with my players by giving them an overcharged price with the excuse "That material component is out of season, so yes 5 gold for a hot pepper"
I roughly equate 1cp to $1 and go from there. They could maybe get a 1/2 pound of hot peppers for 1cp, or it could be 1cp/pepper depending on how rare of an agricultural product it is for the geographic location in which the purchase is made.
I could really mess with my players by giving them an overcharged price with the excuse "That material component is out of season, so yes 5 gold for a hot pepper"
Ya could, but ya don’t wanna be a jerk. I mean, at that price it’s a $500 pepper. Besides, once they buy 1 pepper, they will not need to buy another unless they eat it or it gets lost/stolen/given away.
I roughly equate 1cp to $1 and go from there. They could maybe get a 1/2 pound of hot peppers for 1cp, or it could be 1cp/pepper depending on how rare of an agricultural product it is for the geographic location in which the purchase is made.
I could really mess with my players by giving them an overcharged price with the excuse "That material component is out of season, so yes 5 gold for a hot pepper"
Ya could, but ya don’t wanna be a jerk. I mean, at that price it’s a $500 pepper. Besides, once they buy 1 pepper, they will not need to buy another unless they eat it or it gets lost/stolen/given away.
I roughly equate 1cp to $1 and go from there. They could maybe get a 1/2 pound of hot peppers for 1cp, or it could be 1cp/pepper depending on how rare of an agricultural product it is for the geographic location in which the purchase is made.
I could really mess with my players by giving them an overcharged price with the excuse "That material component is out of season, so yes 5 gold for a hot pepper"
Ya could, but ya don’t wanna be a jerk. I mean, at that price it’s a $500 pepper. Besides, once they buy 1 pepper, they will not need to buy another unless they eat it or it gets lost/stolen/given away.
I was joking but I totally agree.
Although 1-5gp/pepper would be more historically accurate for a medieval European setting....
Such a set is alien and specific enough that I'd even be surprised if a dragon hoard had it.
In our world that seems alien and specific, but in a world of magic where these spells actually exist, their components would probably be pretty well known/ available (to the right person). Casters would study and learn about these different components etc. I'd argue that they would be more common than you might think. Still rare, given that it's precious metal and magic related and everything, but aside from coins and jewelry I think the most prevalent form of precious metal would probably be spell components
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
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In the last game session I ran, the player of a 3rd level Arcane Trickster nearly had a heart attack when she saw how much it 'cost' to cast Chromatic Orb (a diamond of at least 50gp). So the sticker price is shocking especially to the fact that she never did any 'grocery' shopping to acquire more diamonds before setting out on the party's next grand adventure. So the Trickster is sitting in the middle of a dungeon and unable to cast her spell because she has no diamonds.
This question is for Players and DMs-- more of a gauge to see how others use material components in their game.
Players: How often in your game do your magic-using characters go 'grocery' shopping for spell components or pay those component costs when casting their spells?
DMs: How ofter do you enforce Material Components casting cost (when there is a cost) when a player casts a spell? Do you make the player have the specific material component or if they can cough up the gold that is enough?
Always
I make them have the specific items. I may let it go once if it is a mistake, or a misunderstanding, or a new player. But after that they must have what they need. But I put diamonds and such in hoards, and I give enough go to cover those tabs.
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BTW, Chromatic Orb does not use up the diamond, I think? So it's a one-time cost to have.
I personally, as DM, never make people track material components, other than to check that they have enough money to have gotten them, unless they're rare enough money can't buy them. I figure it's safe to assume that a character that has learned a spell has also shopped for the component (if it's one they could shop for), without making the player track this stuff. (Same as I don't bother making players track rations unless they're on a survival campaign where every day of food is precious, and don't make them track ammo unless for some in-game reason the characters would actually have trouble getting enough.)
That is correct.
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As a DM whenever I play as one and from experiences playing with the current campaign DM, we don’t usually take materials into account unless it’s very expensive and powerful. Buying a material isn’t out of the question either. I might raise this up next time we play and see what they’ve to say on it.
As a player I avoid any and all spells that require materials with a cost. Not because they're expensive, but simply because they are almost impossible to find outside of a big city. It's not like an average farmer could sell a perl worth two month's wages. Or for Warding Bond "a set of platinum rings worth 50 GP each". Such a set is alien and specific enough that I'd even be surprised if a dragon hoard had it.
I enforce any specific material cost that includes a price or that is consumed in the casting at my table. However, depending on the enemies, I do add material components in the treasure the player find, if that treasure belonged to a spellcaster.
I think the material components with cost should be adhered to but the DM should know what spells the players what to have and allow them to get access to things, if a low level character wants to have identify or Chromatic orb there are several ways of doing it, they are quite powerful spells for their level and the cost balances that.:
Most consummed components are expensive, casting revivify or raise dead should be a sacrifice and rarely done. The party can get access to the items in the same way as above but need to be frugal with their use. If a village has been killed by raiders it should be a dilemma as to whether to raise the victims from the dead or not, and the amount they can do so should be limited (by more than spell slots, in many campaigns spending a week or two in the village to raise everyone is no sacrifice).
Well that would clear things up a lot if it is a one-time cost and just pulled out of their component bag to cast the spell any time she needed. If I understand this correctly now Dragon's Breath, that needs an 'a hot pepper' is not consumed just available in hand to cast.
In that case of Material Component that is used up need to have the word 'Consume' such as Find Familiar that has the rule of '10 gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier' in it to be used.
Correct. But if your Arcane Trickster has a Component Pouch, then it is assumed to contain stuff like the “hot pepper,” but not the diamond for Chromatic Orb since that has a specified cost. So whenever they want to cast Dragon’s Breath they just need to wave their component pouch around like a Grisgris bag, but they specifically need to pull out that diamond for Chromatic Orb.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
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Ok, a little off-topic but it ties into the original post based on some feedback in this thread.
So digger deeper in spells I found the following in PHB and I don't feel like I'm understanding this correctly.
Using Dragon Breath in my example, I could either have the 'hot pepper' in hand or the Wizard has the spellcasting focus which negates the material component needed. For some reason, I don't think how I explained it is the intended rule. Or is the rule saying you need both the focus and the material component in hand when casting the spell?
Sorry, I want to make sure I understand this so I can walk backward into how to handle the shopping for components.
Ok, I think that clears up my question regarding the spellcaster focus and component. I think.
Mostly correct. The Wizard also has the option to use a Component Pouch instead of an Arcane Focus if they wish.
An Arcane Trickster cannot use an Arcane Focus, but can use a Component Pouch.
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Ok, I'll ask this since this has become a discussion on all things components. For those who do 'grocery' shop what is the cost paid of those non-priced items listed in the spell blocks assuming this is more general pricing than specific to each component. Again, an example of Dragon's Breath 'hot pepper'?
I roughly equate 1cp to $1 and go from there. They could maybe get a 1/2 pound of hot peppers for 1cp, or it could be 1cp/pepper depending on how rare of an agricultural product it is for the geographic location in which the purchase is made.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
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I could really mess with my players by giving them an overcharged price with the excuse "That material component is out of season, so yes 5 gold for a hot pepper"
Ya could, but ya don’t wanna be a jerk. I mean, at that price it’s a $500 pepper. Besides, once they buy 1 pepper, they will not need to buy another unless they eat it or it gets lost/stolen/given away.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
I was joking but I totally agree.
Although 1-5gp/pepper would be more historically accurate for a medieval European setting....
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
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In our world that seems alien and specific, but in a world of magic where these spells actually exist, their components would probably be pretty well known/ available (to the right person). Casters would study and learn about these different components etc. I'd argue that they would be more common than you might think. Still rare, given that it's precious metal and magic related and everything, but aside from coins and jewelry I think the most prevalent form of precious metal would probably be spell components
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?