How do you deal with Components

[dellanx]

I just realized that my new group being pretty much all casters has no Eschew Materials feat. I am thinking it would be fun to have them use components, it makes sense why it takes a Standard action to cast spells. Imagine casting a sleep spell and pulling out a live cricket to cast the spell. If one is in a Whirlwind (Ex) of an Air Elemental than a concentration check takes on a whole new meaning, when one lets go of one's component. How do you guys deal with components? How long does a jar of crickets last? Imagine a Seeker Sorceress trying to catch crickets? I can. Also is our inventory large enough? Perhaps organize in a component Waterproof Bag?:D

https://www.artranked.com/images/bb/bbdbcc572986cb7d81bd27b15fa3228f.jpg

[similarly]

I allow my players to follow the spellcasting focus rules (focus can stand in for a material component as long as it doesn't have a gp value). However, I have a house rule that they can choose to allow the focus to replace either the material, the somatic or the vocal component.

[superteddy57]

Played a campaign where my caster's 'had' the material components as long as they had the coin. So to cast spells, they had to pay for them. Was interesting.

[LordEntrails]

Tracking components (as player or DM) wouldn't be fun for me.

[similarly]

Tracking components (as player or DM) wouldn't be fun for me.

I know! Thanks to the coronavirus lockdown, I was brought back to D&D after not having played for 25 years! The last time I played, AD&D 2nd ed was still fresh! Back then, we never bothered with components. We just said "You're a wizard. I'm assuming you keep components." We weren't interested in keeping inventory either. That's why I like the spell focus rules.

[Griogre]

The default implementation in 5E is that the component pouch that holds the anything not special (ie ingredients that costs gold). I've found it's a pretty good compromise to minimize inventory management on most spells while making them keep track of diamond dust, pearls and other unique items. And it can add to some prisoner scenarios since they can't cast stuff with components without the component pouch. That's about as far as I will go on spell component management and you can use it as some kind of hook to start a scenario.

Wizards don't have a lot to spend gold on other than spells and components.

[dellanx]

My wife will be playing in my campaign, I want to see her character gathering live Grasshoppers. After that the party will buy spell component pouches. ��

[GavinRuneblade]

I use the component pouch usually. In any scene where the players are (for whatever reason) stripped of equipment, they have to find components locally. It makes for much more interesting jail break scenes and goes some way to explaining why wizards don't rule the world.

[mhossom]

I have always hand waved components in my games, other than those that cost big time gold (~500+ gp). Thematically cool, tedious in practice to track components.

[Ampersandrew]

Thematically cool, tedious in practice to track components.

This, totally this.

[Eltrym]

I have always hand waved components in my games, other than those that cost big time gold (~500+ gp). Thematically cool, tedious in practice to track components.

It's always my goal to not get bogged down with minutiae when GMing. It kills the session.

[mhossom]

It's always my goal to not get bogged down with minutiae when GMing. It kills the session.

EXACTLY!! In fact, I almost always GM by the Rule of Cool (RoC). Even if it not in the rules, if it would be "cool", I allow it. i only get crunchy on the rules if a player is trying to abuse a rule in a way that would break my RoC.

[Mytherus]

Tracking components is only slightly more fun than managing strict encumbrance rules. Thats a joke they both annoy me...greatly.

So i use spell focus ...unless a component has specific gold value to it the focus covers it.

Encumbrance...just straight common sense...which is easy in fg because it tracks your inventory weigh.

I just go if your crap weighs less than your strength value says you can lift or drag...your good. Else you're not (half speed disadv on dex rolls)

There's my encumbrance rules.

[Granamere]

My group is focus until it has a gp value also. It has been fun to see the players pick a new spell then go now I go but a 100 gp pearl. Then I go um the town you are in does not have a jewelry store. Rapidly flipping through the module. Actually it does not have any place that you could buy that in it. So now we get to have a fun side track adventure of them looking for a pearl that is worth at least 100 gp.

I have to admit I also find it funny that D&D puts a gp value to spell components. So if I find a swindler selling pearls and he sells me a 3 mm pearl for 100 gp does that really counts when I could by the same pearl from an honest vendor for 2 gp? If I have a 1000 gp pearl does it make the spell cast better in some way? Fun stuff to play with in your campaign.

[similarly]

I use the same rule. Back when I played AD&D in the 80s and 90s, we just ignored components, but I think the 5e rules on having a focus or a components bag makes a nice, easy going middle ground.

Amusingly, when I ran Lost Mine of Phandelver recently, one of the enemies HAD a 100gp pearl! So when the wizard leveled up, they could do identify.

[Zygmunt Molotch]

always track, same as Tabletop

[dellanx]

My group is focus until it has a gp value also. It has been fun to see the players pick a new spell then go now I go but a 100 gp pearl. Then I go um the town you are in does not have a jewelry store. Rapidly flipping through the module. Actually it does not have any place that you could buy that in it. So now we get to have a fun side track adventure of them looking for a pearl that is worth at least 100 gp.

I have to admit I also find it funny that D&D puts a gp value to spell components. So if I find a swindler selling pearls and he sells me a 3 mm pearl for 100 gp does that really counts when I could by the same pearl from an honest vendor for 2 gp? If I have a 1000 gp pearl does it make the spell cast better in some way? Fun stuff to play with in your campaign.

That could be fun. The merchant says "Hey I have some contraband components here."

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4b/89/d7/4b89d7c3f249aea9f3504baf9fa279d9.jpg

[Granamere]

LOL Yes shop is having a going out of business sale so the 100 gp pearl is 20% off so you only pay 80 gp and it will not work for identify spell. :)

[Zygmunt Molotch]

LOL Yes shop is having a going out of business sale so the 100 gp pearl is 20% off so you only pay 80 gp and it will not work for identify spell. :)

exactly how it should be done

want to use the Holly and Mistletoe? well it's gone moldy, you didn't put it in a water proof pouch etc

[Speculi]

LOL Yes shop is having a going out of business sale so the 100 gp pearl is 20% off so you only pay 80 gp and it will not work for identify spell. :)

My interpretation has always been that the price is just to give an indicator for the quality of the components. It doesn't matter what you actually paid for it.

Player finds a small pearl an sells it to the Wizard for 100 gp and suddenly it's a 100 gp pearl? Nope.
You buy some cheap paper and ink and sell it for more to your Wizard, suddenly it fulfills the requirements to copy spells? Nope.

You could come across a 100 gp pearl, for free, for less than 100 gp because you haggled well or for more than 100 gp because the merchant is taking advantage of you... it is still just the "100 gp pearl".

[LordEntrails]

I've always though the material component costs was to simplify the game and to prevent Banker & Bookkeepers from being a significant part of Dungeons & Dragons :)

Many folks don't want to negotiate the price of components, or track down and/or harvest spell components. Not that it can't be enjoyable for some folks. But also remember, it can be seen as a 'tax' on certain classes. Does anyone make fighters go on a quest to get a wetstone? Or carry weights for working out? Or worry about if a kit for a thieve's tools has the right type of pick for a lock? Or that picks regularly break with use?

All those things can be brought into the game easily enough if a table wants, but understand they are things unique to each class, and that take play time away from the group and put it on just that character (s). I try to focus on the main parts that tell the story and bring the greatest fun.

[dellanx]

I've always though the material component costs was to simplify the game and to prevent Banker & Bookkeepers from being a significant part of Dungeons & Dragons :)

Many folks don't want to negotiate the price of components, or track down and/or harvest spell components. Not that it can't be enjoyable for some folks. But also remember, it can be seen as a 'tax' on certain classes. Does anyone make fighters go on a quest to get a wetstone? Or carry weights for working out? Or worry about if a kit for a thieve's tools has the right type of pick for a lock? Or that picks regularly break with use?

All those things can be brought into the game easily enough if a table wants, but understand they are things unique to each class, and that take play time away from the group and put it on just that character (s). I try to focus on the main parts that tell the story and bring the greatest fun.

All I wanted was to see my wives character trying to gather her grasshoppers. I think I have the perfect chance, the party is in a locked room, and the grasshoppers got out of their jar! That is how I am starting the next session! After that Spell Pouches all around!

[LordEntrails]

All I wanted was to see my wives character trying to gather her grasshoppers. I think I have the perfect chance, the party is in a locked room, and the grasshoppers got out of their jar! That is how I am starting the next session! After that Spell Pouches all around!
Enjoy your night on the couch! *G*

[bmos]

Tracking components is only slightly more fun than managing strict encumbrance rules. Thats a joke they both annoy me...greatly.

So i use spell focus ...unless a component has specific gold value to it the focus covers it.

Encumbrance...just straight common sense...which is easy in fg because it tracks your inventory weigh.

I just go if your crap weighs less than your strength value says you can lift or drag...your good. Else you're not (half speed disadv on dex rolls)

There's my encumbrance rules.That's what I always did so I made an extension to do all the automation of those enc penalties.
I think tedious rules are mostly good ideas that just take too much work to track and they usually don't have to be that hard now that we are playing on a computer :D
It's also a big part of how the games are balanced, so just chopping off those parts (again just my opinion) can leave some classes OP which--depending on the group--can push some players to create characters that they don't really want--just because they're more powerful that way. I always try to re-balance around the home-brew rules I make (which can admittedly be difficult), but my main group is full of optimizers so I like to keep things neutral so they can feel like they're having to work for it :D.

This could be a great idea for an extension, automatically deducting used components from inventory quantities like ammunition for spells that use up their components.
hmm


All I wanted was to see my wives character trying to gather her grasshoppers. I think I have the perfect chance, the party is in a locked room, and the grasshoppers got out of their jar! That is how I am starting the next session! After that Spell Pouches all around!
Whats the roll to catch a cricket? grapple? acrobatics? just good roleplaying?
Could get an unseen servant in on it if you have a piece of wood and some string hehe

[mhossom]

Years ago (I mean many years ago), we had two components for casting. Arcane casters used Demon Dust and Divine casters used Holy Water. Both were easily purchased and we used 1 "point" or "unit" of each per level of the spell. We didn't worry about weight or how the components were carried. However, it was cool to see the casters stocking up on Demon Dust or Holy Water when we were in towns. Btw, they were cheap too.

[dellanx]

Enjoy your night on the couch! *G*

Thank you! You know it will happen. The poor fairy is already limping from having her leg taken off by an evil gnome, and put back by a druid with some rope, sticks and some cures spells. Now the this. I will be persona non grata for sure.

[bmos]

Years ago (I mean many years ago), we had two components for casting. Arcane casters used Demon Dust and Divine casters used Holy Water. Both were easily purchased and we used 1 "point" or "unit" of each per level of the spell. We didn't worry about weight or how the components were carried. However, it was cool to see the casters stocking up on Demon Dust or Holy Water when we were in towns. Btw, they were cheap too.Sounds like a great solution! It maintains the balance and makes it a simple resource.

[dellanx]

That's what I always did so I made an extension to do all the automation of those enc penalties.
I think tedious rules are mostly good ideas that just take too much work to track and they usually don't have to be that hard now that we are playing on a computer :D
It's also a big part of how the games are balanced, so just chopping off those parts (again just my opinion) can leave some classes OP which--depending on the group--can push some players to create characters that they don't really want--just because they're more powerful that way. I always try to re-balance around the home-brew rules I make (which can admittedly be difficult), but my main group is full of optimizers so I like to keep things neutral so they can feel like they're having to work for it :D.

This could be a great idea for an extension, automatically deducting used components from inventory quantities like ammunition for spells that use up their components.
hmm


Whats the roll to catch a cricket? grapple? acrobatics? just good roleplaying?
Could get an unseen servant in on it if you have a piece of wood and some string hehe

I was just going to have her roll play it, to realize that she needs components. Although a dex check would be fun, she does not have acrobatics yet.

Roll Perception: Look there is a cricket on Sucy's head. Hey I use crickets. Roll Perception: Hey where is the cap to my bottle. Opps I left it open. There are more crickets. Sucy don't move. Or she could use Mage Hand?