JiffyPopTart
Bree-Yark
Thanks for coming back to keep us updated. Nice to see something get some closure on the internet.
I think players should always have an option.
Want to apply pressure on component, spell focus, fine.
How can the players react.
A fighter can still pick an improvised weapon, grapple, shove when his main weapon is not available,
If a caster cant cast, its options are more limited.
Simply bug players is not interesting, you should work to add options.
Ex: Cast a spell at higher level always removed the need for somatic, and/or component at no gold cost.
We have some interested components, many of which would require some effort or a side quest to get. But we just handwave them with a focus or component pouch.
Yes. And you know why? This is why:
I cast a spell. Oops, now I'm out of components. I need to take a side quest (probably binding up the *whole party* just to enable my basic class function). And during the side quest... I have to cast spells! Oops! Now I'm out of other components! Lather, rinse, repeat on the material component hamster wheel.
The search for material components is a pain. It is flavorful, but that flavor only applies to one party member - the rest are entirely uninterested with exactly how many ounces of bat guano Fizban has in his pouch. They are probably even less interested in helping Fizzy go dig up more guano. Because... ew.
Are you tracking wear and tear on swords? And do you have the fighter go hunt down exotic ores every few adventures for reforging a blade? Do the rouges need to go hunt giant spiders for silk for new rope? No? Even if you do track wear and tear, you let the fighters and rogues just throw money at their problems? Then there's a bit of inequality there.
How about: Give a spell pouch some number of spell levels worth of "charges", that have to be replaced. Use cash. It is now hooked into your resource management, just like the other classes are.
My answer to your why not would be yes exactly why not get rid of them.Okay, now that it has been decided not to impose any requirement to find or track any physical components whatsoever, why have component pouches at all?
If a wizard finds a spell in a dungeon, is it assumed that the material component just happens to be in the wizard's pouch? Does the wizard need to get to civilized area where the material components and fine ink can be found, or can they spend two hours holed up in a dungeon or in a wilderness camp and just subtract 50 gp that was somehow spent?
If you are going to ignore material components, why not just do away with component bags and Material components all together?
I'm tempted to simply change any spell that lists a material component WITHOUT A VALUE as Wand/Staff/Holy Symbol? There should be 4 types of components: verbal, somatic, focus, and material. Material would only be for items with a value. The cost represented by the 50 GP is for the special fine inks needed to record it. A wizard can stock up on the ink and record the spell into a spell book anywhere the wizard can safely spend 2 hours copying it.
Keep low-value ingredients for potions. Ignore them for spells.
In the nearly four years that I've been running 5e, component pouches have never been used. Trinkets have more flavor and utility than material components in 5e. I understand the call back to tradition, but I'm close to just saying that you have to have a focus and the only material components other than focuses that can be used to cast spells are those with values listed in the spell description.
Okay, now that it has been decided not to impose any requirement to find or track any physical components whatsoever, why have component pouches at all?
If a wizard finds a spell in a dungeon, is it assumed that the material component just happens to be in the wizard's pouch? Does the wizard need to get to civilized area where the material components and fine ink can be found, or can they spend two hours holed up in a dungeon or in a wilderness camp and just subtract 50 gp that was somehow spent?
If you are going to ignore material components, why not just do away with component bags and Material components all together?
I'm tempted to simply change any spell that lists a material component WITHOUT A VALUE as Wand/Staff/Holy Symbol? There should be 4 types of components: verbal, somatic, focus, and material. Material would only be for items with a value. The cost represented by the 50 GP is for the special fine inks needed to record it. A wizard can stock up on the ink and record the spell into a spell book anywhere the wizard can safely spend 2 hours copying it.
Keep low-value ingredients for potions. Ignore them for spells.
In the nearly four years that I've been running 5e, component pouches have never been used. Trinkets have more flavor and utility than material components in 5e. I understand the call back to tradition, but I'm close to just saying that you have to have a focus and the only material components other than focuses that can be used to cast spells are those with values listed in the spell description.