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<blockquote data-quote="tetrasodium" data-source="post: 9082123" data-attributes="member: 93670"><p>I don't think that would do much until it starts creating problems. Yes cantrip scaling is pretty good, but the class features & spells are dialed back in order to make room for cantrips. Simply dialing back cantrip damage scaling does nothing about cantrips where some or all of the package it offers is a benefit other than damage & opens the door for problems if other class features are not dialed back up to mitigate the loss.</p><p></p><p>The reason moving cantrip access out of class designspace into physical equipment like wands staffs & so on often comes up whenever talk of doing something about cantrips comes up is because it allows any combination of the six points they carry to get moved to something linked to "what is in your hand" and encumbrance subsystems without having to rebalance everything else. It also has the secondary benefit of giving casters more reason to care about treasure & even allows creating space for things like the return of somewhat readily available scrolls & such. Of course this is <em>still</em> difficult because there is a lot of classA/classB subclass & even feat balancing where extra cantrips are granted & that creates an endless list of edge cases where something is getting nerfed or given an even bigger benefit that simply ignores the initial movement of cantrips to equipment</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Often only under the most tortured reading of the rules. In 2e & 3.x it might have even been a bit of an extreme case of rules lawyering to claim that. <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/spellcasting#CastingaSpell" target="_blank">Here are the relevant rules</a>. It starts out with some talk about action costs & similar but nothing relevant to focus items so I'll skip ahead to where it begins to near focus items.</p><p></p><p>[spoiler="Components"]</p><p>A spell's components are the physical requirements you must meet in order to cast it. Each spell's description indicates whether it requires verbal (V), somatic (S), or material (M) components. If you can't provide one or more of a spell's components, you are unable to cast the spell.</p><p>[/spoiler]</p><p>Thank you Mario but the princess is in another castle! This says almost nothing mechanically so far.</p><p>[spoiler="Verbal"]</p><p>Most spells require the chanting of mystic words. The words themselves aren't the source of the spell's power; rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion. Thus, a character who is gagged or in an area of silence, such as one created by the <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/silence" target="_blank">silence</a> spell, can't cast a spell with a verbal component.</p><p>[/spoiler]</p><p>You can't be silenced or gagged if the spell has a verbal component. This leaves out the important bit that past editions made sure to be clear on though & says nothing about loudly strong voice or so on & as a result practically begs for a battle between player & GM if the player really really wants free silent spell by simply declaring they want to whisper the verbal component if the GM disagrees. Still nothing about focus items.</p><p>[spoiler="Somatic"]</p><p>Spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures.</p><p>[/spoiler]</p><p>Again nothing about focus items. You are left a free hand while wielding the vast majority of weapons, so far almost the entire "casting a spell" section has been useless words for the sake of words & even the sections covered tend to create as many problems as they solve.</p><p>[spoiler="Material"]</p><p>Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. <strong><u>A character can use a component pouch <em>or</em> </u>a spellcasting focus (found in “Equipment”) in place of the components specified for a spell. </strong>But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p>[/spoiler]</p><p>Player:"well I have a component pouch on my belt & my rapier leaves me with a free hand so I'm good right?" -> facepalming GM:..</p><p>[spoiler="well no.. but.."]</p><p><strong>Component Pouch.</strong> A component pouch is a small, watertight leather belt pouch that has compartments to hold all the material components and other special items you need to cast your spells, except for those components that have a specific cost (as indicated in a spell's description).</p><p>[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/equipment#ArcaneFocus[/URL]</p><p>[/spoiler]</p><p><strong>No. You do not need a focus to cast spells & even spells with a somatic or a material component you only need to have a free hand & a component pouch in your pack/belt. </strong> Without once present elements like ASF & ACP that connected to some of those three VSM components it's almost guaranteed that nobody is tracking what gish friendly spells use what parts of VSM & nongish builds aren't considering how they would be impacted to not just equip their PC under the time saving assumption that all spells use all parts of VSM so it probably doesn't even matter what a spell uses as long as the caster is proficient with their armor choice.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="tetrasodium, post: 9082123, member: 93670"] I don't think that would do much until it starts creating problems. Yes cantrip scaling is pretty good, but the class features & spells are dialed back in order to make room for cantrips. Simply dialing back cantrip damage scaling does nothing about cantrips where some or all of the package it offers is a benefit other than damage & opens the door for problems if other class features are not dialed back up to mitigate the loss. The reason moving cantrip access out of class designspace into physical equipment like wands staffs & so on often comes up whenever talk of doing something about cantrips comes up is because it allows any combination of the six points they carry to get moved to something linked to "what is in your hand" and encumbrance subsystems without having to rebalance everything else. It also has the secondary benefit of giving casters more reason to care about treasure & even allows creating space for things like the return of somewhat readily available scrolls & such. Of course this is [I]still[/I] difficult because there is a lot of classA/classB subclass & even feat balancing where extra cantrips are granted & that creates an endless list of edge cases where something is getting nerfed or given an even bigger benefit that simply ignores the initial movement of cantrips to equipment Often only under the most tortured reading of the rules. In 2e & 3.x it might have even been a bit of an extreme case of rules lawyering to claim that. [URL='https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/spellcasting#CastingaSpell']Here are the relevant rules[/URL]. It starts out with some talk about action costs & similar but nothing relevant to focus items so I'll skip ahead to where it begins to near focus items. [spoiler="Components"] A spell's components are the physical requirements you must meet in order to cast it. Each spell's description indicates whether it requires verbal (V), somatic (S), or material (M) components. If you can't provide one or more of a spell's components, you are unable to cast the spell. [/spoiler] Thank you Mario but the princess is in another castle! This says almost nothing mechanically so far. [spoiler="Verbal"] Most spells require the chanting of mystic words. The words themselves aren't the source of the spell's power; rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion. Thus, a character who is gagged or in an area of silence, such as one created by the [URL='https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/silence']silence[/URL] spell, can't cast a spell with a verbal component. [/spoiler] You can't be silenced or gagged if the spell has a verbal component. This leaves out the important bit that past editions made sure to be clear on though & says nothing about loudly strong voice or so on & as a result practically begs for a battle between player & GM if the player really really wants free silent spell by simply declaring they want to whisper the verbal component if the GM disagrees. Still nothing about focus items. [spoiler="Somatic"] Spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures. [/spoiler] Again nothing about focus items. You are left a free hand while wielding the vast majority of weapons, so far almost the entire "casting a spell" section has been useless words for the sake of words & even the sections covered tend to create as many problems as they solve. [spoiler="Material"] Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. [B][U]A character can use a component pouch [I]or[/I] [/U]a spellcasting focus (found in “Equipment”) in place of the components specified for a spell. [/B]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. [/spoiler] Player:"well I have a component pouch on my belt & my rapier leaves me with a free hand so I'm good right?" -> facepalming GM:.. [spoiler="well no.. but.."] [B]Component Pouch.[/B] A component pouch is a small, watertight leather belt pouch that has compartments to hold all the material components and other special items you need to cast your spells, except for those components that have a specific cost (as indicated in a spell's description). [URL unfurl="true"]https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/equipment#ArcaneFocus[/URL] [/spoiler] [B]No. You do not need a focus to cast spells & even spells with a somatic or a material component you only need to have a free hand & a component pouch in your pack/belt. [/B] Without once present elements like ASF & ACP that connected to some of those three VSM components it's almost guaranteed that nobody is tracking what gish friendly spells use what parts of VSM & nongish builds aren't considering how they would be impacted to not just equip their PC under the time saving assumption that all spells use all parts of VSM so it probably doesn't even matter what a spell uses as long as the caster is proficient with their armor choice. [/QUOTE]
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