Chaosmancer
Legend
Spells is a type of magic.
In FR, a dragons breath is magic. But it is not a spell so it does not use the interface.
When the dragon uses her sorcerer powers, those are spells and that's uses the weave.
If it is a psionic dragon, when she uses her mindblast it is magic but..
...In 1e, 2e,3e, and 4e it is not a spell and doesn't use the interface.
...In 5e, it is a spell and does use the interface.
Get it.
So, interface only means spell slots?
Because Beholder's are certainly using spells, but they aren't casting or using the Weave, or whatever interface you want to call up.
And, again, I don't need an interface to explain magic spellcasting with slots. In fact, spell slots don't even match the definition for what an interface is. Neither do spells.
An Interface is part B that allows System A to interact with System C.
Paladins have magical abilities. Divine Smite allows them to turn a slot into radiant damage, this uses slots, but is not a spell. They can also use a version of Detect Evil or we coudl talk about their Lay on Hands, both clearly magical abilities that are not spells.
So if Spells are the part that connects the system of "Player Character" to the System of "Magic" then Clerics, Paladins, Warlocks, likely Bards, Druids and Artificers (and Bloodhunters which are almost official) all have at least one ability that bypasses this Interface.
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Should the druid, cleric, sorcerer, wizard, monk, and/or paladin find themselves without implements (in prison, or just escaped, let's say) they can ALL use the same piece of straight iron to cast hold person. Nature demands a piece of iron. So does your god. Your internal power needs the piece of iron to manifest this way. The iron is also part of the formula you learned in class, and is what your friend's meditation leads him to use, and is necessary no matter how devoted to her ideals your other friend is.
WHY, in the narrative, would all these different sources of power use the same material component, if it didn't involve some form of interface?
It is possible that you could argue that magic is sympathetic by its nature, meaning that if you have a straight piece of iron, you can imbue into a human the qualities of a straight piece of iron, like stiffness and the inability to move. It might also work by catching onto the iron in the blood, which is diffused throughout the body but the sympathy makes more sense, since many material components are "related" to the effect of the spell.
I'm not saying that that has to be it, but it is an explanation that does not require an interface between the caster and magic.
Are you saying that's how it is for all material components? In 5e?!
A lot of them, yeah.
Tasha's Hideos Laughter -> A tart, which is a type of pie, for making someone laugh
Lightning Bolt -> Bit of fur and a Rod of Amber, for making static electricity.
Mage Armor -> Bit of Leather, like leather armor.
Web -> Spider webs
Water Walk -> Piece of cork, because it floats
Water Breathing -> A hollow reed, like for snorkeling
Wall of Stone -> A small block of granite, like a wall of stone
Wall of Fire -> Phosphorus, for making fire
Ect ect ect