D&D 5E Revisiting material components - enforcing in a game focused on resource-management

[MNblockhead]

My next campaign is going to involve a lot of resource management and downtime rules.

I would like part of the resource management to be spell components. I was reading over the spellcasting rules and spell descriptions today and looking at the required material components for many of the spells, I became a bit sad that a very flavorful part of the game is generally ignored. 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.

For example, Aganazzar’s Scorcher is only a second-level spell, yet it requires a red dragon's scale. It would seem that obtaining this would be difficult and not just something that is going to be hand-waved away as in your component pouch. But forget the component pouch, just use a focus. The read-dragon scale is just trivia, with no mechanical weight, and another adventure hook is lost in the weeds.

While trying to be mostly true to RAW, here is how I am thinking of handling material components in my next game:

1. You get a component bag at first level with the components for your cantrips and 1st-level spells that require them.

2. You also get a focus.

3. I will have intelligent foes try their very best to take, break, or knock away a wizard's focus in battle. I will be merciless about it. In a world where at least low-level wizards are known, the smart combatant will know to disrupt the wizard and taking away his focus is one of the easier ways to do this.

4. Rule three means that having a component pouch with material components prepared is important as a backup.

5. Beyond the first level, the spell caster will need to obtain the material components for any spells she will want to cast. A spellcaster can't use a focus to replace a material component until she has studied the spell with the material component. So, maybe she just finds someone with the rare component who will let her study with it. After which she can cast it with her focus, but she may still want to obtain her own material as a backup. The party will find some components in the course of adventuring. Some will be obtained as a downtime activity. And in some cases, there will be side quests to get particularly rare items.

6. The RAW regarding components with costs printed in the rules still applies. If a value is given for the component, you MUST have that component. A focus will not replace any component with a price attached.


I'm wondering how others have made components matter in their 5e game without straying too far from the RAW.

 

[KenNYC]

Starting from 2nd level spells the pcs have to have material components. The focus won't work. Focus in general is a bad, lame, game ruining idea that saps flavor out of the spellcaster classes. I honestly have no idea who came up with the idea of focus or when, but it has to be one of the worst ideas for D&D.

 

[5ekyu]

My next campaign is going to involve a lot of resource management and downtime rules.

I would like part of the resource management to be spell components. I was reading over the spellcasting rules and spell descriptions today and looking at the required material components for many of the spells, I became a bit sad that a very flavorful part of the game is generally ignored. 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.

For example, Aganazzar’s Scorcher is only a second-level spell, yet it requires a red dragon's scale. It would seem that obtaining this would be difficult and not just something that is going to be hand-waved away as in your component pouch. But forget the component pouch, just use a focus. The read-dragon scale is just trivia, with no mechanical weight, and another adventure hook is lost in the weeds.

While trying to be mostly true to RAW, here is how I am thinking of handling material components in my next game:

1. You get a component bag at first level with the components for your cantrips and 1st-level spells that require them.

2. You also get a focus.

3. I will have intelligent foes try their very best to take, break, or knock away a wizard's focus in battle. I will be merciless about it. In a world where at least low-level wizards are known, the smart combatant will know to disrupt the wizard and taking away his focus is one of the easier ways to do this.

4. Rule three means that having a component pouch with material components prepared is important as a backup.

5. Beyond the first level, the spell caster will need to obtain the material components for any spells she will want to cast. A spellcaster can't use a focus to replace a material component until she has studied the spell with the material component. So, maybe she just finds someone with the rare component who will let her study with it. After which she can cast it with her focus, but she may still want to obtain her own material as a backup. The party will find some components in the course of adventuring. Some will be obtained as a downtime activity. And in some cases, there will be side quests to get particularly rare items.

6. The RAW regarding components with costs printed in the rules still applies. If a value is given for the component, you MUST have that component. A focus will not replace any component with a price attached.


I'm wondering how others have made components matter in their 5e game without straying too far from the RAW.

As someone playing in a game now, homebrew civvies magic distrust, where there are issues with the support expected for components, I can suggest you study the matter a bit more and go for a more comprehensive overhaul that's organized around your goal.

I say this because, for instance, bards spell focus can be their music instrument. Clerics can be their holy symbol. Druids can be made by them. Arcane foci are more oddball definite arcane types. So, is everybody needing to get stuff? Just some.

Also, the comps in the book were **not** chosen for any sort of balance of the usual spell pouch and foci are not in play or reduced. You note dragon scale but plenty of odd cases like needing small tarts for tasha laughter, what the heck is wychwood, etc.

There's not even real power level differences between ones with "no cost" materials and ones without.

If I were going to go that route, the overhaul would be done by school, giving each school a set of materials of increasing difficulty or expense and a "costly" substitute (gem?) for when you are out.

So maybe something like this...
Necromancy
Tier 1 grave dirt
Tier 2 bones from humanoid
Tier 3 dust or bones from undead
Tier 4 bones from humanoid dead within 24hr
Substitute onyx worth 10 hp per spell level (consumed) or use higher tier ingredients.

Work out similar ingredient scheme for each school.

Otherwise get ready to start answering questions about how long tarts last and the price of insence

But the no-costs in the book are not to be used straight up without assumed support.

In my game, I have been hitting gm with "material scrounging" requests and picking/prioritizing spells by components... so you may find less "make materials interesting" results and more "avoid material spells". (Had I known the way its playing out in the campaign I am in now, would have gone bard instead of sorc for the instrument focus - no question.)

 

[MNblockhead]

Starting from 2nd level spells the pcs have to have material components. The focus won't work. Focus in general is a bad, lame, game ruining idea that saps flavor out of the spellcaster classes. I honestly have no idea who came up with the idea of focus or when, but it has to be one of the worst ideas for D&D.

Managing components, like tracking encumbrance, is not enjoyed a large percentage of players, who see it and "bookkeeping". It seems to be the norm that these are not tracked and the RAW provide support for this preference. In a more narrative style of play, it really isn't needed.

But I agree, that not tracking components removes a lot of flavor from spell casting. I'll allow a wizard to use a focus, per the RAW, but only after first learning to cast the spell with the material component. This also only applies to components that have not valued listed (which also means they are not consumed by the casting).

Non-consumed materials, such as the dragon scale for Aganazzar’s Scorcher, are basically foci for the spell. Once the wizard has practiced with that item, they have an understanding of it that allows them to bring it to mind when using a wand or staff as a focus. I don't find allowing the use of a focus item to replace the component to be game breaking or to detract from the story. But I do like the flavor of a wizard having to find and study a variety of common and rare materials. Making that part of the process of learning to cast the spell with the focus allows continued use of focus items without gutting the spells of their material flavor.

 

[MNblockhead]

[MENTION=6919838]5ekyu[/MENTION], I get what you are saying, but I (1) don't really want to put in the work to overhaul the spell components in 5e and (2) I want the players who play casters to have easy access to this information.

I don't think that material components have to be logical or level appropriate. For the more powerful spells, giving costs to the materials and making some of them consumable takes care of balance concerns. My small tweak only applies to those components that do not have costs associated with them and are therefore also not consumed in the casting.

For some hard to get items, a magic school or a mentor wizard may have the necessary component that the character is allowed to use to learn the spell, which he can then cast with a focus. But there is still an incentive to acquire the component for personal use, for example as a back up if you lose your wand/staff.

This rule will apply to all casters. If the spell description lists a material component, the caster needs to have access to that component when learning the spell before he can use his focus to cast it. So a Bard learning "catnap" will need to have a pinch a sand when learning the spell before he can cast it with his lute playing. A cleric or paladin need a strip of white cloth when learning the aid spell before they can cast it using only their holy symbols. Same with the Sorcerer and Warlock. Rangers, however, MUST ALWAYS have the material component to cast their spells. They are the one caster class in the core rules that is not allowed to use an arcane focus or holy symbol for casting.

As someone playing in a game now, homebrew civvies magic distrust, where there are issues with the support expected for components, I can suggest you study the matter a bit more and go for a more comprehensive overhaul that's organized around your goal.

I say this because, for instance, bards spell focus can be their music instrument. Clerics can be their holy symbol. Druids can be made by them. Arcane foci are more oddball definite arcane types. So, is everybody needing to get stuff? Just some.

Also, the comps in the book were **not** chosen for any sort of balance of the usual spell pouch and foci are not in play or reduced. You note dragon scale but plenty of odd cases like needing small tarts for tasha laughter, what the heck is wychwood, etc.

There's not even real power level differences between ones with "no cost" materials and ones without.

If I were going to go that route, the overhaul would be done by school, giving each school a set of materials of increasing difficulty or expense and a "costly" substitute (gem?) for when you are out.

So maybe something like this...
Necromancy
Tier 1 grave dirt
Tier 2 bones from humanoid
Tier 3 dust or bones from undead
Tier 4 bones from humanoid dead within 24hr
Substitute onyx worth 10 hp per spell level (consumed) or use higher tier ingredients.

Work out similar ingredient scheme for each school.

Otherwise get ready to start answering questions about how long tarts last and the price of insence

But the no-costs in the book are not to be used straight up without assumed support.

In my game, I have been hitting gm with "material scrounging" requests and picking/prioritizing spells by components... so you may find less "make materials interesting" results and more "avoid material spells". (Had I known the way its playing out in the campaign I am in now, would have gone bard instead of sorc for the instrument focus - no question.)

 

[MonkeezOnFire]

Rangers, however, MUST ALWAYS have the material component to cast their spells. They are the one caster class in the core rules that is not allowed to use an arcane focus or holy symbol for casting.

I believe the Eldritch Knight and the Arcane Trickster also fall into this category. Which I think is flavourful. These classes aren't usually dedicated to magic so they don't fully comprehend it enough to channel magic through a focus, they need the original components.

I also once saw a video where the campaign was about the party escaping from a remote prison and then surviving the winter wilderness while avoiding their former captors who were now chasing them (like a Tundra Out of the Abyss). The ranger had taken Goodberry. In order to preserve the pressure of having to take risks to get access to food they created a house rule that Goodberry consumed it's material component. So when the party was able to find sprigs of holly they would be good for the day, but most of the time they were still under pressure to balance finding resources to survive and making good pace to outrun their pursuers. It's simple changes like this that can really change the feel of a campaign.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I agree with you that the components as they appear are flavour and not substance, and it's asy for a campaign to do away with them.

I would suggest, however, that if you are going to try to take away the focus from casters, that you let spills still be cast without it, only the caster cannot add their proficiency bonus to the DC. The spells are "unfocused", but still castable. (That's actually the way I thought Material components should have worked from the start.)

 

[DEFCON 1]

When I've considered doing something like this, here are the things that I thought of as being necessary for making the system work. First, every character class would already start with only the material components for the cantrips and 1st level spells they had prepared at the start of adventuring. This mainly was for the divine classes, which by the rules says they can prepare any and all spells from their spell lists. In order to keep things fair between them and wizards and classes with Known Spells... the divine classes would not get the material component for every single 1st level spell on their list that required them, even though the rules said they could prepare them. Instead, the player decided what their initial 3-6 spells were going to be (bonus prepared spells included) at the start of the first session and any of those which required material components were the only spells for which they had them in hand.

Second, it was assumed that before becoming 1st level spellcasters, every character had gone through training where they were given "component lists" from their instructors of the types of things they would need to acquire out in the world in order to cast the myriad of other spells available on their spell lists. So even if a PC didn't start the game knowing how to cast Feather Fall, they would know that in order to cast it at some point in the future they would need a small feather or piece of down. Which meant that as they started adventuring, the PC could start looking for any and all material components from their list which they would need down the road if/when they acquired the ability to cast said spell.

When it would become time to level up and acquire new Known Spells or new divine spells to prepare,
or new spells to add to their spellbook, you could only select from those spells on your spell list that either only required verbal and/or somatic components, or were ones that you had found the required material component for during the previous adventures. If you found the material component, it meant you were now able to work out the magic and could now select the spell going forward.

I think there were a couple other little rules in and around the system I was jury-rigging together, but at the end of the day I ended up not bothering with it-- mainly because I had a hard enough time for players to select wizards to begin with, and this material component system just made things even more difficult for them compared to other classes (since they now not only had to find new spells to add to their spellbooks from scrolls or enemy spellbooks etc, but they also now had to find the components as well.) This doubling up of searching for stuff made the wizard even less desirable than it already was in my games.

 

[Ristamar]

I've always considered material components with no listed cost to be slightly malleable. The listed entry is often the most common or most desired form of component for the respective spell. If it isn't available, a caster can often make due with other materials on hand.

If the available resources are particularly scarce, a caster may not be able to cast spells without a means to create or diffuse certain elements and essences (a good reason to always have Alchemist's Supplies on hand). Depending on the level of scarcity, I might make it an automatic pass with the proper tools or set a DC for a tool proficiency check. Success indicates the caster can use any known spells with zero-cost material components. Failure would result in some (or all) spells with zero-cost material components being unavailable until more resources are acquired.

 

[Krachek]

Do this rules add fun to your game?