For those of you without access to Adventurer's Vault, but curious about reagents, they function basically as follows:
Adventurer's Vault included roughly three dozen different reagents, counting every version of each. Furthermore, because of the open-ended nature of this type of item, I would expect to see many more reagents in future supplements. (Especially 2009's Adventurer's Vault II.)
Reagents are consumable items that you can choose to expend when you use a power. The type of power that can be used with each reagent is specified in each reagent's description. Each reagent also has a maximum level of power it can be applied to, although most reagents also have higher-level (think more concentrated or refined) versions available, which allow the use of higher level powers. You must be holding a reagent to use it, and you can't apply more than one reagent to any use of a power. (That is, you can't apply two or more reagents to the same power at the same time.)
Reagents generally enhance the effects of the power they are used with. Some examples are "Creeping Gatevine", which increases the range of a power with the Teleport keyword by 2 squares, or "Glassteel Shard", which slides the targets of a power with the Force keyword 1 square, or "Dark Clover", which, when applied to a power with the Necrotic keyword, grants one target that was hit (your choice) Vulnerability 5 necrotic. The higher-level versions of reagents generally also have more powerful effects. For example, epic Dark Clover applies to powers of up to 25th-level and adds Vulnerability 15 necrotic, rather than 5 necrotic.
Reagents are obviously not identical in function to components (as they existed in previous editions, TMK), but they are relatively simple to integrate into your game in this system -- just allow your players to buy/find/make them and use them.Reagents generally enhance the effects of the power they are used with. Some examples are "Creeping Gatevine", which increases the range of a power with the Teleport keyword by 2 squares, or "Glassteel Shard", which slides the targets of a power with the Force keyword 1 square, or "Dark Clover", which, when applied to a power with the Necrotic keyword, grants one target that was hit (your choice) Vulnerability 5 necrotic. The higher-level versions of reagents generally also have more powerful effects. For example, epic Dark Clover applies to powers of up to 25th-level and adds Vulnerability 15 necrotic, rather than 5 necrotic.
Adventurer's Vault included roughly three dozen different reagents, counting every version of each. Furthermore, because of the open-ended nature of this type of item, I would expect to see many more reagents in future supplements. (Especially 2009's Adventurer's Vault II.)
