D&D 4E Any word on spell components for 4E?

[I'm A Banana]

Viola, dumb rules based of fluff I disagree with.

I believe you mean stop playing 3.5e and I'll be fine.

And that couldn't be more true! Yay 4e!

*sigh*

I know it's probably not the best organized, but it's been 8 years. RTFM

A spellcaster with a spell component pouch is assumed to have all the material components and focuses needed for spellcasting, except for those components that have a specific cost, divine focuses, and focuses that wouldn’t fit in a pouch.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#spellComponentPouch

8 years, man.

 

[Gloombunny]

Personally, I'd scrap them for non-ritual spells and let implements take the place of 'flavor enhancement to spellcasting/ability to handicap wizards by removing equipment', but I like the Tolkien/Rowling flavors of magic over the Vance/Gygax ones.

Vance's spells did not have somatic, material, or focus components.

 

[frankthedm]

*sigh*

I know it's probably not the best organized, but it's been 8 years. RTFM



http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#spellComponentPouch

8 years, man.

I believe his complaint is the character, in game, has to manipulate the materials, perform precise gesticulations and incant words of power. Of course if someone wants to be crass about it, they can think of it as the character has to handle crap, twiddle their fingers and shout gibberish.

 

[Simia Saturnalia]

*sigh*

I know it's probably not the best organized, but it's been 8 years. RTFM

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#spellComponentPouch

8 years, man.

Adorably insulting, really, but that means you don't have to track the bat guano, not that you don't have to have it. RTFP?

And for the record, I ignored them save for the muzzled & bound restrictions since 2e, and haven't even made a caster buy a spell component pouch in 3e. A combination of shoddy sympathetic ideas and lame metagame jokes since the first. Booooo!

 

[I'm A Banana]

I believe his complaint is the character, in game, has to manipulate the materials, perform precise gesticulations and incant words of power. Of course if someone wants to be crass about it, they can think of it as the character has to handle crap, twiddle their fingers and shout gibberish.

Aha! Allrighty then, if it's a fluff consideration, I suppose it falls into the camp of "different strokes, different folks." Magic should be weird, IMO. Eye of newt, tongue of dog, a rhyming scheme, and a waggle of your fingers is exactly what I want out of my spellcasters. What more reason for the masses to be terrified?

Adorably insulting, really, but that means you don't have to track the bat guano, not that you don't have to have it. RTFP?

Fair enough, though it would seem if the only problem is the icky fluff, you could change the fluff or ditch components without hurting the game too much (your wizad is 5 gp richer, congrats!). Meanwhile, it being there adds to the whole "dark, confusing, and disgusting rites needed to alter reality" feel of the Wizard. Which is something valuable for the class, IMO.

 

[Fifth Element]

Just another rude comment that can be fixed by actually reading my post?

Sorry if I wasn't clear - I wasn't referring to your post specifically. Fiddling with material spell components is a common complaint.

 

[Nebulous]

I love the idea of material components enhancing spells, but not being mandatory. This is high fantasy, it's more fun that way. Tinkering with cauldrons of roots, berries and entrails is best left to mythological witches and sorcerers.

 

[Zaruthustran]

In my experience, material components are ignored by players. It's like ammo for archers. Sure, you spend the gold on a quiver or a bag of generic "spell components" (good for cantrips all the way up to 9th level spells!). Once that's done at first level, neither ever runs dry.

So material components are already pretty much non-mechanical. Somatic and Verbal components still have an impact on rules, but the goal (restricting the use of certain spells in certain situations) can be accomplished in other ways.

I'd rather that specific components were more of an RP choice, much like the shape or design of a fighter's armor and sword. Does your wizard intone ancient words of power, or wordlessly slam his staff into the ground? Does he mutter and fling exotic materials into the air, or gracefully trace a pattern with a wand? I think it'd be cool if there were many, many ways to tap into the force called "magic", rather than a single formula per spell that's the same across all of history, for all cultures.

 

[Eldragon]

There is only one* thing that spell components (with a value < 5g) are good for that I know of: Role Playing situations where the caster has been separated from his pouch for whatever reason. Then, when the Sorcerer is locked in the City Jail, he can turn to the rogue and say "give me that bit of chewing gum so I can cast my invisibility spell and get us out of here!"

One of the 3e books had spell components that gave added effects when used in conjunction with a spell, which I thought was pretty cool and I would like to see made part of the PHB. i.e. Using vampire blood while casting a necromancy spell gives you +2 CL. Such conditions actually adds to the fun for the spellcaster, and keeping track of such things is totally optional.

*IMC we house ruled polymorph to require a DNA sample of the desired creature, but since its a house rule, it does not count here.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

There's a passage discussing spell components in one of the 'Behind the Curtain' sidebars in the Rules Compendium, I believe, where they're described as something that adds flavor to the game without much mechanical hassle.

I'd expect they'll be kept, maybe called out more as optional, and that in many cases spells with expensive components will be replaced with whatever system they're using for rituals.

Personally, I'd scrap them for non-ritual spells and let implements take the place of 'flavor enhancement to spellcasting/ability to handicap wizards by removing equipment', but I like the Tolkien/Rowling flavors of magic over the Vance/Gygax ones.

The way to go would be to use the optional system from Bo*D (and UA, I think), with optional power components. Yeah, you CAN cast without material components, but your spells won't get the lovely bonuses that they'd get if they do.