D&D 5E Casting spells with costed components

[MasterTrancer]

Note that it requires a ruling, though. There is no way to know how the game says to do it by the book.

"Rulings, not rules"! [emoji6]

 

[DEFCON 1]

The problem came where I wanted to see if I could borrow an item to cast a spell with and give it back later. DMs ruling was that I wouldn't be able to do that as the costed item would be used up by the spell, but I don't think that should be the case.

Just to bring up another point about this particular part of what you said here. While I also agree that a component isn't consumed upon casting unless the spell says so... I do in fact agree with the DM that in some cases I wouldn't allow a caster to borrow a costed material component from someone else and then give it back. Not because it would be consumed... but merely because my belief that if you have a spell in your spellbook and have been working and training to cast this spell (in the fiction of the story), you would have had to possess the costed component at some point (and thus, why do you not have in on your person now?)

In other words... for my particular way of DMing... casting magic doesn't "just happen". You have to practice and learn how to do it. So if you are a 1st level wizard, you need to buy yourself that costed component with your starting cash because you will have needed that component the entire time you were learning how to become a 1st level wizard-- you can't just skip buying the component with the expectation that you'll borrow it from someone else and then instantly be able to cast the spell. By the same token... if a caster finds a scroll for a new spell that requires a costed component, I would require them to acquire said costed component for themselves, rather than just think they can borrow components willy-nilly when they need them.

It's a very fine line... but for me in particular, I feel magic is something you need to practice in and around adventuring (just like swordfighting is something you need to practice in and around adventuring.) And if you don't have the spellcasting materials necessary to practice (because you're just too cheap to acquire your own), then I'm usually not going to let you borrow them. Because within the story itself, I'd see someone asking to borrow your components would be like someone asking to borrow your toothbrush. It's like "Ew! No, get your own you cheap bastard."

(But in a final point... if it was an emergency and a one-time thing-- big battle is coming up, old wizard is too sickly to fight, young wizard PC is going instead but had his material components stolen, old wizard says "here, take mine!"... that I'd allow because it would make sense within the story.)

 

[Riley37]

A friend checked on Twitter with Jeremy Crawford, chief rules architect for D&D 5e.

Q:
“Is the pearl needed for the Identify spell consumed when the spell is cast, or is it re-usable?”

Crawford:
“It’s not consumed.”

 

[Dausuul]

You are correct. If the spell does not specifically state the component is consumed, then it is not consumed; it is what in 3E would be called a "focus," that is, something you have to have in order to cast the spell but that you can reuse as often as you like. (In 5E, a "focus" is something else entirely.)

I should also point out that identify has very little value in 5E. You can achieve the same effect by holding the item and concentrating on it while you rest for an hour. The only benefits of identify are that it's faster to cast (10 minutes as a ritual, 1 minute if you want to blow a spell slot), and it also informs you if the item has any spells on it. It isn't even safer; you still have to touch the item and expose yourself to any negative consequences thereof. IMO, 100 gp is overpriced for a non-consumable component. If you have to burn 100 gp every time, it's worthless.

Note that it requires a ruling, though. There is no way to know how the game says to do it by the book.

By the book, you can use a focus or a spell component pouch for any material component where no price is given. So, effectively, all such spell components are capped at 5 gp, which is enough to buy any type of focus (staff, mistletoe, or holy symbol).