Do you let Eldritch Knight or Clerics cast while using a (real) shield?

[MechaPilot]

This would, of course, be the point. No one would ever walk outside in Alaska in the winter without proper clothes. That would be stupid and suicidal.

So, why would you assume the characters are both stupid and suicidal just because the player, who isn't living in Alaska and might have missed the bit about cold or whatever, didn't write down "cold weather clothes" on his character sheet?

Me, I would assume that the characters are smart enough to do that, and not even bother asking as the DM. Because simply asking after the point of no return is a blindingly douche move by the DM.

I might ask after the point of no return. However, if the answer was that they didn't bring any, I'd tell them to mark off an appropriate amount of gold for winter clothing, and then keep going.

 

[S'mon]

I might ask after the point of no return. However, if the answer was that they didn't bring any, I'd tell them to mark off an appropriate amount of gold for winter clothing, and then keep going.

If the PCs weren't native to the cold environment, at most I'd give them a Survival check to have equipped properly. Maybe set a reasonably low DC and use Passive Survival. Might do the same with a Religion check for the Ankheg shield - I can certainly imagine a priest forgetting that the reason they can cast in melee is their god's symbol on their shield. It seems like the kind of authorial screw-over CS Lewis might pull on the children in a Narnia book.

 

[Li Shenron]

In our family game, I keep it simple and don't really look at the spells components (except expensive ingredients). I would enforce them only in extreme circumstances such as being tied up prisoners (somatic) or under a Silence spell (verbal). Anything less I don't bother to make it an obstacle.

In more general terms, I think it's nice to keep track of "free hands" as an interesting tactical element of the game. Unfortunately I have never seen a RPG game that treats this topic sensibly and in a balanced way... Typically, in gaming groups where somatic components are enforced there is a notable bias in favor of Clerics who are allowed a lot of tricks to circumvent the problem, while Wizards and others just have to suck it up. In addition, every edition has its own loopholes in the action economy that can be exploited. So I just prefer to forget the whole mess.

 

[Hussar]

I might ask after the point of no return. However, if the answer was that they didn't bring any, I'd tell them to mark off an appropriate amount of gold for winter clothing, and then keep going.

IMO, this is the correct answer.

If the PCs weren't native to the cold environment, at most I'd give them a Survival check to have equipped properly. Maybe set a reasonably low DC and use Passive Survival. Might do the same with a Religion check for the Ankheg shield - I can certainly imagine a priest forgetting that the reason they can cast in melee is their god's symbol on their shield. It seems like the kind of authorial screw-over CS Lewis might pull on the children in a Narnia book.

I'm assuming you meant "can't" there.

 

[S'mon]

I'm assuming you meant "can't" there.

No, but then I forget all kinds of important crap IRL!

 

[Aiden_Keller_]

I might ask after the point of no return. However, if the answer was that they didn't bring any, I'd tell them to mark off an appropriate amount of gold for winter clothing, and then keep going.

I would agree with that....

 

[Aiden_Keller_]

If the PCs weren't native to the cold environment, at most I'd give them a Survival check to have equipped properly. Maybe set a reasonably low DC and use Passive Survival. Might do the same with a Religion check for the Ankheg shield - I can certainly imagine a priest forgetting that the reason they can cast in melee is their god's symbol on their shield. It seems like the kind of authorial screw-over CS Lewis might pull on the children in a Narnia book.

Seems like someone actually read The Magicians...