Do you need to hold material components?

[bret]

This was brought up in another thread , but do you have to hold material components in your hand?

Under Components (PHB 151) it doesn't say anything about this. It does say you need a hand free for the Somatic components, but it only says you have to have the Material or Focus components.

Is there someplace in the rules that it specifically says you have to hold the materials in hand?

Edit: Fix formatting

 

[kreynolds]

The closest I've ever seen is a grapple. If you're grappling, you can cast a spell with material components if you already have them in your hand.

EDIT: However, since you only need one hand to cast, no matter what, it looks like it gets lumped into the same hand with the somatic components.

 

[hong]

"Ew, I've got bat guano all over my holy symbol!"

 

[Vuron]

A possible solution would be to make spell component pouches be like medicine pouches and have regular spell components be stored in a prominent place like the wrists or neck. While the caster mantains physical contact with the spell component pouch he can cast spells foe which he has the components. To make things easier don't require the components to be consumed in most spells. With spell foci items I would suggest having them be displayed prominently etc. That way if it's simply a V,M spell then spells can be cast while grappled.

 

[IceBear]

Yeah, I think this is another disjunction in the rules. I believe it is supposed to be assumed that you hold the material component in the same hand as you are using to make the somatic component. For all we know, part of the somatic component could be to manipulate the material component (ie, rolling the bat guano into a ball and then flinging it as you complete the verbal component to turn it into a fireball).

IceBear

 

[kreynolds]

(ie, rolling the bat guano into a ball and then flinging it as you complete the verbal component to turn it into a fireball).

You know, dude...I really like D&D. I'd appreciate it if you didn't screw it up for me by making all spellcasters out to be crap hurling zoo animals. Like I'll be able to keep a straight face at the table the next time someone hurls a fireball.

 

[Spatzimaus]

And is it just me, or should the Druids be the ones flinging batcrap all over the place while casting spells? It's more "natural", after all, and the whole "medicine bag" type of thing seems more appropriate for them.

 

[AuraSeer]

"Ew, I've got bat guano all over my holy symbol!"

"You got your holy symbol in my bat guano!"

Two great tastes that taste great together.

 

[IceBear]

You know, dude...I really like D&D. I'd appreciate it if you didn't screw it up for me by making all spellcasters out to be crap hurling zoo animals. Like I'll be able to keep a straight face at the table the next time someone hurls a fireball.

It was just an example of HOW manipulating the material component could be a part of the somatic to get around this issue, not that this is how it's done (if it offends you )


Remember in the Dragonlance novels when Raistlin casts sleep and he's pointing at the shore and letting sand slip between his fingers at the same time? That's all I meant - maybe pointing and letting the sand slip between his fingers IS the somantic component of the sleep spell. As none of us know, what, exactly happens when casting a spell, I think that this rationalization could explain how someone can hold the material component with the same hand as making the somantic component.

IceBear

 

[kreynolds]

(if it offends you )

Nah. I'll get over it once I get those horrid images out of my head.