Do you need to hold material components?

[aliensex]

For Spider Climb, don't you have to eat the spider to cast it? Can't remember right now. I guess, unless the spell specifically states how the material component must be manipulated, you can just assume it is consumed from where it is stored.

It would at least keep things simple

 

[IceBear]

But that goes against that they say about being grappled. I'm also sure that it does say in the rules that you must manipulate the material component to use it - it doesn't just disappear out of your component pouch. All I'm suggesting - for those that have issues with holding it in the same hand as you are making your somantic gestures - is that *maybe* those gestures include manipulating the component.

IceBear

 

[kreynolds]

There are some occasions where even somatic components are a little funky. For example, the burning hands spell requires you to use both of your hands for the somatic component.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

IIRC preparing material components is a free action. So maybe you could grab those components as a monster reaches over to grapple you.

More likely, you can do so as a free action on your initiative when you cast a spell.

0.5 s: grab bat guano.
0.51 s: cast spell.

To be honest, I'm not sure which free actions must be on your initiative and which ones aren't.

I assume you can speak whenever you want, without worrying about Initiative, but what about dropping a weapon, or getting bat guano?

 

[IceBear]

Actually I think it was stated somewhere, that even free actions can't be performed until your turn. I probably wouldn't be so strict though.

This came up somewhere where someone was going to use Quickdraw to draw a longspear against a charging creature (which would a free action) and it was stated that it couldn't be done as it wasn't your turn.

IceBear

 

[The Souljourner]

According to the rules, if the spell doesn't have a somatic component, you don't need to have a hand free to cast it. I assume for the very few instances where you have a material component and not a somatic (only case I can think of is using still spell), then the material component just needs to be on your person and magically disappears. I take all mention of manipulation of material components in spell descriptions to be part of the somatic component. So if you use Still Spell on spiderclimb, you've figured out how to cast the spell without actually ingesting the spider - dual bonus!

-The Souljourner

 

[IceBear]

Hehehehe

IceBear

 

[Rel]

So if you use Still Spell on spiderclimb, you've figured out how to cast the spell without actually ingesting the spider - dual bonus!

-The Souljourner

In my campaign, if a spellcaster wants to cast Spider Climb, I make him make a DC10 Fortitude save or else vomit while trying to eat the spider, causing him to be Dazed for the rest of the round. If he has recently eaten a large meal (and is therefore just not hungry for a spider), I jack the DC up to 14.

I know that some of you might disagree, thinking this sounds harsh, but I've researched this extensively by watching Fear Factor.


I'm just kidding about that of course. But I'd love to see my players faces if I suggested it.

 

[kreynolds]

According to the rules, if the spell doesn't have a somatic component, you don't need to have a hand free to cast it. I assume for the very few instances where you have a material component and not a somatic (only case I can think of is using still spell), then the material component just needs to be on your person and magically disappears.

Not exactly. From the FAQ...

I know that you can't cast spells that require somatic or
material components while you're being grappled. Suppose
I have the Still Spell feat, or I'm casting a spell that has
only a verbal component, and I cast a spell while being
grappled. Does the opponent who is grappling me get an
attack of opportunity against me when I cast the spell? Do I
provoke an attack of opportunity from a nongrappling
enemy in a square next to me (say the grappler's buddy,
who is standing by to prevent just such a thing)? How many
Concentration checks do I have to make to pull off this
action?
Actually, you can cast a spell with a material component
while you're being grappled or pinned; you just have to have
the material component in hand before you cast the spell (see
page 137 in the Player's Handbook). Under normal
circumstances, you can get a material component out of a
pocket or a spell component pouch as part of your spellcasting
action. To have a component in your hand when being grappled
or pinned, you either must have previously told the DM that
you were holding the component, or you have to take an action
to retrieve the component. This is similar to retrieving a stored
item, but it is a full-round action when you're grappled. It
provokes an attack of opportunity (but see below), and it's not
possible if you're pinned.
When you cast the spell (or retrieve the necessary
component), you provoke an attack of opportunity, but not
from the foe who is grappling you. When you're involved in a
grapple, you don't threaten any area (see page 138 in the
Player's Handbook). Any foes who threaten you while you're
being grappled (such as an enemy standing apart from the
grapple) make attacks of opportunity normally against you.
In this situation, you need to make a Concentration check
with a DC of 20 + the spell level to cast a spell while grappled,
and possibly a second check with a DC of 10 + spell level + the
damage dealt if your grappler's ally hits you with an attack of
opportunity. Make one check and apply the roll to both DCs. If
you aren't successful with both checks, you lose the spell. You
can attempt to cast defensively in this situation; if you do, you
also make one check and compare the result to the defensive
casting (DC 15 + spell level) and the DC for casting while
grappling (DC 20 + spell level).