Do you use spell components in your game?

[Ghostwind]

Does the GM in your game(s) make you keep track of and resupply your spell components, thereby keeping a form of control over the spells that players can cast?

 

[just__al]

We only keep track of components that aren't assumed to be in a standard spell pouch.

Too much random book keeping for very little if any increase to the enjoyment of the game.

 

[Pseudonym]

Anything with a listed GP value or suitably obscure needs to be accounted for, in games I play or DM.

 

[Wombat]

Expensive ones, yes

Penny ante stuff, nope

 

[Arnwyn]

Yes, of course - but thankfully, anything under 1 gp is covered by the spell component pouch.

 

[Herpes Cineplex]

We only keep track of components that aren't assumed to be in a standard spell pouch.

Too much random book keeping for very little if any increase to the enjoyment of the game.

I have the same answer, for exactly the same reason. We also don't care if a component's description makes it sound obscure or difficult to get; if it doesn't have a listed price, it's covered by a spell component pouch and players don't have to keep track of it. That's why the spell component pouch's description is written the way it is, right?

Also, not wasting our time tracking the cheap/free components helps make the spells that require expensive components more interesting.

--
while tracking all components would just be an annoyance
ryan

 

[Bloodstone Press]

Expensive ones, yes

Penny ante stuff, nope

ditto.

 

[Zappo]

Only expensive ones. For the rest, there's the "spell component bag", which for 99.99% of the time is basically an indivisible item (either you have it, or you don't, there's no partial bag or half-empty bag) with an endless supply of all inexpensive components for all spells known to man. Or at least, a supply that is defined as "big enough to last until the character can resupply". Generally speaking, it's also water-proof.

For 0.01% of the time, something strange may happen, such as components running out, or a specific component missing, or getting ruined. This only happens when both of two conditions are met: 1) it makes sense, and 2) the plot requires it.

 

[Nifft]

Yeah, standard spell component bag abstraction covers all the cases where "standard conditions" hold. Rogue-steals-your-pouch has yet to happen, but it will -- the enemies that the PCs face are too smart to neglect such a tactic.

-- N

 

[Ibram]

in all the 3e games I have been in Spell Compontents are rarely an issue.
most DM's (myself encluded) ignore spell components that dont have a GP value specificly tacked on. It makes a lot of sense, and keeps the game running.