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Eschew Materials??


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How many pouches do these wizards have anyway? What happens if they pull out their tiny mirror to find it smeared in bat guano? Trying to find the little iron bar, but get the little glass one by mistake.

Its just always seemed rather hokey. I have been tempted just to get rid of all the minor components, unless they are particualy important or receive the effect like good berrys. But for means of not complecating the game I haven't.

For those that prefer their mages to be breaking cricket legs and hurling dung at their foes, eskew matterials is useful for combineing with metamagics when your trapped/bound or need to be discrete in some way. Eg the mage tied to the chair, can't reach his pouch, can't flap his hands around, no problem, say "micky mouse" and your free. (er...presumeing you planned your spell selection very well)
 

I don't care for the material components rule anyways. It is terribly arbitrary and normally is just there to make life harder for PCs. There is hardly any logic behind what requires materials vs. what doesn't, and the "1gp rule" for eschew materials can get messy as well.

For example, the displacement spell requires bits of displacer beast hide. Now I know there is no gp value listed for it, so is it elegible for eschewing? Technically yes, but I'd expect displacer beast hide to be pretty rare and expensive, not something which you can assume to have an unlimited supply of in a little pouch.
 

Nope, they can still cast fine; the feat specifically says you can cast as long as you have the materials before you change.

Speaks With Stone said:
Druid with Natural Spell still needs to pick up Eschew in order to really work well.
 

I was just thinking about house rules and spell components when viola, I find it on Enworld. I love this place. :)

My house rule reads that you are required to carry components in a waterproof tin, and components are presumed to be in there and collected while on travels (e.g. Grasshopper leg for jump), unless there is a cost to it, (e.g. Identify requires the caster to be in posession of a pearl of at least 100gp value). A feat like Eschew Materials would negate the need for the tin being in your posession for mundane components.

There could be situations where for example, rather than killing a party they are taken prisoner when they are loosing a fight. In such a case, the PCs would most likely have all their dangerous items (including the tin with components) taken away from them to prevent escape.
 

My houserule is playing Arcana Unearthed. Magisters scoff at those clumsy wizards who must resort to material components! (All the time relying on their magic staffs).
 


Our group has a rule that the mage has to buy a new component pouch at each level up to represent "restocking". (They can buy an extra one before going on the adventure if they think they will level up "in the field" so to speak.)

I've seen one character take Eschew Materials -- a sorcerer. He took the feat at 3rd level and died at 6th level. So he never really got into a situation where he needed it.

No group I've ever been in has mentioned any problem with the material components of D&D spells. I've always considered the subject as much a part of D&D as mages not wearing armor.

Bullgrit
 

Eschew Materials... not on my list, but I like it.

Remember the 4th module in the slave lords series?
Or the teleport trap in Tomb of Horrors that left all your gear behind?

I'd probably consider this an essential feat if more spells required a material component to begin with. Also, there's always Ignore Material Components if your plans are really long ranged. A nice [epic] feat, that.
 

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