Magic Components Question

[Mapleaxe]

Need a quick rules clarification. The player who runs the cleric in my game has always been under the assumption since (a) he doesn't need to make a spell failure check when he casts and (b) because arcane spell failure is based on the difficulty of performing somatic spell components correctly that (c) divine spell casters didn't need to worry about spell components the same way that arcane casters do (with the exceptions of divine focus spells and spells with expensive components). While I can see his logic, I don't see anything in the PHB that specifically supports or refutes it.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Divine spellcasters have somatic spell components too, but these somatic components aren't blocked or made more difficult by armor. Think of it this way: The cleric's training includes casting divine spells in armor.

A grappling cleric can only use Verbal spells, for example.

A cleric doesn't receive free use of Still Spell and Eschew Materials, if that's what you're asking.

AR

 

[Christian]

Look at the actual spell listings-you'll see that divine spells are a lot less reliant on material components, replacing them with the divine focus. But if the character does prepare spells that have material components, he'll need to have them ...

 

[Silverglass]

Your player is wrong if he thinks that he does not have to worry about spell components at all.

As a Cleric he must still "provide" all the components of the spells that are cast. The big difference is that for most spells the arcane versions material components are replaced by a divine focus (the characters holy symbol).

So consider Magic Weapon, Greater which has the componets "V, S, M/DF". As an Arcane spell it has Verbal, Somatic and Material (Powdered lime and carbon) Compoents. For a Cleric the material component is changed to a Divine Focus component and a Cleric does not suffer from Arcane Spell Failure chances for wearing armour (obvious as it is Arcane spell failure) when casting a spell with a Somatic component. To cast the spell the Cleric would still need to Speak (so Silence or Deafness would have an impact), Gesture (so Grapple stops this) and use their Holy Symbol.

If you look at Shield of Faith that has "Material Component: A small parchment with a bit of holy text written upon it." so the cleric must have that to cast the spell.

A Spell Component Pouch for a Cleric operates in the same way as it does for an arcane caster, "A spellcaster with a spell component pouch is assumed to have all the material components and focuses needed for spellcasting, except for those components that have a specific cost, divine focuses, and focuses that wouldn’t fit in a pouch." So have your Cleric purchase one and he is good to go for all spells that don't have a Divine Material componet with a specified cost, such as Augury.