D&D 4E Material components and spell books? Get rid of them for 4e!

[Fobok]

I *love* getting into the details like that, but really, as Dragonblade said, it comes down to a time issue. Especially since I mostly just play in text chat and keeping track of stuff to that level just slows down an already slow medium.

 

[el-remmen]

Why have rules that no one uses or pays attention to?

No one, except, of course, those that do. . .

 

[wgreen]

IME, most people ignore inexpensive spell components; as long as you have your component pouch with you, you're good to go.

So, what about the expensive ones? I believe they're meant to be a balancing mechanism in 3.x -- that is, raise dead has a 5,000 gp component because it's more powerful than other 5th-level cleric spells, but less powerful than 6th-level spells. If 4e is going to have 30 spell levels, then this problem may well go away; they can, in essence, make raise dead a 5.5th-level spell, with no expensive component.

Assuming I'm right about it being a balancing mechanism. Which it might not be.

-Will

 

[CleverNickName]

Given the choice between having material components and books, or not having to mess with them, I think I would go with the "no books or bat guano" option. I've always thought it was a poor mechanic to slap a gold and XP price tag on spells to balance their power level. This hasn't been much of an issue for us in our games; all of our spellcasters use spell component pouches, and we haven't had a wizard at the table in years.

I like how magic works in the Harry Potter universe: most wizards only need an arcane focus (a wand) to cast spells, in addition to the verbal ("a-low-ha-MOR-ah") and somatic ("swish and flick") components. There are no silly tomes or vials of bat droppings; wizards learn a spell and can toss them off at will. I hope that 4E does something similar with these Per Round, Per Encounter, and Per Day spells.

If not, I'll house-rule the bejesus out of it.

 

[Stalker0]

Heck, even the PHB handwaves material components!!

"As long as the wizard has access to his spell component pouch, you can assume he has any non gold costing material components"

Just drop them except for the expensive ones. We can still have spells that have material components (expensive ones), but drop them for most spells.

But spellbooks should stay. They aren't just flavor, they are an important mechanical balance of the wizard. The wizard has access to a ton of spells if he provides the money to get them. That's a huge factor, and one that should stay provided the wizard continues to cast in any way shape or fashion like he does in 3x.

 

[F4NBOY]

Why have rules that no one uses or pays attention to?

I do, so you are completely, utterly wrong.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

I prefer the Arcana Evolved spell component system for the most part, where they are generally benefits you can add on to a spell. A 30 gold pinch of Ruby Dust to add 1d6 damage (+2d6 if its a fire spell), or what not. You're keeping track of a more limited number of things, as opposed to figuring out if that live spider you've been trucking around survived the fireball you took 3 sessions ago when it comes time to cast Spider Climb.

 

[reanjr]

Some 2e campaigns I've run required special ink to scribeinto the spellbook and random dice rolls to determine the number of pages required for the spell. I've always required material components, but assume (as the 3e rules state, but I did this in 2e as well) that common, cheap material components are automatically on hand unless there is a good reason they're not.

This really adds some interesting flavor. In 3e, I had an abjurer who (with the rest of the party) was caught in a prison cell. His familiar was a turtle. My spell components were taken away. But I still managed to cast Sleep with the dirt from the floor of the cell, ground to a fine powder after heavy use, and protection from arrows by utilizing my turtle's shell as a spell focus.

 

[Intrope]

Heck, even the PHB handwaves material components!!

"As long as the wizard has access to his spell component pouch, you can assume he has any non gold costing material components"

Just drop them except for the expensive ones. We can still have spells that have material components (expensive ones), but drop them for most spells.

But spellbooks should stay. They aren't just flavor, they are an important mechanical balance of the wizard. The wizard has access to a ton of spells if he provides the money to get them. That's a huge factor, and one that should stay provided the wizard continues to cast in any way shape or fashion like he does in 3x.

That always struck me as weird, too: if it doesn't cost gp, it's assumed you've got it--but some of those items aren't exactly 'common': the blessed leather thingy for the Armor spell, or the Dragon Scale for several Dragon Something Something spells in Spell Compendium.

Count me in the 'drop material components' group. And spell books ought to stay--but the loss of one shouldn't be as crippling, nor should they be so absurdly expensive (they're worth more than their weight in gold! What could you possibly be using as ink that's so costly?). Perhaps your 1/day type items need the book as a focus? (like the ofuda for shungenga?)

 

[RPG_Tweaker]

• Cost-stated components only.
• 20gp/page for spell writing, but you pay for level-learned spells as well.
• 75gp Masterwork spellbook (binder-style, durable, lockable)
• Self-crafted focus (wand, staff, amulet, ring) [with extensive cost formulae] allows wizard to imbue spells. The item funtions as their spellbook and allows other minor features.