Material Components

[Jcosby]

I hope this is a simple question; I just wanted to get a clarification on material component usage. I know in some spells it actually states that a material component is used up. Now I’m talking about special material components, not general usage stuff. Example would be the diamond used for the Resurrection spell. Is that diamond used on completion of the spell? Is there a general ruling for this and if so where?



Thanks

Jcosby

 

[Staffan]

This was one of the clarifications in 3e (as opposed to 1e and 2e). In 3e, anything listed as a "material component" is used up. If it's not used up, it's instead referred to as a "focus." One special case of focus is the "divine focus", which refers to a cleric's holy symbol, a druid's mistletoe, or things like that.

 

[nak9788]

This was one of the clarifications in 3e (as opposed to 1e and 2e). In 3e, anything listed as a "material component" is used up. If it's not used up, it's instead referred to as a "focus." One special case of focus is the "divine focus", which refers to a cleric's holy symbol, a druid's mistletoe, or things like that.

I concur. A good reason why this is, is it would be too easy to constantly resurrect dead characters. You've got to make it somewhat difficult (and expensive) somehow. Or else, the characters would be effectively immortal (unless the clerics are killed). And yes, I am taking into account the fact characters lose a level (or a constitution point at lvl 1) when they are resurrected.

 

[Jcosby]

Ok, thats the way I was going to rule it. But one of my players pointed out that in some spell descriptions such as identify they make reference to the material component being used up and other spells they don't.

Also I agree very much about the making it harder for PCs to be raised. Although each DM can run it the way they want.

Thanks again
JC

 

[Len]

But one of my players pointed out that in some spell descriptions such as identify they make reference to the material component being used up and other spells they don't.

Here's the rule you want to show him:

A material component is one or more physical substances or objects that are annihilated by the spell energies in the casting process.

(it's also on p.174 of his PHB)

So unless you find a spell description that specifically says the material component isn't destroyed, it is. (And even then it's wrong because, as Staffan points out, that's what a focus component is for.)

 

[moritheil]

Occasionally the text gives you hints as to *how* the material components are used up; this is why some text passages refer to the material components explicitly. The rest of the time, they didn't feel like prewriting descriptions of the annihilation for DMs.

Ok, thats the way I was going to rule it. But one of my players pointed out that in some spell descriptions such as identify they make reference to the material component being used up and other spells they don't.

Also I agree very much about the making it harder for PCs to be raised. Although each DM can run it the way they want.

Thanks again
JC

 

[Jack Simth]

Here's the rule you want to show him:

(it's also on p.174 of his PHB)

So unless you find a spell description that specifically says the material component isn't destroyed, it is. (And even then it's wrong because, as Staffan points out, that's what a focus component is for.)

Ahh ... so the Fabricate spell is useless, then? (after all, it Anhillates the materials that the spell indicate as transfromed.....).

Or where's the body go when someone successfully casts Trap The Soul? The spell description specifies that they are trapped in the material component gem .... and that when the gem is destroyed, they are released without harm.... so they always are immediately freed?

Perhaps when specific spell descriptions refer to the material components being used in some way, they are commonly an excpetion to the annhilated rule - after all, those materials can't be used in the same way again (the raw materials have been converted into finished product, and ceases to be raw materials, the gem used for the prison is destroyed when the spell is undone (and is full the rest of the time), and the like).

Of course, at Epic levels, this raises some interesting questions with Ignore Material Components - does that mean you can Fabricate a full suite of mundane Adamantine Plate for free? Dragon Scale? Trap The Soul into nothing?

 

[glass]

Perhaps we need a third type of 'physical stuff' component, for items that are somehow used by a spell but not consumed. 'Recepticle', perhaps?


glass.

 

[werk]

Ahh ... so the Fabricate spell is useless, then? (after all, it Anhillates the materials that the spell indicate as transfromed.....)...Trap The Soul?

I think the term should be 'used'. The material component is 'used' and is no longer useful as a material component. No need for it to be destroyed or consumed...just dead batteries.

actually, it would be a little more fun for the big diamond to crack open on completion of rez("Yay...aww..."), or for the material comp to be transformed into the actual spell effect by magical energy.