Please rate Eschew Materials

[Ukyo the undead]

IMO, its a example of a good, fair and cool feat.

Not ground shaking, useful in some ocasions, extremely cool in others.


And it destroys the DM's " the bad guys took over your spell components" if you have the wizard specialization feat.

 

[Alzrius]

I think its a great feat. If I ever play a Wizard, that's going to be the first feat I take, since it gets around that annoying scenario where the DM tells you you can't find the proper material components for a spell. Usually that doesn't happen, but there are times when it does.

There's also a greater version of this feat for components above 1 gp in cost. I can't recall where it is though...perhaps the non-Epic feats section of the ELH.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, yeah, the whole thing with Bards and Sorcerers having to extend casting time to use this does suck. I too say "make it General, not Metamagic".

 

[krunchyfrogg]

This is a feat, IMHO, that all Sorcerers should get for free.

They cast spells naturally, and how can they learn if they even have the powers without picking up materials?

It's not very powerful, but it adds some flavor to the sorcerer (inner magic) and separates her from the wizard (book/material magic).

 

[Fenes 2]

In some campaigns this feat can be amazingly powerful. In one of my two current campaigns, which is set in a country where arcane casters are considered dangerous heretics, carrying around a spell component pouch is risky, which reduces the available spells for many arcane casters. Eschew materials would permit such casters to cast all their spells if needed.

Not to mention that in my campaigns, PCs cannot count on never getting captured, or always having access to their spell component pouch.

 

[MerakSpielman]

This is a feat, IMHO, that all Sorcerers should get for free.

They cast spells naturally, and how can they learn if they even have the powers without picking up materials?

Total agreement. That's a house rule IMC, though nobody's played a sorcerer yet.

I give it a 6.

edit: this MUST be a good, well balanced feat. Look at those results. Almost a perfect bell curve.

 

[Magic Rub]

Just a small point to remember for those of you who have said that "you don't need material components at all with this feat."

From MoF
Eschew Materials...

Spells with material components with a cost of more then 1gp are not affected.

So there are still a lot of spells that req. components. This feat just gets rid of the need for mundane components... ie; spiders, fleece ect. ect. ect.

also

From ELHB
Ignore materails...

This feat does not affect the need for a focus or divine focus

IMO this means that you still need your focus or divine focus with the Eschew Materials feat as well.


Just my $0.02

 

[smetzger]

Just a small point to remember for those of you who have said that "you don't need material components at all with this feat."



So there are still a lot of spells that req. components. This feat just gets rid of the need for mundane components... ie; spiders, fleece ect. ect. ect.

also



IMO this means that you still need your focus or divine focus with the Eschew Materials feat as well.


Just my $0.02

Thats correct.

I have a feat that is in the review process for the Netbook of Feats called Eschew Divine Focus.

 

[Celtavian]

Re

The feat is good, but given the way components are handled, not all that necessary. Can sure be helpful if captured though, or if your spell component pouch is destroyed.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

It is also handy if you do lots of shapeshifting.

I give it a 'strong 4'. A mediocre choice for most spellcasters but solid enough for certain specialized character concepts.

 

[JoeBlank]

Just bumping this as it seems we got our wish: As per the new feat list on the WoTC site Eschew Materials will be a General feat, rather than Metamagic.

Now it is a perfect feat for Sorcerers. Although I still question the need for the prerequisite: Any other Metamagic feat. Hopefully this is going away as well. Otherwise, it would be hard to start a Sorcerer at 1st level with Eschew Materials.