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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MNblockhead" data-source="post: 7501561" data-attributes="member: 6796661">A valid and common preference. Uh, is it common to NOT track ammunition? I've played 5e for over 4 years and never tracked or had players track components in any game I've played in or ran, but in every one, ammunition was tracked. And this is RAW. After a battle, if you spend a minute searching the battlefield, you can recover 50% of your spent ammunition. This assumes you are tracking your ammunition in the first place. Do archers in your game just have unlimited ammunition? It isn't any more difficult counting arrows than hit points. HeroLab will even print off character sheets with little boxes to check off for tracking limited resources like ammunition. On-line character sheets make it even easier. Some DMs hand out toothpicks to represent arrows/bolts/bullets. When the character makes a ranged attack they can just throw the toothpick onto the battlemap. I'm happy with the RAW on this. Even wizards have to maintain their clothing, footwear, packs, and other equipment. But this is different than tracking consumables or a equipment needed to do something.At most, I would treat it as part of downtime costs. Not equivalent. You are conflating consumables with tools. Look, I get it. It has become rare for players to actually track rations, water, ammunition, components, or worry about encumbrance. That's fine. In most of my 5e games, I've just used a rough "reality check" for encumbrance without actually tracking weight. I ignored components. I generally ignored water and rations as well. And that has been fine for the games I've run to date. But my new campaign is a resource management challenge. It is not the game for everyone. It sounds like you would hate it. That's fine. [QUOTES]Similarly, if your foes are going to play smart and go for the wizards focus constantly, they should similarly be doing the same with archers bowstrings, bards instruments, and other items they can destroy to take the PCs out of the fight, at least with their primary attack choice.[/QUOTES]Of course. I'm not Gary Gygax, I don't hate wizards. Smart enemies will attempt to disrupt or cripple any perceived threat. You know, there is a reason bards can be proficient in three instruments. It only takes one experience of an ogre smashing your loot to splinters to learn to keep a penny whistle and harmonica tucked away as a back up (AND COMPONENTS!!! BARDS CAN CAST SPELLS WITH MATERIAL COMPONENT REQUIREMENTS WITHOUT AN INSTRUMENT IF THEY HAVE THE COMPONENTS AT HAND).They already do if you track lifestyle expenses, rations, water, ammunition, healing kits, daggers, etc...</blockquote>

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