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Message: <blockquote data-quote="w_earle_wheeler" data-source="post: 3572941" data-attributes="member: 35955">consequences, benefits and tweaks of using a universal standard for components and caCore change: All spells have a verbal, somatic and focus/material component. A universal focus replaces costly material components. Spells with costly material components retain them. All spellcasters have the equivalent of the Silent Spell and Still Spell metamagic feats. Caster level for some spells are changed. Simplification benefit: A base "standard" for all spell components and a clear rule for the removal of those components (+1 to spell level for each component removed). Detailed material component tracking becomes an advanced option, which has no effect on basic players.COMPONENTSAll spells have verbal, somatic and material/focus components. The default for Wizards and Clerics will be the use of a focus. For purposes of this project, descriptions of optional material components or fluff text regarding specific foci can be provided later in an "advanced" book. Spells with costly components retain those requirements and they will remain the base text description.In this magic system, the metamagic feats Silent Spell and Still Spell are automatic options for spellcasters. Since all spells default to V, S, M/F, the process of removing the verbal and/or somatic components is a flat +1 spell leave increase for each. For example, the 1st-level spell hold portal has no somatic component. Instead, think of it as the equivalent of a 0-level spell with the metamagic feat Still Spell added to it: still a 1st-level spell, but in this system it can be cast as a 0-level spell if the somatic component is not removed!The spell feather fall poses an interesting problem. This spell has a casting time of 1 immediate action (equivalent to the Quicken Spell feat) and has only a verbal component. Using this system – and assuming that the Quicken Spell is rolled into the basic options along with Silent Spell and Still Spell – the base spell would be classified four levels below a 0-level spell with a casting time of 1 standard action and both verbal and somatic components!The arcane spells flare and light,  would also be reduced to one level below a 0-level spell using this system.-4    Feather Fall with standard casting time and somatic component added-1    Flare with somatic component added-1    Light with somatic component added0    Hold portal with somatic component addedA note on material components: for those in campaigns where this sort of thing is actually tracked, the addition of material components to spells which previously had none will be noticed. For example, the elf wizard Lemmy Lightleaf has chosen his spells to include as many as possible without material components in case he gets put in jail (again) and no longer has access to his spell pouch. While this system makes a negative change for poor Lemmy, he can always choose the Eschew Material feat, which would make his particular style more effective even outside of this system. Chin up, Lemmy!Next post: Solving the feather fall problem and the universal casting time system</blockquote>

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