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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mustrum_Ridcully" data-source="post: 3889451" data-attributes="member: 710">I am not sure, but the special rule with the arcane component might have gone in 3.5. I remember that I couldn't verify it when I last checked it. (But i definitely know that it was true at some point in the 3rd edition)Honestly, I am not sure.I think today in D&D, most of the time it is just useless garbage.But it doesn't have to be that way! If it was more tightly integrated in the game, it might make it more interesting. Maybe if the spell ingredients were less varied but could be combined to achieve the desired spell. Or if the components had very noticeable effect on casting the spell or the spell effects.But as it stands now, each spell has its own specific components, and most are handwaved with the spell component pouch. As such, it is flavour text that accidently became a part of the rules.I liked the Arcana Evolved take on spell components.No spell had a predetermined component. Instead, your caster class defined what components you needed. Magisters (~Wizards) needed Verbal and Somatic components, as well as their Staff as a focus. Mageblades needed their sword, otherwise they had to use Verbal and Somatic components. Witches needed verbal, somatic and material components. The interesting point was that they could choose to eschew a spell component, making the spell longer to cast. If they eschewed all components, the spell was psionic and nearly unnoticeable. It didn't matter what material components the Witch used. The interesting side effect could be that, just for roleplaying reasons, a player might actually describe what exactly is in his witch bag (the AE equivalent of the material component pouch), and it couldn't really hurt him ruleswise. (We didn't play enough AE to really make use of it, though. In my campaign there was no witch)</blockquote>

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