Snarf Zagyg
Notorious Liquefactionist
Occasionally, we see threads pop up in 5e discussing spell components, and whether the components required for a spell (especially the expensive ones) are required in order to balance a spell correctly. In order to understand the original purpose of spell components, it is helpful to understand one of the original purposes of spell components- they were put in to balance the dense and baroque Gygaxian verbiage with Gygax's tendency to put in ... bad jokes.
That's right- spell components may have been the foremost repository of bizarre allusions and bad jokes in the D&D universe. In order to understand this, it helps to look at some of the 1e AD&D spells, the material components required, and then understand what Gygax might have been thinking with those requirements.
(I'll be doing a sampling of Magic User spells from level 1 throuhg level 4 for this exercise. For the newly minted players out there, Magic Users were what Wizards are when they, um, used Magic).
Friends: The components for this spell are chalk (or white flour), lampblack (or soot), and vermillion applied to the face before casting the spell.
Clown paint.
Message: The material component of the spell is a short piece of copper drawn fine.
A telephone wire.
Nystul's Magic Aura: The component for this spell is a small square of silk which must be passed over the object to bear the aura.
A magician's handkerchief.
Unseen Servant: The material components of the spell are a piece of string and a bit of wood.
A puppet.
Ventriloquism: The material component of the spell is a small cone of parchment.
A megaphone.
Audible Glammer: The material component of the spell is a bit of wool or a small lump of wax.
Pulling the wool over someone's eye, except over their ear... wax.
Detect Invisibility: The material components of this spell are a pinch of talc and asmall sprinkling of powdered silver.
You detect invisibility by throwing talc around? You don't say!
ESP: The material component of this spell is a copper piece.
A penny for your thoughts?
Leomund's Trap: The material component of the spell is a piece of iron pyrite touched to the object to be "trapped".
Fool's gold for a false trap.
Clairaudience: The material component of the spell is a small silver horn of at least 100 g.p. value, and casting the spell causes it to disappear.
An ear-horn.
Fireball: The material component of this spell is a tiny ball composed of bat guano and sulphur.
Gunpowder.
Gust of Wind: The material component of the spell is a legume seed.
Beans, beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat, the more you toot.
Haste: Its material component is a shaving of licorice root.
Licorice is a laxative; eat it and make haste.
Infravision: The material component of this spell is either a pinch of dried carrot or an agate.
What up doc? Did you know that parents always used to tell their kids that carrots helped you see better? And agate comes in a form called Cat's Eye.
Lightning Bolt: The material components of the spell are a bit of fur and an amber, crystal or glass rod.
You want me to rub this piece of fur up and down on this glass rod? Thanks Ben Franklin!
Phantasmal Force: The material component of the spell is a bit of fleece.
An illusion that needs a bit of fleece? I think Gygax had to many illusions and not enough jokes.
Tongues: Also, the material component is a small clay model of a ziggurat, which shatters when the spell is pronounced.
Tower of Babel, FTW!
Confusion: Its material component is a set of three nut shells.
What shell is the nut located under? I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!
Dig: The spell caster uses a miniature shovel and tiny bucket to activate a dig spell and must continue to hold these material components while each pit is excavated.
Not sure if this is a joke, or if Gygax had been watching children playing in a sandbox.
Fear: The material component of this spell is either theheart of a hen or a white feather.
Who is chicken now?
Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer: The material components of the spell are a piece of string, an ivory plaque of at least 100 g.p. value, and an ink composed of squid secretion and either black dragon's blood or giant slug digestive juice.
A piece of string? What are you going to do with that ... tie it around your finger?
That's a good selection from the first four levels, so I'm going to add two of my personal favorites:
Feeblmind (MU 5): The material component of this spell is a handful of small clay, crystal, glass or mineral spheres.
That's right ... you might lose your marbles ...
Passwall: (MU 5): The material componentof this spell is a pinch of sesame seeds.
OPEN SESAME!
And there you have it! A deep, not so serious, dive into the history of the true purpose of spell component, um, balancing. Feel free to add some of your favorites in the comments, or just opine about how much enjoy spell components!
That's right- spell components may have been the foremost repository of bizarre allusions and bad jokes in the D&D universe. In order to understand this, it helps to look at some of the 1e AD&D spells, the material components required, and then understand what Gygax might have been thinking with those requirements.
(I'll be doing a sampling of Magic User spells from level 1 throuhg level 4 for this exercise. For the newly minted players out there, Magic Users were what Wizards are when they, um, used Magic).
Friends: The components for this spell are chalk (or white flour), lampblack (or soot), and vermillion applied to the face before casting the spell.
Clown paint.
Message: The material component of the spell is a short piece of copper drawn fine.
A telephone wire.
Nystul's Magic Aura: The component for this spell is a small square of silk which must be passed over the object to bear the aura.
A magician's handkerchief.
Unseen Servant: The material components of the spell are a piece of string and a bit of wood.
A puppet.
Ventriloquism: The material component of the spell is a small cone of parchment.
A megaphone.
Audible Glammer: The material component of the spell is a bit of wool or a small lump of wax.
Pulling the wool over someone's eye, except over their ear... wax.
Detect Invisibility: The material components of this spell are a pinch of talc and asmall sprinkling of powdered silver.
You detect invisibility by throwing talc around? You don't say!
ESP: The material component of this spell is a copper piece.
A penny for your thoughts?
Leomund's Trap: The material component of the spell is a piece of iron pyrite touched to the object to be "trapped".
Fool's gold for a false trap.
Clairaudience: The material component of the spell is a small silver horn of at least 100 g.p. value, and casting the spell causes it to disappear.
An ear-horn.
Fireball: The material component of this spell is a tiny ball composed of bat guano and sulphur.
Gunpowder.
Gust of Wind: The material component of the spell is a legume seed.
Beans, beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat, the more you toot.
Haste: Its material component is a shaving of licorice root.
Licorice is a laxative; eat it and make haste.
Infravision: The material component of this spell is either a pinch of dried carrot or an agate.
What up doc? Did you know that parents always used to tell their kids that carrots helped you see better? And agate comes in a form called Cat's Eye.
Lightning Bolt: The material components of the spell are a bit of fur and an amber, crystal or glass rod.
You want me to rub this piece of fur up and down on this glass rod? Thanks Ben Franklin!
Phantasmal Force: The material component of the spell is a bit of fleece.
An illusion that needs a bit of fleece? I think Gygax had to many illusions and not enough jokes.
Tongues: Also, the material component is a small clay model of a ziggurat, which shatters when the spell is pronounced.
Tower of Babel, FTW!
Confusion: Its material component is a set of three nut shells.
What shell is the nut located under? I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!
Dig: The spell caster uses a miniature shovel and tiny bucket to activate a dig spell and must continue to hold these material components while each pit is excavated.
Not sure if this is a joke, or if Gygax had been watching children playing in a sandbox.
Fear: The material component of this spell is either theheart of a hen or a white feather.
Who is chicken now?
Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer: The material components of the spell are a piece of string, an ivory plaque of at least 100 g.p. value, and an ink composed of squid secretion and either black dragon's blood or giant slug digestive juice.
A piece of string? What are you going to do with that ... tie it around your finger?
That's a good selection from the first four levels, so I'm going to add two of my personal favorites:
Feeblmind (MU 5): The material component of this spell is a handful of small clay, crystal, glass or mineral spheres.
That's right ... you might lose your marbles ...
Passwall: (MU 5): The material componentof this spell is a pinch of sesame seeds.
OPEN SESAME!
And there you have it! A deep, not so serious, dive into the history of the true purpose of spell component, um, balancing. Feel free to add some of your favorites in the comments, or just opine about how much enjoy spell components!
