D&D General The Original Reason for Spell Components: Balancing Bad Jokes

[Mannahnin]

Enchanted Weapon: The material components of this spell are powdered lime and carbon.
Whitewash.

I've wondered if this might be a reference both to steel and to painting swords white or white-ish so they appear to glow or shine brightly in stage plays or old Hollywood movies using pre-digital effects.

Airy water: The material component of the spell is a small handful of alkaline or bromine salts.
Mixing alkaline salts and water gives you carbonated water. (Not sure about the bromine.)

I figured it was a reference to alka-seltzer, and its predecessor bromo-seltzer.

 

[Mannahnin]

From Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter, Unearthed Arcana: "The material components of the spell are a small feather, a tiny wooden paddle, and a minute tort. The tort is hurled at the subject, while the feather is waved in one hand and the paddle is tapped against the posterior of the spell caster."
Pie in the face, tickling with a feather, and... mimicking being spanked?
In 2e onward, the paddle was omitted.

To my recollection these are all old vaudeville stage comedy gags.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

I don't know if there a specific joke here, but the one that always stuck with me was Taunt, which required the caster to hurl a snail at the target

Given the common association between snails and the French, I wonder if it is a Monty Python reference.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I don't know if there a specific joke here, but the one that always stuck with me was Taunt, which required the caster to hurl a snail at the target

I can't guarantee it, but I think it's from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (and we know Gygax loved it because of the EX modules).

Remember the Mock Turtle section (and the Mock Turtle's Song)? Well, a snail is asked to dance. The dance would cause the snail to be thrown (from England toward France).

And France, of course, is where they eat snails. The Mock turtle does mock, or, I guess, taunt the poor snail.


That's a lot of unpacking for a single spell component, by the way. I would tell you to stop asking great questions that require in-depth answers, but at least it keeps me from writing more essays!

 

[Mannahnin]

I can't guarantee it, but I think it's from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (and we know Gygax loved it because of the EX modules).

Remember the Mock Turtle section (and the Mock Turtle's Song)? Well, a snail is asked to dance. The dance would cause the snail to be thrown (from England toward France).

And France, of course, is where they eat snails. The Mock turtle does mock, or, I guess, taunt the poor snail.


That's a lot of unpacking for a single spell component, by the way. I would tell you to stop asking great questions that require in-depth answers, but at least it keeps me from writing more essays!

I wonder if there's a British and Irish tradition of throwing snails at people. The Rubber Bandits doing it (1:25 on) is the only instance which leapt to mind.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I wonder if there's a British and Irish tradition of throwing snails at people. The Rubber Bandits doing it (1:25 on) is the only instance which leapt to mind.

There's also the (perhaps related) gardening issue- throwing snails from your garden. I didn't want to go into that as I think Gygax's affinity for Alice (and the Mock turtle) makes that theory more plausible.

Also, I don't fully understand the etiquette and issues of English gardens (yards) and there are some wormholes even I refuse to venture down.