* * * Wizards Community Thread * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thread : Spells Casting and stuff Started at 05-13-04 10:10 AM by Yorlum Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=238827 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 1] Author : Yorlum Date : 05-13-04 10:10 AM Thread Title : Spells Casting and stuff OK, another little tweak that I often did. How strict are you all with material requirements for spells? I had a hard time making my magic users carry around a pouch of bat stuff to cast fireballs. Furthermore, wouldn't their hands really stink afterwards? What about E. Coli?? I tend to ignore non-precious material requirements myself. What about the rest of you? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 2] Author : Tedra Date : 05-13-04 01:04 PM Well, material components are one thing my DM does absolutely demand that spellcasters keep track of. Which I don't really mind. It can be a pain but I can see the point. Your fighters, thieves, etc. have their equipment at hand, swords, lock pick tools etc, and it stands to reason that the spellcasters of the group should have to do the same. If you're in the middle of a dungeon and run out of a component that can't be harvested under such circumstances then there goes that spell until the component can be harvested or purchased. I don't think it's an absolute necessity for all, and everyone should do it. It depends solely upon that particular gaming group. Our group enjoys doing things that way with material components and it always makes for interesting moments during combat or dungeon delving. Especially with Identify. You'd be amazed at how excited a bunch of broke adventurer's can become over finding a stash of gems that contain a couple of 100gp pearls. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 3] Author : diaglo Date : 05-13-04 01:14 PM material components were key. if the m-u was smart enough to know how to use them in spells we assumed he was smart enough to figure out how to preserve and handle them too. we kept track of all material components. but i also allowed substitutions.... with possible great and horrific effects... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 4] Author : Falstaff the Fighter Date : 05-13-04 03:30 PM I don't use material components unless the very nature of the spell requires some key item to work. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 5] Author : James McMurray Date : 05-13-04 03:42 PM We didn't use them unless they were costly. For the cheap ones we just assumed that a spell component pouch could hold 50 castings, and you tallied them up as you went. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 6] Author : blackprinceofmuncie Date : 05-13-04 07:17 PM I love keeping track of my spell components as a player. "Living in a Material World" is my favorite Dragon Mag. article of all time! As a DM I basically allow the player to choose whether they will track such things. Players who opt not to track components receive a slight penalty in training costs to offset this. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 7] Author : SamualT Barronsword Date : 05-13-04 09:35 PM Only worried about the expensive ones (those with a specific cost listed), but the MU did have to have a spell components bag on hand, and if they somehow lost that, then it was time to go hunting spiders and bat caves and the like for spell components until they could get back to town and restock. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 8] Author : Tedra Date : 05-13-04 10:45 PM I love that article. Well worn and used quite often. Originally posted by blackprinceofmuncie I love keeping track of my spell components as a player. "Living in a Material World" is my favorite Dragon Mag. article of all time! As a DM I basically allow the player to choose whether they will track such things. Players who opt not to track components receive a slight penalty in training costs to offset this. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 9] Author : WizO_Paradox Date : 05-13-04 11:00 PM I loved that article too! Though, to be honest, I always just assumed that Magic Users would have whatever components they would need to cast spells. It was those rare-hard to find spell components that made great adventures! "Want to make a new spell? You'll need some powdered unicorn hoof." :D -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 10] Author : Sarta Date : 05-13-04 11:10 PM The hardest one were those live spiders my character had to eat for spider climb. me: ugh, failed to save for that fireball. GM: you know the drill, start rolling your equipment saves. me: Woot, my spider terrarium made its save! Now, if only I could say the same about my pants. Sarta -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 11] Author : Algolei Date : 05-14-04 01:43 AM Originally posted by diaglo material components were key. if the m-u was smart enough to know how to use them in spells we assumed he was smart enough to figure out how to preserve and handle them too. we kept track of all material components. but i also allowed substitutions.... with possible great and horrific effects... Ditto. None of my players ever tried to substitute anything, though. Weird. They would gleefully use a wand of wonder or draw four cards from a deck of many things, but just suggest they try substituting a drop of tar for that bat guano and they'd blanch and decline the idea. :sad: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 12] Author : vader42xx Date : 05-14-04 03:00 AM In my games I only worry about the expensive items unless something odd comes up. If a wizard's spell pouch (or whatever he is carrying his components in) is taken from him then he doesn't have the needed components, expensive of not. Then the roleplaying of what he can find at hand comes in. Otherwise it's just a bit much. After all the fighter is required to have his sword at his side (just as the wizard is required to have his spell pouch at his side) but the fighter's sword doesn't simply run out when he's made a certain number of attacks. And the wizard having more powerful abilities is already limited by "spells per day" so I see no reason to little it too much more. :) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Downloaded from Wizards Community (http://forums.gleemax.com) at 05-10-08 08:20 AM.