Holy crap, I’ve had this blog for more than a year. Weirder still is that I still enjoy posting in it.<\/p>\n
Anyway, today I wanted to discuss an idea I’ve had for a while but never actually played with. I’m very fond of this idea because it does something that a lot of 3rd ed D&D players request, but it hardly touches the game rules. Spellcasters, especially wizards, are criticized for being too powerful. Some fixes alter or remove spells. Others change the levels or numbers of spells casters recieve. I propose using a mechanic already present, but often ignored – spell components.<\/p>\n
With a few exceptions, any time you cast a spell in D&D you are required to spend a material component. \u00c2\u00a0Unless the component is expensive, this is usually handwaved away. \u00c2\u00a0Who cares if you have three grains of sand and an oak leaf? \u00c2\u00a0If your GM actually cares, just buy a bag of sand at the beginning of game and be done with it.<\/p>\n
It shouldn’t be that easy. \u00c2\u00a0Bag of sand, okay, fine, whatever. \u00c2\u00a0 Sulfur on the other hand, is used in casting fireballs. \u00c2\u00a0If the tavern’s bouncer is making your archer check his bow at the door why wouldn’t he also take away the mage’s sulfur? \u00c2\u00a0 Certain material components should be contraband. \u00c2\u00a0Players won’t want to be caught with them.<\/p>\n
Societal restrictions aside, you still have to maintain your reagents. \u00c2\u00a0How long will ‘eye of newt’ stay ripe without the formaldehyde? \u00c2\u00a0Pretty long if it’s still in a newt, but then you find yourself carrying around a bag of small amphibians. \u00c2\u00a0Other components will be even harder to come by.<\/p>\n
Of course if your players really want something they will find a way to get it. \u00c2\u00a0And that’s fine. \u00c2\u00a0Let them. \u00c2\u00a0But let them get it in small doses. \u00c2\u00a0Your wizard should be able to cast Time Stop if he really needs to, but only when it’s absolutely necessary. \u00c2\u00a0Give him material components to cast it twice. \u00c2\u00a0He won’t abuse it during random encounters since he’ll be saving it for boss fights. \u00c2\u00a0 But knowing that he only gets it twice over the course of the game, he’s going to make damn sure that Time Stop is only cast when it is really and truly needed. \u00c2\u00a0This method lets you limit any spells which are being cast too frequently. \u00c2\u00a0But (if done properly) it doesn’t hamstring your players. \u00c2\u00a0They still have their big spells, they’re just hidden behind “break in case of emergency” glass.<\/p>\n
Now, the reason most GMs hand wave this stuff away is because it’s an accounting nightmare. \u00c2\u00a0Wizards already track spell books hundreds of pages long. \u00c2\u00a0It’s not fair to ask them to handle specific reagents too. \u00c2\u00a0 So I suggest taking on some of that burden yourself. \u00c2\u00a0The way I’d deal with tracking each and every spell component would be to print up cards and give these to your players. \u00c2\u00a0If you’re feeling nice you can even write up lists of spells castable with these components. \u00c2\u00a0I would recommend merging a number of components though, as too many are unique. \u00c2\u00a0A few dozen general purpose reagents should be plenty. \u00c2\u00a0Some spells, like resurrection, should still have unique components. \u00c2\u00a0But it doesn’t matter if lightning bolt and haste use the same reagents.<\/p>\n
Where I’d really like to see this implemented would be in an all casters group. \u00c2\u00a0Component cards would become their own currency within the game. \u00c2\u00a0You’d just have to make sure to ban Eschew Materials.<\/p>\n
So has anybody run a game this way? \u00c2\u00a0How has it worked out?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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