My favorite Requires Material Components example is the _Mending_ cantrip for my _College of Swords_ Bard. Since his weapons count as his spell focus, they replace the lodestones. So when my bard casts _Mending_ he's using his daggers to fix tears in clothing. I just picture him using them like knitting needles.
The hand holding the focus can also be used to cast somatic components. So, a wizard can cast spells holding a staff and a dagger with no problems. The staff hand counts as the somatic hand. (PHB page 203)
Keep in mind however, that if a spell requires a somatic component but not a material component, you must have a free hand to cast the spell (unless you have a feature such as the war caster feat that specifies otherwise).
me and my group were having some arguments about this earlier this week. i said that as a cleric i had my holy symbol spell focus on my shield so with spells that need somatic and material costs(that arent consumed) im still able to do it without having to drop whats in my other hand(like my mace or whatever to be free). it took so long to convince my dm thats the rules lol. so if the spell does consume materials then i guess i will need to have a free hand to hold those materials and do the somatic in that hand as well tho and thats fair.
the problem is that u can't use one hand for somatic and material components and depend on your spell list it'd be better usually have one arm always empty
You can use the same hand for Somatic AND material. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5) in place of the components specified for a spell. (page 203 phb) A spellcaster must have a hand free to access these components, but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components. (page 203 phb). Now, the way it is written, and I can't find a sage advice on this.... if you are holding a spell casting focus, that hand is considered free. I know it makes no sense, but that's how they wrote it.
Or you can tell your anal retentive party member to bugger off and play in the spirit of the game not as a min max rule junky. Unless your hands are bound or you do not have access to your focus you can ignore the BS and instead enjoy a fuller story and adventure. Those details are there for the very rare instances not to obsess over in gameplay.
Something important that's missing! Paladins, like Clerics, can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus. Rangers, however, cannot use any sort of focus (only component pouches), just like Arcane Tricksters (Rogues) and Eldritch Knights (Fighters).
The benefit of an Arcane Focus is simplicity, and possibly associating such a Focus with your character...a Wizard with an "Entertainer" background, for instance, could style his Focus as a conductor's baton, or cane. But as Caleb Widowgast has shown in marvelous ways, the use of components can add fun descriptive layers to gameplay...sticking a licorice root in his jaw for an added introduction to "Haste", or a puff of powdered iron for "Slow", or (personal favorite) a "smooshing" of phosphorous for a "Wall of Fire".... Personally, I love the use of a hot pepper for the spell, "Dragon's Breath"...yeah, YOU could use it, but giving it to a party member is funny as hell... "Eat the pepper!" "Ah...no thanks.." "It is LITERALLY a matter of life and death!" "Um..." "Our friends are DYING!" "Oh, jeez...alright..." (shoves hot pepper into their mouth as LIGHTNING explodes from their esophagus)
An illustration of this, and the way it can come full circle, is that in a recent episode, the process had become so entrenched and familiar, that all Liam had to do was stone-facedly start making the somatic and component gestures, without saying anything, to make the rest of the party panic and freak out; it was a really wonderful moment in that respect.
@@bom.6658 it's a joke which referencing the part of the campaign that Caleb tried to talk with different accent which led him to try to imitate the other members accents. (The whole scene was performed amazingly by Liam)
Even though i already know all (read: most) of the rules in these little videos i still really dig them, and can see them being super helpful to new players. Keep it up folks!
Playing in my first campaign (meaning the first one NOT with my kids) as a druid, and it took me a while to figure out that my staff replaces the material components, and also gives me something to think about with regard to how I describe my casting process. Like, I've always loved how Liam describes "squelching my hand through the phosphorus" to cast Wall of Fire, or "smearing molasses on my lips" to cast Slow. He's really given some thought to how to make his spellcasting process come alive, and I love how much more real it makes it for me, and I want to do that in my own game.
A little caveat that applies 3 spells (Druid Grove, Protection from Evil and Good, Snare): Even if there is no cost to the material component, if it is consumed, you must supply it.
Dani did an excellent job explaining the mechanics of this. Gotta say, I love how Liam has roleplayed the use of spell components, really breathing life into this and making it part of Caleb's character. There are even certain epic moments from the Mighty Nein's campaign (SPOILERS), like his wall of fire on Avantika's ship, where I always always always envision exactly how Caleb's casting the spell whenever I think of that moment.
This has been the most helpful episode yet - I was never sure if I needed both the material components and the focus to cast, but thank you for clearing it up that I only need the focus*~
To anyone actually new, one more bit. A spellcasting focus can be used in place of any components that are *NOT* consumed and that *DON'T* have a numbered cost. If a component says that it's consumed or has a numeric gold value, you can't use a focus to substitute it.
If keeping track of components is too busy for you: Talk to your DM. I have a player with terrible, and i mean, terrible remembering skills, forgetting what he needs for certain spells and that he has to buy them. Long story short: He can buy a Component bag with X uses, means he can use X spells that would require stuff (not counting expensive shit like gems, diamonds and so on). Its a nice solution for that, i calc the price of all his current spell materials and just use 3/4 of that price for the bag. Sometimes its more/less depening on how nice the merchant is.
That sounds a bit like the DM is making it notably harder for the player than it needs to be, by the core rules... By core, a component pouch simply *has* whatever you need as long as it's not a costed component, and never runs out or needs to be replenished in any mechanically functional way. If the player finds keeping track of the non-costed components too difficult, is there a reason they don't simply use a focus instead?
that was good. nice and clear. i like how you explain what can stop spellcasting. longer would have been better of course but its a start. keep them coming.
this was pretty good and i like how they are separating the spell info into sections such as Components video, spell slot video, etc, but 1 point of feedback for noobs, maybe have an overarching title such as Spells #1: Spell Components, Spells #2: Spell Slots. So that ppl know that all the "Spell Vids" are sectional and which they are missing (abliet #) as opposed to thinking that arbitrary spell video is all the need or is the last video they need to know. You dont have to have a cap on the videos (2/7) but a simple *"Handbooker Helper: Spells Vol 1 - Spell Components"* goes a LOOONG way and takes care of any retroactive confusion cause u can continue to build on the volumes in the future.
Material components are awesome finds in flavor-town. Sometimes I wish I would focus more on these and include them when describing spell-casting actions.
In the old rules that all of baldurs gate and neverwinter nights video games spell components were not a thing but since I started the playing table top version for the first time with my friends that had 5e rules and started last month. I gotta say there is a freakishly amount of changes from the old rules to the new rules to memorize in my forgetful big head of mine sheesh.
In a way the video games is like driving automatic transmission while table top is like driving manual transsmition. That is taking me some time to get used to.
Thanks for these videos. Have a few first-time casters in my next campaign and I wasn't sure how Arcane Focus's worked (migrating over from Pathfinder to the simpler land of 5e).
0:59 "most spells require you to say something for you to cast. some sort of chant or magic phrase" *southern drawl, followed by gunshot sounds* EEEEEEEEEELDRICH BLAAAAAAAAST
You will need: Water (35 L), Carbon (20 kg), Ammonia (4 L), Lime (1.5 kg), Phosphorous (800 g), Salt (250 g), Saltpeter (100 g), Sulfur (80 g), Fluorine (7.5 g), Iron (5 g), Silicon (3 g) and trace amounts of fifteen other elements. Oh, and a human soul.
Such a helpful handbook cause ive had my players constantly say "I cast...." And then describe what the spell does. When I say whats the cost they all (especially one) say oh I use my arcane voice to cast it. That's for clarifying for me so I don't get my bosses one shot by high-level spells.
Let's not forget Warcaster feat. Which gives you the ability to cast somatic components with both hands occupied, alongside some other awesome features in that feat.
Little note regarding the talk of focuses: BARDS DO NOT ALWAYS NEED TO USE MUSIC. I cannot stress this enough. A Bard is an artist of some sort, and art comes in a variety of forms. In place of a song, it could be a sort of dance or chant that allows you to cast yours spells. Don't feel restricted into one form of art here, people!!!
My DM and I worked out a wizard whose arcane focus replaces the Somatic part of spells, rather than the Material. He's got the component pouch as well as a quartz crystal necklace, since his hands are busy with his prototype Bracers of Defense (it's a small shield on each arm - I deliberately designed it so his hands are required to hold them in place, but when he takes Warcaster he'll spend some gold to smith them up into "hands no longer required" - he's proficient with smith's tools from his background, and BoD is a bit strong for a Level 1 character to possess, thus the disadvantageous design).
Does anyone else get the feeling Dani Carr's job interview at Critical Role involved her showing pictures she took of the cast while they were sleeping?
It should be clarified that if a spell requires both material and somatic components, you can use the same hand for both. It means that one free hand can be used to both access the material component and make the somatic component, or alternatively a hand that holds a spell focus can be used to make the somatic component. The reason behind this is that if the spell is focused through a material component, then the somatic gestures are less complex and can be made when you access the material component or by waving your spell focus with the corresponding gesture. HOWEVER, and that's where some people get it wrong, if a spell requires a somatic component but not a material component, then you MUST have a free hand. This means that if you are holding a spell focus with one hand, this hand is not considered free for the purpose of supplying the somatic component of a spell which doesn't have a material component.
This of course is just how it works RAW. If the players don't want to deal with the spell components so much then it should be discussed between the players and the DM. It is totally fine to decide that you don't actually restrict the players by these rules. For example you can house rule that a hand holding a spell focus can be used for somatic components regardless if you also use the spell focus to cast the spell. You can also choose to only take components into consideration when there are some effects that actually prevent you from supplying them.
In the case of holy symbols as a focus, you may paint the symbol on your shield, or hang the symbol on your weapon if you have a kind of polearm. If your DM is kind enough, you might even be allowed to tattoo your religious symbol onto your body, likely your hand (being the hand of your god), etc.
Our Paladin uses a greatsword, and a sword is the symbol of his god, so if you carefully look at the art he drew one day, it’s got an etched replica of his own sword engraved along it, and I really liked that idea.
Love that the new rules for 5e Artificer allows you to choose ANY artisan's tools as a focus. Which means.... MAGIC PAINTBRUSH! Serious question to the community: have you ever tried to house rule spell casting to allow for handicapped PCs? Like a deaf player wanted to play as a deaf wizard, so the DM allowed her to adjust her spell requirements to be more Somatic than Verbal since she would "speak" with her hands.
Well, speaking strictly about deaf spellcasters, I would say that since deaf doesn't neccessarily mean mute, I see no need to houserule the components; Somatic would cover both hand signs and other gestures, and vocal will include things like humming, shouting or other sounds that set the magic in motion- fluffed as sounds with a certain rythem to them, that are born from the casters instincts and connection to the weave (or whatever the campaign defines as the source of magic)
A GM in a private game can house rule anything, any way they want. The only question the group has to ask itself is: -"Do we feel lucky?"- no not that, it's: "Does this affect the fun, and do we care?" After all, even Azazel paused to ask: "What's maximum fun, Hobbes?" I suspect most private games ignore the minor material components to spells most of the time, unless someone is really into playing that. It's a bit like roleplaying tying your shoes every morning.
note: while Dani didn't mention it cause it's not a class in the PHB the new Artificer class can use an arcane focus as well, but it specifically says that it needs to either be items from your tool kit(s) or an item you yourself enchanted
I used to gleefully run spellcasters out of components s DM in original and 2nd Edition D&D Note that spellcaster focuses did not exist, except the few cleric spells where the holy symbol was needed. I never let a caster use just one pouch... they have to have a bunch of little pouches to keep their components separate. One reason for high Int or Wis was so the caster could keep track of which stuff was in which pouch.
Lol, please read your spells thoroughly. What everyone wishes their spell casters did but never happens a lot of the time. People forget spells are concentration, that they might actually lack a spell focus at the time, or their spell's casting time. While I know a lot of these hints, always amusing to hear them again as a refresher since playing a lot of random games with different house rules, sometimes it is easy to forget the core.
Fighter: *slash* Rouge: *shank* Ranger: *shnick* Barbarian: *smash* Monk: *pow* Any magic class: "AVADA-." *calculates diamond's value and checks their sundail to see if their vial of blood is less than 24hrs old* "-nevermind."
> Described required materials for every spell > Just use bag with dirt and forget that list > Forget, just use magic stick or ave maria miniature or book
I'm a simple man, I see Dani Carr and I click. ❤ Great episode as always. So Caleb has chosen not to use a focus, interesting. I have to say, it makes it much more interesting when he casts spells.
The pouch is pretty much a alternative focus anyway but allows the flavour with materials. I'm interested in if they find an enchanted focus to empower his spells
"Nobody said spells were easy"
Wrong! My fiend patron said they were super easy and had no downsides!
Super easy, barely an inconvenience
@ No it's fine! I've got lots of new spells to work with like...[checks]...Eldritch Bliss.... Helpful Rebuke .... and Hug!
At least yours is still around - mine got mad and took off with my spells!
@@memesbydentyne _She took the elder horror magic in the divorce_
@@erikwilliams1562 oh, really!?
Only alchemist's spells will cost you an arm and a leg
Thank you I thought that to
Is that a jojo reference?
My necromancer needs more than that, heh.
Oof
I see what you did there
"Focus takes care of the smaller stuff, but not the financial burden." College. This is college.
"Or, cost an arm and a leg to be completed" yep..
Ryan Schmidt BROTHER?
@@Zamnwhoasked Deutsch? :D
@@cosmo7238 Ja bruder! Komm aus den Land des Schnitzels und Fußball!
@@Zamnwhoasked Haha nice!
Habe einfach wegen dem Nachnamen so gedacht :D
"Some spells cost an arm and a leg to be completed." We talkin' about D&D or Fullmetal Alchemist?
u know, u have to spend 1 cubic inch of flash from person u would like to clone. And some warlock spells sometimes need blood...
well, FMA did use certain voice talents...
@Nicholas Slaughter That's good I'll give you that one. Well done. 👏👏👏👏👏
"Some spells cost an arm and a leg to be completed. Others your daughter and her dog!"
Oof
It remind me of two boys trying to cast "Raise Dead" without the material component. It did cost them an arm and a leg...... and more.
And it didn't even work properly :/
Don't forget that one of the boys lost an entire body.
What about that one guy trying to cast polymorph and his dog became gis daughter?
@@drsatanrx TOO SOON
@@TheKazragore lol best character
My favorite Requires Material Components example is the _Mending_ cantrip for my _College of Swords_ Bard. Since his weapons count as his spell focus, they replace the lodestones. So when my bard casts _Mending_ he's using his daggers to fix tears in clothing. I just picture him using them like knitting needles.
Haha! Nice! XD
More like a random video of someone cutting something but it's reversed
THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST IMPORTANT HANDBOOKER HELPER YET, THANK YOU. THE ARCANE FOCUS HAS BEEN CONFUSING ME FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS!!!! SWEET CLARITY!
The hand holding the focus can also be used to cast somatic components. So, a wizard can cast spells holding a staff and a dagger with no problems. The staff hand counts as the somatic hand. (PHB page 203)
Keep in mind however, that if a spell requires a somatic component but not a material component, you must have a free hand to cast the spell (unless you have a feature such as the war caster feat that specifies otherwise).
me and my group were having some arguments about this earlier this week. i said that as a cleric i had my holy symbol spell focus on my shield so with spells that need somatic and material costs(that arent consumed) im still able to do it without having to drop whats in my other hand(like my mace or whatever to be free). it took so long to convince my dm thats the rules lol. so if the spell does consume materials then i guess i will need to have a free hand to hold those materials and do the somatic in that hand as well tho and thats fair.
the problem is that u can't use one hand for somatic and material components and depend on your spell list it'd be better usually have one arm always empty
You can use the same hand for Somatic AND material.
A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5) in place of
the components specified for a spell. (page 203 phb)
A spellcaster must have a hand free to access these
components, but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components. (page 203 phb).
Now, the way it is written, and I can't find a sage advice on this.... if you are holding a spell casting focus, that hand is considered free. I know it makes no sense, but that's how they wrote it.
Or you can tell your anal retentive party member to bugger off and play in the spirit of the game not as a min max rule junky. Unless your hands are bound or you do not have access to your focus you can ignore the BS and instead enjoy a fuller story and adventure. Those details are there for the very rare instances not to obsess over in gameplay.
Fun fact: "Olfacies, sicut brassica!" means "You smell like Cabbage!" In latin.
It's also the Foster family motto.
_Olfacies_ is future tense. It's "You *will* smell like cabbage!"
that better have the effect of making the target smell like cabbage.
Something important that's missing!
Paladins, like Clerics, can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus. Rangers, however, cannot use any sort of focus (only component pouches), just like Arcane Tricksters (Rogues) and Eldritch Knights (Fighters).
The benefit of an Arcane Focus is simplicity, and possibly associating such a Focus with your character...a Wizard with an "Entertainer" background, for instance, could style his Focus as a conductor's baton, or cane.
But as Caleb Widowgast has shown in marvelous ways, the use of components can add fun descriptive layers to gameplay...sticking a licorice root in his jaw for an added introduction to "Haste", or a puff of powdered iron for "Slow", or (personal favorite) a "smooshing" of phosphorous for a "Wall of Fire"....
Personally, I love the use of a hot pepper for the spell, "Dragon's Breath"...yeah, YOU could use it, but giving it to a party member is funny as hell...
"Eat the pepper!"
"Ah...no thanks.."
"It is LITERALLY a matter of life and death!"
"Um..."
"Our friends are DYING!"
"Oh, jeez...alright..."
(shoves hot pepper into their mouth as LIGHTNING explodes from their esophagus)
An illustration of this, and the way it can come full circle, is that in a recent episode, the process had become so entrenched and familiar, that all Liam had to do was stone-facedly start making the somatic and component gestures, without saying anything, to make the rest of the party panic and freak out; it was a really wonderful moment in that respect.
agreed. i about lost my shit when he did the little wall of fire gesture lol
"Some spells require you to say something in order for you to cast."
Caleb: Ellllldryyyytch BLLEEEEYYYYYYSST :D
You mean Fjord?
@@bom.6658 ya
@@bom.6658 it's a joke which referencing the part of the campaign that Caleb tried to talk with different accent which led him to try to imitate the other members accents. (The whole scene was performed amazingly by Liam)
@@m_nivon1652 Do you remember then this happens?
I am c2-40 currently
Somatic: Requires a physical Jester.
Okay, okay well done my friend well done!
But I only have the duplicate Jester.
and I thought my jokes where bad....
Oh god the Wilhelm scream getting so much work in this series xD
I've used in game when my character takes down an opponent.
Fun times.... : )
I approve.
Probably have an extra Percy arm lying around somewhere. Bugbears seemed to like that toy quite a bit.
Watch "The Search for Bob" provide the spare Percy leg to match. He'll end up in rags at that rate.
Even though i already know all (read: most) of the rules in these little videos i still really dig them, and can see them being super helpful to new players. Keep it up folks!
Playing in my first campaign (meaning the first one NOT with my kids) as a druid, and it took me a while to figure out that my staff replaces the material components, and also gives me something to think about with regard to how I describe my casting process. Like, I've always loved how Liam describes "squelching my hand through the phosphorus" to cast Wall of Fire, or "smearing molasses on my lips" to cast Slow. He's really given some thought to how to make his spellcasting process come alive, and I love how much more real it makes it for me, and I want to do that in my own game.
Just remember: the spell costs do not have to be YOUR arm and/or leg.
You can supplement the price tag by using your whole brother if need be
I love that Danni grabbed her CR necklace when mentioning a holy symbol 🤣
it qualifies!
It is a holy symbol
Missed opportunity: should've used "eldritch blast" as an example verbal component.
EEEldritch berlllllaaaaaassst 😂
Same. I was expecting "ELDERITCH BLAAAYST" there 😂😂
Every comment here is a reference to FMA and now the feels are coming back...
The exception to somatic component is Warcaster feat, as you can have sutff in both hands and still complete the spell.
You just start to angrily wiggle at them and then fire shoots out of your eyes.
A little caveat that applies 3 spells (Druid Grove, Protection from Evil and Good, Snare): Even if there is no cost to the material component, if it is consumed, you must supply it.
Dani did an excellent job explaining the mechanics of this. Gotta say, I love how Liam has roleplayed the use of spell components, really breathing life into this and making it part of Caleb's character. There are even certain epic moments from the Mighty Nein's campaign (SPOILERS), like his wall of fire on Avantika's ship, where I always always always envision exactly how Caleb's casting the spell whenever I think of that moment.
3:39 Is that a Full Metal Alchemist reference? Gods! I love this guys!
This has been the most helpful episode yet - I was never sure if I needed both the material components and the focus to cast, but thank you for clearing it up that I only need the focus*~
To anyone actually new, one more bit. A spellcasting focus can be used in place of any components that are *NOT* consumed and that *DON'T* have a numbered cost. If a component says that it's consumed or has a numeric gold value, you can't use a focus to substitute it.
If keeping track of components is too busy for you: Talk to your DM.
I have a player with terrible, and i mean, terrible remembering skills, forgetting what he needs for certain spells and that he has to buy them.
Long story short: He can buy a Component bag with X uses, means he can use X spells that would require stuff (not counting expensive shit like gems, diamonds and so on).
Its a nice solution for that, i calc the price of all his current spell materials and just use 3/4 of that price for the bag.
Sometimes its more/less depening on how nice the merchant is.
That sounds a bit like the DM is making it notably harder for the player than it needs to be, by the core rules... By core, a component pouch simply *has* whatever you need as long as it's not a costed component, and never runs out or needs to be replenished in any mechanically functional way. If the player finds keeping track of the non-costed components too difficult, is there a reason they don't simply use a focus instead?
that was good. nice and clear. i like how you explain what can stop spellcasting. longer would have been better of course but its a start. keep them coming.
this was pretty good and i like how they are separating the spell info into sections such as Components video, spell slot video, etc, but 1 point of feedback for noobs, maybe have an overarching title such as Spells #1: Spell Components, Spells #2: Spell Slots. So that ppl know that all the "Spell Vids" are sectional and which they are missing (abliet #) as opposed to thinking that arbitrary spell video is all the need or is the last video they need to know. You dont have to have a cap on the videos (2/7) but a simple *"Handbooker Helper: Spells Vol 1 - Spell Components"* goes a LOOONG way and takes care of any retroactive confusion cause u can continue to build on the volumes in the future.
Can we have some appreciation for Dani again? She is awesome and I love her to bits :D
Material components are awesome finds in flavor-town. Sometimes I wish I would focus more on these and include them when describing spell-casting actions.
Liam does an amzing job describing using his components as Caleb.
Dani girl we needed you for ep 79 thank the Gods you were here to help us
In the old rules that all of baldurs gate and neverwinter nights video games spell components were not a thing but since I started the playing table top version for the first time with my friends that had 5e rules and started last month. I gotta say there is a freakishly amount of changes from the old rules to the new rules to memorize in my forgetful big head of mine sheesh.
In a way the video games is like driving automatic transmission while table top is like driving manual transsmition. That is taking me some time to get used to.
Thanks for these videos. Have a few first-time casters in my next campaign and I wasn't sure how Arcane Focus's worked (migrating over from Pathfinder to the simpler land of 5e).
Dani has such a nice cadence for informational videos, i'm really glad she gets to host these and the recaps
0:59
"most spells require you to say something for you to cast. some sort of chant or magic phrase"
*southern drawl, followed by gunshot sounds* EEEEEEEEEELDRICH BLAAAAAAAAST
Costs an arm and a leg you say? Let me call my FMA friends
Thought the same, was expecting a pic of Ed to pop up on the screen.
You will need:
Water (35 L), Carbon (20 kg), Ammonia (4 L), Lime (1.5 kg), Phosphorous (800 g), Salt (250 g), Saltpeter (100 g), Sulfur (80 g), Fluorine (7.5 g), Iron (5 g), Silicon (3 g) and trace amounts of fifteen other elements.
Oh, and a human soul.
Get the right character, because it could end up costing a daughter and a dog.
@@meta1152 too soon (always too soon)
@@meta1152 Aaaaand that was the moment I quit the show. There are some things I just can't stomach.
Such a helpful handbook cause ive had my players constantly say "I cast...." And then describe what the spell does. When I say whats the cost they all (especially one) say oh I use my arcane voice to cast it. That's for clarifying for me so I don't get my bosses one shot by high-level spells.
Let's not forget Warcaster feat. Which gives you the ability to cast somatic components with both hands occupied, alongside some other awesome features in that feat.
Little note regarding the talk of focuses:
BARDS DO NOT ALWAYS NEED TO USE MUSIC. I cannot stress this enough. A Bard is an artist of some sort, and art comes in a variety of forms. In place of a song, it could be a sort of dance or chant that allows you to cast yours spells. Don't feel restricted into one form of art here, people!!!
*Thank You* I needed this so much!
I like how she touched the critical role necklace when she referred to the cleric's holy symbol
Thank you so much for this. It greatly helped me understand the use of material components
MOAR DANI!!! I love it when she does HH!
Does cute Dani Carr drive Dani's cute car?
These videos are so, so helpful! You guys are awesome!
I would like to see Dani play a flamboyant caster with all somatic spells.
My DM and I worked out a wizard whose arcane focus replaces the Somatic part of spells, rather than the Material. He's got the component pouch as well as a quartz crystal necklace, since his hands are busy with his prototype Bracers of Defense (it's a small shield on each arm - I deliberately designed it so his hands are required to hold them in place, but when he takes Warcaster he'll spend some gold to smith them up into "hands no longer required" - he's proficient with smith's tools from his background, and BoD is a bit strong for a Level 1 character to possess, thus the disadvantageous design).
1:28 Someone laugh at the finger wiggle?
i suddenly want a story involving a pyromancer using lighters as an arcane focus.
Edward Elric knows all about spells costing an arm and a leg...
3:04 perfect timing with this episode and the campaign
OHHH MY GOD I was so relieved when I found out about spellcaster focus
Does anyone else get the feeling Dani Carr's job interview at Critical Role involved her showing pictures she took of the cast while they were sleeping?
Very nicely done.
love your energy!
This is incredibly unrelated to the video content, but I have the *exact* same dress as Dani.
It should be clarified that if a spell requires both material and somatic components, you can use the same hand for both. It means that one free hand can be used to both access the material component and make the somatic component, or alternatively a hand that holds a spell focus can be used to make the somatic component. The reason behind this is that if the spell is focused through a material component, then the somatic gestures are less complex and can be made when you access the material component or by waving your spell focus with the corresponding gesture.
HOWEVER, and that's where some people get it wrong, if a spell requires a somatic component but not a material component, then you MUST have a free hand. This means that if you are holding a spell focus with one hand, this hand is not considered free for the purpose of supplying the somatic component of a spell which doesn't have a material component.
This of course is just how it works RAW. If the players don't want to deal with the spell components so much then it should be discussed between the players and the DM. It is totally fine to decide that you don't actually restrict the players by these rules. For example you can house rule that a hand holding a spell focus can be used for somatic components regardless if you also use the spell focus to cast the spell. You can also choose to only take components into consideration when there are some effects that actually prevent you from supplying them.
Spells are easy.
There, now someone DID say it. I did. It was me.
In the case of holy symbols as a focus, you may paint the symbol on your shield, or hang the symbol on your weapon if you have a kind of polearm. If your DM is kind enough, you might even be allowed to tattoo your religious symbol onto your body, likely your hand (being the hand of your god), etc.
Our Paladin uses a greatsword, and a sword is the symbol of his god, so if you carefully look at the art he drew one day, it’s got an etched replica of his own sword engraved along it, and I really liked that idea.
Dani is Critical Roles very own Disney Princess.
And from this point forward I know what my next spell will be. To have the power of the talking stick is to play god himself.
Love that the new rules for 5e Artificer allows you to choose ANY artisan's tools as a focus. Which means.... MAGIC PAINTBRUSH!
Serious question to the community: have you ever tried to house rule spell casting to allow for handicapped PCs? Like a deaf player wanted to play as a deaf wizard, so the DM allowed her to adjust her spell requirements to be more Somatic than Verbal since she would "speak" with her hands.
Well, speaking strictly about deaf spellcasters, I would say that since deaf doesn't neccessarily mean mute, I see no need to houserule the components; Somatic would cover both hand signs and other gestures, and vocal will include things like humming, shouting or other sounds that set the magic in motion- fluffed as sounds with a certain rythem to them, that are born from the casters instincts and connection to the weave (or whatever the campaign defines as the source of magic)
A GM in a private game can house rule anything, any way they want. The only question the group has to ask itself is: -"Do we feel lucky?"- no not that, it's: "Does this affect the fun, and do we care?" After all, even Azazel paused to ask: "What's maximum fun, Hobbes?"
I suspect most private games ignore the minor material components to spells most of the time, unless someone is really into playing that. It's a bit like roleplaying tying your shoes every morning.
dani looking like an angel as usual
note: while Dani didn't mention it cause it's not a class in the PHB the new Artificer class can use an arcane focus as well, but it specifically says that it needs to either be items from your tool kit(s) or an item you yourself enchanted
I used to gleefully run spellcasters out of components s DM in original and 2nd Edition D&D
Note that spellcaster focuses did not exist, except the few cleric spells where the holy symbol was needed.
I never let a caster use just one pouch... they have to have a bunch of little pouches to keep their components separate. One reason for high Int or Wis was so the caster could keep track of which stuff was in which pouch.
Lol, please read your spells thoroughly. What everyone wishes their spell casters did but never happens a lot of the time. People forget spells are concentration, that they might actually lack a spell focus at the time, or their spell's casting time. While I know a lot of these hints, always amusing to hear them again as a refresher since playing a lot of random games with different house rules, sometimes it is easy to forget the core.
Eldritch... BLAST!
Now say it in a Zemnian accent, but as a Zemnian who is terrible at doing other accents, so it doesn't sound at all like a Southern gentleman.
Instructions unclear, tried to cast raise dead and lost entire body.
Everything has a price.
The drawback of using a focus instead of components is that if your focus is taken away you are screwed until you get it back or make a new one!
Just wanna say great intro vary classic absolutely love it
Got it! Thank you Danny!
Fighter: *slash*
Rouge: *shank*
Ranger: *shnick*
Barbarian: *smash*
Monk: *pow*
Any magic class: "AVADA-." *calculates diamond's value and checks their sundail to see if their vial of blood is less than 24hrs old* "-nevermind."
Talks Machina talks Mechanics!
While Vox Machina voices mechanics.
Thank you so much, trying to learn how to play dnd right now and this helped so much :P
"Nobody said spells were easy!" Spoken like someone who isn't a Sorcerer with Subtle Casting.
Spoken like Marisha in the first campaign...
or not spoken
Sharing this with all my friends. Nice one
Love the post , thank you , you have cast a spell on me.
Really helpful. Thanks!
Im a simple man.
I see Dani Carr, I click.
LOVE DANI
I thought this was how it worked. Awesome to know!
I had no idea that the focus took away basic material components
page 203 PHB "A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5) in place of the components specified for a spell. "
@@MaximillianGreil Holy shit I read over the spellcasting chapter so many times but for some reason that NEVER registered!! Thanks, dude!
@@Nairda442 As far as I know, spellcasting focus has no other purpose.
@@FulcanMal I know... I just never thought about it too much!
@@Nairda442 NP glad it helped.
3 years ago??? Time flies man
Great video. Thank you
> Described required materials for every spell
> Just use bag with dirt and forget that list
> Forget, just use magic stick or ave maria miniature or book
Me: listening the spell components like Verbal Somatic and material- while in my head Goku yells GEnki Dama.
Oh, Dani, you're amazing.
She is fantastic
"Cost an arm and a leg" Elric intensifies
It hasn’t happened yet but one day I just want to shout out, “I CAST FIST!”
I'm a simple man, I see Dani Carr and I click. ❤ Great episode as always. So Caleb has chosen not to use a focus, interesting. I have to say, it makes it much more interesting when he casts spells.
The pouch is pretty much a alternative focus anyway but allows the flavour with materials. I'm interested in if they find an enchanted focus to empower his spells
I usually let my party members cast as many spells as they can regardless if they have components unless they’re trying to raise the dead.
I loved this host
Ummmm Dani slowly becoming my style Icon? Love her!
im gonna stick with the guy who holds a pointy stick to stabby stab
Your smart, Your tips help me
I have always hated material components. Adding spell casting focuses was the best change ever made to the game.
Love when Dani does these always informative & fun, hitting a perfect balance of both.
I had a dwarf who had his lower jaw blown off so his focus was his prothetic he created
Dani is literally sooo gorgeous, like wow