Image Credits: Geek & Sundry
Which of these two scenarios sounds more familiar?
“I look to the mage and cast Sleet Storm in a 20 foot cylinder around them”, or “I put a small pinch of dust in my hand and pour a few drops of water on top of it, the area around the mage suddenly begins to freeze as a huge, 20 foot cyclone of freezing rain and sleet appears around them.”
Ordinarily, the first option is the most common given most parties in combat are trying to move along quickly without leaving too long a gap between turns, and this is not to say that is a bad thing. I myself have been in groups of 8 players where during combat one full round (from the end of my turn to the beginning of my next turn) may take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes as well as games where the DM introduced the “hot seat” rule (more on this in another article!) and combat flowed quickly..
However, the reason I put forth this question is once again thanks to the incredibly creative and inquisitive Synxiec that prompted me to think of a few ways that these components can be used by players and GMs alike:
Weave a Story
In their tweets, they discussed, among other things, the ideas of the components of magical spells being used in more ways than the simple casting of a spell. For example, perhaps you are investigating an attack by a rogue spellcaster who used the fireball spell to blow up a guard post.
Image Credits: Wizards of the Coast
In the PHB, the fireball spell requires a small amount of bat guano and sulfur. However, what I feel many, including myself, may overlook is the investigation story hidden there within! Yes, bat guano is required but imagine for a second if, after a successful Investigation check, the party discovers that the bat guano comes from a very specific type of bat not found in this region!
Now the party has some options, they can chase down leads to arcane shopkeepers and figure out who would have had access to this type of guano and who would have bought it. Now we have a storyline of piecing together a trail of clues only by using the components themselves. Imagine having to break into a warehouse supposedly holding another shipment of the components to steal a manifest of delivery locations or track down a merchant who is set to meet with a mysterious buyer.
Expanded RP options
As a player using a spellcaster, preparing your spells is one of the most important aspects of the character itself. Now, imagine for a moment in addition to planning your spells for the day, you had to also take into account what materials you have? Of course, this type of game isn’t for everyone and for those not wanting to add another thing to “keep track of” that is a very valid viewpoint.
Image Credits: Wizards of the Coast
For those still with me, let's think of a few cool ways to incorporate this into your own character! Going off the earlier example of certain materials not being available in all areas, perhaps there is a certain component you need for your spell that the local merchant doesn’t have in stock, or can't get a hold of for any number of reasons (blockades, too dangerous to recover, or too far away). Now, the character has a hook in which they can follow to not only further the group story, but also keep themselves engaged in the game itself!
Another large reason it can be fun to use these components is a very simple one. The roleplay. Going back to the very first sentence in this article, we’ve all been there, we get to our turn in combat and we explain what we are going to do. Now usually, the more martial classes get a little more leeway due to being able to explain the exact movements of their weapons and footing. But why not also magic wielders?
When casting a spell, why not explain how the material components are used? Or what words must be said for the verbal component? Perhaps you mimic the hand motions of the spell? Given that components are usually used by the more “Arcane” spell casters, most of this advice would apply to Bards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards. However, magic systems, and Wizards in particular, is a topic for another day!
As always, keep wandering!
-Mike