About spell components


Rules Questions


I haven't played as a spell casting class yet and I'm just confused on how the spell components work.

I see that a lot of spells have multiple components that they need. I'm just wondering if you need to be able to use all of them.

I know some spells need materials but I"m just confused on those that have others like focus, verbal, and somatic.

for examble Burning Hands components are listed as Verbal and Somatic. I just need to know if you need to have both available for the spell or if you need both of them.

Silver Crusade

You must meet all the requirements to cast a spell. Specific feats can be used to overcome certain components.
So in the case of Burning Hands You need to have both your limbs and your voice free. Using Still Spell or Silent Spell changes things. If you had Silent Spell, then you could cast Burning Hands while gagged, but not tied up. If you had Still Spell, you could cast Burning hands while tied up, but not gagged. If you had both, you could cast Burning Hands while gagged and tied up.


You need to use all the components to cast a spell.

Quote:
So in the case of Burning Hands You need to have both your limbs and your voice free.

No, you need at least one hand free and be able to speak. You don't need both arms free. Somatic components only require 1 hand.


Milo v3 wrote:

You need to use all the components to cast a spell.

Quote:
So in the case of Burning Hands You need to have both your limbs and your voice free.
No, you need at least one hand free and be able to speak. You don't need both arms free. Somatic components only require 1 hand.

And you can use your one free hand for both somatic and material components.

Silver Crusade

Yep, I wasn't thinking. Thanks for catching that.


Focus components are in the same vein as material components; they're both some thing you need to provide during casting as opposed to an action like verbal or somatic. Focus components differ in that they aren't used up in the casting. So, if a spell requires an expensive focus component, you can purchase one focus and then continue using it for all your castings of that spell.

Dark Archive

Milo v3 wrote:

You need to use all the components to cast a spell.

Quote:
So in the case of Burning Hands You need to have both your limbs and your voice free.
No, you need at least one hand free and be able to speak. You don't need both arms free. Somatic components only require 1 hand.

According to AD&D 2d edition the somatic component is holding both hands out in front of you, fingers splayed out and thumbs touching. Considering that's the last time the somatic components were described, that's probably still it.


Material components are a little more fun.

Quite a few look like they're not really worth much. They aren't; there's a 'spell component pouch' that most casters will lug around that has them covered for little things like butter for Grease, or ground mica for Glitterdust.

But once the spell description starts naming solid coin -- say, Animate Dead for your army of skeletons needing an onyx that's worth 25gp per hit die -- that's when you have to start caring about keeping track of what you have.

A focus is the same as a material component, just usable more than once. Divine foci are specifically for the more divine magics, and why your cleric insists that you not mess around with his holy symbol.

The feat 'Eschew Materials' will nullify the requirements for the trivial stuff (sorcerers get this for free), but it won't cover the diamond dust for a good Restoration, or anything else that's notably costly.


Kahel Stormbender wrote:
Milo v3 wrote:

You need to use all the components to cast a spell.

Quote:
So in the case of Burning Hands You need to have both your limbs and your voice free.
No, you need at least one hand free and be able to speak. You don't need both arms free. Somatic components only require 1 hand.
According to AD&D 2d edition the somatic component is holding both hands out in front of you, fingers splayed out and thumbs touching. Considering that's the last time the somatic components were described, that's probably still it.

Wasn't this a specific spell? Either way, if it's not in the actual spell's current version, I wouldn't force it there.

Personally, I think the somatic gesture for any blast spell should be 'with back of dominant hand to target, extend digitus tertius manus in upward motion'.


Kahel Stormbender wrote:
According to AD&D 2d edition the somatic component is holding both hands out in front of you, fingers splayed out and thumbs touching. Considering that's the last time the somatic components were described, that's probably still it.

The rules for somatic components say that you only need one hand free. Burning hands does not say anything that would change that, so that is not changed. AD&D is a different game to Pathfinder. Anything it says is irrelevant.

Dark Archive

As I said, it was the last time the actual somatic components (and in many cases material components) was described. 3rd edition, which Pathfinder is based on, hand waved it as "you make arcane gestures" without actually describing what they are. Probably because of all the anti-gaming hoopla in the 80's. Anyone else remember the movie Mazes and Monsters, for example?

I was giving it as an example of why 2 hands may be needed even if the spell doesn't have material components.


Kahel Stormbender wrote:
I was giving it as an example of why 2 hands may be needed even if the spell doesn't have material components.

Well, that's not true in PF.


Also for metamagic you have to use a higher level spell slot.

Just having the metamagic feat does not allow you to apply the effect to your spells for free.

Silver Crusade

I've been gaming so long that sometimes I forget to pay close attention to which rule set I'm talking about. <.<

They do have the components defined in this section on Magic under Components.

Pathfinder Resource Document wrote:
Somatic (S): A somatic component is a measured and precise movement of the hand. You must have at least one hand free to provide a somatic component.

Just for future reference.

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