Material Spell Components

[Atalius]

How is the price of a material component determined? I would like to know because the Eschew Materials refers to an amount of 1gp or less. Let's take the spell Black Tentacles for example, the material component is an octopus tentacle. Would that be more than 1 gp or less?

[Azothath]

Designers use DND 3.0 Open Gaming License or make something up that seems appropriate.

[RoseCrown]

If there's not cost listed in the spell, it 1gp or less.
They're intended for flavour, not resource management.

Spells requiring components with prices list these prices in the description of the spell (ie Raise Dead).

At least, that's how we've always played it. :)

[Val'bryn2]

Yeah, if a price isn't listed with the spell components, it's either counted as being in the spell component pouch, or waived by Eschew Materials.

[dragonhunterq]

Eschew Materials basically means you don't need a spell component pouch - it's a little underwhelming (unless you get it for free) until your pouch gets sundered!

[Diego Rossi]

PRD wrote:

Spell Component Pouch: A spellcaster with a spell component pouch is assumed to have all the material components and focuses needed for spellcasting, except for those components that have a specific cost, divine focuses, and focuses that wouldn't fit in a pouch.

So, you buy one of those and pay your cost of living and you are covered.

For some component I would be more strict. Devil blood isn't normally available, especially as the spell that use that has an alternate component with a listed cost, unholy water, octopus tentacles aren't normally available on a inland territory 2,000 miles away from the sea and so on.
On the other hand some of those non costly components should have replacements that have a similar thematic link to the spell effect (for black tentacles an alternate version that use some carnivorous plant leaves seem appropriate).

Spell components become relevant when:
- you need a hand to manipulate them;
- you are in a remote region and in the wilderness, where buying some specific component become difficult.