Wait, spells from magic items don't have any components? Not even verbal?!?!

[RickAllison]

So if I'm reading the DMG right, magic items don't take any spell components unless the text of the magic item calls for it. I knew that applied to material components, but it is news to me that it doesn't even require verbal. That is amazing!

If magic items don't take verbal components to use those spells, then any spells which don't have a track-able source to the caster can be cast from stealth. That is awesome! Am I wrong, or does this mean that a Thief can be off stealthing in a corner and unleashing hell using a Wand of Polymorph and they don't even have to break stealth to do it.

[Sianthus]

Sounds about right RAW. Also sounds very DM dependent though. And about the casting from stealth situation, just because no words are spoken when the spell is cast with that magic item doesn't mean the casting itself not obvious. Maybe there's some effects when the spell is cast, like flashes of light, big whooshes, shazam bang the whole nine yards - all dependent on your dm. You can't reliably cheese the no verbal portion of using magic items :smallsmile:

[Zene]

Whats the page reference in the dmg? i'm not seeing it.

[RickAllison]

Sounds about right RAW. Also sounds very DM dependent though. And about the casting from stealth situation, just because no words are spoken when the spell is cast with that magic item doesn't mean the casting itself not obvious. Maybe there's some effects when the spell is cast, like flashes of light, big whooshes, shazam bang the whole nine yards - all dependent on your dm. You can't reliably cheese the no verbal portion of using magic items :smallsmile:

It obviously doesn't work with spells like Magic Missile, or Fire Shield, but I was more thinking of its use for spells like Detect Thoughts.

It also is amazing for Trickery Clerics focused in stealth, as they can now cast from their shadow clone and there is nothing to connect them to the spell. No components to give away their position and the spell itself is cast from the clone so any visible effects are there.


Whats the page reference in the dmg? i'm not seeing it.

Page 141.

[Dalebert]

Yet another reason why a Ring of Spell Storing is really under-rated. You want to cast a certain spell with Subtle Spell metamagic? Just put it in the ring for casting later, things like Detect Thoughts.

[Sir cryosin]

My friend there are some the does require the verbal component part and that is when you have to say the command word to activate the magic item. But I'm AFB and there might not be spellcasting magic item with a command word. Just keep that in mind tho.

[RickAllison]

My friend there are some the does require the verbal component part and that is when you have to say the command word to activate the magic item. But I'm AFB and there might not be spellcasting magic item with a command word. Just keep that in mind tho.

Oh yes, but it still opens up so many options. Helm of Telepathy, for example, can be used by a stealthy character to mind-read everyone the character crosses without care of being detected while casting so long as they do not probe deeper.

[NNescio]

Oh yes, but it still opens up so many options. Helm of Telepathy, for example, can be used by a stealthy character to mind-read everyone the character crosses without care of being detected while casting so long as they do not probe deeper.

Notably, Staff of the Woodlands lets a Druid spam Awaken without bothering with material components, allowing him to quickly amass a menagerie of Plant and Beast followers. It also replaces the usual 8 hour casting time with a single action*, making it a more combat-capable spell.

(*It is possible to interpret "use an action to expend 1 or more of the staff's charges to cast one of the following spells" as applying to only the act of expending the charge and not the actual casting, but this interpretation would imply that most spells cast via staves/wands would require two actions instead of one.)

The Staff also provides at-will Pass Without Trace, so it's pretty OP just by that alone. (Then again, Wizards/Warlocks/Bards get far better toys, and the Staff is the closest equivalent to a Druid's Staff of the Archmagi, so...)


Yet another reason why a Ring of Spell Storing is really under-rated. You want to cast a certain spell with Subtle Spell metamagic? Just put it in the ring for casting later, things like Detect Thoughts.

Or Counterspell. Now they can't Counterspell your Counterspell.

[Arial Black]

Or Counterspell. Now they can't Counterspell your Counterspell.

Having counterspell in a Ring of Counterspells would not work, because counterspell's target is not 'you' but 'a spell'.

[sir_argo]

Having counterspell in a Ring of Counterspells would not work, because counterspell's target is not 'you' but 'a spell'.

I believe he's referring to the fact that counterspell says you have to see the other person casting. So if the target used a RoS, you would not see the casting and so couldn't counter.

[Arial Black]

I believe he's referring to the fact that counterspell says you have to see the other person casting. So if the target used a RoS, you would not see the casting and so couldn't counter.

Ah, I got the wrong end of the stick. :smallsmile:

Yeah, if it's not an actual spell being actually cast then it cannot be counterspelled.

[Dalebert]

A Ring of Counterspells? What we were talking about is a Ring of Spell Storing. Anyone can cast spells into the ring and the wearer can cast those spells later just as if the wearer had cast the spell normally. However, since casting spells from magic items requires no components (no V,S, or M), they can't be Counterspelled because a reqt of that spell is that you see someone casting a spell. It mimics the sorcerer's Subtle Spell ability.