Forest gnomes feel the need. The need for... fleece?

[HappyDaze]

Do you allow forest gnomes to use their racial minor illusion cantrip without needing "a bit of fleece" on hand?

[Dakael27]

Gnomes are so hairy they have their fleece built in.

[Segev]

Technically, isn't their spellcasting innate?

[JackPhoenix]

Technically, isn't their spellcasting innate?

Even if it was, it wouldn't change anything. But no, innate spellcasting is monster trait.

I don't allow gnomes to ignore material components.... mostly because I don't have gnomes in my setting in the first place. But yeah, I let characters with racial spellcasting ignore components, even if it's not RAW.

[Damon_Tor]

Do you allow forest gnomes to use their racial minor illusion cantrip without needing "a bit of fleece" on hand?

I'm under inherent spellcasting on various races/subraces is usually cultural, not inborn, much like racial weapon or tool proficiency. Forest Gnomes learn to cast Minor Illusion like a Wood Elf learns to shoot a bow, or a Dwarf learns to brew Ale.

As such, yes, they need the fleece, just like the elf needs the bow and the dwarf needs the brewer's supplies.

[Luccan]

I tend to treat racial casting as innate and thus don't require it. Even in the case of High Elves who I do think of as actively choosing and learning their specific cantrip, they've been doing it since they could talk and fumble their hands around so they don't need the implements. But if you regard it as a learned skill brought on by culture, I could see requiring the material component(s). And there's certainly a cooler feeling to sneaking in/acquiring a component in a situation you shouldn't have it compared to just spamming a spell whenever.

[sophontteks]

It seems entirely reasonable for a gnome to use its own fur as fleece.

[JackPhoenix]

I tend to treat racial casting as innate and thus don't require it. Even in the case of High Elves who I do think of as actively choosing and learning their specific cantrip, they've been doing it since they could talk and fumble their hands around so they don't need the implements. But if you regard it as a learned skill brought on by culture, I could see requiring the material component(s). And there's certainly a cooler feeling to sneaking in/acquiring a component in a situation you shouldn't have it compared to just spamming a spell whenever.

Innate casting doesn't remove the need for material or any other components.

[Toadkiller]

We only very, very rarely worry about components at all. You pay for your component bag or focus and off to the races. I suppose in a captured and all your stuff taken away I’d make someone come up with a story about how they dig around to get loose fibers/hair and make it into a rough felt. But my groups have never been down for that sort of stuff really.

[BarneyBent]

It seems entirely reasonable for a gnome to use its own fur as fleece.

Gnomes have fur?

[Luccan]

Innate casting doesn't remove the need for material or any other components.

Perhaps I should rephrase: if it says you can cast a spell as part of your race, I tend to rule that you don't need spell components. If that isn't the case within the rules (and I think you're right), then it's a houserule, but not that unreasonable.

[JackPhoenix]

Perhaps I should rephrase: if it says you can cast a spell as part of your race, I tend to rule that you don't need spell components. If that isn't the case within the rules (and I think you're right), then it's a houserule, but not that unreasonable.

I agree, I just wanted to clarify that Innate Casting trait doesn't inherently remove the need for material or any other components. It was mentioned twice in this thread, so I got an impression it's a common mistake.