Do you recite mantras/formulas/say anything when casting spells?

[Entessa]

Wondering if you have some cool phrases you speak when you are casting spells. I want to add a bit of flavour to my sessions.

[Heavenblade]

Never have up until now, but after watching "wicked" my next character definetly is going to do so!.

I always found it easier to have chants for divine casters since I can form a coherent prayer that makes sense in context, rather then babbling latin-esque words or something.

Bonus - I collected a playlist of songs and musical pieces that have the names of spells in order to use for my next bard or sorcerer.

[Anonymouswizard]

No, and there's no certainty that my characters do either. In UA doing so marks you out as a crusty has-been who still relies on bloody rituals.

Although I hear that in the first couple of editions of Days Schwarze Auge had it as an actual rule.

Generally though it's just less fun than coming up with a bad pun or terrible line related to the situation. A Cinemancer might not have to tell anything when casting Imperial Stormtrooper Combat Training, but that doesn't mean they're not going to.

[Quertus]

I agree that there’s usually better uses of the verbal channel… but that doesn’t stop me from occasionally saying “ast tassarith simirilan krinawi”, or otherwise quoting the Hickman / Weiss books campaign journals that made me want to write similar campaign journals, when casting an appropriate spell while having nothing better to say.

[animorte]

I often enjoy coming up with a specific word or motion for each individual spell. It often helps to create a sense of immersion and purpose.

[Elvensilver]

As Heavenblade, only ever with divine casters.

[Deity of choice], bless my friends!/smite the evildoers! (paladins, from my experience, always supplement their smiting with a battle cry) /etc. just sounds way better than calling out "Fireball!

I've once read the idea to just say the spell's name backwards, such (going from Pathfinder/D&D-spells) as "Etsah", "Romra Egam" or the more tongue-twisting "Noitatigiditserp" which seems like a quick and simple (if sometimes silly) way to incorporate the verbal components of spells.

[Kurald Galain]

Although I hear that in the first couple of editions of Days Schwarze Auge had it as an actual rule.

It does, complete with doggerel rhymes and faux-Latin; the player has to recite those for the character to cast any spell. The game is known as The Dark Eye in the US.

I'm in favor of using James Bond- or Austin Powers-like oneliners for spells where appropriate; but having to recite something for every casting that's quickly going to sound ridiculous to me, even more when it sounds like a nursery rhyme.

[Jay R]

I've never done it, but I've threatened to use the following as verbal components.

Rope trick: "Sim sim sala bim!"

Polymorph or alter self: "Shazam!"

Fireball: "Flame on!"

Programmed illusion: "Meeska mooska mouseketeer, Mousekartoon time now is here!"

Contingent teleport: "Drizzle drazzle drozzle drome. Time for this one to come home!"

Heal: "A secret compartment of my ring I fill with an Underdog super energy pill!"

Yeah, I know. My cultural references are pretty old.

[solidork]

I made a bard based on a real musician once and picked lyrics from their songs that worked for the spells I cast.

I usually at least think about what the verbal components my characters use are, but that was the only time I actually said them out loud.

[animorte]

I made a bard based on a real musician once and picked lyrics from their songs that worked for the spells I cast.

I usually at least think about what the verbal components my characters use are, but that was the only time I actually said them out loud.

This reminds me: I was looking into making an Archfey Warlock some time ago, decided on Celestial instead. I had this idea that my patron's name was Felurian and she had the voice of Enya or Loreena Mckennitt. I used songs from both of them to portray what was going on a lot of the time.

[Duff]

Bonus - I collected a playlist of songs and musical pieces that have the names of spells in order to use for my next bard or sorcerer.

That's a very cool idea

[Pauly]

I have a friend whose Bard character was essentially Bon Scot. There are a whole bunch of AC/DC songs that fit into bardic magic. And he had the added bonus of having a personal theme song of “It’s a long way to the top if you want to **** a troll”.

[Psyren]

Generally I just yell the name of the spell as its verbal component, OotS/anime-style.

Speaking of anime though, one anime whose spellcasting I love is Bleach - where every spell's verbal component is a short and needlessly dramatic poem. I don't speak Japanese sadly, but I've invented a few of those in French before.

[LibraryOgre]

"Come on, fail that ****ing save, you [orc] bastard."

[Vahnavoi]

Depends on format of game. On the tabletop, especially with new players, I typically only require them to indicate which spell they want to use - play time is spent sorting the process and effects of the spell. I observe ritual performance (f.ex. whether magic circles are drawn & what they drawn with, presence and type of sacrifices etc ) in more detail than what characters say.

In play-by-post, freeform or live-action, I have no trouble going whole-hog and just writing or reciting the entire spell, as a character would. I have no trouble requiring that from players either, for more open-ended magic systems, it'a a great and natural way of limiting what players can do.

[Calen]

Always depends on the character (As DM or player)
Some will utter elvish words and in a live game make a hand motion. Rucina! [Name] snaps their fist open and casts shatter on [Target]
Some will make a 'witty' comment or use the spell name as part of an insult. "Hey ugly, you mind if I ask a friend to drop in?" Summons brontosaurus 30 feet above targets head.
And some will just cast the spell with no flair at all.
As an alchemist in a strictly VTT game I never said anything while throwing bombs but I did put some groan-worthy puns in the damage rolls. Lightning bomb, Positively hertz.

[Quertus]

"Come on, fail that ****ing save, you [orc] bastard."

That is, indeed, (the format of) my favorite verbal components.

I made a bard based on a real musician once and picked lyrics from their songs that worked for the spells I cast.

I usually at least think about what the verbal components my characters use are, but that was the only time I actually said them out loud.

Always depends on the character (As DM or player)
Some will utter elvish words and in a live game make a hand motion. Rucina! [Name] snaps their fist open and casts shatter on [Target]
Some will make a 'witty' comment or use the spell name as part of an insult. "Hey ugly, you mind if I ask a friend to drop in?" Summons brontosaurus 30 feet above targets head.
And some will just cast the spell with no flair at all.
As an alchemist in a strictly VTT game I never said anything while throwing bombs but I did put some groan-worthy puns in the damage rolls. Lightning bomb, Positively hertz.

Very much this. If you vary the way you approach it by character, it is an easy way to help draw attention to the difference, and help characterize the character.

[Luccan]

I've been considering using the Final Fantasy Tactics quotes that sometimes come up when you cast spells for appropriate spells in D&D

[Ashiel]

Much like Megumin, I enjoy fluffing my spells with whatever feels appropriate at the time.
Even if I do not actually have vocal components. Sometimes it will just be an angry glare, other times it will be a poetic expression. Other times, it'll be something akin to angry screaming.