Spell Component Costs: All Spells or Just Some?

[ZubMessiah]

You don't have to be an ass about it, but if you're going to start a poll with only one side of the options, you better have a good reason for it.

[Phantom Lamb]

You never learn, Zub. We'll chat privately.

[GodBeastX]

Alright, I think it needs some explanation of why this proposal is up there.

First off, 100% of the spells wouldn't cost gold, nor would they cost a giant amount. The idea is this:

Sundren is based on the idea of balance between two concepts, risk and reward. Currently the people getting all the reward are the ones with little risk. This has made balancing simple ideas like loot tables, stores, and more a giant pain in the patooey.

For example, put out an armor cheaper, who's the quickest to get the ability to buy it? Put healing items cheaper, what stops a caster from buying those too?

This isn't THE fix to the problems, but part of a massive balancing act we're trying to pull off. I suggested asking the players what they'd be comfortable seeing happen. So the idea is, if casters spam certain magics, they incur a payment for them (Alot of spells have payments in P&P remember). I suggested direct gold so it's not a hassle to have to balance your inventories with reagents and such.

Now, this isn't a "CRAP! I CASTED FIREBALL! NOW I'M OUT 1000 GOLD!", however, doing the math, it comes out to a cleric spending about 20% of the coin a fighter would on equipment, and faaaar less on consumables. And have about 200 to 300% effectivity over them. So as you can see the scale is far off.

I think that casters can do with a small amount of coin cost to their casting now and then when using the stronger components of spells, don't you?

[ZubMessiah]

There's a good reason, now I have nothing more to ask than to have the vote less biased towards the ultimatum.

[Phantom Lamb]

Sometimes we decide to make changes that aren't up for a vote. The staff discussed options internally. Not doing any spell casting component costs wasn't an option, so we left it off the poll.

[grant]

I read the options... If any of them are implemented, my caster will have to be retired as absolutely useless. My PC lacks 2 spell levels of an equivalent level pureist meaning that I am dead meat trying to raise money through grinding like so many do. It is an RP character, her cash on hand is $4000 at 17th level. Since the new faction items were added I am trying to save for a $140K! purchase twice what any other character has ever been able to accumulate at once in cash.

[Redjack]

My opinion is No to charging gold for spells.
I do not believe all classes should be equal. I have a high lvl cleric and a high lvl fighter. If my fighter is properly buffed he does very well fighting high lvl npcs and makes good coin doing it. But he requires a caster to do this for him. If properly buffed he does not use many healing potions or a kits during combat in most areas of Sundren. He does not try running up the veritas's hill if unbuffed. I think if you want to play a caster then play one. If you want to play a damage dealing melee PC then play a fighter type. Each has it's own strengths and weaknesses.

My cleric casts a lot of spells. Buffing and practicing believe it or not. .
I hope costs will not be prohibitive.

[Phantom Lamb]

Thanks for the input folks.