Another general handling question: how does everyone handle the use of ingredients for spellcasting? The PHb only mentions the benefit of using proper ingredients during spellcasting, so that the Power Level of the spell increases by one. But how long does this "extra" take to use/integrate?
Do your spellcasters apply this as part of the Slow spellcasting action (basically taking no time, like a Free action), or do you require extra actions like "Ready item" (Fast action, analogue to drawing a weapon) and/or "Use item" (Fast action, from the general list in the Combat section)? Just curious?
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- leaddolphin
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Re: "Use ingredient" for spellcasting
I asked about this a while ago, and the tl;dr is I think that your grimoire should be a hefty book with big, thick pages, with room for ingredients, so it's a Ready action to get your grimoire out the first time, then flicking to the right page, casting the spell with the help of your grimoire and potentially ingredients is a full action.
Re: "Use ingredient" for spellcasting
That sounds plausible, at least to me. 
Re: "Use ingredient" for spellcasting
I house rule it as:
- You can spend a fast action to draw your grimoire (requires one free hand).
- You can spend a fast action to draw an ingredient (requires another free hand).
- Casting a spell is a slow action, flicking to the right page in a grimoire is included in this slow action if a grimoire is used.
Reason:
- Game mechanically, it gives a reason for a spellcaster to hold a grimoire with one hand in combat. Making it take time, negates just about all benefits of writing down combat spells into a grimoire. And all spellcasters will be better to hold a sword/shield or so instead. Making grimoire usage "free", adds just enough incentive to hold one in combat to make it kind of worthwhile.
- The original Swedish version reads as you need to “draw” your grimoire to use it, while the English is wrongly(?) translated it to “ready”. Another thing pointing to this is that “Safe cast from grimoire” isn’t listed as an available action in the Player’s Handbook, page 86-87, only the “Cast spell”, “Power word” and “Draw” actions are listed.
However:
- It could maybe be hard to justify why using a grimoire does not increase time, but maybe the magics flows more easily with one? I just justify it that way in my games.
Bonus:
- If your GM allows you to Quick Draw other things than weapons (I do). Then the Quick Draw talent could be very useful for spellcasters.
- You can spend a fast action to draw your grimoire (requires one free hand).
- You can spend a fast action to draw an ingredient (requires another free hand).
- Casting a spell is a slow action, flicking to the right page in a grimoire is included in this slow action if a grimoire is used.
Reason:
- Game mechanically, it gives a reason for a spellcaster to hold a grimoire with one hand in combat. Making it take time, negates just about all benefits of writing down combat spells into a grimoire. And all spellcasters will be better to hold a sword/shield or so instead. Making grimoire usage "free", adds just enough incentive to hold one in combat to make it kind of worthwhile.
- The original Swedish version reads as you need to “draw” your grimoire to use it, while the English is wrongly(?) translated it to “ready”. Another thing pointing to this is that “Safe cast from grimoire” isn’t listed as an available action in the Player’s Handbook, page 86-87, only the “Cast spell”, “Power word” and “Draw” actions are listed.
However:
- It could maybe be hard to justify why using a grimoire does not increase time, but maybe the magics flows more easily with one? I just justify it that way in my games.
Bonus:
- If your GM allows you to Quick Draw other things than weapons (I do). Then the Quick Draw talent could be very useful for spellcasters.
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