Power components can be used as special material components or focus for spells, used at the time of casting. Each component has one or more affinities. In order for a spell to use a power component, its school, subschool, or description must match at least one of the component's affinity.
There several ways to use power component in spells. Only one option may be used at a time. If the power component's value is less than the required cost listed in each option, you can use multiple components with same affinity to reach the required cost.
Increasing Caster Level: For every 100 gol of the component's value times the spell's level, you can increase your caster level by 1 for one of the following aspect of the spell (if applicable):
- area of effect
- duration
- number of targets
- range
- damage healed or inflicted
If the power component used has a high enough value to increase your caster level by 2 or more, you can choose to split those levels among different spell aspects. For example, you can increase the damage of a fireball spell by 2d6 using 600 gol worth of red dragon blood, or increase the damage by 1d6 and the range by 40 ft. with the same amount.
Increasing Spell DC: You can use the component to increase the spell's DC by 1 for every 300 gol of the component's value times the spell's level. For example, you can increase the spell DC of a fireball spell by 2 using 1,800 gp worth of red dragon blood.
Spontaneous Metamagic: You can use the component to apply a metamagic feat that you know to the spell without increasing its level. The cost of the component needed is equal to 1,000 gp times the spell's level times the metamagic feat level increase. Doing so increases the spell's casting time by 1 act. For example, a cleric can apply the Empower Spell feat on a cure moderate wounds spell by using 4,000 gp word of troll blood.
Power components can also be used in the crafting of magical objects and alchemical items if the component's affinity matches that of any spell used in the item's creation or the alchemical item's affinity. The power component value offsets the item's creation cost. The value of alchemical items can be increased with augmented alchemy crafting (see Craft (alchemy)).
Table: Known Power Components
| Raw Materials | Value (per lb.) | Affinity | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adamantine | 300 gol | Abjuration, earth | Adamantine used as a power component for crafting a magic item is consumed by the spell and cannot be use as the item's material. |
| Body part | Varies | Varies | See House Rules: Monster Harvesting to see which affinities each body part is associated with. |
| Cold iron | 50 gol | Abjuration | Cold iron is often used to produce alloyed metals, catalysts, and items that interfere with magic. |
| Darkwood | 10 gol | Creation | The bark of the darkwood tree is useful in numerous alchemical applications, especially those that require a light but strong foundation. |
| Gold | 50 gol | Healing | In its purest form, gold is a dense, nonreactive metal. Its alchemical products are useful in stains and in treating swelling, pain, and infections. |
| Silver | 5 gol | Illusion | Silver is a lustrous precious metal used in mirrors, disinfectants, electrics, and illusion-creating magic items. |
| Alchemical Item | Value | Affinity | Description |
| Acid, flask | 10 gol | Acid | |
| Alchemist's fire, flask | 20 gol | Fire | |
| Anointing oil, flask | 25 gol | Compulsion | Can only be used with divine spells. |
| Antiplague, flask | 50 gol | Healing (see description) | Antiplague has affinity with any healing subschool spell that affects diseases. |
| Antitoxin, flask | 50 gol | Healing (see description) | Antitoxin has affinity with any healing subschool spell that affects poisons. |
| Essence of night, flask | 150 gol | Darkness | |
| Flash powder, sachet | 50 gol | Light | |
| Itching powder, sachet | 60 gol | Pain | |
| Liquid ice, jar | 40 gol | Cold | |
| Smokestick | 20 gol | Creation (see description) | Smokesticks have affinity with any spell that conjures clouds or smoke that obscure vision. Smoke sticks can be crafted from ash, bone, or wood components with the creation affinity. |
| Tanglefoot bag | 50 gol | Creation (see description) | Tanglefoot bags have affinity with any spell that inflicts the entangled or grappled condition on their target. Tanglefoot bags can be crafted from blood, bile, or ichor components with the creation affinity. |
| Thunderstone | 30 gol | Sonic | |
| Alchemical Reagents | Value (per dose) | Affinity | Description |
| Black powder | 1 gol | Evocation | Black powder is a volatile explosive and is the primary component in fireworks and other explosives. |
| Brain mold spores | 5 gol | Charm, compulsion | The spore of the brain mold fungus is a versatile reagent, and is often combined with other poisonous elements to create deliriums, hallucinogens, and psychotics. |
| Brimstone/sulfur | 5 sil | Acid | Brimstone, also called sulfur, has a distinctive odor and caustic properties. |
| Ginger extract | 5 sil | Transmutation | In addition to serving as a spice and as an alchemical reagent, ginger extract has a wide variety of uses in herbal remedies that treat nausea and pain. |
| Keif | 15 gol | Enchantment | When used as an alchemical reagent, refined keif is often sublimated along with other reagents to create new forms of the famous drug. |
| Magnesium | 1 gol | Transmutation | Magnesium is an extremely light and reactive metal that burns brightly when exposed to air. It is important for all living things, especially plants. |
| Moondew | 4 gol | Divination | Moondew is derived from a potent herb. It is commonly used in the creation of medicinal, protective, and divinatory items. |
| Mugwort extract | 2 gol | Abjuration | Many varieties of mugwort exist; some are used in acupuncture, while others are key ingredients in herbal remedies that ward off fatigue, cold, or even supernatural dangers. |
| Myrrh | 2 gol | Abjuration | Myrrh is an aromatic gum used as a base for alchemical remedies and as a sticky bonding agent. |
| Phosphorous | 2 sil | Light, teleportation | Phosphorus is a highly reactive mineral that glows faintly in air. Vital to all life, it is most commonly used by alchemists to create fertilizers, poisons, soaps, and tindertwigs. It is obtained by processing uric acid or bone ash. |
| Quicksilver | 1 gol | Mind-affecting | Quicksilver is a liquid metal with dangerous mental effects on those who handle it. It is most often distilled from crystalline amalgams such as cinnabar and stored in iron flasks. |
| Realgar | 3 gol | Poison | Realgar, also called ruby of arsenic, is a red crystal useful in creating poisons and medicines. It is commonly purified into arsenic, a crystalline metal known as the “king of poisons” for its popularity among nobles seeking to poison their rivals. |
| Salt | 5 sil | Necromancy | Salt is a vital mineral commodity. It is most commonly used as a desiccant and as a catalyst. |
| Saltpeter | 1 gol | Fire | Saltpeter is used to create fertilizers, propellants, fireworks, and preservatives. |
| Spirit of Wine | 5 sil | Summoning | Spirit of wine is purified, alchemically active alcohol commonly used as a fuel or solvent in alchemical items, specialized inks, and perfumes. It is too pure to drink alone, but can be used as a reagent to form tinctures and alchemical drinks. |
| Urea | 5 sil | Cold | Urea is a highly versatile reagent most commonly used in salves and as a stabilizer for particularly volatile alchemical reactions. |
| Crystals & Gemstones | Value (per 1/50 lb.) | Affinity | Description |
| Agate | 10 gol | Earth | |
| Alexandrite | 500 gol | Scrying | |
| Amber | 100 gol | Fire | |
| Amethyst | 100 gol | Telepathy | |
| Aquamarine | 500 gol | Water | |
| Azurite | 10 gol | Charm | |
| Bloodstone | 50 gol | Fire | |
| Carnelian | 50 gol | Air | |
| Chalcendony | 50 gol | Good | |
| Chrysoberyl | 100 gol | Scrying | |
| Chrysoprase | 50 gol | Acid | |
| Citrine | 50 gol | Pattern | |
| Coral | 100 gol | Water | |
| Corundum | 1,000 gol | Metacreativity, transmutation | |
| Diamond | 5,000 gol | Clairsentience, divination | |
| Emerald | 1,000 gol | Psychometabolism | |
| Garnet | 100 gol | Curse | |
| Hematite | 10 gol | Fire | |
| Jacinth | 5,000 gol | Evocation, psychokinesis | |
| Jade | 100 gol | Psychometabolism | |
| Jasper | 50 gol | Abjuration | |
| Jet | 100 gol | Fire | |
| Lapis lazuli | 10 gol | Air | |
| Malachite | 10 gol | Acid | |
| Moonstone | 50 gol | Glamer | |
| Obsidian | 10 gol | Charm | |
| Onyx | 50 gol | Summoning | |
| Opal | 1,000 gol | Necromancy, psychokinesis | |
| Pearl | 10 gol | Water | |
| Peridot | 50 gol | Emotion | |
| Quartz | 10 gol | Charm | |
| Rhodochrosite | 10 gol | Telepathy | |
| Ruby | 5,000 gol | Psychokinesis, psychometabolism | |
| Sapphire | 1,000 gol | Summoning | |
| Sard | 50 gol | Psychokinesis | |
| Sardonyx | 50 gol | Metacreativity | |
| Spinel | 100 gol | Illusion | |
| Tigereye | 10 gol | Clairsentience | |
| Tourmaline | 100 gol | Necromancy | |
| Topaz | 500 gol | Psychoportation | |
| Turquoise | 10 gol | Healing | |
| Zircon | 50 gol | Meditation |