[RPG] Is the brass brazier required for the Find Familiar spell, or can it be replaced by a spellcasting focus/component pouch

dnd-5eequipmentspell-componentsspells

When spell components are consumed or have a cost, they need to be provided and cannot be substituted by a spellcasting focus. The find familiar spell has such components:

10 gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier

Now obviously, the charcoal, incense, and herbs have to be provided as they have a specified cost and are consumed. However, what about the brass brazier? Does the caster have to provide that as well, as there are components that have to be provided and they directly interact with the brazier?

It doesn't logically seem like something a component pouch could replace, mostly those things are some small items. On the other hand it seems unreasonable to carry a brass brazier around, sounds heavy.


A related question about the brass brazier: What are the details surrounding the brass brazier required for the Find Familiar spell?

Best Answer

RAW, you need either a brass brazier or a spellcasting focus.

The material component for find familiar states:

10 gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier.

This is oddly specific language for something that isn't required at all. The rules-as-written ruling is abundantly clear here: the charcoal, incense, and herbs must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier. Or, alternatively, a spellcasting focus can substitute for the brass brazier only, not the charcoal, incense, and herbs:

A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5, “Equipment”) in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.

Since a cost for the brazier is not given, the brazier can be replaced by a component pouch or spellcasting focus.