Can an Aberrant Mind Sorcerer cast Scrying using sorcery points without a 1000 gp focus?

Question

Scrying has an M requirement of

a focus worth at least 1,000 gp, such as a crystal ball, a silver mirror, or a font filled with holy water.

While not explicit, this focus is presumably used to actually see and hear the target of the spell (e.g., this question).

Aberrant Mind Sorcerers can retrain one of their Psionic Spells for Scrying, and this feature allows them

to cast the spell using sorcery points, [requiring] no verbal or somatic components, and [requiring] no material components, unless they are consumed by the spell.

Since the focus is not consumed by Scrying, would you allow casting the spell this way? If so, how do Aberrant Mind Sorcerers Scry without a focus?

Answer 1

Yes, but...

There are two different ways of reading the rules regarding spell components and spells in general — "fiction first" (narrative approach) and "rules first" (mechanical approach). There is no "right" one, the choice depends on your own playstyle, what people at this particular table want, and other factors.

For instance, Find the Path spell requires

an object from the location you wish to find

From the "rules first" perspective you can substitute this object with your focus, since it has no price specified. However, this makes no sense for the "fiction first" point of view, because the result of the spell probably depends on the object being used, and your spellcasting focus is not a thing from the location you're searching for.

Regarding the Scrying spell, if you prefer the "rules first" approach then the resolution is clear (but maybe kind of boring) — the spell just takes effect, no mirror nor crystal ball is required, because magic.

If you choose the "fiction first" approach then the spell probably should require some kind of "screen" for scrying. But asking for a full-price crystal ball would be disappointing for the player, since it'd be basically nullifying the character's prominent feature. Instead, I suggest you to allow using any reflective surface in this case — a mundane mirror, a water puddle, anything.

Or just ask the player "how do you do that"? It's their magic, after all.

Answer 2

Yes: the Aberrant Mind Sorcerer can use sorcery points to scry without an expensive focus.

The rules say that Aberrant Mind Sorcerers can, under certain circumstances (ie., when they've spent sorcery points), ignore material components "unless they are consumed by the spell". Scrying has a material component that is not consumed by the spell. The circumstances that trigger the ability are wholly under the control of the sorcerer (ie., they either spend sorcery points or they don't). Ergo, Aberrant Mind Sorcerers can, when they wish, Scry without an expensive focus.

In-game: the spell may take advantage of a handy reflective surface, it may create an image floating in the air, or the display may be all in the caster's mind (the spell indicates that only the caster can see/hear through the sensor).

As a player, I would be incredibly frustrated if the GM pulled this on me: I've chosen a specific ability (and even paid for it by giving up something else) just for circumstances like this. Forcing an Aberrant Mind Sorcerer to still have a focus to scry makes as much sense, rules-wise, as deciding that a monk's Unarmored Defense doesn't count against plant creatures or that a fighter can't use their Extra Attack against halflings.