Prestidigitation Query

[Ruethgar]

How long does it take to create a prestidigitation effect?

[Ardantis]

One Standard Action.

[RFLS]

How long does it take to create a prestidigitation effect?

Standard action. There's a handy RAW thread stickied to the top of this forum for basic questions, btw. Very useful and more likely to get a fast response.

[Ruethgar]

Where does it say that it takes a standard action to activate in RAW?

[Kerilstrasz]

How long does it take to create a prestidigitation effect?

Standard for some effects... if you want to clean or soil a large area though it will take more... i believe the description in phb has those numbers

[Ruethgar]

Standard for some effects... if you want to clean or soil a large area though it will take more... i believe the description in phb has those numbers

It says that it can color/clean/soil 1ft per round, it doesn't say anything about the use of an action to do so.

[Deox]

There is no action once the spell is cast.

[Ruethgar]

So, Prestidigitation to create a small object as no action, Craft (chemical) to make improvised explosive from said object as a full round and Quicken Launch Item(with proper reductions to keep it 0) as a swift. Infinite 1d6 5ft radius bombs!

[Chaosvii7]

So, Prestidigitation to create a small object as no action, Craft (chemical) to make improvised explosive from said object as a full round and Quicken Launch Item(with proper reductions to keep it 0) as a swift. Infinite 1d6 5ft radius bombs!

Not quite, friend. Prestidigiation's text specifically says that it cannot deal damage or interrupt concentration. Also, items made through the spell can't be used as intended - more like cheap plastic knockoffs.

I'd argue that adding a damaging property to something that explicitly cannot deal damage probably isn't right. Also, whatever you made serves no purpose other than sitting on a display shelf until the spell's effect ends.

[Ruethgar]

The spell itself is not doing damage, the item created is not being used as a tool, spell component or weapon but rather as a material component for a mundane use.

Edit: Also it never states in any of the version of the spell I can find that items created via prestidigitation disappear, the closest is: "Any actual change to an object (beyond just moving, cleaning, or soiling it) persists only 1 hour." Being that it is a creation not an alteration of an item, the 1hr duration would not apply.

[Telonius]

Even if it works like that, you can only shoot one of those per round, since you only get one Swift action per round. And you have a limited number of Prestidigitations a day available for creating them.

So basically, you've done as much damage as a level 1 Warlock, a few times a day.

[Ruethgar]

Wizard, Transmutation Specialist, Transmutable Memory for infinite cantrips, or Pathfinder. Furthermore, you could spend one hour making said explosives in the morning and then launching them later.

[Chaosvii7]

Being that it is a creation not an alteration of an item, the 1hr duration would not apply.

But you're not actually creating the item - that point is debatable, but not altering the item doesn't mean it isn't subject to the spell's effect. It IS the spell's effect. It'd only last one hour no matter what you do.

Just about everything else about the idea checks out - the only problem being that you'd need an insanely high Craft(Alchemy) bonus to be able to craft in a full round.

[Ruethgar]

It says it can create small objects, how is that debatable? The spell effect of prestidigitation is to allow you to create various minor magical effects. The duration of said effects is not directly linked to the duration of prestidigitation, only your ability to use them is.

Craft (chemical), not alchemy. DC 10 for improve explosive.

[GolemsVoice]

It says the components created cannot be used as a weapon. Explosives are weapons. Even if the component is only part of a weapon, in case of bombs, it's a pretty big part, even the part that MAKES it a weapon.

[Ruethgar]

Creating the chemicals to be combined into a bomb that are not explosive by themselves does not constitute a weapon. The materials created by prestidigitation cannot be uses as weapons, it says nothing about using them in the construction of weapons.

[Gnome Alone]

What's the DC to find a DM who considers that a meaningful distinction?

[Chaosvii7]

Creating the chemicals to be combined into a bomb that are not explosive by themselves does not constitute a weapon. The materials created by prestidigitation cannot be uses as weapons, it says nothing about using them in the construction of weapons.

Prestidigitation also says they can't be used as tools, which, semantics aside, these would be considered.

I think you're putting a bit too much effort into trying to make all of this work.

[Ruethgar]

Not really putting that much effort into making it work, focusing more on my book atm.

Where would the definition of tool end for the purposes of creating items with this spell? The definition of tool by oxford standards would eliminate all useful purposes for matter created by the spell. You can't make anything recognizable because then you could potentially use it as a tool to show what the traditional article looks like. Can't even make a child's toy because it can be a tool to entertain. Can't even make a block of dirt. So is there even a purpose to being able to create items with this spell?

[dascarletm]

"The materials created by a prestidigitation spell are extremely fragile, and they cannot be used as tools, weapons, or spell components."

I think the fact that they are fragile makes it not work.

So you are making a dnd bomb (Allow a chemist to help you, me!)

They Cannot be used as tools, so any chemical used not as a reagent, but as a buffer/pH changer/etc. is a no go. It falls more in the definition of tool I would say.

For your reagents, like Toluene or what have you, it says the mats are fragile. For chemicals that means they would degrade rapidly under all but specific conditions. If your compound degrades it cannot be used.
(That's my reasoning)

[Ruethgar]

Chill 1lb of material to 40 degrees F... say like eight 5ft cubes of air. All the Frostburn feats you can cast! Snowcast and Flash Frost it if you like(the effect of presto itsn't actually doing the damage and is thus not in violation of the minor magical effects' limitations).