Stealthscout
2016-03-08, 10:55 PM
“You may judge any spellcaster by their biggest spell, but you should judge a master by their cantrips.”
-Olaf Junier, Magic Instructor
5th edition embraces your group’s interpretation and rulings, allowing players to come up with new ideas for old things all the time. This needs to be balanced against dangerous, game-breaking precedents. This is part of a series ofpostings around Cantrips to help balance the player desire for cool ideas with the DM’s need to know what is possible before they are problems for their game.
Tips for the everyone at the table:
Be clear and consistent in advance – Whenever possible, make rulings based on clear language and interpretations, not on the specific tricks. Also do it early so nobody has to discuss laws of physics in a critical battle.
It is a game, but not just a game – The Rule of Cool balances the Rule of Reason. Or yet another way, players need to have fun but might want to ‘forget’ a good idea if it would disrupt an important plot point they know the DM is relying on.
The DM can always change a ruling, but be fair about it – If an interpretation turns out to be too abusable, it can be changed. But the players may need to compensate accordingly so don’t do it in combat and/or disallow them to switch out cantrips they will no longer use.
This posting will go over an analysis of the cantrip, while the second goes into specific tricks/effects you can do and what rulings they may rely upon. I am hoping for even more ideas, and stories are welcome.
Cantrip Details
30 Range (both creation and during effect)
No material component
1 minute duration
10 lb weight limit (effective 2 strength)
Anything you can do with one hand can be done at a distance.
Pros and Cons
Pro – DMs are comfortable with it. Want a ruling? Do it yourself with one hand.
Pro – This is a third hand for you, which opens some doors of its own. But it can’t be an extra hand to cast spells since that would be two actions.
Pro – Arcane Tricksters or Thieves have even better efficiency with this cantrip.
Pro – sticks around without recasting
Both – The hand can’t go through things. Not explicitly stated, but implied.
Con – Dispelled if leaves your 30’ range. That is within anyone’s charging range
Con – Spectral floating hands tend to draw attention, but at least it doesn’t give off light. If you want to be subtle, you will need some assistance or stealth proficiency
Con – Explicitly cannot trigger magical items
Con – Explicitly requires an action to dismiss. But a workaround is floating out of range with your movement.
Con – Can’t move or act without using an action (see 30’ range). Includes repetitive actions like sprinkling dust
Con – 30’ movement is less than a wood elf or monk’s normal movement, slowing them down
Con - one minute isn’t long. Don’t forget about it unless you are done with it.
Rulings that Apply
Bonus actions – If you get a bonus action, can you also use it through the hand or only full actions? The RAW writup specifically says only normal actions.
Drag strength – if you can lift 10 lbs you should be able to drag 50 lbs as though you had a strength of 2. Some may rule that you only can apply 10 lbs of force instead, though.
Gaps in casting - At-will effectively means ‘always there if you spend the actions’ but your DM may rule that there is a ‘gap’ between castings where you drop the object.
Help actions – Assisting others through a spell makes sense, but expect to explain how you can help in detail.
Skill checks - Some effects logically require proficiencies or skill checks to do (ex. pickpocketing, mimicking someone else’s hand)
Sense of touch – Probably doesn’t have it, but if it does that is very handy (sorry)
Sense of location – Questionable since you need to know where it is to perform actions. If you don’t have this or a sense of touch, then you can’t control it without line of sight.
Size – not defined at all. Assume it is the caster’s hand size by default, but it could be mutable. Long fingers or extra small hands could have special uses.
Hit Points – Undefined, but let’s assume that it isn’t indestructible (though that would be awesome…). I’m going to assume 5-10hp but let it be resistant or immune against environmental effects.
Immovability – If it has a strength of 2, it can’t resist too much effort against it. Either it would move or dispel. I’m assuming it dispels here, but there could be other options if people could move it off initiative with strength checks.
-Olaf Junier, Magic Instructor
5th edition embraces your group’s interpretation and rulings, allowing players to come up with new ideas for old things all the time. This needs to be balanced against dangerous, game-breaking precedents. This is part of a series ofpostings around Cantrips to help balance the player desire for cool ideas with the DM’s need to know what is possible before they are problems for their game.
Tips for the everyone at the table:
Be clear and consistent in advance – Whenever possible, make rulings based on clear language and interpretations, not on the specific tricks. Also do it early so nobody has to discuss laws of physics in a critical battle.
It is a game, but not just a game – The Rule of Cool balances the Rule of Reason. Or yet another way, players need to have fun but might want to ‘forget’ a good idea if it would disrupt an important plot point they know the DM is relying on.
The DM can always change a ruling, but be fair about it – If an interpretation turns out to be too abusable, it can be changed. But the players may need to compensate accordingly so don’t do it in combat and/or disallow them to switch out cantrips they will no longer use.
This posting will go over an analysis of the cantrip, while the second goes into specific tricks/effects you can do and what rulings they may rely upon. I am hoping for even more ideas, and stories are welcome.
Cantrip Details
30 Range (both creation and during effect)
No material component
1 minute duration
10 lb weight limit (effective 2 strength)
Anything you can do with one hand can be done at a distance.
Pros and Cons
Pro – DMs are comfortable with it. Want a ruling? Do it yourself with one hand.
Pro – This is a third hand for you, which opens some doors of its own. But it can’t be an extra hand to cast spells since that would be two actions.
Pro – Arcane Tricksters or Thieves have even better efficiency with this cantrip.
Pro – sticks around without recasting
Both – The hand can’t go through things. Not explicitly stated, but implied.
Con – Dispelled if leaves your 30’ range. That is within anyone’s charging range
Con – Spectral floating hands tend to draw attention, but at least it doesn’t give off light. If you want to be subtle, you will need some assistance or stealth proficiency
Con – Explicitly cannot trigger magical items
Con – Explicitly requires an action to dismiss. But a workaround is floating out of range with your movement.
Con – Can’t move or act without using an action (see 30’ range). Includes repetitive actions like sprinkling dust
Con – 30’ movement is less than a wood elf or monk’s normal movement, slowing them down
Con - one minute isn’t long. Don’t forget about it unless you are done with it.
Rulings that Apply
Bonus actions – If you get a bonus action, can you also use it through the hand or only full actions? The RAW writup specifically says only normal actions.
Drag strength – if you can lift 10 lbs you should be able to drag 50 lbs as though you had a strength of 2. Some may rule that you only can apply 10 lbs of force instead, though.
Gaps in casting - At-will effectively means ‘always there if you spend the actions’ but your DM may rule that there is a ‘gap’ between castings where you drop the object.
Help actions – Assisting others through a spell makes sense, but expect to explain how you can help in detail.
Skill checks - Some effects logically require proficiencies or skill checks to do (ex. pickpocketing, mimicking someone else’s hand)
Sense of touch – Probably doesn’t have it, but if it does that is very handy (sorry)
Sense of location – Questionable since you need to know where it is to perform actions. If you don’t have this or a sense of touch, then you can’t control it without line of sight.
Size – not defined at all. Assume it is the caster’s hand size by default, but it could be mutable. Long fingers or extra small hands could have special uses.
Hit Points – Undefined, but let’s assume that it isn’t indestructible (though that would be awesome…). I’m going to assume 5-10hp but let it be resistant or immune against environmental effects.
Immovability – If it has a strength of 2, it can’t resist too much effort against it. Either it would move or dispel. I’m assuming it dispels here, but there could be other options if people could move it off initiative with strength checks.