Let's have fun: Mundane Uses for Spells

[VonMuller]

An easy game/discussion thread for D&D 3.P.

The rules are simple:

Imagine a setting were availability of spellcasters and magical items is the default for the R.A.W in the core rulebooks. (so, for example, 18-20th level spellcasters can be found in big cities)

Choose a Spell, SLA, or supernatural power easily accesible to civilized people either directly (e.g. a spell, magic item, feat, etc), by proxy (e.g. a summoned monster's SLAs), or by not so cheesy exploits (e.g. Charm monster on X to achieve Y, spell combos, etc )

Now. Explain how it's used in mundane situations by non-adventurers. Explain how it could impact society.

1. Resurrection Life Insurance: Guild-members of major guilds in big cities are prone to taking ridiculous risks if the stakes are sufficiently high, since the guildmasters take a small part of their cut of every sale to insure members against disease and death. Deep rural citizens might be surprised by the level of risk taken by merchants, artisans and nobles.

Among the young and foolish nobles there is a saying "to not have died once or twice is to not have lived at all"

Another one to help illustrate:

2. Translation: Trading guilds provide merchants with amulets that grant tongues or comprehend languages for a small fee. People not used to traversing big cities are often surprised when a merchants approachs them to sell weird trinkets while speaking their native dialects perfectly.

[Venger]

Automatically resetting create food and water traps in missions to feed the homeless.

[Rijan_Sai]

Are you limiting it to core only? Because at the very least, Continual Flame street lamps are almost a given.

Outside of core, a Warlock 1/Dragonfire Adept 1, (or one of those single-class level 6 with Extra Invocation...) with Draconic Knowledge and All-Seeing Eyes is pretty much the ultimate scholar (+6 on all knowledge checks, which can be made untrained, as well as Comprehend Languages for anything written...)

[Inevitability]

Tenser's Floating Disk is great for heavy lifting, and you can even get it all day for a 500 GP item.

[flappeercraft]

Scholars Touch is perfect to review archives of information which can be used maybe for Hospitals to search for medical records, can be used by Librarians to know about the books in their libraries. Researchers can use it to get information faster and also it can be used to look at government archives. It would also be useful if you have a small timeframe to read something which can be used in undercover missions such as by infiltrators.

[ben-zayb]

Pretty sure Tippyverse has this in spades, mostly due to automatically resetting spell traps for infinite spell uses.

Walls of Stone/Iron are great for construction; Throw in some Stone Shape for good measure. Maybe make them from Shadow Conjuration so that you can choose to pass through by disbelieving.

Regenerate, Reincarnate, and Heal will surely take care of some pesky mortality problems

Programmed Image for entertainment purposes

Sending for telecommunication. Animal Messenger, Telepathic Bond, and Whispering Wind are various other means with differing purposes

permanent Teleportation Circle for transportation

permanent Mage's Magnificent Mansion for residential, commercial, or office space

Animate Objects for basically all mechanical work: brooms clean the house, clothes clean themselves, axe chops wood, etc. Fabricate also works for turning raw materials to product

Alarm for... alarm

Astral Projection for Astral-Reality "MMORPG".

Zone of Truth for interrogation

Instant Summons so you don't need to bag

Plant Growth and Diminish Plants for agricultural purposes.

Speak Animals/Plants/Dead or Stone Tell for gathering info. Commune and Commune with Nature should also work





I could go on and on, but basically most spells that aren't for combat will have great usage

[Ruethgar]

Sanctum War Sculpt Spell Create Element, via any of a few different feats at lvl 1. Create massive walls of stone, and water enough to support a city with a single cast, permanent geothermal heat with the lava version and lava stones to make it normal lava not magic.

Prestidigitation has many well documented uses for bettering everyday life, but note the creation method technically allows for seeds and is not called out as one that dissipates after an hour. Combine with Nurturing Seeds so they don't just die from being frail and you can make a ton of rare plants, whether for crops or for utility like those elemental plants that create fresh air and water.

Anything with the Grass Growth side effect can make great building materials with bamboo. Also can make pretty much any sort of grain for food and is a lot cheaper than Create Food and Water if you place it on say, Create Water. More work of course, but cheaper and can be snagged by anyone with a single feat.

[Segev]

Tenser's Floating Disk is great for heavy lifting, and you can even get it all day for a 500 GP item.
How do you get 500 gp for that? It's a first level spell; base cost for continuous use is 2000 gp, 1800 gp for command-activated. At 1 hour/level duration, it doesn't get modified up or down for duration with the continuous version, either.

[Venger]

How do you get 500 gp for that? It's a first level spell; base cost for continuous use is 2000 gp, 1800 gp for command-activated. At 1 hour/level duration, it doesn't get modified up or down for duration with the continuous version, either.

talisman of the disk. p188 of the mic. 500gp.

[Segev]

talisman of the disk. p188 of the mic. 500gp.

...huh. Just ad hoc priced it real cheap, I guess.

[daremetoidareyo]

Animate dead for people to run in giant hamster wheels connected to turbines to generate electricity

[Segev]

Prestidigitation faucets to clean hands and clothes and really anything. Similar for shakers of an anyflavor condiment.

[Telonius]

I think we could probably eradicate greenhouse gases with the proper use of spells...

Prestidigitation: doing the laundry is a thing of the past. Very environmentally friendly spell; this will save thousands (if not millions) of gallons of water a year.

Endure Elements: No need to heat or cool your home.

Phantom Steed: Who needs cars?

Permanent teleportation circles: mass transit solution for longer trips.

Tenser's Floating Disc: carry your groceries/other heavy loads for you.

Gust of Wind: Automatic turbine power

[Ruethgar]

Wind's Favor would be better than gust for turbine power.

Animate Wood can substitute Wood Shape on the cheap for building. Back to Create Element, Liquid Stone is technically a valid creation for nigh infinite cement/mortar. Technically the water version could also make ice, such as blue ice. But that's really getting into the cheesy side of things.

Boil Water is a good one for cutting down on greenhouse gasses with fireless cooking or machines with steam power. Groundsmoke could also cut down on smoke released from fires when you absolutely must have one. Anything that destroys matter would be great for waste removal.

[Segev]

I think we could probably eradicate greenhouse gases with the proper use of spells...

...locate city bombs to cleanly dispose of every respiring creature in large areas...

CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas, and oxygen-breathing creatures are the primary source of it.

[Venger]

Wind's Favor would be better than gust for turbine power.

Animate Wood can substitute Wood Shape on the cheap for building. Back to Create Element, Liquid Stone is technically a valid creation for nigh infinite cement/mortar. Technically the water version could also make ice, such as blue ice. But that's really getting into the cheesy side of things.

Boil Water is a good one for cutting down on greenhouse gasses with fireless cooking or machines with steam power. Groundsmoke could also cut down on smoke released from fires when you absolutely must have one. Anything that destroys matter would be great for waste removal.

where is boil water from?

[MHCD]

Automatically resetting create food and water traps in missions to feed the homeless.


Prestidigitation faucets to clean hands and clothes and really anything. Similar for shakers of an anyflavor condiment.

These were mentioned independently, but they go so well together.

In muted colors, the sad adult expresses frustrated disappointment with the depressingly boring meal created by the family's create food and water trap.

Are you tired of having to choose between easy, affordable food, and flavor?

"There's got to be a better way..."

Well now there is, with the all new Prestimatic Flavorator! Simply add the Prestimagic Flavorator attachment to any normal create food and water trap, and watch that boring food come to life! Presto! Use Prestimatic Flavotron at home, at the office, or even in your own restaurant. Prestidigious Flavorator also adds fun colors to your food, perfect for kids.

"We love our Prestimagic Colorator!"

And say goodbye to spills and stains with Presticlonic Flavorator's patented LEAST WISH(c) technology. Simply press a button and watch as all your problems go away!

"Clean-up is a breeze with my Presticleano Foodinator."

Order your Prestitastic Fantasiluxe now! Create food and water traps not included, assorted function buttons sold separately.


Does a spell solve a practical problem? Does it make anyone's life easier? Would you want it in real life?

Unseen servant: being low level also grants greater access to the busy and/or lazy masses.

In addition to resurrection life insurance, reincarnation could be available at a discount or to those who want to "start over with something new". There may be overlap in consumer base there from the transhumanist crowd interested in any of the other spells or grafts for continuously renewed or permanent enhancements to themselves. You may as well add spells that create intelligent undead there, too, for those who want a more extreme transformation (to simply continue "living", or for the granted abilities of certain undead).

For the contractors with the capital to make use of fantastical construction methods, the image spells are a huge aid for rendering complex and grand designs.

The image spells are also extremely useful in creating visual representations of anything in addition to entertainment (as in, what else are computer monitors good for?). Are you a magitech mogul wanting to view details regarding your current projects and investments? A king discussing strategy with your generals while viewing live feeds of current combats? A wizard researching advanced magical theory with the aid of a magitech/undead/construct computer? Make use of constructs/undead to process the information to be displayed and activate the spells, arranging it all into the proper format.

[Venger]

These were mentioned independently, but they go so well together.
two great tastes that taste great together, just like D&D and ronco's infomercials (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19553690&postcount=261)

[Ruethgar]

where is boil water from?

Dragon Magazine 302 I think.

[Draco_Lord]

Polymorph and pet shelters. You turn ugly, mangy animals into cute versions of themselves. Now you don't have to worry about the ugly cats from getting put down!

[flappeercraft]

Mage Hand, Telekinesis and Unseen servant could be useful to get the TV remote without standing up. Also Telekinesis could be useful for filming Star Wars movies and such, just make sure to have a Pact of return set up to dying from Telekinesis as a safety precaution.

[Segev]

Mage hand or unseen servant obviates the need for a TV remote. Just turn the knob from your chair, or order your unseen servant to do it for you.

[Venger]

Mage hand or unseen servant obviates the need for a TV remote. Just turn the knob from your chair, or order your unseen servant to do it for you.

you're thinking small. have a magic mouth command the unseen servant.

[Segev]

you're thinking small. have a magic mouth command the unseen servant.

As labor-saving as that might be in theory, in practice you'd still have to trigger the magic mouth somehow, and it can only say one thing when triggered. You aren't getting any less labor than having to speak your commands, personally, out of this.

[flappeercraft]

you're thinking small. have a magic mouth command the unseen servant.

You're thinking also pretty small, have a Mindraped Ice Assassin/Simulacrum whom with you have a Rary's Telepathic bond to command the magic mouth to command the Unseen Servant.

(Now for the serious one)
Although at that point you're better off just having the Ice Assassin/Simulacrum do it himself. Or you could make the TV a permanently animated object with which you have Permanent Rary's telepathic bond.

[Venger]

You're thinking also pretty small, have a Mindraped Ice Assassin/Simulacrum whom with you have a Rary's Telepathic bond to command the magic mouth to command the Unseen Servant.
beautiful


(Now for the serious one)
Although at that point you're better off just having the Ice Assassin/Simulacrum do it himself. Or you could make the TV a permanently animated object with which you have Permanent Rary's telepathic bond.

nope. an animated object doesn't have the requisite int of 3+ specified in rary's telepathic bond (the cutoff for a creature to automatically know a language which, unless specified otherwise, is common)

so awaken it first.

[Braininthejar2]

Awaken security cameras.

Programmed image to replace dead actors in movies.

Alter self for scams.

Reincarnate to prevent aging billionaires from dying of old age.

anti-life shell to make swimming in Australia safe.

energy immunity for volcanologists

[flappeercraft]

Antilife shell to keep the Nopes away

[unseenmage]

...

nope. an animated object doesn't have the requisite int of 3+ specified in rary's telepathic bond (the cutoff for a creature to automatically know a language which, unless specified otherwise, is common)

so awaken it first.
Can't Awaken Construct it unless it is humanoid shaped IIRC.

You CAN however Greater Humanoid Essence it to turn it into a Humanoid just long enough to Telepathic Bond to it.
And it's type change doesnt undo the Telepathic Bond cuz if spells changing a creature's type undid the spell then GHE would cease to function the instant it made the Construct a Humanoid.

Using this method you can telepathically automate/operate every mundane object you desire.

Just drop the requisite spells into some Spellclocks and away we go.

[Venger]

Can't Awaken Construct it unless it is humanoid shaped IIRC.

You CAN however Greater Humanoid Essence it to turn it into a Humanoid just long enough to Telepathic Bond to it.
And it's type change doesnt undo the Telepathic Bond cuz if spells changing a creature's type undid the spell then GHE would cease to function the instant it made the Construct a Humanoid.

Using this method you can telepathically automate/operate every mundane object you desire.

Just drop the requisite spells into some Spellclocks and away we go.

you are correct, but I just assumed everyone had humanoid shaped tvs (https://cdn1.lockerdome.com/uploads/fdfb4e5b8e551c172fa5f4ddee87fc887381792ebbc0a6c423 457f12082f682c_large)

[Ruethgar]

That bit about GHE on everything just made me think of several sci fi stories with the newly created monster begging for death. Also, temporarily changing the TV's shape to humanoid to awaken it before dismissing the shift then your TV starts casting Silent Still Suggestion at will and the TV manufacturer cackles maniacally.

[unseenmage]

That bit about GHE on everything just made me think of several sci fi stories with the newly created monster begging for death. Also, temporarily changing the TV's shape to humanoid to awaken it before dismissing the shift then your TV starts casting Silent Still Suggestion at will and the TV manufacturer cackles maniacally.

Oh dont misunderstand, GHE does not change its shape, just its type.

Yeah, Animate Objects + Eberron stuff gets weird sometimes.

[Coidzor]

Purify Food and Drink would greatly reduce or eliminate inefficiencies from spoilage.


Animate dead for people to run in giant hamster wheels connected to turbines to generate electricity

Haunt Shift to make those turbines self-turning.


Polymorph and pet shelters. You turn ugly, mangy animals into cute versions of themselves. Now you don't have to worry about the ugly cats from getting put down!

Flesh to Stone and Stone to Flesh will also keep them preserved without needing to be fed overnight or when there's too many for a shelter to handle.

[Falcii]

As a student who has too little time to do all my required reading, scholars touch would be godly. Also as a person who trips over words when trying to do presentations or telling stories, silent and minor image spells to display the exact thing I am trying to say would be so nice.

[MHCD]

two great tastes that taste great together, just like D&D and ronco's infomercials (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19553690&postcount=261)

I love it.


You're thinking also pretty small, have a Mindraped Ice Assassin/Simulacrum whom with you have a Rary's Telepathic bond to command the magic mouth to command the Unseen Servant.

(Now for the serious one)
Although at that point you're better off just having the Ice Assassin/Simulacrum do it himself. Or you could make the TV a permanently animated object with which you have Permanent Rary's telepathic bond.


Haunt Shift to make those turbines self-turning.

I think at least for higher level characters/societies or groups with greater capital/investment abilities, these types of things would quickly become ubiquitous. It's simply movement toward a world of "robots", "computers", and "smart devices", only with far fewer limitations. This is starting to remind me of an airship a group of mine once had, whose major functions (including navigation, security, weapons, maintenance, life support, etc.) were all operated by constructs, animated objects, and haunt-shifted undead, all with permanent telepathic bonds and/or A/V spell use for communication with other systems and the relevant crew members.



Flesh to Stone and Stone to Flesh will also keep them preserved without needing to be fed overnight or when there's too many for a shelter to handle.

I have literally never heard that one suggested before. You could do the same with prisoners, people waiting for a crazy cure to a crazy magical ailment, people traveling great distances that cannot be reached through instantaneous methods of travel, to forever preserve the lives of those who do not wish to become undead or reincarnated, or for your nobility to live as statues in the royal courts for some time before accepting the throne.

Here we see Princess Katralla preparing to become a statue for 80 cycles, as is tradition. What a wonderful day for the Breakaway Colonies, and therefore of course, the universe.

[Coidzor]

As a student who has too little time to do all my required reading, scholars touch would be godly. Also as a person who trips over words when trying to do presentations or telling stories, silent and minor image spells to display the exact thing I am trying to say would be so nice.

Even more so, it'd help out teachers because that way at least they could make sure all their students actually did the reading for the day. Line up on their way into class, step on the Scholar's Touch trap, touch the book, take a seat. Nice and tidy.


I have literally never heard that one suggested before. You could do the same with prisoners, people waiting for a crazy cure to a crazy magical ailment, people traveling great distances that cannot be reached through instantaneous methods of travel, to forever preserve the lives of those who do not wish to become undead or reincarnated, or for your nobility to live as statues in the royal courts for some time before accepting the throne.

Here we see Princess Katralla preparing to become a statue for 80 cycles, as is tradition. What a wonderful day for the Breakaway Colonies, and therefore of course, the universe.

Depends on what exactly the purpose of imprisonment is. If it's having everyone that you ever knew dying of old age before you're released, Flesh to Stone imprisonment works great. If it's to rehabilitate people, then they're the same when they get Stone to Fleshed as when they were Flesh to Stoned.

Dead useful for an alternative to cryogenics though, aye, especially if psionics isn't on the table for access to Quintessence.

No idea why you'd want princess statues, though.

[Ruethgar]

No idea why you'd want princess statues, though.

It was a reference to Farscape. In one episode, the king and queen of this one planet get petrified and basically advise through headphone enabled telepathy.

As to the imprisonment, it is a quick way to disable a potentially dangerous prisoner before they get their trial and go to the Mindrape correctional facility.

[Segev]

Yeah, the petrification of prisoners would be more useful for the "detain until trial" version than for the "punish the guilty" version of imprisonment. That said, long enough petrification would still be a punishment, putting the prisoner decades out of time would mean he starts over in a world where his old contacts are old or gone, his old prospects are dried up, and he has to start anew.

Whether that would do much to rehabilitate him in terms of making him fear going back...that's another question.

[Pex]

A brothel suitable for a Paladin - Major Image, Unseen Servant, Mage Hand
High price clientele can afford use of Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion

Simulacrums for when you have to visit the in-laws or maybe attend some event when you really want to go to the game.

Amazing Haunted House rides using Animate Dead, Create Undead, and Animate Objects

Water Breathing for recreational snorkeling.

[MHCD]

Yeah, the petrification of prisoners would be more useful for the "detain until trial" version than for the "punish the guilty" version of imprisonment. That said, long enough petrification would still be a punishment, putting the prisoner decades out of time would mean he starts over in a world where his old contacts are old or gone, his old prospects are dried up, and he has to start anew.

Whether that would do much to rehabilitate him in terms of making him fear going back...that's another question.

I was thinking less "rehabilitation" and more the "detain until trial" you mentioned - but of course it's also a good method of punishment (of the "deterrent" rather than the "rehabilitating" variety) for settings/societies where capital punishment is not a thing. Then again, stone to flesh is perhaps a more effective form of "execution" in a D&D world, as a criminal who is not dead is also not a potential future undead repeat offenders or one wreaking havoc on/from another plane.

And yeah, that was a Farscape reference there, though for that to work, you would need another version of the spell that kept the target conscious and cognizant... which would also make an even worse method of torture/punishment. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AndIMustScream)


A brothel suitable for a Paladin - Major Image, Unseen Servant, Mage Hand
High price clientele can afford use of Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion

And of course, cure disease. BoEF also has magic items and spells relevant there, including ones with a much greater focus on the "practical" issues like health, birth control, and safe pregnancy and delivery.

[Segev]

A brothel suitable for a Paladin - Major Image, Unseen Servant, Mage Hand
High price clientele can afford use of Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion.

This one's questionable; it depends on whether the Paladin's requirement is celibacy or chastity.

[Pex]

This one's questionable; it depends on whether the Paladin's requirement is celibacy or chastity.

Or neither

[barakaka]

In the Eberron book Sharn, City of Towers, there's the Featherfall talisman which is only 50gp, gives you 1 round of it and people use them like parachutes. The bridges tend to have continuous Featherfall effects, and random Wizards are actually paid to cast it on people who fall from the buildings above. Somewhere it even says that there's a lot of failed suicide attempts from a couple of towers.