Your favorite utility cantrip?

[Aaedimus]

Prestitigitation is a crowd favorite, mine is shape water. I've done so much with that spell it's nuts.

Make a trap over a hole in the ground
Cut of vision in a hallway
Freeze an object in a 5x5 block of ice
Carry and distribute flasks of water containing various types of impurities(poison, disease, glow fungus)
Break open locks in a prison
Freeze door to its frame

What's your favorite and why

[viaFAMILIAR]

Mage hand because it's basically a 30' pole. I've unlatched gates, opened chests, tied/untied ropes, retrieving objects. Very versatile.

Minor Illusion has some really neat implications depending on how willing your DM is to play along.

[RossN]

I imagine any entertainer or artist in the average D&D would love to have Light - remember you can choose any colour and the size of object you can cast on is fairly generous. I can also imagine some aristocrat paying to have their robes literally glow golden. :smallcool:

[Willie the Duck]

Move Earth depending on the environments one usually adventures in.

[Asmotherion]

Prestidigitation is basically reverse (power wise) Wish; I love it for the creative stuff I can come up with. I love it for the special effects I can make (shower of sparks etc), that is an especially effective way to say "I am intimidating this guy" without killing them with an other cantrip. Also, lighting campfires with magic; I love doing that stuff XD.

Minor Illusion, same reason. As long as people believe something is real, and act accordingly, you can alter the world indirectly. Low Magic Campain? Have an "Angel" Speak for you. High Magic? "Summon" something powerful/"Create" a powerful magical effect, and make them believe you're much more powerful than you actually are.

Mage Hand comes 3rd for I love telekinesis as an RP power, and it can help me solve riddles. It comes 3rd, for it's overshadowed by Unseen Servant.

Honorary Mention: Eldritch Blast! I know, not an utility cantrip directly, but, applying Repeling and Agonising (when your DM allows you to chose when to apply them) makes your blasts excelent "destroy/repel things on the spot", witch is a great utility ability. Your experiance may differ with them from DM to DM though.

[ImproperJustice]

I will second Mold Earth, aka the Minecraft Cantrip.

Build a fortified camp.
Create Walls and cover.
Remove dirt from artifacts, plaques, and floors when exploring.
Create stairs
Clear vegetation potentially by moving the dirt below.
Undermine Walls or structures
Create a tower

Shape Water is pretty nifty as well.

[Dronedevil]

I'm gonna vouch for one of the most underrated cantrips in the game imo: Mending

Mending is amazing because of everything you can achieve with it. Go to a blacksmith, buy some iron cuffs that have no opening mechanism, then break them. You can now use mending to cuff someone without them being able to get a hold of any key, because there is no key.

Got a cart? Going into a cavern and cant take it with you? Break the axle of the cart. Take a small piece of it with you. Now you've just thief-proofed your cart.

Carrying a lot of important documents? Rip them to shreds. You can use mending to fix it.

Found an important document you wanna look at, but it's sealed? Break the wax, read the letter and seal the wax back up with mending.

Are you afraid of impostors? Take any item and break it up into pieces to distribute between the party. Mending will let you fix back the pieces to see if you really are the party member.

Want to write a super ultra secret message? Take a knife and carve the message into any painted wood surface. Use mending on the paint after carving in the message to hide it. Now all that needs to be done is for the recipient to scratch up the right spot on the wall.

Fond something cool you want in a shop, but it's too pricey for you? Quietly break it and ask if you can buy it for a lower price. Use mending to fix it up later.

Whoops, the barbarian kicked the door in, while you were on a secret mission. Mending will make it so it looks like it was never even touched.

And then the ultimate reward: you can break your party members' stuff, consequence free. Did the bard roll another 3 on his performance check? Snap his flute. You can always fix it later.



Also, shutouts to Message. This cantrip is amazing. You can make anyone think they're crazy. Have some downtime? Why not be the voice in someones head for a couple of hours.

If i can, i always go for the four M's
Mage hand
Minor Illusion
Mending
Message

[Mikal]

I’m going with guidance. Make yourself up to 25% more efficient at nearly anything you want. Literally make yourself a better you.

[R.Shackleford]

Prestidigitation is basically reverse (power wise) Wish; I love it for the creative stuff I can come up with. I love it for the special effects I can make (shower of sparks etc), that is an especially effective way to say "I am intimidating this guy" without killing them with an other cantrip. Also, lighting campfires with magic; I love doing that stuff XD.

Minor Illusion, same reason. As long as people believe something is real, and act accordingly, you can alter the world indirectly. Low Magic Campain? Have an "Angel" Speak for you. High Magic? "Summon" something powerful/"Create" a powerful magical effect, and make them believe you're much more powerful than you actually are.

Mage Hand comes 3rd for I love telekinesis as an RP power, and it can help me solve riddles. It comes 3rd, for it's overshadowed by Unseen Servant.

Honorary Mention: Eldritch Blast! I know, not an utility cantrip directly, but, applying Repeling and Agonising (when your DM allows you to chose when to apply them) makes your blasts excelent "destroy/repel things on the spot", witch is a great utility ability. Your experiance may differ with them from DM to DM though.

Eldritch blast only works on creatures.

I wouldn't classify an attack Cantrips as utility, especially since the utility comes from other class features and not the cantrip.

[Dronedevil]

I’m going with guidance. Make yourself up to 25% more efficient at nearly anything you want. Literally make yourself a better you.

Advantage gives an average increase of 3,32
Guidance gives an average increase of 2,50
So Guidance is only 0,82 away from being free advantage on all your checks.
Plus that increase can stack with advantage.
Guidance is busted good.

[Ogre Mage]

Mage Hand.

[Mikal]

Advantage gives an average increase of 3,32
Guidance gives an average increase of 2,50
So Guidance is only 0,82 away from being free advantage on all your checks.
Plus that increase can stack with advantage.
Guidance is busted good.

Right? I mean you can either be flashy with prestigation... or just better in nearly every way.

[viaFAMILIAR]

Right? I mean you can either be flashy with prestigation... or just better in nearly every way.

At this point take guidance and thaumaturgy

[AHF]

I'm gonna vouch for one of the most underrated cantrips in the game imo: Mending

Mending is amazing because of everything you can achieve with it. Go to a blacksmith, buy some iron cuffs that have no opening mechanism, then break them. You can now use mending to cuff someone without them being able to get a hold of any key, because there is no key.

Got a cart? Going into a cavern and cant take it with you? Break the axle of the cart. Take a small piece of it with you. Now you've just thief-proofed your cart.

Carrying a lot of important documents? Rip them to shreds. You can use mending to fix it.

Found an important document you wanna look at, but it's sealed? Break the wax, read the letter and seal the wax back up with mending.

Are you afraid of impostors? Take any item and break it up into pieces to distribute between the party. Mending will let you fix back the pieces to see if you really are the party member.

Want to write a super ultra secret message? Take a knife and carve the message into any painted wood surface. Use mending on the paint after carving in the message to hide it. Now all that needs to be done is for the recipient to scratch up the right spot on the wall.

Fond something cool you want in a shop, but it's too pricey for you? Quietly break it and ask if you can buy it for a lower price. Use mending to fix it up later.

Whoops, the barbarian kicked the door in, while you were on a secret mission. Mending will make it so it looks like it was never even touched.

And then the ultimate reward: you can break your party members' stuff, consequence free. Did the bard roll another 3 on his performance check? Snap his flute. You can always fix it later.



Also, shutouts to Message. This cantrip is amazing. You can make anyone think they're crazy. Have some downtime? Why not be the voice in someones head for a couple of hours.

If i can, i always go for the four M's
Mage hand
Minor Illusion
Mending
Message

Nice pitch for mending! I think you’ve convinced me to burn a slot on it.

[R.Shackleford]

Oh, I forgot to actually answer the OP...


Dancing Lights: I don't know if people know about a part of dancing lights.

RANGE: 120'
BONUS ACTION MOVE: 60'

"You create up to four torch-sized lights within range, making them appear as torches, lanterns, or glowing orbs that hover in the air for the duration.
You can also combine the four lights into one glowing vaguely humanoid form of Medium size. Whichever form you choose, each light sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius.

As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the lights up to 60 feet to a new spot within range. A light must be within 20 feet of another light created by this spell, and a light winks out if it exceeds the spell’s range. "

You get a glowing, vaguely humanoid, light to move around with a bonus action.

I'm sorry, but that's insanely useful! Dancing lights used to be "hey, hit me" to a potent distraction!

Combine this with a way to make spoopy ghost sounds and you have a ghost that can scare random mooks.

Use this to make creatures think that your party is somewhere else, while you guys and gals sneak around the back side. The fact that you can move them as a bonus action means you can really sell it.

You could use the lantern version to make it seem like the group is around the corner (your party can see around the corner) so that when guards go to check it out... You sneak on by.

Dancing Lights only makes dim light, so even if you are in the light, creatures will have disadvantage to see you (unlike with Light). Which btw, creatures with darkvision see in the dark as if it's dim light so they have disadvantage in the dark when it comes to perception and such.

Dancing Lights is amazingly awesome.

If you have darkvision, and your ally does not, you can at least allow your allies to target hiding creatures in the dark without guessing where the target is. Hiding in the dark ain't going to work unless it's magical darkness.

Send the dancing lights 120' up in the air. One ball if by land, two balls if by sea, three balls if by air, and vaguely humanoid form if it's a trap! You could even do a code with three dots... Triangle means something, vertical line means another thing, and horizontal lines mean another. Actually, at night, if enough players have this you could send worded messages, really slowly, a poor man's skywrite.

Dancing Lights is amazingly awesome, did I say that yet?

[Tanarii]

Message. 120ft communication through walls and floors, provided they aren't too thick. Great for communicating with a scout (and vice versa).

Light. Highly useful in any dungeon adventure.

Mage Hand is popular with my players for opening chests etc, and lighter doors, at a distance. Or other things eu can manipulate that they suspect might trigger some kind of trap.

Minor Illusion is fairly useful even if your DM is somewhat strict on what constitutes an "object".

Personally I find Prestidigitation overrated.

[Arkhios]

Thunderclap.



...what do you mean it's not an utility cantrip? :smalltongue: It creates a loud noise, and could be used as a leverage on intimidation efforts

[etrpgb]

Prestitigitation is a crowd favorite, mine is shape water. I've done so much with that spell it's nuts.
Break open locks in a prison


I read this one few times but I never understood it, since we are outside RAW I guess it is a matter of opinions but as I see it what would happen is "Break open locks in a prison" why in the hell the lock should open? It is made of metal and it would just bend a bit and probably become unusable. Without even starting with how you fill the lock with liquid water in the first place...



Anyhow, about the question: Minor Illusion and Mage Hand. Creative uses and easy telekinesis.

[Amdy_vill]

gust, shape water, mold earth, and control fire. i like these as i play at a more role play focused tables so i can exploit these more than others. my favorite use of these was when i light my wagons wheels on fire and when racing throughout the town gusting people out of the way breathing fire. We almost got arrested but it was worth it.

[Rixitichil]

Control Flame.
Doubling the distance your lantern reaches is no small feat. The fire fighting and image creation has been useful too.

[Crgaston]

Control Flame.
Doubling the distance your lantern reaches is no small feat. The fire fighting and image creation has been useful too.

This. Also dousing an enemy torch or campfire or to spread fire. Super niche, but my Gloomstalker has used it a few times now to proc his Invisible-to-Darkvision feature, and once to block the path of some ooze monster.

[R.Shackleford]

Thunderclap.



...what do you mean it's not an utility cantrip? :smalltongue: It creates a loud noise, and could be used as a leverage on intimidation efforts



Dun nah nah nah nahnah... thunder *thunderclap*

Dun nah nah nah nahnah... thunder *thunderclap*

You've been.... Thunderstruck

[Aaedimus]

Than you use thunderwave and blow them away with your performance

[Aaedimus]

I read this one few times but I never understood it, since we are outside RAW I guess it is a matter of opinions but as I see it what would happen is "Break open locks in a prison" why in the hell the lock should open? It is made of metal and it would just bend a bit and probably become unusable. Without even starting with how you fill the lock with liquid water in the first place...



Anyhow, about the question: Minor Illusion and Mage Hand. Creative uses and easy telekinesis.

I think a D&D mythbusters would be a freaking awesome idea for a YouTube channel lol

"Ice expands yes, but to what extent would you need it to expand to break a lock/door, and could this work???"

We didn't use it on the jail cells btw it was on the next door

[Xetheral]

Mold Earth can make instant fox holes for full cover. Remember than in a ranged combat the side with better available cover has a huge advantage. This only works if there is sufficient soil above the clay/rock, but if your party spends a lot of time near villages and farms that should be pretty common.

Also, remember that Mending can only fix a single (<1') break or tear, which sharply reduces it's usefulness. Be sure to check with your DM whether the target of the spell is a break/tear itself or the broken/torn object. If it's the former, you can slowly repair more complicated damage. If it's the latter, you may find very few damaged objects that only have a single break/tear.

[Beckett]

I'm gonna vouch for one of the most underrated cantrips in the game imo: Mending

Mending is amazing because of everything you can achieve with it.

I like Mending, but that 10 minute casting time really kills a lot of its possible utility in many cases you might really want to use it.

In prior editions, it was suggested it could be a very good inspector-style spell as well, recreating torn notes or maps, or scraps of cloth to help discover clues at crime scenes. Personally I thought that was a bit too much for the spell, (mending a torn note rather than the blank paper), but I don't know. Its iffy.

[Jophiel]

Be sure to check with your DM whether the target of the spell is a break/tear itself or the broken/torn object. If it's the former, you can slowly repair more complicated damage. If it's the latter, you may find very few damaged objects that only have a single break/tear.
As written, you pick an object and repair a <1' break or tear, so you can presumably keep repairing the same object over and over.

One of the official modules suggests repairing a large broken object with repeated uses of Mending a broken gate in Horde of the Dragon Queen so I'd say the intent is you can repair complicated damage provided the damage is limited to breaks/tears and not melting, bending, corrosion, burning, etc.

[Xetheral]

As written, you pick an object and repair a <1' break or tear, so you can presumably keep repairing the same object over and over.

One of the official modules suggests repairing a large broken object with repeated uses of Mending a broken gate in Horde of the Dragon Queen so I'd say the intent is you can repair complicated damage provided the damage is limited to breaks/tears and not melting, bending, corrosion, burning, etc.

That's a useful example to know! Thanks! Unfortunately I've seen it ruled that the spell simply repairs an object with no more than 1 break or tear of no more than 1 foot. So at those tables, anything with two or more breaks or tears can't be repaired with Mending. So asking one's DM in advance is a good idea.

[MaxWilson]

Mending is amazing because of everything you can achieve with it. Go to a blacksmith, buy some iron cuffs that have no opening mechanism, then break them. You can now use mending to cuff someone without them being able to get a hold of any key, because there is no key.

But it takes a full minute to cast Mending, not just an action.

I'm split between Prestidigitation (because I like not being dirty or cold) and Mold Earth (because earthworks!). For warrior-type characters I'd pick Mold Earth; for pampered civilians and scholars I'd prioritize Prestidigitation. Ideally I'd take both.

Minor Illusion would be cool if you could create illusionary objects that you could pick up and manipulate, but as I read the spell you cannot, so it's really quite limited and hard to use well. Illusionary doors/walls to conceal yourself behind, illusionary floors to cover pit traps, illusionary bushes to hide in, stuff like that. But no illusionary passports, illusionary weapons, illusionary monsters, illusionary beards, illusionary potions (that you can pretend to drink), or illusionary money.

[Beckett]

So odd. I'd swear my book said 10 mins, but just checked an app and it says 1 min. Have to look when I get home, but even 1 min can really hinder Mending's utility a bit.

[MaxWilson]

So odd. I'd swear my book said 10 mins, but just checked an app and it says 1 min. Have to look when I get home, but even 1 min can really hinder Mending's utility a bit.

Apps are sometimes wrong and I'm AFB, but my memory tells me that it is 1 minute in the PHB.

[GlenSmash!]

Awesome thread. I've been thinking of making an EK that uses all his spells for utility. This is giving me great ideas.


This. Also dousing an enemy torch or campfire or to spread fire. Super niche, but my Gloomstalker has used it a few times now to proc his Invisible-to-Darkvision feature, and once to block the path of some ooze monster.

That's some straight up Geralt of Rivia stuff right there. Dowse flames and show them who the real predator is.

[Maelynn]

Apps are sometimes wrong and I'm AFB, but my memory tells me that it is 1 minute in the PHB.

I've got the book here, it does say 1 minute.


As for cantrips, in my party we found Vicious Mockery to be quite useful thanks to the disadvantage it gives. The average monster doesn't have a good Wisdom score, so there's plenty of chance it fails its save.

Also, Presidigitation may have many uses, but in both my parties it has been reduced to a cleaning spell. And it gets used often.

[Willie the Duck]

But it takes a full minute to cast Mending, not just an action.
...
Minor Illusion would be cool if you could create illusionary objects that you could pick up and manipulate, but as I read the spell you cannot, so it's really quite limited and hard to use well.

A lot of the examples people have used require a bit of DM leeway to work as described. Minor illusion creates static objects of limited size. Mending takes great time and only effects objects which are up to 5 pounds (then you get into questions of is a 5 lb gear in a 100 lb clock an object or a component, etc.). Many attack cantrips can't effect non-creatures (of course making them great ways to detect mimics if the DM lets you). Guidance and the implied but ill defined issues it has with stealth and social skills. Mage Hand can carry 10 pounds, or flip levels, but how much can it push? Etc. Etc.

[Asmotherion]

Eldritch blast only works on creatures.

I wouldn't classify an attack Cantrips as utility, especially since the utility comes from other class features and not the cantrip.

I would swear there's a rule somewere that says that things that target creatures are meant to deal half damage to objects. Either way, use your logic. How would the physics of a magical exploding ray interact with the environment?

It's a cool thing to use now and then. Not meant to do more than what a big rock thrown would do, but I appreciate the aesthetics of the thing.

[Arkhios]

I would swear there's a rule somewere that says that things that target creatures are meant to deal half damage to objects. Either way, use your logic. How would the physics of a magical exploding ray interact with the environment?

It's a cool thing to use now and then. Not meant to do more than what a big rock thrown would do, but I appreciate the aesthetics of the thing.

could be in some other edition, or a house rule in one of your games you've been involved with, but I don't recall a rule like that from 5e. Unless it's a variant from DMG, as I haven't used all of them.

[Jophiel]

A lot of the examples people have used require a bit of DM leeway to work as described. Minor illusion creates static objects of limited size. Mending takes great time and only effects objects which are up to 5 pounds (then you get into questions of is a 5 lb gear in a 100 lb clock an object or a component, etc.).
I don't think Mending (https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Mending#content) has an object size restriction, just a 'break' size restriction.

[R.Shackleford]

I would swear there's a rule somewere that says that things that target creatures are meant to deal half damage to objects. Either way, use your logic. How would the physics of a magical exploding ray interact with the environment?

It's a cool thing to use now and then. Not meant to do more than what a big rock thrown would do, but I appreciate the aesthetics of the thing.

Logic: The magic with Eldritch Blast needs a creature to lock on.

Doesn't matter why, the rules are what they are. You can houserule it, that's fine, but Eldritch has enough goong for it that it doesn't really need another buff.


https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/08/07/eldritch-blast-cant-cast-on-objects-how-do-you-justify-this-with-flavour/

[Akolyte01]

I'm gonna vouch for one of the most underrated cantrips in the game imo: Mending

Mending is amazing because of everything you can achieve with it. Go to a blacksmith, buy some iron cuffs that have no opening mechanism, then break them. You can now use mending to cuff someone without them being able to get a hold of any key, because there is no key.

Got a cart? Going into a cavern and cant take it with you? Break the axle of the cart. Take a small piece of it with you. Now you've just thief-proofed your cart.

Carrying a lot of important documents? Rip them to shreds. You can use mending to fix it.

Found an important document you wanna look at, but it's sealed? Break the wax, read the letter and seal the wax back up with mending.

Are you afraid of impostors? Take any item and break it up into pieces to distribute between the party. Mending will let you fix back the pieces to see if you really are the party member.

Want to write a super ultra secret message? Take a knife and carve the message into any painted wood surface. Use mending on the paint after carving in the message to hide it. Now all that needs to be done is for the recipient to scratch up the right spot on the wall.

Fond something cool you want in a shop, but it's too pricey for you? Quietly break it and ask if you can buy it for a lower price. Use mending to fix it up later.

Whoops, the barbarian kicked the door in, while you were on a secret mission. Mending will make it so it looks like it was never even touched.

And then the ultimate reward: you can break your party members' stuff, consequence free. Did the bard roll another 3 on his performance check? Snap his flute. You can always fix it later.



Also, shutouts to Message. This cantrip is amazing. You can make anyone think they're crazy. Have some downtime? Why not be the voice in someones head for a couple of hours.

If i can, i always go for the four M's
Mage hand
Minor Illusion
Mending
Message

Very creative ideas!

[BoxANT]

SHAPE WATER:
climb a wall using ice hand grips that you create as you go.
Store water (as ice) for trips.
Check for invisible objects by moving a thin wall of colored water around the room.
coat the outer surface of a shield with ice for superior sledding.
create an opaque ice wall (make it look like stone) for cover.
create a 5x5' ice cube for makeshift raft, freeze your ankles in it for added stability.
-use it as a makeshift tugboat, use shapewater to push it into a larger boat to move it.
open locks by filling mechanism with water, then freezing it (expansion).
move large objects (ie. boulder) by putting water under, then freezing to expand.
snow ball fight? ezclap
ice weapons (club, dagger, etc), but DM dependent
urine purification... for survival

[Asmotherion]

could be in some other edition, or a house rule in one of your games you've been involved with, but I don't recall a rule like that from 5e. Unless it's a variant from DMG, as I haven't used all of them.

Now that you mention it, it is highly likely I remember that one from 3.5. XD

Still, I find it logical that the interaction between a magical force and an object would be the same as that of a thrown rock for example and an object. There is no reason to think otherwise, other than the wording of the spell, and it can be interpreated both ways in my oppinion.

Houserule or not (for the sake of not starting an arguement, I'll go with houserule), I believe it's a popular one, used on many tables who think alike, and that's why I think it's fair to include repeling eldritch blast as a very good utility cantrip, even if it's not directly one :P

[ClearlyTough69]

Make yourself up to 25% more efficient at nearly anything you want.

That should be 20% more effective. The four on a d4 is 20% of 20.

[JakOfAllTirades]

I'm on board with Message. Aside from messing with peoples' heads (Which no character of mine would ever do! Yeah, right... wait, where was I going with this? Oh yeah.) Message has turned a number of potentially disastrous role-playing situations into big wins for our group. A little silent communication can go a long way when someone isn't sure what to say, or if there's something they don't know and telling them openly would be... problematic. Message solves these sorts of problems and many others without any fuss.

And it's an awesome way to mess with peoples' heads, if anyone would be inclined to do that. Which I'm totally not, of course. (Yeah, right...)

[Pharaon]

That should be 20% more effective. The four on a d4 is 20% of 20.

It's actually 23.81%. Average roll on a d4 is 2.5; average roll on a d20 is 10.5.

[Lucas Yew]

Prestidigitation (and its cousins). It helps my character easily prove that they are a member of the respective spellcaster class.
And it can make a bland medieval meal taste like a 3-star Michelin steak course. A must for a gourmet adventurer.

Then again, that long explanation for Mending elevated it up to a close second, bypassing my original choice for that position, Minor Illusion...