RickAllison
2019-08-22, 12:39 AM
I'm looking at crafting a wand while I won't be available for a session (Artillerist), but it comes down to finding a cantrip which is useful without being spammed, definitely doesn't rely on a saving throw, and probably doesn't rely on an attack roll either. It's going to be stuck with charges and low-level stats by the nature of being a wand, and I figure there must be a few cantrips which could be useful. My early list:
Non-scaling cantrips:
Blade Ward: Resistance to weapon damage for a round as an action; usually too situational compared to just using Dodge or something, it could maybe be a useful wand for a low-AC squishy.
Control Flames/Gust/Mold Earth/Shape Water: I feel like these are less useful when you can't repeatedly cast them, but they do offer some interesting options.
Dancing Lights: These could be interesting to use as cheap, but reusable signal devices. A bonus is that, because you by default don't have components to worry about with magic items, this means you can laze a target for your party silently.
Druidcraft/Prestidigitation/Thaumaturgy: These are kind of cool; I'm not sure if they'd be my first choice, but they could be fun to keep in my back pocket.
Encode Thoughts: Let's be real, this is pretty much the Pensieve thing from Harry Potter at this point. Better when you could have several of these.
Friends: Has some utility, especially since it loses the components so it becomes difficult to detect the casting.
Guidance: Loses the ability to spam it, but toss it to your roguish companion and they can use its bonus from far away and silently.
Light: On the one hand, this seems like massive overkill. On the other, light is always useful, and it can't hurt to make sure your fighter or barbarian without darkvision has access to it. 3/5 of the party has darkvision, and the cleric has this.
Mage Hand: I could see it being useful.
Mending: I wouldn't bother with this, but some groups could use it. Have it for personal use already
Message: A wand in your pocket and now you have (limited) silent communication with anyone within range. Another good one to hand to a rogue.
Minor Illusion: Still good!!
Resistance: Like Blade Ward, this is a spell that might actually be more useful here than as a dedicated cantrip. Good for buffing when you know danger is coming, and it's not like the Fighter is using concentration anyway.
Spare the Dying: Could be useful to stabilize the cleric, I suppose
True Strike: Build the wand into your gunslinger's pistol holster so when he is sizing up his opponent before high noon, he can get advantage on his dueling attack.
Scaling, but potentially useful:
Chill Touch: If you can hit, shut down healing for a turn. I just don't see this coming up enough.
Create Bonfire/Fire Bolt/Produce Flame: Light stuff on fire. Fire Bolt is already my primary cantrip
Lightning Lure/Thorn Whip: To quote Scorpion, "Get over here!" Don't have anything to capitalize on this.
Shocking Grasp: Remove reactions, especially on someone with Counterspell!
Sword Burst/Thunderclap: Sword Burst is ehhhhhh, but Thunderclap could be useful for getting swarmed.
I'm not sure how Shillelagh and Magic Stone would work with this, so I'm just avoiding them. What do you all think?
EDIT: Knocked a few off the list, based on what we have in the party already. A Life Cleric, a Swashbuckler, a GOOlock, and a barbarian in addition to the artificer.
Non-scaling cantrips:
Blade Ward: Resistance to weapon damage for a round as an action; usually too situational compared to just using Dodge or something, it could maybe be a useful wand for a low-AC squishy.
Control Flames/Gust/Mold Earth/Shape Water: I feel like these are less useful when you can't repeatedly cast them, but they do offer some interesting options.
Dancing Lights: These could be interesting to use as cheap, but reusable signal devices. A bonus is that, because you by default don't have components to worry about with magic items, this means you can laze a target for your party silently.
Druidcraft/Prestidigitation/Thaumaturgy: These are kind of cool; I'm not sure if they'd be my first choice, but they could be fun to keep in my back pocket.
Encode Thoughts: Let's be real, this is pretty much the Pensieve thing from Harry Potter at this point. Better when you could have several of these.
Friends: Has some utility, especially since it loses the components so it becomes difficult to detect the casting.
Guidance: Loses the ability to spam it, but toss it to your roguish companion and they can use its bonus from far away and silently.
Light: On the one hand, this seems like massive overkill. On the other, light is always useful, and it can't hurt to make sure your fighter or barbarian without darkvision has access to it. 3/5 of the party has darkvision, and the cleric has this.
Mage Hand: I could see it being useful.
Mending: I wouldn't bother with this, but some groups could use it. Have it for personal use already
Message: A wand in your pocket and now you have (limited) silent communication with anyone within range. Another good one to hand to a rogue.
Minor Illusion: Still good!!
Resistance: Like Blade Ward, this is a spell that might actually be more useful here than as a dedicated cantrip. Good for buffing when you know danger is coming, and it's not like the Fighter is using concentration anyway.
Spare the Dying: Could be useful to stabilize the cleric, I suppose
True Strike: Build the wand into your gunslinger's pistol holster so when he is sizing up his opponent before high noon, he can get advantage on his dueling attack.
Scaling, but potentially useful:
Chill Touch: If you can hit, shut down healing for a turn. I just don't see this coming up enough.
Create Bonfire/Fire Bolt/Produce Flame: Light stuff on fire. Fire Bolt is already my primary cantrip
Lightning Lure/Thorn Whip: To quote Scorpion, "Get over here!" Don't have anything to capitalize on this.
Shocking Grasp: Remove reactions, especially on someone with Counterspell!
Sword Burst/Thunderclap: Sword Burst is ehhhhhh, but Thunderclap could be useful for getting swarmed.
I'm not sure how Shillelagh and Magic Stone would work with this, so I'm just avoiding them. What do you all think?
EDIT: Knocked a few off the list, based on what we have in the party already. A Life Cleric, a Swashbuckler, a GOOlock, and a barbarian in addition to the artificer.