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View Full Version : Cantrips: never under estimate the uses of a low level spell



Bierhoff
2008-11-03, 11:30 PM
So what are your best stories of using 0-level spells?

The other day my level 8 gnome and a couple buddies ran into some rather rude salamanders. We tried to ask them for directions, but their leader just spat boiling saliva at us. Not to be out done my gnome spat back, casting create water. Needless to say, a wee gnome spitting several gallons of water dampened that lizard's spirits.

monty
2008-11-03, 11:36 PM
Prestidigitation. Best spell ever.

Rei_Jin
2008-11-03, 11:38 PM
Prestidigitation. Best spell ever.

Seconded, definitely.

I've used it many, many times for such a vast and differing array of purposes that it sometimes makes my head spin.



Example: A chef takes 1 level in Prestidigitation, and is now known throughout the country for the quality of his food. All it takes is a touch of Prestidigitation, and it can taste like whatever you like!

Mr.Bookworm
2008-11-03, 11:41 PM
Thirded.

Prestidigitation is only limited by your imagination and your DM's willingness to play along.

Ganurath
2008-11-03, 11:54 PM
I cast Create Water to drown a charging dwarf in his full plate.

...Okay, so the water spewing out stunned him long enough for the barbarian to finish it, but still.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-11-03, 11:56 PM
Caltrops(SC). Not actually for it's own use, but because Cloudy Conjuration makes the person you cast it on Sickened(no Save). Great at low levels.

mabriss lethe
2008-11-04, 12:01 AM
I was playing a bard and we were facing off against a LBEG and his cronies, it wasn't going well for us. lots of bad luck. I was pretty spent. I'd lost my sword and was down to just a few cantrip slots left, but it was just us and the littlebad. He was getting ready to finish off our cleric. My bard yelled really loud and intoned a bunch of gibberish as I cast prestidigitation to conjure up some sparks and flashing lights between my hands. Thankfully the cleric lasted another round and by then I was the villain's sole focus of attention, so I dismissed the prestidigitation and cast Dancing Lights, (willing it into a humanoid form.) while yelling. "go forth my minion! Destroy him!" The humanoid shaped light then closed on the LBEG and he wasted a precious few rounds figuring out what was going on, allowing us to regroup and finish him off

Animefunkmaster
2008-11-04, 12:04 AM
Caltrops(SC). Not actually for it's own use, but because Cloudy Conjuration makes the person you cast it on Sickened(no Save). Great at low levels.

and somehow I thought I was the only one who used this. Not to mention that the caltrops spell is better than normal caltrops, can cover more space, and can work as a nice battlefield control when combined with other move impeding spells (grease/entangle)

Ascension
2008-11-04, 12:56 AM
I once heard of a game in which a wizard kept using Mage Hand (at a fairly high caster level so he had reasonable reach) to unload the ballistas on an enemy ship they were fighting. The DM ruled that whenever the crew didn't have the bolt in hand it was unattended, so every time they finished loading the weapons the wizard would unload them.

Prestidigitation still wins, though.

arguskos
2008-11-04, 12:58 AM
I've used Mage Hand to cut someone's throat over time, by grabbing a serrated knife, and dragging it back and forth other a captive's throat.

-argus

Bayar
2008-11-04, 01:06 AM
Fel drain Sonic snap. Give 1 negative level to anything, no save at level 1.

Cathaidan
2008-11-04, 01:40 AM
Ray of Frost, that dinky little 1D3 of cold damage spell.

I played in a game where we were supposed to be the old mythology dieties reborn. We all had cantrips for days. We trapped an Adult Blue Dragon so he couldn't get away and then killed him using about 30 castings of Ray of Frost.

Ganurath
2008-11-04, 01:40 AM
Fel drain Sonic snap. Give 1 negative level to anything, no save at level 1.Buh?! Details, details?

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-11-04, 01:50 AM
Buh?! Details, details?Fell Drain is Metamagic that adds a negative level to any damaging spell(though it's a +2 meta so it doesn't work at level 1).

Talic
2008-11-04, 01:54 AM
There are feats you can take to lower metamagic cost. I can get a fel-drain magic missile at level 1.

One of my favorites is launch bolt. On colossal bolts.

monty
2008-11-04, 02:09 AM
Fell Drain, Easy Metamagic, Arcane Thesis. Requires two flaws, or one flaw and human. You can do it on a cantrip as a human without flaws, though.

Lazy Zomb
2008-11-04, 02:17 AM
Roy of Frost, cast onto the swordsage/shadow sun ninja in our group. Some stance or class ability that absorbs cold damage, then releases a fireburst as a swift action. 1d3 damage turns into several d6's of damage.

Of course, still would have given it up for my prestidigitation - can't have the familiar getting all mucky and having to clean it up MYSELF.

goram.browncoat
2008-11-04, 04:37 AM
any damaging cantrip with an attack roll can become nasty with judicious application of sneak attack dice. (UMD rogues should always have a ray of frost wand handy for when physical damage just doesnt cut it. rogishes should always keep one handy for when they run out of spells/options)

and offcourse, as has already been mentioned alot, prestidigitation is made of epic win.

ive always found detect magic to be quite handy as well

Talic
2008-11-04, 04:50 AM
Fell Drain, Easy Metamagic, Arcane Thesis. Requires two flaws, or one flaw and human. You can do it on a cantrip as a human without flaws, though.

I used MoI's Shadow Metamagic feat, that allows you to invest essentia to get a free metamagic.

Guinea Anubis
2008-11-04, 06:25 AM
Prestidigitation is an epic spell

I my self also like Light, I have used that spell for many things. Cast it on a rock and put said rock in a tube and you now have a flashlight. Cast it on an enemies weapon and know where he is at.

Blackfang108
2008-11-04, 10:02 AM
Chain Spelled Ray of Frost.

It actually worked, too.

Burley
2008-11-04, 10:26 AM
Roy of Frost, cast onto the swordsage/shadow sun ninja in our group. Some stance or class ability that absorbs cold damage, then releases a fireburst as a swift action. 1d3 damage turns into several d6's of damage.

All I imagined was somebody firing a ice cube with :roy: stuck inside.

Epinephrine
2008-11-04, 10:38 AM
Mending, for circumstance bonuses to various social checks? Nearly everyone has something broken lying around in their house, and repairing things for people (especially if they are poor peasant types) makes for a good impression.

Since ceramic objects can be mended from multiple breaks, one can have fun hiding something inside a ceramic vase, etc, that wouldn't pass through the neck. Good for practical jokes - bust the vase, stick something way too big for the neck in it, cast mending.

Duke of URL
2008-11-04, 10:42 AM
Perform (disco) + dancing lights.

'Nuff said.

Blackfang108
2008-11-04, 10:45 AM
Perform (disco) + dancing lights.

'Nuff said.

You forgot Ghost Sound.

EDIT: Thinking of that:

Playing Dragonforce while flying to the rescue.

At concert Volume.

Duke of URL
2008-11-04, 10:49 AM
You forgot Ghost Sound.

It's not technically necessary, but admittedly very useful for remixing.

Roderick_BR
2008-11-04, 11:18 AM
Prestidigitation. Best spell ever.
Used to make yourself glow, making the eyes flash (just enough to look scary) while yelling like a madman, and threatening to explode a ship's worth of powder with your fireballs, makes wonders to intimidate a prisioner. :smallbiggrin:
My friend, the fighter, was playing the "good cop" :smalltongue:

This other time was my friend playing a sorcerer, and hitting a guard with ray of frost at point blank(not the feat) straight into the eyes. He also used a True Strike too, but he rolled a natural 20 anyway.

And please, don't mention making a medieval fantasy disco party... It reminds me of the "Adventures of Young Hercules" serie... (yes, they did make a disco party with a magic lyre, including the mirror globe, stroboscope light, and playing rock on the lyre) :smallsigh:

Duke of URL
2008-11-04, 11:23 AM
And please, don't mention making a medieval fantasy disco party... It reminds me of the "Adventures of Young Hercules" serie... (yes, they did make a disco party with a magic lyre, including the mirror globe, stroboscope light, and playing rock on the lyre) :smallsigh:

Sorry, it's still too close to Halloween, and I'm in the "if I can give just one person a nightmare, then my work here is done" mode.

BRC
2008-11-04, 02:04 PM
Prestidignation is a great spell for any sort of formal occasion, "Soiling" your enemies clothing.
It's also great for making people think they are going insane, as their hands get dirty every time they clean them.

monty
2008-11-04, 02:12 PM
Prestidignation is a great spell for any sort of formal occasion, "Soiling" your enemies clothing.
It's also great for making people think they are going insane, as their hands get dirty every time they clean them.

Macbeth! Wait, it's okay to say that here, right?

BRC
2008-11-04, 02:13 PM
Macbeth! Wait, it's okay to say that here, right?
yeah, unless your posting it in the PbP or Town subforums.

Fax Celestis
2008-11-04, 02:14 PM
Macbeth! Wait, it's okay to say that here, right?

We still prefer "The Scottish Play". Especially after that Eberron reenactment incident.

Nothing like a drow priestess saying, "OUT OUT DAMNED SPOT" with her manslave saying, "WTF is with you? And why did I just shank that dude? Ah well, time to kill EVERYBODY."

Ascension
2008-11-04, 02:42 PM
The one use of prestidigitation I will never forget is when we, on the second run through a dungeon the rest of the party had retreated from before I joined them, found out that their failure to complete the dungeon the first time around had resulted in a baby dragon (one of the good varieties) being tortured to death in the dungeon of the dungeon. It was a sad and touching scene as the other characters realized what their cowardice had wrought... and Giacomo, my sorcerer, not sharing their guilt, said something along the lines of "Oh, so sad... would this cheer you up?" and turned the cage the dragon had been sealed in bright pink.

We buried him in that bright pink cage, though the spell of course wore off not long after we put him in the ground.

Ivius
2008-11-04, 03:45 PM
I once used Prestidigitation to make a mirror crack when an NPC looked at it :smallamused:.

Triaxx
2008-11-04, 06:57 PM
Mage Hand + Trapped Door. Knocking on the inside and hearing the DM scream crossbow in his shrill orc voice never gets old. Especially when he describes the wounded orc staggering away from the door. Even more so when the door closes slowly behind them. Which causes them to charge back in and break it down, causing it to explode.

Fiery Diamond
2008-11-04, 07:19 PM
Aw, how has no one mentioned Message? Seriously awesome spell. I was doing a 1 player, 1 DM game where I was the player and I was a sorcerer. 'Twas awesome. I had to sneak into the "police stations", which were old police stations now managed by former military thugs in a country with almost no government left except an anti-mage group pulling strings for the thugs. Each station was manned by only two people. I would step far enough away to that I wouldn't be heard, hide so I could see them but they couldn't see me, using by blue raven familiar to lure them out or distract them if necessary, and then cast Message on one of them. Then, invisibility on me, and play mind games with the linked thug. Make his partner think he's going crazy. If I got caught, illusion spells did the trick, like making myself look like what my character imagined a lich to look like. All on my lonesome, I used this and similar tactics to break into I think 3 stations and then escape with documents.

Jack_Simth
2008-11-04, 07:31 PM
Detect Magic: Really handy for locating magic traps (which only rogues can find, normally), good treasure, and invisible opponents. Also works on stealthy opponents using magic items. Arcane Sight is better, but you work with what you've got.

Prestidigitation: Poor man's Wish. It can do a LOT, if you're creative. It's also the only spell that gets less effective as more spells get published, which makes it quite unique.

BRC
2008-11-04, 07:33 PM
Detect Magic: Really handy for locating magic traps (which only rogues can find, normally), good treasure, and invisible opponents. Also works on stealthy opponents using magic items. Arcane Sight is better, but you work with what you've got.

Prestidigitation: Poor man's Wish. It can do a LOT, if you're creative. It's also the only spell that gets less effective as more spells get published, which makes it quite unique.

Detect Magic and a bag of flour/ink/paint is all you need to find invisible foes.
It also works against illusions in general

Tuataralad
2008-11-04, 07:58 PM
The best thing we ever did with prestidigitation (this was in 4E):

We were doing kobold hall and had a cleric of Bahamut as well as a wizard. We got to the part where there is an altar of tiamat, because the kobolds were worshipping her, and this naturally caused the palain to become very angry. The wizard (along with some help from my rogue) used prestidigitation to...severly deface aforementioned altar by causing it to smell like, and resemble, a large pile of feces.

Paul H
2008-11-17, 04:22 PM
Hi

Acid Splash coup-de-gras a Troll. My Cleric/Warmage finishing off an armoured Troll, thinking it was the last encounter of the scenario.

We were all down on HP, with very few spells left. We've just taken a section of fortified wall, killed the guards, now just finishing off a large armoured troll. Then we found out the troll's employer was the last obstacle...........

Cheers
Paul H

Stupendous_Man
2008-11-17, 04:24 PM
... and Giacomo, my sorcerer

That's ironic on several levels.

Eldariel
2008-11-17, 04:32 PM
... and Giacomo, my sorcererThat's ironic on several levels.

Heh, if only Solo heard that, I'll bet he'd fly into a ballistic rage of city-wiping proportions.

Stupendous_Man
2008-11-17, 04:35 PM
Heh, if only Solo heard that, I'll bet he'd fly into a ballistic rage of city-wiping proportions.
LA Wildfires Destroy 1,000 Homes (http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/California-Wildfires-Los-Angeles-Orange-County-Homes-Burning-In-Celebrity-Districts/Article/200811315152722?lpos=World_News_First_World_News_A rticle_Teaser_Region_4&lid=ARTICLE_15152722_California_Wildfires%3A_Los_A ngeles%2C_Orange_County_Homes_Burning_In_Celebrity _Districts)

Vampiric
2008-11-17, 04:47 PM
Heh... Solo showed me this thread...

XD

Hilarity and irony... I can't think of a better combination...

Maybe add Sarcasm...

@V: I was talking about the title, not the post :smalltongue:

monty
2008-11-17, 04:59 PM
Heh... Solo showed me this thread...

XD

Hilarity and irony... I can't think of a better combination...

Maybe add Sarcasm...

@ your post title...enough said.

Celeres
2008-11-17, 11:50 PM
we got in a fight with invisible pixies. at the time, our only spellcaster was the goblin cleric. after he got hit with a crossbow bolt, he used "locate object" to find the nearest bolt like it, thus locating the invisible pixies.

monty
2008-11-18, 12:25 AM
@V: I was talking about the title, not the post :smalltongue:

That's what I meant. I read the title.

RMS Oceanic
2008-11-18, 02:02 AM
One time, my party was transporting a Mirror of Life Stealing (covered with a cloak to stop anyone looking at it) when we were stopped by the town guard, curious to see what we had under the cloak. We couldn't really resist the guard without raising suspicion so we let him look. Just as he was lifting the cover off, the party wizard cast Prestidigitation to put a thin reflective surface over the mirror's reflective surfact, thus making it function like a normal mirror.

Brauron
2008-11-18, 08:23 AM
In the first campaign I played in, the party consisted of a human barbarian, a human rogue, an Elf wizard, and an Elf cleric.

In one adventure, we got captured by mercenaries after we accidentally stumbled across their secret training base. Breaking out was mostly an adventure for the rogue as he got to disguise himself as a mercenary and sneak around to get our gear back and such. The rest of the party waited back in the cell with our guard, who the barbarian was keeping carefully unconscious with periodic punches to the face.

So we get out, having retrieved our gear and stolen several nice sets of armor (this mercenary company has a signature piece of gear, in the form of shirts and trousers made from a sort of magically-reinforced silk -- decent AC, no check penalty, no arcane spell failure) and run into a mercenary captain (Fighter 4, we were all level 2). The Wizard had memorized nothing but Daze for her 0-level spells. She won initiative, and cast Daze on the mercenary captain. The Barbarian punched him in the face. The rogue and cleric both miss on their attack rolls. Wizard casts Daze. Barbarian punches. Rogue and Cleric miss. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat, at which point I've punched the mercenary captain into unconsciousness, we strip him to his underwear, tie him up, and the wizard pulls out a pen and draws a ridiculous mustache on him. We then get the heck out of there as quickly as possible.

Jack_Simth
2008-11-18, 08:27 AM
We buried him in that bright pink cage, though the spell of course wore off not long after we put him in the ground.Buried the dragon, or the Sorcerer, in the bright pink cage? I can kinda see it going either way, after that....

Ascension
2008-11-18, 08:32 AM
Buried the dragon, or the Sorcerer, in the bright pink cage? I can kinda see it going either way, after that....

The dragon. They needed the arcane magic too much to bury my character. Bunch of metagamers. :smalltongue:

only1doug
2008-11-18, 03:06 PM
Background
We decided to sneak past the zombies for a change (we aren't the sneakiest party around) and were ready to climb into the upper room of the palace library.

our sneakyness was at our normal standard and as such the zombies were starting to look around for us.

the rogue and the druid had already climbed up leaving my gish and the cleric below.
the zombies were looking towards us so the cleric ashed 3 of the 4 with a turn undead.
the remaining zombie charged towards us and i weakened it with iterative attacks (low AC so i just mauled it for 3d8+7 x3), the cleric finished it off on his next initiative so i climbed the rope.

Unfortunately before the cleric got a chance to climb another zombie turned up to investigate, the cleric was trying to conserve his turns so he melee'd.

the next round i've finished climbing and the cleric melee's again. we shouted down for him to grab the rope (which he does, free action) and we haul him up.

Zombie is left standing at the bottom of the rope, wandering aimlessly in circles.


So there i was looking down at a battered zombie with 5 duskblade cantrips available... Clarification: I was the one with the cantrips
Disrupt undead, how could i resist?

ranged touch attack was easy (gish) so its 1d6 of positive energy to the face. The zombies head melted with the first ray leaving our backtrail clear of anything that had actually seen any of us.

Overall it wasn't the best use of resources as i could of hit it with a fire burst and not of used up a single spellslot but it was a nice special effect.

Texas Jedi
2008-11-18, 03:21 PM
I had a buddy take over a whole town with just a few uses of prestidigitation.

He had the spell levitate himself an inch of the ground. Then he had all of his hair stand up on end, and added a glowing aura around his head. Then he gave his voice a booming thunderous quality.

The people of this small farming town were grovelling at his feat by the time he met the villiage elder.

That was also the campaign were he was playing a dragon that went around polymorphed as a fluffy bunny.

We had some homeruled items in game that said if he wanted to he could have the bunny weigh the same as the dragon. He pounded an giants head in by bouncing up and down on it.