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

[Bierhoff]

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]

Prestidigitation. Best spell ever.

[Rei_Jin]

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]

Thirded.

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

[Ganurath]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Fel drain Sonic snap. Give 1 negative level to anything, no save at level 1.

[Cathaidan]

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]

Fel drain Sonic snap. Give 1 negative level to anything, no save at level 1.

Buh?! Details, details?

[Sstoopidtallkid]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Chain Spelled Ray of Frost.

It actually worked, too.

[Burley]

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 stuck inside.

[Epinephrine]

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]

Perform (disco) + dancing lights.

'Nuff said.

[Blackfang108]

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]

You forgot Ghost Sound.

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

[Roderick_BR]

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.
My friend, the fighter, was playing the "good cop"

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)

[Duke of URL]

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)

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]

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]

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?