Imbue Object [Transmutation Cantrip]

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

So this is an experiment in how versatile a cantrip is allowed to be, and also on whether or not players would like a spell system with this sort of flexibility. It's mainly designed for 5e, but may also be exploration for a project in the future. I suspect it's pushing the power budget a little far, but what the hey. Experimentation.


Imbue Object
Transmutation Cantrip
Casting Time 1 action
Range Personal
Components V, S, M (a tiny object of some variety)
Duration 12 hours

You imbue the object with magic, causing it to float gently around you. You may have only a single object imbued in this manner at a time.

You may give the object the following commands:

Defend - As a reaction, you may command the object to intercept an attack against you or an ally within 30 feet. Reduce the damage taken by the attack by 1d8. The object is destroyed.

Attack - As a bonus action, you may command the object to attack a target within 30 feet. Make a spell attack roll. If you hit, deal 1d8 magical slashing damage. The object is destroyed.

Scout - As an action, you may move the object up to 30 feet in any direction. The object has an AC of 18 and 1 hit point. You may see from the object's location as if you were there. While sustaining this effect you must maintain concentration or the object is destroyed.

You may imbue an additional object when you reach 5th level (2 objects), 11th level (3 objects), and 17th level (4 objects). You may only command a single object with any one action.

[Ninja_Prawn]

I suspect it's pushing the power budget a little

I'd definitely say so. Any one of these effects would justify a 1st level spell slot, in my opinion, with more objects for higher level slots being the way to go.

Also minor comment, but 'personal' isn't really a thing in 5e. I'd probably make it self, given that the objects are treated as a material component.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

I'd definitely say so. Any one of these effects would justify a 1st level spell slot, in my opinion, with more objects for higher level slots being the way to go.

Really? Preventing 1d8 damage, or spending an action and a bonus action to deal 1d8 damage are things you'd consider first-level worthy? Or is it that you can prep this ahead of time for, say, 2d8 extra damage as bonus actions at level 5?

[Ninja_Prawn]

Really? Preventing 1d8 damage, or spending an action and a bonus action to deal 1d8 damage are things you'd consider first-level worthy? Or is it that you can prep this ahead of time for, say, 2d8 extra damage as bonus actions at level 5?

Yeah. Bonus action damage is a big deal, the scout effect is comparable to one of the main benefits of Find Familiar and defend is better than Shield against low-CR monsters (it drops off markedly at higher levels, of course, but if anything that makes it more suited to being a first-level spell rather than a cantrip, since cantrips are supposed to stay relevant at all levels).

I mean... maybe I misspoke before. Any one of them on their own as the only effect of a spell would be okay as a cantrip, but given the context that this will be something you can prepare ahead of time and there will be multiple uses for the spell, they are big enough to warrant it being a real spell. If you wanted a cantrip with this kind of flexibility, it has to be really low-power - in line with Prestidigitaiton or Druidcraft. It can't be having effects that compete with 1st level spells.

[Avigor]

So this is an experiment in how versatile a cantrip is allowed to be, and also on whether or not players would like a spell system with this sort of flexibility. It's mainly designed for 5e, but may also be exploration for a project in the future. I suspect it's pushing the power budget a little far, but what the hey. Experimentation.


Imbue Object
Transmutation Cantrip
Casting Time 1 action
Range Personal
Components V, S, M (a tiny object of some variety)
Duration 12 hours

You imbue the object with magic, causing it to float gently around you. You may have only a single object imbued in this manner at a time.

You may give the object the following commands:

Defend - As a reaction, you may command the object to intercept an attack against you or an ally within 30 feet. Reduce the damage taken by the attack by 1d8. The object is destroyed.

Attack - As a bonus action, you may command the object to attack a target within 30 feet. Make a spell attack roll. If you hit, deal 1d8 magical slashing damage. The object is destroyed.

Scout - As an action, you may move the object up to 30 feet in any direction. The object has an AC of 18 and 1 hit point. You may see from the object's location as if you were there. While sustaining this effect you must maintain concentration or the object is destroyed.

You may imbue an additional object when you reach 5th level (2 objects), 11th level (3 objects), and 17th level (4 objects). You may only command a single object with any one action.

To balance this as a cantrip, I would:
1: Reduce the benefit of Defend to a d4.
2: Make the bonus action Attack either a d4 of magical damage or a d6 of nonmagical damage (and to be honest, the damage type should depend on the item imbued subject to DM approval, as an object with no edge doing slashing damage makes no sense).
3: Modify the Scout ability to basically say you can use the item as if it were a mirror looking around the corner, allowing a Perception check (with a penalty based on range) to see what's around the corner; I'd allow those around the corner to have a chance to see the object just floating around the corner too, albeit probably at disadvantage if the characters are smart enough not to levitate it at eye-level.
4: Instead of escalating numbers of objects, increase the dice of defend and attack.

That's just my 2 cents.

[zeek0]

Imbue Object
Transmutation Cantrip
Casting Time 1 action
Range Personal
Components V, S, M (a tiny object of some variety)
Duration 12 hours

You imbue the object with magic, causing it to float gently around you. You may have only a single object imbued in this manner at a time.

You may give the object the following commands:

Defend - As a reaction, you may command the object to intercept an attack against you or an ally within 30 feet. Reduce the damage taken by the attack by 1d8. The object is destroyed.

Attack - As a bonus action, you may command the object to attack a target within 30 feet. Make a spell attack roll. If you hit, deal 1d8 magical slashing damage. The object is destroyed.

Scout - As an action, you may move the object up to 30 feet in any direction. The object has an AC of 18 and 1 hit point. You may see from the object's location as if you were there. While sustaining this effect you must maintain concentration or the object is destroyed.

You may imbue an additional object when you reach 5th level (2 objects), 11th level (3 objects), and 17th level (4 objects). You may only command a single object with any one action.

I rather enjoy the versatility here. But mechanically, the versatility means that you get the benefit of three cantrips in one, leaving room for more cantrips choices. Because of that benefit, the cantrip must be proportionally weaker than the average cantrip.

As such, I would lower the damage to 1d6 of whatever is appropriate for the imbued item. Damage absorbed should also be 1d6.

Now, the Scout option is problematic. It is effectively Arcane Eye, a 4th level spell. I'm uncertain to this could be modified to be tenable. One option could be to limit the outer range of the object to less that 15 feet. It would remove the possibility of longer range surveilance, but would allow you to glance around corners or up through windows.

The scaling of the spell is interesting, as any damage dealt or damage absorbed must be spread out over a larger time period. But here's one problem: you can have a bonus action and reaction in the same round. As such, you can action cast, bonus action attack, and still reaction defend an ally. This is too powerful. If you can change the spell so that you can only do one each turn, it would be acceptable.

Also, perhaps this should require concentration. It would put practical power limits on the cantrip. If you do, I might be comfortable withthe damage dealt or absorbed increasing to 1d8.

[zeek0]

And as a small note, you need to say what can trigger the reaction. For example, it could say: As a reaction to yourself or an ally being attacked . . .

Also, I have a question: can the object block psychic damage?

[SilverStud]

I think that if you dropped the whole Arcane Eye portion, it would be fine. Honestly, I don't think the whole scouting thing gels with the other two. The idea of having little floating objects that block or deal damage is super cool, but then you can... also... see from them??

Another possibility for the defend option:

Defend: When you, or a creature within range, are hit with an attack, you may use your reaction to interpose one object, adding your proficiency bonus to your AC against that attack and potentially causing it to miss. The object is destroyed.

This way, less dice are rolled, it stays relevant the whole game, and is similar to the Defensive Duelist feat. The reasons I think it's okay for this to give a benefit found in a feat:
1. The object is destroyed. Meaning that you can only use it one (four at epic levels) time before having to spend an action to get it back, while the Defensive Duelist can do that any time his reaction is available.
2. Actually just that first reason.

[Belac93]

I would switch the attack action and casting time. It costs a bonus action to cast, and then an action to actually use.

[Avigor]

Good points by the above, and some more thought on the matter:
1: On the attack option, I keep finding myself leaning towards the idea of 1d6 nonmagical damage of a type appropriate to whatever the item is. Nonmagical because it is a bonus action cast, which is a major boon in the 5e action economy, and making it subject to more damage resistance will help balance it.
2: On the defense option, whether you keep it as reducing damage or change it to increasing AC, and whether it stays a die roll or becomes proficiency based, it might be worth incorporating that it only works against physical damage attacks, or if it does help against others that it is only half as effective against other damage types, with the specific exception that it cannot reduce psychic damage.
3: The spy option should be either removed or modified to specify that if (and only if) the object is reflective (like a mirror, or a sufficiently polished coin), the player can try to make a perception check to see whatever is around the corner, but if they are not adjacent to the object they take disadvantage on this check (in other words, you can use this like a mirror in your hand while both hands are busy with say weapons to peek from right at the edge at no penalty, but if you try from further away it'll be that much more difficult).
4: I would still suggest that the scaling should be either just the dice, or some kind of rule where you can either stack all the dice on one object or spread them across multiple objects, from one dice per item to potentially allowing spreads like one two-dice object and one three-dice object once you're eligible for 5 objects or dice from the cantrip. Either way, it would also be worth specifying that the item(s) must be reasonably hard; it would just be silly for a player to do this with a leaf or a down feather, for example.