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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    HalfOrcPirate

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    Default Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    I like the magic sword going on right now and I thought it'd be fun to come up with new useful 0 levels spell, stuff beyond your acid splash and magic rune reading. Presdigitation is generalized too weak to do much beyond entertain people. This is a place for really weak but still useful spells that your wizard or sorceror would want to know.

    Wooing Charm
    Transformation

    This spell transforms a small clump of torn grass or leaves in the caster's hand into a single rose, or other flower of their choice.

    I Need Coffee
    Conjuration

    This spell can summon instant coffee into any cup of hot water containing twelve ounces of liquid or less. The coffee is decent and heavily caffeinated.

    Scribble
    Evocation
    Range: Touch
    Duration: Five minutes per caster level

    This spell can burn letters into a piece of held paper. Up to one page of black letters in neat print or cursive can be created with each spell and only a single piece of paper may be the target of the spell. Lines of text can be added at the writer's leisure during the duration of the spell.

    Enchantment of Entertaining
    Enchantment
    Range: Touch
    Saving Throw: Will Negates (Harmless)

    You or a touched target gain one skill rank in Perform (Juggling) for one hour.

    Super Shopper
    Divination

    You gain supersensory perception related to the fitness of grocery items for consumption. You can discern the ripeness and taste of any food by touching it, or the freshness of any eggs, meat, dairy product by touching it or its container.

    Protection From Sparrows
    Abjuration

    This spell permanently enchants a pane of glass so as to make it more perceptible to birds. Flying avians will not mistake it for an open passage and smack into their doom.

    Censorship
    Illusion
    Range: 15 feet
    Target: One target per level
    Duration: One minute per level
    Saving Throw: Will Negates

    This spell alters the hearing of several people, including yourself if you wish, to avoid hearing foul language. Any offensive words they hear will be bleeped out. They must stay within 15 feet of you for this effect to hold, if they stray out of range they will hear curse words accurately. If they come closer the spell takes effect again.

    Animate Crawler
    Necromancy
    Target: One dead or living insect
    Duration: 1 minute per level

    The spell can zombify a dead non-magical insect or worm 2 x 2 inches or smaller, or instantly slay and zombify a living one. The target insect must be within 5 feet of you. You maintain mental control over the insect and can order it where to go. The insect cannot perform any action besides simple movement. Killing the insect is difficult for as a zombie it will continue moving even when horribly mangled. Crushing and destroying it underfoot or with a blunt object requires a DC 15 strength check. Otherwise it has 5HP.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Quote Originally Posted by Lysander View Post
    I Need Coffee
    Conjuration

    This spell can summon instant coffee into any cup of hot water containing twelve ounces of liquid or less. The coffee is decent and heavily caffeinated.
    Never seen any rules for how caffeine works. Please elaborate.

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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    You'll need expand the descriptions with all of the neccessary information for spells before we can properly judge them. Perhaps use the template in the Guide to Homebrewing, copied here for your convenience:

    Name
    School (Subschool) [Descriptor]
    Level: Class Level
    Components: V, S, M, F, DF, XP
    Casting Time:
    Range:
    Target:
    Duration:
    Saving Throw:
    Spell Resistance:

    Other than that, whilst most of these spells come outside of the remit of presdigitation, I think you do the spell a disservice. The 3.0 Tome and Blood has a good page (p.80, if you've got a copy) that describes loads of useful effects that come under its description.

    Also, if I were playing a sorcerer or other limited-spells-known character, I would completely forgo these spells due to their highly specified nature. Whilst your Super Shopper can discern the freshness of foods, Presdigitation can make bad food taste better (although not stop it from being spoiled); Whilst Wooing Charm can make a flower from some grass, under the description in Tome and Blood, you can do that with predigitation anyway.

    And I can never see a use for Protection from Sparrows in the average game of D+D!


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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Thanks to Veera for the avatar.

    I keep my stories in a blog. You should read them.

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    Dhavaer, your ideas are like candy from the sky, sprinkled lightly with cinnamon.
    Quote Originally Posted by Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll View Post
    Wow. Badass without being flashy and showy, attractive while remaining classy. Bravo Dhavaer.
    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    ...Why do I imagine you licking your lips and rubbing your hands together?

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    Firbolg in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Quote Originally Posted by Hazkali View Post
    And I can never see a use for Protection from Sparrows in the average game of D+D!

    Yeah? So? It would still be funny to have scrolls of "Protection from Sparrows" show up from time to time. Or, atleast have somebody beg off doing something because "All I have prepared is Protection from Sparrows."

    Although from the name I expected something that would keep the birds from dive bombing the caster.
    Quote Originally Posted by Wardog View Post
    Rockphed said it well.
    Quote Originally Posted by Sam Starfall
    When your pants are full of crickets, you don't need mnemonics.
    Dragontar by Serpentine.

    Now offering unsolicited advice.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Protection from Rain.

    It's one of WFRP's cantrips and i love it.
    Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an` Tommy, 'ow's yer soul? "
    But it's " Thin red line of 'eroes " when the drums begin to roll
    The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
    O it's " Thin red line of 'eroes, " when the drums begin to roll.

    "Tommy", Rudyard Kipling

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Quote Originally Posted by Storm Bringer View Post
    Protection from Rain.

    It's one of WFRP's cantrips and i love it.
    if your a vampire then thats good to pick up

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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    I think some people are missing the point here. Either that or they're being facetious and it's too early in the day for me to spot it. These spells are a bit of harmless fun, rather than any genuine attempt to create a new and viable spell. See, like:

    Summon monster 0
    Summons an entirely useless creature that attempts, futilely, to follow your commands. It is too small to flank an opponent.

    (Okay, so I admit, this becomes a lot more fun once you get Detonate, but even so...)
    de·fen·es·tra·tion (dē-fĕn'ĭ-strā'shən)
    n.

    An act of throwing someone or something out of a window.

    [From DE– + Latin fenestra, window.]

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Quote Originally Posted by Lysander View Post
    Animate Crawler
    Necromancy
    Target: One dead or living insect
    Duration: 1 minute per level

    The spell can zombify a dead non-magical insect or worm 2 x 2 inches or smaller, or instantly slay and zombify a living one. The target insect must be within 5 feet of you. You maintain mental control over the insect and can order it where to go. The insect cannot perform any action besides simple movement. Killing the insect is difficult for as a zombie it will continue moving even when horribly mangled. Crushing and destroying it underfoot or with a blunt object requires a DC 15 strength check. Otherwise it has 5HP.
    There is already a cantrip like this in the Encyclopedia Arcana series (Mongoose publishing I think?). It lets you animate any tiny animal and the only actions it can take are move and stay. I used it to make a pet skeletal rat for one of my casters once
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    Halfling in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    I think we all know that cantrips are mostly for "fun"and "flavour"...however that doesn't mean that they can't have some minor utility!
    By the way, cantrips can be REALLY interesting if you want to play a low-magic campaign, where even these magic tricks really look nice and extraordinary to magic-fearing commoners. In some settings, they are much more "believable"than people shooting fire balls around...

    Anyway, I think one way to make some "useful"cantrips would be check interesting 1st level spells and make minor versions of them.

    Some quick ideas

    Cause Fear, Minor
    Necromancy [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
    Level: Bard 0, Cleric 0, Death 0, Sorcerer/Wizard 0
    Components: V, S
    Casting Time: 1 standard action
    Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
    Target: One living creature with 2 or fewer HD
    Duration: 1d4 rounds
    Saving Throw: Will negates
    Spell Resistance: Yes
    Description: The affected creature becomes shaken. Creatures with 3 or more Hit Dice are immune to this effect.
    Notes: Useful for scaring a few commoners or really weak animals, not for much else.

    Disintegrate, Minor
    Transmutation
    Level: Destruction 0, Sorcerer/Wizard 0
    Components: V, S
    Casting Time: 1 standard action
    Range: 5' feet
    Effect: Ray
    Duration: Instantaneous
    Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
    Spell Resistance: Yes
    Description:
    A small green sphere springs from your pointing finger. You must make a successful ranged touch attack(with a +2 bonus)to hit.
    Those who fail the save against this spell take 2 points of damage, those who succeed take only 1.
    When used against an object, the ray simply disintegrates as much as one inch cube of nonliving matter.
    Only the first creature or object struck can be affected; that is, the ray affects only one target per casting.
    Any creature Tiny or smaller reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by this spell is entirely disintegrated, leaving behind only a trace of fine dust. A disintegrated creature's equipment is unaffected.
    Notes:
    Yes, it's Disintegration. I don't think it's overpowered - there are some level 0 spells which can cause 1d3 damage(Acid Splash, for example).
    I used a range of 5' rather than Touch, because what I had in mind was a spell that could be used to show off and to destroy small critters like cockroaches without bothering to touch them.
    Since it's assumed to be used against really small creatures, against which ranged touch attacks can easily fail, I made it a small sphere, which, considering the 5' range, jutsifies the +2 bonus. Really, hitting a bug with a "thin ray"isn't easy.

    Arcane Aim
    Enchantement[Air]
    Level: Bard 0, Druid 0, Sorcerer/Wizard 0
    Components: V, S
    Casting Time: 1 standard action
    Range: Touch
    Target: Creature touched
    Duration: 1 round or until discharged
    Saving Throw: Will negates(harmless)
    Spell Resistance: Yes
    Description: You use your arcane powers to make the air somehow "guide"a projectile that will be shot. On the next ranged attack made using a normal weapon(bow, crossbow, sling...), the target ignores the attack penalty for the first range increment.
    Notes: A small little spell that basically provides a situational(only when firing from a certain distance) +2 to ranged attacks. Useful trick for a Sniper/Wizard or something like that.

    Protection from Evil/Chaos/Good/Law, Minor
    Abjuration [Evil/Chaotic/Good/Lawful]
    Level: Cleric 0, Evil/Chaos/Good/Law 0, Paladin 0, Sorceror/Wizard 0
    Components: V, S
    Casting Time: 1 standard action
    Range: Touch
    Target: Creature touched
    Duration: 1 minute
    Saving Throw: Will negates(harmless)
    Spell Resistance: No
    Description: The subject gains a +1 deflection bonus on AC and a +1 resistance bonus on saves made against creatures of the appropriate alignment. The subject also gain an additional +1 to his Will saves against mind-controlling effects of the creatures of the appropriate alignment.
    It does not give any of the other benefits of the normal"Protection from ..."spells
    Notes: Seems ok. A limited +1 AC/+1 to saves with an extra +1 against mind-control doesn't seem too unbalanced. Also notice the duration.

    Resist Energy, Minor
    Abjuration
    Level: Cleric 0, Druid 0, Paladin 0, Ranger 0, Sorceror/Wizard 0
    Components: V, S
    Casting Time: 1 standard action
    Range: Touch
    Target: Creature touched
    Duration: 1 minute
    Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
    Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
    Description: As Resist Energy, only the target gains energy resistance 2(rather than 10), which doesn't improve with his spellcaster level.
    Notes: Energy resistance 2 for a minute seems weak enough...I considered making it 3 instead. This might be good if you want your caster to show off with a trick like putting your hand on a torch's flame and not get burned.

    Cure Bruises
    Conjuration (Healing)
    Level: Bard 0, Cleric 0, Druid 0, Paladin 0, Healing 0, Ranger 1
    Components: V, S
    Casting Time: 1 standard action
    Range: Touch
    Target: Creature touched
    Duration: Instantaneous
    Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
    Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
    Description: A lesser healing spell to cure minor bruises, scratches and grazes. The target is healed of 1d3+1 nonlethal damage. This spell has no effect on Undead, despite being positive-energy based, as undeads are not affected by nonlethal attacks.
    Notes: A different version of Cure Minor Wounds, slightly more useful. I'm considering also making it stabilize people below 0 hit points...


    Edit: removed Arcane Sleep(didn't like it, too similar to Lullaby), replaced with "Cure Bruises" - divine casters deserve some cantrips, too!
    Last edited by Edivad; 2007-07-28 at 01:31 PM.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    HalfOrcPirate

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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    These would be less attractive to a sorceror than a wizard, but they're designed more for RP value than anything else. Don't doubt spells like Protection From Sparrows though, your wizard could sell their services. Casting a useful spell like that on windows could buy a night's lodging from a farmer or innkeeper.

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    Halfling in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Protection from Sparrows is useful you say...honestly, I don't see birds smacking windows very often, though I'm sure it often. I do understand it's a nice on "Protection from Arrows", though :-)
    I think a MUCH more useful spell would be "Protection from Pigeon's Droppings". If you cast it - frequently or once using Permanency - on all monuments and statues in a town, you might make a lot of town.
    Course, this spell would probably be level 1 at least...

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    Firbolg in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Quote Originally Posted by nerulean View Post
    Summon monster 0
    Summons an entirely useless creature that attempts, futilely, to follow your commands. It is too small to flank an opponent or set off traps.
    Fixed it for you. It was looking way too useful.
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Quote Originally Posted by Edivad View Post
    Protection from Sparrows is useful you say...honestly, I don't see birds smacking windows very often, though I'm sure it often. I do understand it's a nice on "Protection from Arrows", though :-)
    I think a MUCH more useful spell would be "Protection from Pigeon's Droppings". If you cast it - frequently or once using Permanency - on all monuments and statues in a town, you might make a lot of town.
    Course, this spell would probably be level 1 at least...
    It's level nine. It's just tooo powerful. pigeon's need to poop on statues. It's natural. heh. though that would be funny to do.
    Last edited by firepup; 2007-07-27 at 01:17 PM.

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    Ogre in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Divert Attention
    Illusion (sound)
    Level: Bard 0
    Components: V, S
    Casting Time: 1 standard action
    Range: Short
    Target: 1 Creature
    Duration: Instantaneous
    Saving Throw: Will negates
    Spell Resistance: Yes
    Description:
    When cast on a distracted person (flat footed), a simple "psst, over here" can be heard. For the duration of one single round, the person will look to direction the "sound" came (at the caster's choice) giving him a -2 circumstance penalty to listen and spot skill checks.
    A person that is heavily paying attention to something (like talking to someone) can hear the sound, and even look, but it's not enough to distract him, so no penalty is applied.

    The magic equivalent of throwing a little rock in the other direction.

    Note: Penalties usually doesn't have names, but this one is a circumstance penalty, and the bard's ability to distract a person is considered a circumstance too, so they don't stack.

    Censorship's command word: "/ignore"

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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    I used to love coming up with random cantrips... here's one:

    Puncture
    Evocation (force)
    Level: Wiz/Sor 0
    Components: V, S
    Casting time: 1 standard action
    Range: Close
    Target: A point on an object
    Duration: Instantaneous
    Saving throw: None
    Spell resistance: Yes
    Description:
    A small dart fires out of your index finger, punching a small hole in objects. The dart can easily be aimed at immobile objects. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to objects worn or carried by living beings. The dart cannot puncture metal or hard stone, but it can puncture cloth, soft earth, wood, and even skin. The hole can range in depth from a millimeter to an inch, depending on the hardness of the material pierced. If the dart strikes a living being, the hole in the skin may cause bleeding and inflicts 1 damage; to strike the skin, however, you must make a regular ranged attack roll rather than a ranged touch attack roll (that is, apply the armor and shield bonus to AC).
    Last edited by curtmack; 2007-07-27 at 06:47 PM.
    ...?

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Ogre in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    I need coffee! Is not conjuration, that's transmutation, you are turning (i.e. transmuting) one liquid (water) into another (coffee). If you could do it with an empty mug, it would be conjuration as you were making something out of nothing.

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Titan in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Arcane Aim
    Enchantement[Air]
    Level: Bard 0, Druid 0, Sorcerer/Wizard 0
    Components: V, S
    Casting Time: 1 standard action
    Range: Touch
    Target: Creature touched
    Duration: 1 round or until discharged
    Saving Throw: Will negates(harmless)
    Spell Resistance: Yes
    Description: You use your arcane powers to make the air somehow "guide"a projectile that will be shot. On the next ranged attack made using a normal weapon(bow, crossbow, sling...), the target ignores the attack penalty for the first range increment.
    Notes: A small little spell that basically provides a situational(only when firing from a certain distance) +2 to ranged attacks. Useful trick for a Sniper/Wizard or something like that.
    Now this is nice. Something my Gnome Illusionist would have used. His trick consisted of going invisible, and then unleashing a rain of Slingstones.
    I am trying out LPing. Check out my channel here: Triaxx2

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Quote Originally Posted by nerulean View Post
    Summon monster 0
    Summons an entirely useless creature that attempts, futilely, to follow your commands. It is too small to flank an opponent.
    Hey, I did that one once. (And then some time later, someone else did it too. And someone recalled mine. And there was an ensuing discussion on the uses and abuses of our two approaches. Sadly, I neglected to mark the thread for later reference.)

    Rather than repost, I think I'll just give links... ah, here it is, my summon monster 0 (along with a couple of other handy 0-level spells, card trick and coin trick). Oh, and I've also done the 0-level spells mnemonic and contentment, which suit the kind of spells being bandied about here, I think. And maybe cinder does too.
    I support paladins and the alignment system.

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    Halfling in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Quote Originally Posted by Triaxx View Post
    Now this is nice. Something my Gnome Illusionist would have used. His trick consisted of going invisible, and then unleashing a rain of Slingstones.
    I think it's actually useful while not being unbalanced. I'd just like to think of a better name/flavor text.
    By the way, since I think there are other threads with cantrips/low level spells in them...why don't we put them all in a single thread once we have tweaked/polished them? I think it would be really interesting...

  21. - Top - End - #21
    Halfling in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Divert Attention
    This is interesting, but isn't this just another version of Ghost Sound(which is a cantrip, too)?

  22. - Top - End - #22
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Name: Yummy!
    School: Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
    Level: Bard 0, Sorceror/Wizard 0.
    Components: V
    Casting Time: Instantaneous
    Range: touch
    Target: creature touched
    Duration: five minutes
    Saving Throw: none
    Spell Resistance: Yes.

    With a single poke and the verbal utterance of "You'll eat that ___ Junior, and you'll like it!" the spellcaster causes any person whom she touches to develop a love and, in extreme cases, even a craving for such foodstuffs as spinach, octopus, broccoli, etc. It is not enough to change the actions or motivations of the target, but certainly enough to make your whiney child just shut up for once you gosh darn little kid!.

    Special: The wizard must like the given food to cast Yummy! on a target for that type of food.

    Notes: I know, this should be like, Epic level it's so powerful. Making children be quiet? My god!
    This especially becomes fun with a little Presdigitation.

  23. - Top - End - #23
    Halfling in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handy Handy 0 Level Spells

    Quote Originally Posted by D'anna Biers View Post
    Saving Throw: none
    I think that's a typo...It should be "Will negates", really. Otherwise it's REALLY a powerful spell. I mean, Enchantment (Compulsion) without a saving throw?!?
    Still, a good idea for a spell.

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