Showing posts with label cantrip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cantrip. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

"Detect Disease" Cantrip

hand with magic light This spell is a variant of Detect Poison, and functions much the same way.

Detect Disease
School divination; Level cleric 0, druid 0, bard 1, ranger 1, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 f. + 5 f./2 levels)
Target one creature, one object, or a 5-ft. cube
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell resistance no
You determine whether a creature, object, or area has been infected with disease or is infectious. You can determine the exact type of disease with a DC 20 Wisdom check. A character with the Heal skill may try a DC 20 Heal check in stead. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.

Update Paizo has come out with a first level Diagnose Disease spell in Ultimate Magic. However, it is not available to sorcerers and wizards, and why it is not a cantrip like Detect Poison is unclear, since it seems to do almost the same.

Monday, January 31, 2011

"Extinguish" Cantrip

hand with magic light This spell is a reversed form of the light cantrip intended to balance the field for dark dwellers. In most situations the dark dwellers do not need to create darkness, it is already there if they just turn out the lights. With this cantrip a first level sorcerer could be a big nuisance to a dungeon exploring party, who might have to employ two spell casters to have solid light, or resort to using torches etc. Also it establishes a reason to use light spells of a higher level like Daylight.

Extinguish
School abjuration; Level bard 0, cleric 0, druid 0, ranger 1, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target see description
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell resistance no
The spell can either extinguish all small flames within 20 ft radius; torches, lamps, and lanterns. Or extinguish one stronger source such as one non-magical campfire or person on fire, or one cantrip level light source.

Friday, October 2, 2009

"Mold Earth" Cantrip

hand with magic light This cantrip is a little more useful than prestidigitation for creating tools, but suffers some limitations. It was originally created for an Earth Elemental sorcerer, but also fits well with the druids' elemental spells.

Mold Earth
School: Transmutation; Level: druid 0, sorceror/wizard 0
Components: V, S, F (see text)
Range: close (10 ft.)
Area of effect: 5 lbs of dirt
Duration: 10 minutes
Saving throw: none; spell resistance: no

This spell shapes up to 5 pounds of earth into one rigid object. The earth, dirt, or pebbles must be readily available within 10 feet of the caster, and cannot be part of a structure like a brick wall or adobe floor. The object shaped must be simple and cannot have movable or flexible parts, but otherwise acts as such an item for the duration of the spell. The item retains its earth property and appearance, and thus this spell cannot be used to shape anything that derives its function from being of a particular substance like food, jewelry, mirrors, floats etc. Examples of items that could be shaped and used: a step stool, a dagger, a club, a sling bullet, a jar. The object created has the hardness of stone (8) and one hit point per pound of mass. When the spell ends the object smolders back to dirt.

"Caltrop" Cantrip

This spell was developed for a halfling sorcerer, who needed it to cover his retreat, since he had a slower speed than most adversaries. As it turned out he never had an opportunity to use it before he was retired, so the spell has not been play tested.

Caltrop
School: Transmutation; Level: sorceror/wizard 0
Components: V, S, F (see text)
Range: close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area of effect: 5 ft. square
Duration: 1 round + 1 rounnd/2 levels)
Saving throw: Reflex negates; spell resistance: no

This spell only works on an earth or stone surface. It makes caltrop spikes grow out of the ground in a 5 by 5 foot square area. Anyone noticing the caltrops before moving through the area (Perception DC 15) can pass through safely at half speed. Others fighting or moving through the area must make a reflex save to avoid stepping on a caltrop. Stepping on a caltrop immediately stops a charge or run, and causes a foot injury that reduces the victim's base speed to half. A DC 15 Heal check or other natural and magical healing restores the victim to full speed. The effects are not cumulative and target cannot be reduced to quarter speed from crossing through two caltrop fields, or spend several rounds fighting inside a caltrop field.