Cantrips

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If you are looking for cantrip usage for the Jeweled Amber game see-Cantrip. The discriptions here are very useful as well and I kyped most of them for the JA game.

The Cantrip is a tiny spell created by practicing students of the magical arts during their apprenticeship. While these spells are mere minor dweomers, they still have some uses to the adventuring Magic-User.

Cantrips are cast like normal spells -- memorized every day -- and are recorded in the character's spellbook. Magic-users can cast a number of cantrips per day equal to her Intelligence modifier plus 1/2 her level (rounding up as normal), with a maximum per day equal to the character's Intellence. Elves can cast a number of cantrips per day equal to his Intelligence modifier plus 1/4 his level (rounding up as normal). Again, elves can cast a maximum number of cantrips per day equal to his Intelligence score.

A 1st level Magic User starts out with 2d4 + Intelligence modifier of cantrips known and written in their spell book. Others may be obtained during adventures just as any other spell. Elves begin with a number of cantrips equal to 1d4 + Intelligence modifier in their spellbook. Both will have their cantrips randomly determined by the GM.

CANTRIPS LIST

• 1.Anatomics
• 2.Bug
• 3.Catfall
• 4.Catfeet
• 5.Clean
• 6.Color
• 7.Dampen
• 8.Enrich
• 9.Exterminate
• 10.Firefinger
• 11.Gallop
• 12.Gather
• 13.Hairy
• 14.Haunting
• 15.Knot
• 16.Know Direction
• 17.Legerdemain
• 18.Mask
• 19.Mend
• 20.Mute
• 21.Snatch
• 22.Stitch
• 23.Temperature
• 24.Tie
• 25.Transmogrify
• 26.Unseen Hand
• 27.Weathertell
• 28.Werelight

Cantrip Descriptions

• Anatomics
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One person
  • Duration: 1 action
  • Saving Throw: None

When this cantrip is cast, the subject will involuntarily emit a body noise or reaction of the casters choosing. Such simple reactions can be a belch, blink, nod, yawn, etc; but nothing sophisticated.

• Bug
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: 10 feet
  • Duration: Permanent
  • Saving Throw: None

When this cantrip is used, the caster summons an insect from someplace—where is of no importance, for the creature appears in seconds. The bug will appear in whatever spot the caster is gazing at, up to a 10 foot distance from him or her. The bug is, of course, annoyed, and it is 90% likely to sting or bite (if possible) any living creature it finds itself upon. (This will certainly cause the subject to react violently if it would otherwise be so affected by such).

• Catfall
  • Level" 0
  • Area of Effect: Caster
  • Duration: 1 round
  • Saving Throw: None

When cast, this cantrip reduces a character's falling rate, so they take less damage upon impact, provided the fall is from 30' or less. The damage from a fall is reduced by 1 per die of damage taken. This spell may be cast instantly as a character falls.

• Catfeet
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: Caster
  • Duration: 1d4+1 minutes
  • Saving Throw: None

When this cantrip is cast, the caster’s tread is rendered silent for 1d4+1 minutes. This does not cloak any other sounds such as his/her breathing, the swish of clothing or sounds of equipment jingling. Objects dislodged or broken by the caster’s feet make whatever noise they normally would. Traps and other devices triggered by the caster’s feet operate normally.

• Clean
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: 4 sq. yards
  • Duration: Permanent
  • Saving Throw: None

This cantrip enables the caster to remove heavy soil, dirt, and like foreign objects from floors, walls, dishes, windows, garments, etc. The subject surfaces are then spotless, but care must be taken in removal of pigments and the like, so usually only one type of material will be treated in a single application. The reverse of this cantrip, Soil, dirties and fouls any surface equal to the area of effect.

• Color
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: up to 3 sq. yds.
  • Duration: 1 day
  • Saving Throw: Possibly

The mage, with the casting of this cantrip, is able to alter the color of up to 3 sq. yds. of non-magical, non-living material. Only solid colors are permitted. If cast on objects in the possession of an unwilling subject a saving throw is permitted.

• Dampen
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: 1 cubic yard
  • Duration: Special
  • Saving Throw: None

When the Dampen cantrip is cast, the area of effect is permeated by a fog-like dampness that leaves all material within damp to the touch. This is hard on parchment but it also makes parchment and like substances hard to set aflame. Those in the area of effect of the Dampen cantrip are enwrapped in a light fog, and objects in this fog, while still visible, lose their detail. The reverse of this cantrip, Dry, removes dampness and excess moisture from materials in the area of effect. It is useful for drying cloth or herbs and for cleaning chores. It will inflict 1 point of damage on water-based creatures.

• Enrich
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One object
  • Duration: up to 6 turns
  • Saving Throw: None

This cantrip enables the caster to give the subject a superior or better or different aspect of its to the senses; be they sight, smell, sound, touch or taste. Thus, mush can be made to taste as if it were lobster bisque, but the dweomer will not actually affect quality or wholesomeness. It can also be used to restore faded hues or to tinge those already colored with a different hue. A rough canvas garment can be made to feel like silk or velvet. A rotten egg can smell like fresh daisies, and a irritating sound can be made to sound like a canary’s song. However, the cantrip may only effect one sense per casting.

• Exterminate
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One small creature
  • Duration: Permanent
  • Saving Throw: None

When this cantrip is used, the caster may kill a small pest such as a fly, mouse, rat, beetle, or the like. It is useful for indoor and outdoor applications. If the subject is very small, an area of up to 1/2 cubic foot can be rid of pests. This cantrip only affects normal, non-magical pests.

• Firefinger
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: 1/3’ line
  • Duration: 1 round
  • Saving Throw: None

The firefinger cantrip enables the caster to cause a jet of flame up to one-half foot in length to shoot forth from his or her finger. The flame is very hot and will ignite combustible materials such as parchment, twigs, kindling, and the like without difficulty, providing the materials are relatively dry. The flame persists for up to 1 round.

The reverse of this Cantrip, Extinguish, extinguishes a small flame such as used in a lantern or candle. A torch is too large a flame to be effected with this cantrip.

• Gallop
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One object
  • Duration: Special
  • Saving Throw: Yes

The caster using this cantrip can give a creature within 10 feet (usually a mount) a sudden burst of speed that doubles the creature’s movement rate for one round. The movement is arrow-straight though a saving throw is allowed with a +3 bonus to avoid an obstacle such as a pit, snare or precipice, provided the creature or its rider knows of the obstacle’s existence. Unwilling creatures also receive a saving throw to negate the effect.

• Gather
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: 1 cubic yard
  • Duration: Special
  • Saving Throw: None

This cantrip enables the caster to neatly gather numerous small objects into a stack or pile. For instance, if nuts, nails, coins, papers or the like were spilled, the magic would bring them together.. It can be used selectively, for instance to separate one type of material from another, but only the selected type is gathered neatly.

• Hairy
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One object
  • Duration: permanent
  • Saving Throw: yes

While this cantrip is not actually one of the standard useful ones which apprentices reverse for mischievousness, it is one which is generally used for no good purpose. It causes hair, fur, or hairlike growth to thicken and lengthen. Thus, a head of hair, a peach, a beard, a cat, or whatever could be affected. The growth will cause the subject material to increase from 2-12 inches in length. The subject material must be trimmed or cut to remove the cantrip’s effect. This cantrip can be reversed to shorten growth or effectively shave, but since the effect on short material (growth under 1 inch in length) is complete absence of growth for 2-12 days, it is not often used.

• Haunting
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: Special
  • Duration: 1 round
  • Saving Throw: yes

This cantrip creates the illusion of any number of ghostly sounds such as a faint groan, creak, footfalls, etc. Naturally, those creatures within hearing distance are allowed a saving throw versus spell, and if it succeeds, the individual will hear no such noise.

• Knot
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One object
  • Duration: Special
  • Saving Throw: None

This cantrip is a permutation of the tie cantrip. It causes the thread, string, cord, rope or cable to knot itself in such a manner that it is extremely difficult to untie (2d4 minutes minus the untier’s dexterity bonus). This cantrip will not work on a magical rope.

• Know Direction
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: Small iron implement
  • Duration: 1 turn
  • Saving Throw: None

The caster briefly enchants a simple iron item such as a pin, needle, or nail to serve as a directional pointer. The item will pivot till it points towards true north, and will maintain that heading unless physically prevented from turning.

• Legerdemain
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One small item
  • Duration: 1 round
  • Saving Throw?: none

This cantrip enables the caster to secret or cause to appear a small object in his hand without seeming to do so. The item created to appear from nowhere is illusory, and will disappear in 1 round.

• Mask
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One person
  • Duration: 1d4 +2 minutes
  • Saving Throw: None

A mask cantrip enables the caster to alter his or her visage, or the visage of whatever human, demihuman or humanoid subject s/he chooses. Ears, hair, head shape, facial features and all such aspects of appearance are affected. The mask is only detectable if a viewer peers very closely or can detect illusion.

• Mend
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One object
  • Duration: Permanent
  • Saving Throw: None

This cantrip repairs small breaks in objects. It will weld a broken ring, chain link, medallion or ripped material, providing but one break exists. Ceramic or wooden objects with multiple breaks can be invisibly rejoined to be as strong as new. A hole in a leather sack or wineskin is completely healed over by a Repair cantrip. This cantrip will not repair magic items of any kind.

• Mute
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One object
  • Duration: One minute
  • Saving Throw: None

The mute cantrip allows the caster to alter the shape of small objects of a mineral nature. The magic is effective upon glass, metal, stone and so on. For example, a thin sheet can be altered into a rod or a coin could be changed to a ring or glass could be changed to crystal. This cantrip has no effect on magical items. The duration is but 1 minute and is automatically disrupted if touched by a person other than the caster.

• Snatch
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One person
  • Duration: Special
  • Saving Throw: Yes

This cantrip causes a brief, violent jerking force to act on a limb or body part of a creature. This force has little strength but might cause a running creature of man-sized or smaller to stumble or turn about or cause one to fumble and drop a small item. A saving throw is allowed to negate the effect but a failed saving throw will also disrupt spell casting for a round. Creatures larger than man-sized are not effected. The range of the cantrip is 30 feet.

• Stitch
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: Special
  • Duration: Special
  • Saving Throw: None

This cantrip magically sews seams in cloth or leather. It can make new seams or repair old work. About 20 yards of cloth can be thus stitched but only about 2 yards of leather. The seam thus created is neither stronger nor weaker than one created without magic and will not detect as magical. The reverse, ravel, only works if there is a loose string or thread with which to work or the original was sewn using the stitch cantrip.

• Temperature
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: 1’ cube
  • Duration: special
  • Saving Throw: none

A cantrip of this nature allows the caster to cause non-living liquid or solid material to become about 40°F warmer or cooler than it was, subject to a minimum temperature of freezing. The warming or chilling effect lasts for but an instant, after which the subject returns slowly back to normal temperature.

• Tie
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One object
  • Duration: Special
  • Saving Throw: None

By means of this cantrip, the caster can magically cause the object of the magic – thread, string, cord, rope or cable – to tightly knot itself to either its other end or the end of a similar object within 1 foot of it. The resulting knot is a normal one of whichever type of common knot that the caster wants (square, slip, etc.).

• Transmogrify
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One creature/item
  • Duration: Special
  • Saving Throw: none

By means of a transmogrify cantrip, the caster alters one small object to another, although the change must be within the same kingdom, and only animal and vegetable objects are affected. Thus, a piece of parchment can be changed to a brightly colored cloth square, then the cloth can be changed to a rose by another use of the cantrip. Likewise, a bird can be changed into a bat, the bat to a flying squirrel by another use of the same type of cantrip, and so forth. Each alteration requires a transmogrify cantrip. The cantrip will not cause more than a 50% increase or decrease in size/volume, and the effect will last for a base time of 1 turn. If the change is radical, then the time will be reduced accordingly; i.e., changing a dead object to a live one is a radical change and will last only 1 round. On the other hand, a very slight alteration such as color change or the like will last for 1 or more days. A saving throw against this magic does not apply as long as small, animal-intelligence, non-magical creatures of normal sort are concerned.

• Unseen Hand
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: One creature/item
  • Duration: 1 action
  • Saving Throw: Save vs. Magic to avoid a 1 round distraction.

By means of this cantrip, the caster causes an unseen hand to perform simple actions such as open/close a door, lift a small object and carry it (1 lb limit) within 10 feet radius of the caster, and poke or pinch a target as desired. If this cantrip is used on a spellcaster, the target must make a saving throw vs. magic, with success meaning that the target is not distracted. Failure causes a 1 round distraction and may interrupt spell casting at DM’s discretion.

• Weathertell
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: Special
  • Duration: Special
  • Saving Throw: None

This cantrip, a favorite among the sea mages, enables the caster (who must be able to see the sky and listen to the wind) to predict the general weather conditions for the upcoming 1 hour per level of the caster. These are the natural weather conditions at the wizard’s current location, assuming no magical manipulation. Specific timing of gusts and wind shifts is not possible but the caster will know the general wind speed, the possibility of natural rainstorms, general changes in temperature and any exceptional pending weather (such as a tornado).

• Werelight (or Bluelight)
  • Level: 0
  • Area of Effect: 3 inch diameter sphere
  • Duration: Special
  • Saving Throw: None

This cantrip enables the caster to conjure a small sphere of glowing blue radiance. The light has an eerie effect when seen from a distance, but the 3 inch sphere only illuminates an area 5 feet in diameter. The light does not cast shadows beyond the 5 foot diameter nor does it in any case affect infravision. However, the light is bright enough to allow normal reading. The light lasts as long as the caster concentrates on it. If the caster begins to do other things, the light will begin to fade, finally blinking out after a number of minutes equal to the caster’s level plus intelligence modifier. When the cantrip is cast, it appears wherever the caster wishes within 3 feet of him or her.