While it definitely has a place in non-combat moments during games, it has more than a few combat applications as well. For example, the ability to use it as a makeshift weapon or shield in close quarters combat, or as an escape plan if you’re outnumbered and outmatched.
Prestidigitation
You create a small, harmless transmutation effect within range. The effect depends on the school of magic you use. ..
Magicians use prestidigitation to perform illusions and tricks that seem impossible. Prestidigitation is a form of magic that uses minor magical effects and tricks to create the illusion of greater power. ..
The spell can have up to three non-instantaneous effects going on at the same time.
Make a small nonmagical object and put it in front of an object you want to light or extinguish. The object disappears at the end of your next turn.
Who Gets Prestidigitation?
Pretty much everyone is talking about the economy these days. It’s been on the rise for a while now, and there’s no sign that it’s going to stop.
The spell is easy to cast and can be accessed by almost anyone. ..
Arcane magic is a powerful and versatile tool that can be used to perform many tasks. One of the most common uses for arcane magic is prestidigitation, which is a type of magic that uses illusion to create an effect that seems real. This can be used to deceive enemies, make objects appear out of thin air, or even fool others into thinking you are something you’re not.
Wizards of high elven and half-elven descent can choose to cast the arcane spell prestidigitation as their one wizard cantrip. ..
The halfings in Eberron get prestidigitation as part of their Innkeeper’s Magic feature.
The Magic Initiate feat allows any character to pick up a magic item, regardless of their class. This includes items that are not magical, like weapons and armor.
multiclassing is a great way to get a few extra cantrips. If you happen to multiclass into any of the classes that get this spell, you can pick it up then.
Prestidigitation Uses, Tips & Tricks
- Use the spell to increase your chances of success.
- Use the spell to attract attention to your campaign.
- Use the spell to create a sense of urgency for your campaign.
Sensory Effect
Prestidigitation is a technique used to make various effects, such as making things disappear or appearing out of thin air.
The spell lists a few things you could use in stage magic, but what other purposes could this be put to? ..
The odd odor example could be extremely embarrassing for a noble if they can hide while casting the spell. Assuming you can hide while casting the spell, there’s nothing to stop you from making a rival smell like manure.
- To make yourself look more powerful or important
- To make yourself look like a better person orator
- To make yourself look more intelligent or knowledgeable
- To make yourself look more attractive to others
To spook someone, play eerie music or create strange smells in a room. To make people leave a place, make the air smell like smoke. To make guards feel uneasy, create sounds that mimic footsteps or a bell. ..
The spell list includes a shower of sparks, but what about a puff of smoke?
Smoke can be used in some old stage magician acts as a helpful sensory effect. If your DM is willing to let you do this, it could be a quick getaway. ..
Light or Snuff
This feature is either relatively limited or extremely versatile, depending on your DM. You can light or extinguish a candle, torch, or small campfire with it. ..
This means you don’t need any kind of flint or fire-starter to start a fire.
In combat, it can be useful to have darkvision and enemies don’t. A quick cast of prestidigitation might be all you need to plunge the room into darkness.
If you need light, you can always find it.
The article discusses the different types of fire, and how they can be used in different ways. One example is using candles as a source of light, which can be helpful in dark areas or when there is no other option. torches can also be used for a variety of purposes, such as providing heat or illumination. Lastly, campfires are perfect for enjoying the outdoors and can provide a warm and cozy atmosphere.
The spell does not specifically mention a lantern, but many old lanterns were effectively candle-holders. Would you be able to extinguish a lantern with a candle but not an oil-burning lantern?
If your DM treats them as examples, you can use this to set any kind of small fire.
The fuse for explosives is set, the oil traps are lit, and the lines or barrels of gunpowder are set off.
If you have a DM who is very particular that the cantrip only allows you to light three things mentioned in the spell’s text, you’re still not out of luck. Just include a candle or torch into your device.
If a DM refuses to let you light a fuse for a stick of dynamite with prestidigitation, try tying or connecting the fuse to a candle wick. You light the candle, the candle lights the fuse. ..
Your real limit is the kind of nonsense you can come up with.
If someone in your party has a spell like “Produce Flame” or “Fire Bolt,” it might be better to leave fire-starting to them. ..
Clean or Soil
This feature can be very helpful if you’re playing a campaign based around intrigue, as it allows you to easily track the location of your enemies and allies.
adventuring in D&D can lead to some pretty bad things happening. It’s not always necessary, but you never know when you’ll run into a tyrannical lord or a demon cult who will leave something behind.
Fortunately, you have the magical paper-towel you need to clean up all those unseemly messes. Blood, dirt, sweat, other unspeakable fluids spread by something that belongs in your nightmares! All can be cleaned with a simple casting of prestidigitation.
- Use a knife to cut through the cheese
- Use a fork to break the cheese into small pieces
- Use a spoon to mix the cheese together
Clean up blood to hide that you took out a guard:
- Make sure that all of your clothes are clean and free of blood or dirt.
- Wade through sewers or mud pits, if necessary, to clean up any blood or dirt that may be present.
- If you are using a scrying spell, make sure that any areas where blood has been spilt are cleaned completely before casting the spell.
Some people find it difficult to clean someone with prestidigitation, but some DMs will let you do it anyway. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
The article discusses the different meanings of “soiled,” and how it can be used to describe different situations.
To help you pass as a gardener or an urchin, soil your clothes with ‘blood’ when pretending to be dead, soil someone’s tie with ketchup or mustard to embarrass them, soil a floor or carpet by adding muddy footprints to trick people later looking at the scene of one of your roguish crimes, make it look like someone spilled ink on their shirt sleeves, make it look like an obnoxious noble has ‘soiled’ his trousers. ..
Chill, Warm, or Flavor
This feature of prestidigitation allows you to warm, cool, and flavor nonliving material.
There are a number of ways to use this spell in your everyday life. ..
This feature is amazing! It can be used for a variety of purposes, such as cooling your clothes or warming your bath.
A DM can use prestidigitation to counteract the effects of hot or cold climates by cooling or heating their clothes. This will depend on the DM’s version of the climate.
If you’re looking for a way to make broccoli taste like chocolate, you could try using it as a flavoring in recipes. Alternatively, you could let your character enjoy life a little more by using it as a natural sweetener.
You can make water taste like wine by adding some sugar or honey to it. This is useful for hiding the taste of poison in a drink, as well as for certain rogues who want to disguise their beverage. ..
If you want to make food taste bad, there are a few things you can do. First, you can add spices that are not traditionally associated with the flavor you are trying to create. For example, if you want to make food taste like it has been tainted by poison, try using poisonous herbs or spices. Second, you can use poor-quality ingredients. If your character is cooking for a competition or trying to embarrass a chef, using low-quality ingredients will make the food look and taste worse than it actually is. ..
Arcana clerics and people with clerics in their party can use prestidigitation to boost create food and water. This is a fun extra use for the cleric that can help them survive in difficult situations.
The cleric spell makes 45 pounds of food that is bland until you add prestidigitation. It is a lovely thing to cast when on long quests, or if you find yourself putting on a festival.
There are pros and cons to using a smartphone for productivity. ..
Between embarrassing rivals, instigating fights, or just making your food tastier, this feature is a fun one to play with. ..
Marking With Prestidigitation
This feature lets you add a color, small mark, or symbol to an object or surface.
This technology has some interesting uses, even if it only lasts an hour. For example, you could use it to watch a movie while you work or to listen to music while you’re doing something else.
This new feature is great for people who want to keep track of where they are and what they are doing. You can leave marks on things or people to let them know where you have been and when you will be back. ..
You can use this system to mark objects and locations so that the artificer knows where to plant a bomb. ..
The marks will disappear after an hour if the person who is supposed to be following you is doing so. Anyone else will not see the marks. ..
A small mark can be used to add an insignia to your clothes or a badge. It can also be used to ‘fake’ a seal from a king or noble. ..
If you need to be a member of a certain clergy for an hour, carry a blank holy symbol. When you need to, cast prestidigitation and add whatever god’s symbol you need, assuming you don’t think the god will retaliate.
Trinkets & Illusions
This feature allows a mage to do the minor tricks and sleight of hand that characterize a lot of stage magicians. Wiggle your fingers, say “abracadabra” and you can pull a coin from behind someone’s ear.
The illusions are small, and they last for a short amount of time. If you are intending to do illusion tricks, you probably already have some minor illusion. This could come in handy, but it’s less effective than the other arcane cantrip.
The magical trinket is a great feature, even if it doesn’t last long. “Until the end of your next turn” is somewhere between 6 and 12 seconds. Depending on what you make, that might be all the time you need.
This ability allows the caster to create any object, no matter how long it may be without needing it. One of Wizards of the Coast’s Sage Advice compendiums specifically says that the nature of the trinket is up to the spellcaster and the DM.
The Sample Trinkets list in the Player’s Handbook includes a coin, a ring, a chess piece, dice, a deed for a parcel of land, a card, a silver badge, a tiny mechanical crab, a doorknob, and a bank deposit receipt among many other items.
That allows for a lot of interesting uses.
If you’re playing in a modern setting, a DM might allow you to make a driver’s license or some other kind of ID as a “nonmagical trinket.” ..
You could drop coins into a vending machine or payphone to get them counted.
A platinum coin might also be a good bribe. Hand it to a guard before you pass by and get out of dodge before they notice it’s gone.
If you are a sorcerer with the Subtle Spell metamagic, you could use this to effectively cheat at cards. You would probably need to make some sleight of hand checks. So long as you move quickly, you might be able to sweep the cards back together before someone notices one of them vanish. ..
The Player’s Handbook defines a trinket as an “item that is small, insignificant, and worn as an ornament.” This includes chess pieces, which are considered small and insignificant. ..
A chess piece made of cesium could be used as an explosive device. This could be a challenge for your DM, depending on their game. Some might find it exciting. ..
A key is a trinket, and it can be a valuable tool.
The book says it is. ..
I’ve seen a key that looks like this before.
What if the key to solving the mystery is something that is easy to find, but was overlooked? ..
What if the key to your handcuffs was a handcuff key?
If you’re able to unlock the cuffs or manacles before the key vanishes at the end of your next turn, you’ll be able to free yourself. ..
If your DM agrees with your definition of ‘trinket’, you can get away with quite a lot.
Stealthy Spellcasting
The prestidigitation spell is a powerful magic that can be used by anyone, but it is most effective when used by those who are creative and have the DM’s permission.
Sorcerers have an advantage over other classes in that they can cast Subtle Spell metamagic without any kind of component. This means they can cast prestidigitation without having to worry about the Casting Time or the Spell Level.
Prestidigitation can be extremely helpful for any of the shenanigans you can do with prestidigitation.
When you cook food, it’s easy to make it taste bad or cause noxious odors. You can do this by using tricks that are easier when you don’t have to use your hands and say an incantation.
If a caster does not have Subtle Spell, they may still be able to hide their verbal and somatic components by casting the spell out of sight, or by making a Stealth or Sleight of Hand check.
A DM can use prestidigitation to cast spells without using any components.
If you want to sneakily cast a spell, you’ll need to get creative. Here are some ideas:
- Try using a disguise or illusion to make yourself look like someone you’re not.
- Use magic words or phrases to make yourself sound like someone else.
- Use your body language to create an impression that you’re not really there.
What is a trinket? A small, often colorful piece of jewelry or other object that can be used to ignite or extinguish something else.
DM’s are usually more flexible with spell usage than you might think. Try asking them about what they’re willing to do before hand and see if you can get a flexible use for the Prestidigitation spell.
