Prestidigitation: What is it good for?

[dreaded_beast]

anyone remember an article from dragon mag during 2nd ed which expanded on the usefulness of the cantrip spell?

i believe that prestidigitation is the 3rd equivalent of cantrip, so has anyone found any useful uses for it?

i'm thinking that it lasts for 1 hour, so imagine the kind of interesting things you could do during a dungeon crawl, tavern encounter, etc. thing is, i haven't really thought or seen any interesting uses for this spell. the irony is that i believe this is one of the more useful 0-level spells since it has such a "general" application.

 

[Hygric]

A great little spell. The only better 0th is good old detect magic.

I'm going to badger my DM tomorrow to let my wizard permanency it on himself. Somehow, the idea of a 12th level wizard that can only do minor cantrips for 4 hours each day just doesn't feel right.

 

[Bauglir]

The key to prestidigitation's power is in it's application on non-spellcasting opponents.

Anyone with no spellcraft skill won't be able to tell a prestidigitation from a Power Word: Kill.

I played in a game once where a necromancer kept his (non magic-using) underlings in line via a 'dread curse' that would strike them dead instantly were they disloyal. Prestidigitation ofc, not that they knew that.

 

[Darklone]

Check out Tome&Blood, they have a list of uses for this spell.

 

[Fenes 2]

In my campaigns prestidigitation is most often used to clean clothes etc. after the party got dirty in an adventure.

 

[GuardianLurker]

How to use Prestidigitation:

1) Buy/Find a copy of the old Unearther Arcana from the days of 1.5e, read the cantrips.
2) Anything that isn't covered by the current 0-level spells is now under Prestidigitation (like Clean, Untie, Bee)
3) Practice how to say "Prestidigitation" so your tongue doesn't trip over itself.

Option: Use Presti-digit-ation to Bluff your GM into allowing wild in game effects.

 

[bret]

Most useful thing I've done with it: Use the 'Dry' ability on someone who was fighting a Delver. Acid is a liquid, I just dried all the acid off them.

Normal uses: Cleaning clothes, drying off, quickly removing signs of a battle (such as blood stains).

It can be a very useful spell.

 

[Victim]

In general, most of the time you see new cantrips printed, the effects could be done with prestidigitation. My bard uses it to keep clean herself up after fighting or marching, repel non-threatening bugs, and stay dry in the rain.

 

[rexartur]

Absolutely nuthin

Uhhhh

Say it again!


(Sorry, actually it gets used a lot in my games...I just couldn't resist)

 

[Celtavian]

Re

My arcane casters usually use Prestidigitation to clean clothes, mend clothes, groom myself, clean my room, turn pages, and any other small mundane task not covered by other spells.