Could Predistigation turn sea water into fresh

[just__al]

I'm starting prelimary plans for a campaign where the planet is 99% covered in ocean. More than finding places to grow food, people are going to need fresh water. I'm thinking that predistigation should be good enough to desalt water. If that's the case then Gnomes would figure very highly into the campaign world as the average gnome can cast Predistigation.

I'm figuring it would hardly be more than a day's worth of water per casting since the water just needs to be desalted.

Any ideas/suggestions...

{edit} Upon further looking I see that purify food and drink is a Cleric and Druid Osiron and can handle 1 cubic foot of water (or 8 gallons). So maybe .5 cubic feet for predistigation since it's arcane.

 

[Kemrain]

{edit} Upon further looking I see that purify food and drink is a Cleric and Druid Osiron and can handle 1 cubic foot of water (or 8 gallons). So maybe .5 cubic feet for predistigation since it's arcane.

I see no reason to limit the effect of the spell simply because it's arcane...

 

[just__al]

I see no reason to limit the effect of the spell simply because it's arcane...

Wizards don't usually do the food and water thing, but on the otherhand, the spell isn't purifying food and it's only desalting water so it seems like giving up everything else should be all the difference.

 

[Caliban]

I think prestidigitation could change the taste of salt water, but could not actually turn it into fresh water.

 

[Ferret]

I can imagine half a bucket going for the gnomish desalination. No more though.

Oh and incase you wondering why, presti... does enough anyway, also couldn't you use the wet version of the spell on a sponge/glass?

 

[Hypersmurf]

I think prestidigitation could change the taste of salt water, but could not actually turn it into fresh water.

Yeah - that's Purify's job. And doesn't Prestidigitation specifically say it can't duplicate the effects of other spells?

-Hyp.

 

[Staffan]

I agree that prestidigitation couldn't do the job, but I would expect that a culture on such a world would easily figure out a way to turn sea water into fresh water without magic. Something like putting water in a bowl, and catching the water that evaporates. Sure, it'd be slow, but it would be workable. Another thing is that on a world with 99% water, there'd probably be a lot of rain, and rain water should be fresh. Catch it in barrels and the like.

Or, if you want to minimize the problem, just say that people in the setting have evolved to be able to drink sea water, or that the salt content in the seas are lower.

 

[Epametheus]

Don't forget raw fish (or fruit); those would also serve as natural water sources.

Isn't prestidigitation actually barred from doing useful stuff?

 

[Tatsukun]

well.... ...yes

Yes, prestidigitation is specifically barred from mimicking another spell’s effect. But, in this case, it’s fine IMHO. There is no spell ‘desalinate water’ that I know of.

Purify water will remove EVERYTHING, rot, poison, pollution, whatever. You can cast it on a moldy old apple core and it will make it fully safe to eat. In this case, prestidigitation (a spell of the same level) is doing much less work, just removing salt.

You can use prestidigitation. To clean things by having the dirt form little men and march off, why not make little salt-birds who fly up out of the water and land in another bowl (also a great was to get salt).

But, if you decide that prestidigitation can’t do it, just make a new cantrip ‘desalinate water’.

-Tatsu

 

[jgsugden]

Just add a 0th level arcane spell that 'cleans' water. It will solve all your problems.

As for prestidigitation, I have a general rule. If the effect would make you say, "Cool! That was neat!", then that is an ok use. If the use would make you say, "Cool! That was useful!", then that is not an ok use. Anything it does should be trivial: more for show than for solving problems. The rules do not specify this, but if you read between the lines, you'll see that this is the clear intention of the spell.

Yes, I said the clear intention - so there is no room to argue. Don't even bother trying. I said don't. Nope. Get away from that reply button!

If you don't put narrow limits on the usefulness of a 0th level spell that has such a wide possibility of use, the spell becomes overpowered for the spell level.

Will it ruin a game? Probably not. It just isn't what seems to have been intended.