Competent Caster's Cantrip Codex
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Competent Caster's Cantrip Codex hether you are a prestidigitating wizard, an eldritch blasting warlock or a guiding cleric, Artificer cantrips help define how a caster feels. The spells that you are most experienced with, that Alchemist come to you as nautrally as breathing, these Alchemists focus on the production and administering of spells should say something about your potions. Wcharacter. Or at the very least, wouldn't it be nice if one of these Rapid Administration effortless spells was more tailored to your chosen character Transmutation cantrip archetype? This document presents 26 new cantrips for use Casting Time: 1 bonus action in your Dungeons and Dragons games, listed according to the Range: 60 feet classes and sub-classes they are designed for. Components: S, M (a modified syringe and a potion) Duration: Instantaneous Adding Extra Cantrips to You transform a potion you possess into a ranged projectile, allowing you to administer it from afar. Make a your Game ranged spell attack against a target, you have advantage There are many options for how to use these in your game, against a willing target, on a hit, the target gains the effects of ranging from simple but potentially unbalanced to specific, the potion as if they had consumed it. On a miss, the potion is tailored approaches. Decide what works for you but here are lost. some suggestions. Artillerist Add them to Spell Lists Artillerists are blasters, they like to launch, shoot and Add the chosen cantrips to whatever spell lists you deem otherwise do damage at a distance. appropriate. This increases options for classes with access to that spell list. Shrapnel Blast Transmutation cantrip Add them as Features Casting Time: 1 action You may want to add specific cantrips to specific classes or Range: 90 feet sub-classes. This is how they're laid out in the document, as if Components: S, M (blunt, sharp or pointy pieces of metal) they belong to each class alone. Duration: Instantaneous You magically or mechanically launch a handful of harmful Give them as Rewards debris at your enemy. Make a ranged spell attack against a Either as a bonus perk when levelling up or as a reward for in creature you can see within range. On a hit, that creature game actions, cantrips are good way to reward your players suffers 1d8 of your choice of bludgeoning, piercing or with more options. slashing damage. This spell's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th Use them as a Tease level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8). This is probably one of my favourite options, especially for eldritch knights and arcane tricksters. Give them access to a Battlesmith single, thematic cantrip one level before they get their spell- Battlesmiths are the ultimate authority on magical weapons. casting. Wrench However else you Want to Transmutation cantrip Casting Time: 1 action I'm not your dad. You want to give every class a cantrip at 1st Range: 30 feet level just because? You want to have cantrip classes in the Components: S, M (a lodestone pebble) local magic academy? You want to replace feats with Duration: Instantaneous cantrips? You want to make your characters gestalt every other level and give them cantrips in between? Well, you Choose a magical item you can see within range, you reach might be mad, but that's up to you. out and attempt to pull that item to you. The item flies through the air and into your hand. If the item is carried by an You run your game however you want to. unwilling creature, that creature must succeed on a charisma saving throw or release the item. SampleIf the creature succeeds , they tfileake 2d6 psychic damage and that item is immune to this effect for the next hour. Barbarian Zealot A little tweak to your grandmother's word of radiance gives Now, I know what you're thinking. "Barbarians are the least us a perfect cantrip for the barbarian. magical of all classes, their main class feature actively interferes with spell casting!" That's true! However, you can make minor tweaks to cantrips to give your characters little Roar of Radiance Evocation cantrip nuggets of versatility. Casting Time: 1 action Range: 5 feet Ancestral Guardian Components: V The protection granted by your ancestors can be directed, at Duration: Instaneous a cost. You roar a divine word of power and release your inner Grace of Wrath radiance. Each creature of your choice that you can see Abjuration cantrip within range must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 radiant damage plus your rage damage bonus, Casting Time: 1 reaction* Constitution is your spell casting ability for this spell. Range: 30 feet You must be in a Rage to cast this spell. Components: V Duration: Instantaneous The spell’s damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th You see an ally in danger and you scream for your level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4). ancestors to guide them in this moment. The target makes their next saving throw this turn against an effect you can see, with advantage. If you are required to make a save Notice that these cantrips break the general rule against the same effect, you roll with disadvantage. that Barbarians can't cast spells while Raging. This You must be in a Rage to cast this spell. works because specific rules trump general rules. (which you take when a creature within range makes a If this kind of tweak doesn't sit well with your table, saving throw) but you still want to give your barbarian a little something extra, you can easily reword these to be Storm Herald non-spell abilities. Storm Heralds are all about the lightning, why not give them Add 'As an action,' to the first sentence and tweak a tweaked version of the premier lightning cantrip. references to spell attacks and save DCs to spell out the numbers required. You could even make Herald's Grasp Herald's Grasp a grapple instead of a spell attack. Evocation cantrip Casting Time: 1 action Range: 5 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous You release a roar and lightning wreathes your hand as you attempt to grab your foe. Make a melee spell attack against a target within range, Consitution is your spell casting ability for this spell. On a hit, the target suffers lightning damage equal to 1d8 + your rage bonus, and it can't take reactions until the start of its next turn. You must be in a Rage to cast this spell. The spell's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8). Sample file Bard Cleric Bards are full casters, but their cantrip list is pretty limited. Clerics are full casters, and between their decent spell list An extra cantrip, tailored to the bard or their college, could go and their domain spells they're pretty well covered. But, like a long way. the Bard, there are options anyway. Colleges of Swords and Valor Forge Domain Both of these colleges share the same general theme. While Devotees of gods of creation and invention, Forge clerics one is definitely better than the other (argue amongst build things to last, when they can. yourselves), they both want you to fill a martial niche with your bard. Moment's Reprieve So, when your bard takes either of these colleges at 3rd Transmutation cantrip level, I highly recommend also giving them their choice of Casting Time: 1 action Green-Flame Blade or Booming Blade. Range: Touch Components: S, M (iron filings and glue) College of Glamour Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Experts in the fey arts of illusion and charms, what if we gave Muttering a prayer which speaks of reinforcement and the glamour bard a cantrip to lean into that theme. stubbornness you touch an object and infuse it with strength. Choose an object or area no more than 5 foot wide in any Galain's Glorious Garments direction, for the duration of the spell that item becomes Illusion cantrip almost impossible to damage. When the spell ends, any Casting Time: 1 action damage that would have been dealt is dealt to the object all at Range: Self once. Components: S, M (a scrap of silk) Duration: 10 minutes Life Domain You magically augment the appearance of your clothes, The life domain concerns itself with the preservation and changing the colour, style, cut or other details to suit your restoration of life, their healing spells are already better than whims. You may even add extra items to your ensemble. anyone elses. But why stop there? The changes wrought by this spell fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, if you use this spell to add a Harmonic Radiance hat to your outfit, objects pass through the hat, and anyone Evocation cantrip who touches it would feel nothing or would feel your head Casting Time: 1 reaction* and hair. Range: 60 feet Components: V, M (a silver tuning fork) College of Whispers Duration: Instantaneous Whispers bards are agents of fear and chaos, their abilities When a creature you can see attempts to restore hit points revolve around fear and secrets. to themselves or another creature within range, you may bolster the healing with your own magic. Threatening Dirge Any dice rolled to determine the number of hit points Enchantment cantrip restored by the spell or ability are rolled an additional time Casting Time: 1 action and the higher total taken. Range: Self * (which you take when you see a creature within 60 feet Components: V, S restore hit points) Duration: 1 Round You sing a droning song, lamenting the inevitable (and exquisitely detailed) death of your foes.