A guide to the least magics from every school

Sample file

The Book of Cantrips

A. D. Feltham The Book of Cantrips

A guide to the least magics of every school

When a wizard is first learning his art his teacher will spend a great deal of time training him in the ways of Cantrips. These, the least powerful of spells, are the building blocks of more potent sorcery. These are the spells that a mage must cast so often during his training that they become second nature. In this tome you will discover the secret cantrips used to teach students of the eight major schools of magic the building blocks of their craft.

Improve the thematic flavour of your wizards with this collection of new spells for every school of magic.

A wizards resource for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition.

Dedicated to my wife, Jenny. I love you.

bySample A.D.Feltham file Art provided by Patrick E. Pullen

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Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. TITLE 1 A Sunny Afternoon “I don’t want tricks,” moaned the little girl. “I want to see some real magic.” The old mage lit his pipe and inhaled deeply. He held the smoke in his mouth for a few moments, Her grandfather looked a little taken aback. “All of letting the rich, warm taste wash back and forth my magic is real magic!” he said. “I just said they across his tongue. Then, with a slight twittering weren’t spells.” sound he slowly released the smoke and watched The old man tapped his pipe on the doorstep as the spreading cloud expanded. The old mage where they both sat. A small clump of ash fell out absent-mindedly twisted his fingers through the and he carelessly squashed it into the ground with symbols of a cantrip that he had learned almost a his shoe. But when he lifted his foot off the ash century ago and the smoke condensed into small, again the old man looked down and grinned at the fluttering grey doves. The old man laughed once girl. to himself at he watched the smoky animals flapping into the sky. A few moments later they “Wow!” she gasped. For there on the ground dissolved again into smoke and dissipated upon where the ash stain should be there was a perfect the winds. little picture of the girl’s own face, smiling back at her. It had been rendered from the ashy smear. At the old man’s feet, the little girl, his granddaughter, gasped in amazement. and “You like that one, do you?” asked her grandfather. begged him to do it again. “Yes! Wow! Can you do another?” The old man obliged, smiling kindly. He felt just “I certainly can,” grinned the old man. Watch this. about as content on this sunny summer evening as With a deft little wiggle of his fingers the old wizard he ever had in his long life. suddenly brought life to the ash picture. The ash “Can you do any other tricks?” asked the little girl. girl seemed to flex and wriggle and then it crawled Her name was Wren, named after the songbird. up off the floor. It was no longer a flat drawing. Her eyes were huge and blue, framed by her long, Now it was a thing of three dimensions. A little ash blonde hair. ghost that danced and ran around the floor, performing all manner of clever and dextrous tricks The old mage nodded slowly and smiled again at to the little girl’s amazement. her. Sample “She’sfile singing!” gasped the little girl. “But I can't “Oh, yes, my dear.” he said. “When I was young I hear what she’s saying. Grandfather, what is she learned all sorts of interesting little tricks like that.” singing about?” “Show me! Show me!” the girl begged. She “Listen carefully,” said the old wizard. “You can clasped her hands tight to the old man’s leg and hear her song on the wind if you listen very rocked it from side to side in her eagerness to get carefully.” his full attention. The little girl strained to listen and, as the gentle From inside the house the girl’s mother’s voice summer breeze blew past her ear she could just rang out. “No spells near the house, Father!” make out the faint, phantasmal sound of the ash The little girl looked crestfallen. It looked like there girl’s song. She was singing about the shining sun would be no magic show today. But the old mage and the gentle cloud. It was a summer song. just smiled and nodded. “Of course not, Maurine,” But summer days do not stay sunny all the time. he called back, cheerily. As the old man and the little girl watched and “Oh, Grandad,” Wren sulked. “Why can’t you listened to the ash puppet they did not notice the show me any more magic? Its not fair!” dark clouds gathering overhead. A few minutes later the rain began to fall. The little girl ran inside “Who said I wouldn’t show you any magic?” Her the house, but the old wizard stayed outside, grandfather’s voice was suddenly sneaky and enjoying the soft patter of the rain on the green, conspiratorial. “Your mother only said no spells, dusty grass. but I’ve got a whole hatful of tricks up my sleeve that aren’t spells. I’ll show you some if you are Strangely, the old man did not seem to get even good. the slightest bit wet.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. TITLE 2 The Nature of Cantrips

Many mages and sorcerers believe that These spells may also be used by other power comes from knowing the biggest, spell casting classes at the DM’s most dangerous or impressive spells. discretion. They spend their lives searching out lost spell books in monster infested ruins, These spells have been listed in school trying to discover the next piece of the order because sometimes, when creating mystic jigsaw that will give them power a spell casting character, players may over the world around them. Many mages wish to be thematic in their choice of ensure that they spend their days spells. A player playing an illusionist memorising spells which can destroy might find himself casting invocations there enemies in a single blast or raise the more frequently than illusions if his choice castles of the mighty up into the sky. To of cantrips was not careful at the start of many, this is where power can be found. his career. There is nothing wrong with this, but some may feel it loses the unique But the forest gnome wizards speak of a flavor of the school of magic. different kind of power. They whisper in their quiet, unobtrusive way of the power of small things. These cunning wizards Existing Cantrips by School have very little use for flashy magic, yet they are numbered amongst the most skilled practitioners of the arts in all the Abjuration world. A true master of the arts of magic Blade Ward will cast more cantrips in his life than all the rest of his spell casting put together. So why are cantrips overlooked by so Sample Conjurationfile many? Acid Splash In this book the discerning mage will find a Mage Hand selection of cantrips used by each of the Poison Spray schools of magic to teach its members the basics of the art that they are studying. These most minor of spells will not call Divination forth rains of destruction to level cities, but they could save a wizard’s life if he has True Strike the wit to apply it cleverly. After all, there is a name for a wizard that Enchantment does not use his spells cleverly; corpse. Friends

Using these cantrips Evocation The cantrips presented in this booklet are Dancing Lights designed to be used by any wizard class character, regardless of the school that Fire Bolt they do now or will ultimately belong to. Light

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. TITLE 3 Ray of Frost Shocking Grasp When a creature within 60 feet of you, including yourself, is the target of an attack you may, as a reaction, use this cantrip to generate an unstable field of Illusion force between the attack and the target. Minor Illusion The beneficiary of this spell effect may add 1d4 to its armor class for the duration of that attack roll. After that attack roll is Necromancy completed the force shield dissolves. This Chill Touch spell offers no protection against further attack rolls this round.

Transmutation CLEANSING LIGHT Mending Abjuration Cantrip Message Casting Time: action Prestidigitation Range: 10 feet radius Using these cantrips Components: V, S Duration: concentration The cantrips presented in this booklet are designed to be used by any wizard class When you cast this spell a soft glowing character, regardless of the school. light emanates from you, spreading out to It is clear that some schools of magic are a range of 10 feet. All those within the better at keeping their training exercises radius of the light that are affected by a secret than others. On the next few status effect generated by a spell or spell- pages are presented other cantrips which like effect may make one additional saving help to teach the secrets of a school ofSample throwfile each turn. Incidentally, this spell magic. also generates dim light to a distance of 10 feet. The School of PROTECTIVE WARD Abjuration Abjuration Cantrip Casting Time: action The school of Abjuration focusses the Range: touch channelling of energies that block, banish Components: V, S and protect. The cantrips presented here Duration: 1 hour are the building blocks of these skills INTERPOSING FORCE When you cast this spell you may place your arcane protection upon a single target that you can touch. That target Abjuration Cantrip gains advantage on the first saving throw Casting Time: reaction it attempts against spell or spell-like Range: 1 creature within 60 feet effects before the spell’s duration ends. Components: V, S Duration: Instant

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. TITLE 4