88
votes
Can you prevent players using cantrips to tell whether a creature is disguised as an object?
Don't use the rule in the first place.
If you are not running adventures league you have great leeway to adapt the rules. Object vs. creature vs. illusion and whatever else is one of the rules ripe ...
- 30.3k
71
votes
Is this house-rule removing the increased effect of cantrips at higher character levels balanced?
No, this makes the current system less balanced.
The current system for cantrips gaining damage at regular intervals is the magic users' equivalent of the "Extra Attack" feature that other ...
- 1,651
67
votes
Accepted
My players think they found a loophole that gives them infinite poison and XP. How can I add the proper challenges to slow them down?
No. Just, No.
Mechanically, the duration of the spell is instantaneous. Nothing in the description of the spell even hints that the poison lingers after the instantaneous duration. So it doesn't.
...
- 45.7k
65
votes
Accepted
Can I cast the Light cantrip on an 11-foot pole?
No, you can't cast light on it.
If the spell intended to say "an object that fits within a 10-foot cube", it would say that, or something like it. The phrase "no larger than 10 feet in ...
- 78.3k
56
votes
Frequency of cantrips outside of battle
About the Rules
You are correct that even if you can do something as much as you want, it still takes time to do. Something that takes your action in combat should not be do-able more frequently than ...
- 361k
56
votes
My players think they found a loophole that gives them infinite poison and XP. How can I add the proper challenges to slow them down?
This "loophole" does not work
There is a principle that
spells only do what they say they do. Poison Spray targets a creature:
You extend your hand toward a creature you can see within ...
- 135k
55
votes
What is the purpose of the Evocation wizard's Potent Cantrip feature?
The Feature does not only apply to Evocation Spells
The feature you are talking about says the following:
Starting at 6th level, your damaging cantrips affect even creatures that avoid the brunt of ...
- 66.3k
53
votes
Accepted
What are the limitations to using the Shape Water cantrip for cheating and forgery?
One Line of This Spell Makes These Ideas Difficult
There is an essential phrase you (originally) left out of your description of the Shape Water cantrip (Elemental Evil Player's Companion, p. 21, ...
- 38.4k
51
votes
Does the Light cantrip cast shadows?
The light spell casts shadows to the same degree that any light source does.
Technically speaking, nothing in the game rules ever says shadows exist whatsoever. The rules for light producing items ...
- 78.3k
50
votes
Potent Cantrip with Toll the Dead vs Evasion
The Rogue and Monk would take half damage
Your argument seems sound. Since the Evasion feature specifies Dexterity saving throws, but Toll the Dead requires a Wisdom saving throw, Evasion simply doesn'...
- 80.8k
47
votes
Is it possible for a character at any level to cast all 44 Cantrips in one week without Magic Items?
Disclaimer
This answer was written assuming Encode Thoughts was on the Wizard Spell List. While DNDBeyond lists the spell as a Wizard Spell, the Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica book doesn't actually ...
- 53.1k
45
votes
Accepted
Where did the term cantrip originate?
The other answers correctly assert the origin of "cantrip" dating back centuries before D&D, but I'd like to add some context for how it made its way into D&D.
In Dragon Magazine #59 ...
- 84.5k
44
votes
Accepted
Does Eldritch Blast travel in a straight line?
Cover is concerned with what is between you and your target, nothing more, so it doesn't matter if eldritch blast shoots straight or wibbly wobbly.
The rules for cover state:
Walls, trees, creatures, ...
- 154k
43
votes
Can you combo attacks with the Booming Blade cantrip?
No, You cannot combine attacks with booming blade.
Both Booming Blade and Green Flame Blade say the following:
As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a melee attack with a ...
- 26.7k
43
votes
Does a cantrip count as a spell for the purpose of wish's penalties?
The paragraph about spell levels states that:
Cantrips [..] are level 0. (PHB 201)
The wish spell does not state an exception to this rule (like, eg. the sorcerer metamagic twinned spell does) and ...
- 61.9k
43
votes
Accepted
How can I tell how many damage dice to roll for an NPC's cantrip?
Spellcasting
For the Spellcasting trait, you use the listed spellcaster level as read on page 10 of the Monster Manual:
The spellcaster level is also used for any cantrips included in the feature.
...
- 76.1k
42
votes
Accepted
How reliable is Druidcraft weather prediction?
It's very reliable. According to the description, it "predicts what the weather will be". No ifs, ands, or buts. This suggests perfect accuracy.
That said, it's not very precise. (Precision is not ...
- 145k
40
votes
Accepted
How can I alter the appearance of my face at will without using a spell slot?
The Thaumaturgy cantrip allows you to alter the appearance of your eyes, though not your entire face.
One of the effects of Thaumaturgy is to
alter the appearance of your eyes for 1 minute.
You can ...
- 11.8k
40
votes
Accepted
Can the Mending cantrip affix any surface to any other surface?
Mending doesn't create new bond; it restores a broken one
The answer by Exempt-Medic already covers the basics: Mending repairs a single break in a single object, not multiple breaks in multiple ...
- 64.2k
39
votes
Is this homebrew life-stealing melee cantrip unbalanced?
It's probably unbalanced.
Let's take a look at what other things allow you to gain hit points at first level:
Cure Wounds (requires a spell slot and action, restores 1d8 + change).
Healing Potion (...
- 5,592
39
votes
Would it be balanced to change True Strike from a cantrip to a 1st level spell in order to make accessing it less of an investment?
No - it would make the issue(s) worse.
The problem with True Strike is its horrendous use of action economy, not that it requires a "cantrip slot", so-to-speak. On top of that, it requires ...
- 26.3k
38
votes
Accepted
Can a Torch shed bright light for 160ft?
My understanding of control flame is that you can have up to 3 of its effects as stated in the spell description. To my
knowledge and as stated on P205 of the PHB same spell effects do not stack.
The ...
- 880
38
votes
Does a Firbolg’s Hidden Step count as a spell or cantrip?
Neither.
The ability states that you magically become invisible. You do not have to cast the Invisibility spell to do so.
- 6,363
38
votes
Accepted
Can the druid cantrip Thorn Whip really defeat a water weird this easily?
Yes.
The rules do not indicate that the thorn whip spell uses a grapple (which the weird would be immune to). The water weird has no immunity to the effect of thorn whip. Very clever use of a spell ...
- 34.5k
37
votes
Can I cast cantrips using spell slots to get a more potent effect?
No, you cannot. Slots can only be used on Level 1+ spells.
like most spells can a known cantrip be cast at a higher spell slot lvl. Aka sacred flame lvl 1 for 2d8 radiant dmg
No, since cantrips don'...
- 2,296
37
votes
Accepted
If the Shillelagh cantrip is applied to a club with non-standard damage dice, what is the resulting damage dice?
It depends on the actual wording of the Unusual Club
The magic items in the DMG (and elsewhere) have effects described by rule sentences, rather than simple shorthand (as is given in the example). Now,...
- 48.9k
37
votes
Does a cantrip need to be learned like level 1-9 spells as a wizard?
Cantrips do not count against the two spells you learn when you level up
The Wizard's Spellcasting feature states:
Each time you gain a wizard level, you can add two wizard spells of your choice ...
- 76.8k
37
votes
Accepted
How is cantrip damage determined when cast by NPCs?
Use Challenge Rating.
The introduction to the Monster Manual has a rule on page 10, under "Innate Spellcasting":
[...] If a monster has a cantrip where its level matters and no level is ...
- 154k
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