Non-Combat magic?

[brehobit]

So other than spells that cost money and take 10 minutes to cast, have we seen any sign of anything that would be useful outside of combat?

In my 3e game, spells like spider climb and detect thoughts have played significant roles. Heck, Tensor's floating disk has been fairly relevant. Have we seen anything like those yet?

 

[Derren]

Some utility spells can be used outside combat like fly and invisibility. Although the focus of those spells is still combat and many of them are daily abilities.

 

[DandD]

Well, there seems to be mentions of rituals for teleportations, raising dead people, scrying, locating objects, warding against scrying and teleportations, but other than that, not so far. We still have to see tons of things. Perhaps in a future excerpt.

 

[Caliber]

I would personally peg Spider Climb as a Wizard 2nd level Utility spell, but thats just a guess.

 

[Derren]

I would personally peg Spider Climb as a Wizard 2nd level Utility spell, but thats just a guess.

Utility spells, as I have seen them, apparently always have a direct combat application and just don't require an attack roll. I don't think Spider Climb would fit that.

 

[Mercule]

Some utility spells can be used outside combat like fly and invisibility. Although the focus of those spells is still combat and many of them are daily abilities.

I expect the better way to phrase that is that management of those spells is still combat based. If you have spider climb as an encounter spell, it's essentially at-will for non-combat purposes. If it's daily, then we're back to Vancian resource management.

 

[DandD]

Seeing as how spider climb might make climbing abilities too redundant, I would guess it to be under the rituals, rather than a utility spell.
At least, that's what I think.

 

[Derren]

I expect the better way to phrase that is that management of those spells is still combat based. If you have spider climb as an encounter spell, it's essentially at-will for non-combat purposes. If it's daily, then we're back to Vancian resource management.

Its a bit more than that.
The utility spells I have seen are, as far as I remember them, written strictly with combat in mind. Any out of combat application is a "unintended" bonus.
Sadly I haven't found the wizard sample spells in a quick search to quite, for example, the invisibility spell.

 

[Muminalver]

Anyone seen something regarding Animate dead? or Summon Demons/ Devils?..

 

[Derren]

Anyone seen something regarding Animate dead? or Summon Demons/ Devils?..

If they exist (not guaranteed as 4E seems to be build around the "The PCs are the good guys" idea and NPCs don't follow rules and because of that don't need written out abilities and rituals) they would be rituals in 4E.