D&D (2024) Creative uses of Thaumaturgy, Druidcraft and Elementalism?

[Kobold Avenger]

Of the utility Cantrips, Prestidigitation seems to be the most versatile to use in a lot of situations (cleaning, making chores simpler, showing off), but what of the others like Thaumaturgy, Druidcraft and Elementalism which seem to be a lot more limited in their capabilities?

I'm thinking in terms of everyday usage and special situations, any ideas for those three cantrips?

 

[jgsugden]

Elementalism - Beckon Air is essentially a clumsy mage hand. Beckon earth is a way to write a message at a distance. Beckon Fire can be used to light up oil or other flamables (but so can 8 other cantrips). Beckon water can keep you alive when you need water. Sculpt Element can be used as a solid minor illusion (limited to 1 foot) ... but it can also be used creatively. For example, if I have a torch and then force the fire to wrap itself around a piece of wooden furniture and stay that way .... poof.

Druidcraft - Weather Sense - this can be very important information during a war, but it is mostly hard to use. Bloom can theoretically be used to accelerate harvesting of food by shortening the time it takes to where we can fertilize a flower. Fire Play can be a mass blindness spell when torches are the light source. Sensory Effect can be as flash of a minor illusion or used to throw off low intelligence creatures, such as giving wolves a false scent to chase.

Thaumaturgy - Altered Eyes can be useful to hide 420 related situations - or to create a false impression of the presence of stronger magics. Booming voice gives you advantage on intimidation checks where you want to be loud and can make you heard at greater distances. Fire play is mostly more performance art ... but a DM might allow you diming a light to reduce the area it lights up ... which could effectively be a darkness spell. Invisible Hand allows you to open doors at a distance, which is useful to avoid traps. Phantom sound can be used to distract or mislead. Tremors can be yet another way to create discomfort - but I allowed one practical use as it made sense to me, even if not specified under the rules: It 'blinded' Tremorsense within the area similar to how magical darkness blocks normal sight. On the other hand, if you can lean up against that ground at just the right angle for a few castings of this spell it can also inspire a nice amount of prayers. IYKYK.

 

[DavyGreenwind]

My character uses Druidcraft to perfume himself with lavendar scent

 

[lall]

Elementalism to protect demiplanes.

 

[aco175]

Could all of them just be combined into one thing and use that for all the casters? They all seem just for flavor.

 

[jgsugden]

Could all of them just be combined into one thing and use that for all the casters? They all seem just for flavor.

In games where I DM I tell the players that the written uses are just examples - and that they can do anything that feels similarly powerful and thematic. Essentially, these and Prestidigitation all end up being essentially the same - but with different thematic flair.

 

[Remathilis]

I know the old Shape Water cantrip was used for ice cubes during our trek in Chult.

 

[Remathilis]

I think one of the biggest fails is that most of them are an action to cast. For such minor and often non-combat abilities, it ruins any really neat effects to waste an action in combat to do them.

For example: Thaumaturgy has several useless-but-cool looking effects like causing candles to flicker, doors to slam shut, or thunderclaps to happen. That would be awesome in combat if you moved across the battlefield to your enemies while spooky stuff was happening. But it costs an action to start the effect, meaning you can do anything useful like attack or cast a real spell while looking cool. If it were a bonus action, it wouldn't feel like such a waste of action economy (assuming you had nothing else going on with your bonus action, look cool is a viable use). but as is it requiring far too much setup for such a minor effect.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I think one of the biggest fails is that most of them are an action to cast. For such minor and often non-combat abilities, it ruins any really neat effects to waste an action in combat to do them.

I never saw taking an action to cast being a problem for most of them, as I don't see them being used in combat at all. On the other hand it wouldn't be unbalancing if they could cast those spells as bonus actions.

I guess another way to see there use as utility spells, would be if each party member had access to at least one of these cantrips what would they be using these cantrips to do when doing their tasks at camp?

Things like cooking, setting up camp, cleaning, latrine duty, taking down the camp and whatever else.

 

[Remathilis]

I never saw taking an action to cast being a problem for most of them, as I don't see them being used in combat at all. On the other hand it wouldn't be unbalancing if they could cast those spells as bonus actions.

I guess another way to see there use as utility spells, would be if each party member had access to at least one of these cantrips what would they be using these cantrips to do when doing their tasks at camp?

Things like cooking, setting up camp, cleaning, latrine duty, taking down the camp and whatever else.

That's a part of the problem, at least with Thaumaturgy. It's not a combat spell, but it has nearly no real usefulness as a utility spell besides adding special effects. So when are you going to cast it? You don't need thunderclaps or ominous ravens when your setting up camp, no need change the color of candles in the local inn room. You want it to seem impressive and intimidating (not in the skill sense) but the times you want that are exactly the times your action is being used for combat or skill use.