0-level spells?

[Thanee]

So, anybody actually used them to any effect or I am the only one who has them as a filler on his sheet?

Detect Magic, obviously, sees a lot of use. Read Magic also to a lesser degree. And Light.

Other than that, I sometimes use Prestidigitation and Mending for some minor stuff, usually to underline the roleplaying; Message is nice for keeping in touch with the scouts; Ghost Sound can be used as a quick distraction.

Most other cantrips are used rarely, if ever. Even at the lowest levels, Daze or Acid Splash are not really great.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Pbartender]

My gnomish wizard/rogue/spellthief has sent many a foe to thier graves using sniper tactics with acid splash and ray of frost. 1d3+2d6 sneak attack damage can ruin a person's whole day--at 3rd level.

Yep... A few years ago, I had an arcane trickster that killed a red dragon in the surprise round with a critical hit sneak attack ray of frost... If I remember right, it was 1d3 (ray of frost) +5d6 (sneak attack) +1 (Point Blank Shot) x2 (critical hit) +50% (vulnerability to cold)... Equivalent to 3d3+15d6+3! It's an extreme case, but still... Ouch.

 

[Monkey Boy]

I've only really considered 0 level spells when playing a bard. That first level is a killer and you have to make do with the resources you have. Ghost sound, open / close along with mage hand saw its fair share of use.

When playing cleric types cure minor gets used a lot... after the first 2 levels though our group tends to allote 0 level spells to filler.

 

[Keith Robinson]

Ghost sound is very effective when used well. Acid splash and ray of frost can be very effective when combined with sneak attack (or other such ability). I've also seen mage hand used effectively in combat (by closing a door to delay the enemy advance, etc). Detect magic/read magic as already mentioned.

0-lvl spells are as handy as you want them to be and, when used well, can be effective even at higher levels.

 

[el-remmen]

0-level spells were among the most commonly used in my "Out of the Frying Pan" campaign, esp: Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Guidance and Mending.

And heck, in my game wizards aren't don't start knowing all 0 level spells.

 

[gribble]

Yep... A few years ago, I had an arcane trickster that killed a red dragon in the surprise round with a critical hit sneak attack ray of frost... If I remember right, it was 1d3 (ray of frost) +5d6 (sneak attack) +1 (Point Blank Shot) x2 (critical hit) +50% (vulnerability to cold)... Equivalent to 3d3+15d6+3! It's an extreme case, but still... Ouch.

Sneak attack damage shouldn't be doubled (I'm pretty sure it doesn't get the extra 50% either, as I don't think it counts as cold damage).
It's still quite a whack though, from a 0-level spell!

 

[Nightchilde-2]

Open/Close, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Light..all have seen use in my games.

But the best use I ever saw was from a player that used mage hand to defeat a CR 10 trap. I was impressed and taken by surprise by it.

I played a 1st level wizard that used prestidigitation to convince a (rather stupid) kobold that he was a god.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Was one of the most tense and exciting combats I've ever been involved in, and at the end of the day it was all settled by a 0-level spell...

Heh. That was an awesome use of a cantrip, and no mistake. What an ending!

 

[Delta]

So, anybody actually used them to any effect or I am the only one who has them as a filler on his sheet?

You make a good point. In my current half-dozen house rules, one is to "offstage" cantrips. That is, you can do any of these abilities in your lab at home, but we don't record them on the character sheet or track them mid-adventure. It particularly helps new players who just have to parse 4 1st-level spells, not a whole dozen cantrip options.

 

[Pbartender]

Sneak attack damage shouldn't be doubled (I'm pretty sure it doesn't get the extra 50% either, as I don't think it counts as cold damage).
It's still quite a whack though, from a 0-level spell!

Sorry, my mistake... The sneak attack damage wasn't part of the sneak attack, but...

Sneak attack damage is always the same type of damage as the original attack. The only exception is ability score damage, in which case the sneak attack damage is negative energy damage.

Thus, sneak attack damage from a ray of frost would be cold damage, and would gain the +50% against a red dragon.

When I get a chance, I'll dig up the exact reference for you.