D&D 5E (2014) Examples of Wide Magic

[Hawk Diesel]

So settings like Eberron (my favorite) use a concept of wide magic as opposed to high magic. The use of magic is widespread, generally of low level, and utilized in novel ways to solve problems that would otherwise be solved with technology. This idea is incredibly fascinating to me, but it can be hard to come up with interesting ways to hammer that point home in a game. There is the obvious use of everburning torches or permanent light effects as street lights, but I'm curious as to what other examples people here might come up with.

I'll start:

-A self-cleaning latrine for the rich. It uses a special dragonshard item with a bound earth elemental to dispose of the waste, burying it deep into the ground. It might also come with a rod imbued with a permanent prestidigitation effect to eliminate smell or mask it with a sweet, more inviting scent.

-A bath utilizing a Decanter of Endless Water combined with a ring around the bath imbued with a permanent prestidigitation effect to adjust the water temperature. Likely only 3 settings (cold, lukewarm, hot).

 

[Staccat0]

I'm working on a setting sort of like this. I started by making a list of minor magical items that could do most of the things my smart phone can do.

- So a sand timer that would call out when a certain amount of time has passed. A larger sand timer that can do the same but over 24 hour periods.

- Boots that count your steps and track your weight.

- Medallions that a certain city might require on storefronts that let citizens rate them.

- A small mirror that can store a single reflection.

- A girdle that makes the wearer infertile (not on my phone [yet])

I also made crappy magical weapons which would function more as tools than weapons.

- An axe that deals extra damage to wooden creatures and wooden constructs.

- A pick that deals extra damage to stone and stone constructs.

- A scythe that grants advantage on one con check vs exhaustion per day.

Some have more utility than others, but hopefully if they appear as random loot the players will feel like the world is full of simple magic but useful magic items will still be special.

 

[Coroc]

- Sending stones

- chimney with permanent wall of fire or elemental

- public teleporters, airships and self propelled vehicles (aka Eberron)

- fridge with ice elemental

- magic brooms (not for flying, for cleaning)

- create food golems as street vendors

- all sorts of automatons

- scrying ball /reflecting pool like devices as a kind of TV

 

[snickersnax]

-

- create food golems as street vendors

I have enough trouble eating ginger bread men. Kinda creepy to be eating food that moves too

 

[Satyrn]

-A self-cleaning latrine for the rich. It uses a special dragonshard item with a bound earth elemental to dispose of the waste, burying it deep into the ground. It might also come with a rod imbued with a permanent prestidigitation effect to eliminate smell or mask it with a sweet, more inviting scent.

This is how you get Dungie the indestructable dung monster.

 

[Satyrn]

But suggestions: like the alchemy jug, pitchers that dispense cold and hot drinks of the pourer's choice.

 

[clutchbone]

Take a utility cantrip, make it permanent or semi-permanent in an item, fixture, or location, and enjoy a radically different fantasy setting. I'd imagine these things to be either upper class luxuries or public amenities (or a for-profit venture, "insert x gp into the Fix-It Box to mend your items"), based on the conceit that permanency and/or magic item creation is very expensive.

Druidcraft: daily weather system, motion activated sensory effects (eg animal noises for a taxidermy display)or room lighting.
Guidance: in pill/draught form, you can have a (very short term) performance enhancing drug.
Mage hand: automated drink service in taverns.
Mending: fix-it box, whatever item goes into the box comes out fixed.
Message: walkie talkies
Minor illusion: advertisements, public billboards, 3D displays, privacy screens.
Prestidigitation: laundry service, high-end restaurants
Resistance: in pill/draught form, it's basically medicine. Take 1/day for 10 days and you'll eventually make your save vs that rash.
Spare the Dying: as above, but for combat medics
Thaumaturgy: loudspeakers, automatic doors

 

[clutchbone]

Elemental Evil Player's Companion cantrips:

Control flames: fire extinguisher
Gust: street sweeper, leaf blower
Mold earth: construction auger/excavator, or for architecture, restoration, and sculpture
Shape water: flush toilets, sump pumps, and aqueducts

 

[Tony Vargas]

- Sending stones

These garnered so many jokes about being cell phones that I finally introduced a higher level 'sending tablet' - like an ancient roman wax tablet in form, once you linked a pair, any impression you made on the right leaf of one appeared on the left leaf of the other. You could also just close them and use them as sending stones.

I haven't placed a magic earring that casts Message - made from the tooth of a blue dragon - yet, but y'know it's coming...

 

[Savage Wombat]

I haven't placed a magic earring that casts Message - made from the tooth of a blue dragon - yet, but y'know it's coming...

I did, actually. But I didn't place them - one of the players wanted to make Message earrings in my City of Brass game, and I told her to acquire six blue dragon teeth as the component. They got the joke after a moment.