D&D 5E Question on prestidigitation cooling and heating matter

[Asisreo]

You can cool and heat 1 cubic foot of non-living matter. I have two questions on how this is applied.

1. Is the 1 cubic foot the volume of the matter or the area of effect it has to rest inside? For example a human suit of plate is less than 1 cubic foot in volume I think, but it won't fit in a 1 cubic foot box.

2. It heats or cools it for an hour, does that mean it stays cool or stays hot. For example can I "heat" my thin long-sleeved shirt to keep my torso warm in icewind dale in the middle of the winter. Similarly if I "cool" my cloak while I am walking in the desert, does it keep me cool for an hour?

1. I'd probably just allow it. It probably won't break anything if armor is allowed to be gently heated or cooled.

2. Yeah, I'd say it stays hot/cold and you could be allowed to not make saves for the temperature. Weather Conditions tend to be flavor very quickly even in "harsh" environments and giving yourself warm armor is basically the same as wearing more clothing like a jacket.

I don't think it breaks the game, honestly.

 

[Ancalagon]

Stirling engines here we come!

 

[Laurefindel]

Stirling engines here we come!

What is this "thermodynamics" school of magic you're talking about? Never heard of it.

must one of those damned artificer kids' thing...

 

[Yaarel]

You can cool and heat 1 cubic foot of non-living matter. I have two questions on how this is applied.

1. Is the 1 cubic foot the volume of the matter or the area of effect it has to rest inside? For example a human suit of plate is less than 1 cubic foot in volume I think, but it won't fit in a 1 cubic foot box.

2. It heats or cools it for an hour, does that mean it stays cool or stays hot. For example can I "heat" my thin long-sleeved shirt to keep my torso warm in icewind dale in the middle of the winter. Similarly if I "cool" my cloak while I am walking in the desert, does it keep me cool for an hour?

As others have said, it is DMs discretion.

The earlier Prestidigitation was more like a freeform limited Wish spell. I dearly love this. It became a sport to abuse it in creative thinking-out-of-the-box solutions for various challenges. Because of the ingenuity, players tended to admire and tolerate the sport.

To prevent abuse, the 4e and 5e versions are highly limited and itemize its only uses specifically.

Still, depending on the DMs interpretation, some of the wording is open-ended enough for the Prestidigitation cantrip to regain some of its charm.

Prestidigitation: for example.

"You chill, warm, ... 1 cubic foot of nonliving material for 1 hour." I take to mean you can fold up clothing to fit within 1 cubic foot, and then all of it stays cool for an hour, or warm. Armor if its pieces can fit within the cube, similarly. Thus yes to chain mail, but a breast plate requires several castings (so stick with cooling the clothing underneath).

"You instantaneously clean an object ... no larger than 1 cubic foot", in my interpretation, means you can use Prestidigitation for a shave and haircut, and Legolas-levels of perfect hair.

"You create ... an illusory image that can fit in your hand ... until the end of your next turn", means one can alter a face temporarily.

"You can create an instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as ... a puff of wind, or an odd odor". The effect is real but gentle and in some situations useful. One can with a Performance skill check, mimic someones voice.

"You can instantaneously light ... a torch". This use is intended for objects that are designated for fire, but can work improvisationally for unattended objects, such as bundling cloth together to use for a fire.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I have always played it as a pure comfort effect for RP purpose. So yes, it would keep you warm/cool but only as long as it's not about avoiding environmental effects.

So while everyone is profoundly sweating watching the royal tournament on this hot summer day, you keep yourself well tempered with the wave of a hand.

If the party is walking through the desert and it's time to save against exhaustion, then you roll like anyone else

I'm always curious about why people want utility cantrips to be so weak and "just flavour" when combat cantrips kill monsters...

 

[Mirtek]

I'm always curious about why people want utility cantrips to be so weak and "just flavour" when combat cantrips kill monsters...

IMHO prestidigitation is the ultimate spell in D&D. Well, maybe prestidigitation + mage hand. I'd never play a character who could take them and not chose to take them.

It's the ultimate wizard move. Came just out of the rain? Dry yourself with the wave of a hand. Stepped into some poo? Clean yourself with the wave of a hand. Party is sweating on a hot summer day? Heat? What heat?

It's the unwritten law of wizard 101, 2 of your 3 starting cantrips are prestidigitation + mage hand. You can kill monsters with the third one.

 

[Umbran]

I'm always curious about why people want utility cantrips to be so weak and "just flavour" when combat cantrips kill monsters...

Combat cantrips do one thing, and have a special place in the design space because casting two magic missles a day and then sitting on your hands for the rest of it stinks*.

Utility cantrips, and Prestidigitation, especially, typically do many and varied things. When you gain in breadth, you lose in direct power. We may disagree on exactly how much direct power one should lose.

In addition, spellcasters turn up to be powerful enough that maybe we don't feel a need to grant them broad powers to create bonuses too.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Combat cantrips do one thing, and have a special place in the design space because casting two magic missles a day and then sitting on your hands for the rest of it stinks*.

Utility cantrips, and Prestidigitation, especially, typically do many and varied things. When you gain in breadth, you lose in direct power. We may disagree on exactly how much direct power one should lose.

In addition, spellcasters turn up to be powerful enough that maybe we don't feel a need to grant them broad powers to create bonuses too.

Yeah I’d just not play a spellcaster if my abilities are going to be nit picked at that level over a percieved (and IMO false) notion that we need to keep casters from gaining any actual benefit from being creative with thier spells.

 

[ECMO3]

IMHO prestidigitation is the ultimate spell in D&D. Well, maybe prestidigitation + mage hand. I'd never play a character who could take them and not chose to take them.

It's the ultimate wizard move. Came just out of the rain? Dry yourself with the wave of a hand. Stepped into some poo? Clean yourself with the wave of a hand. Party is sweating on a hot summer day? Heat? What heat?

It's the unwritten law of wizard 101, 2 of your 3 starting cantrips are prestidigitation + mage hand. You can kill monsters with the third one.

mage hand seems meh imo. mage hand legerdemain on the other hand is awesome.

the mage in question has niether of those right now. luckily with cantrip formulas i can add them though

 

[nerojt]

My ruling as a DM;

Prestidigitation affects a cubic foot. If you can fold your cloak in that 1-foot cube, it will be warm. I'd think of it like a small-volume dryer...
I think significant bonuses to environmental effects is beyond the scope of this cantrip, but I could see that magically out-of-the-dryer warm clothes could count as proper winter/desert clothes in this context (i.e. saving you from the penalties when inappropriately dressed)

It doesn't say that it has to 'fit in a 1 cubic foot box' as many other spells talk about volume, it just has to be 1 cubic foot or less in displacement. That would certainly include something like plate armor.