Can a New 'Useless' Cantrip Solve Civilization's Problems?

How useful are cantrips in D&D? Depends who you ask. Ask a Warlock, they'll tell you there's exactly one cantrip which is better than most spells. Ask a Wizard, they'll give some credit to cantrips, but not be over-enthused. Ask an optimiser, they'll tell you there are "Better options".

If you ask me, cantrips are the strongest spells in the game world of D&D. Can new contender Elementalism knock Prestidigitation off its lofty perch? Let's discuss.

#dndworldbuilding #dungeonsanddragons #fantasyworldbuilding #magic #dnd2024

Credits:

The Grungeon Master logo and intro music were composed by the wonderful Janina Arndt!

[robertsilvermyst]

The water created by Beckon Water could be used as the material component for Create Water. That would allow you to, even in a desert, to create enough water to fill a barrel of non-evaporating water.

[yuridhjeeyn]

- the 4 most impactful cantrips (in my opinion):
prestidigitation (it just does so much), guidance (+1d4 to all skill checks, when the average person has at most a +2 from their stats), mend (tool wear/attrition is eliminated), elementalism (for the reasons you list in this video)
- the most impactful level 1 spell:
goodberry (this would solve famine and revolutionise war by making logistics MUCH easier)

[TheStartrek]

If the dm argues that the water is undrinkable because it evaporates because it's super hot then you just use prestidigitation to cool the water.

[CityMountain]

This makes me imagine a Desert Civilisation, with religous leaders in their settlements, that are divine soul sorceres.
Like a Lv. 1 Divine Soul Sorcerer could cast the Prestidigitaion, Elemtalism, Guidance, and Mending, as cantrips, and Ceremony, and Bless as their First Level Spell, with the additional Cure wounds if they are good alinged. They could keep an entire town alive in the middle of an inhospitable desert.
(this does require using a mix of 2024 and 2014 Rules as far as I know but it still sounds like it could work)

[VoxAstra-qkjz]

On a similar note, goodberry is mind bogglingly useful for a marching army. As Napoleon said, "An army marches on it's stomach."

A level 3 druid can cast goodberry 6 times a day with its 4 level 1 slots and 2 level 2 slots. Thats 60 berries. A berry feeds a person for a day. Thats enough for 59 people and the druid casting it.

Logistically, this is insane. An army could more as fast as its slowest troops, as opposed to waiting for supply lines. Historicaly, fast, nimble armies are able to defeat far larger forces because they were able to out-maneuver them.

[Trantion]

In a recent game, I had a Decanter of Endless Water. I recently ran the numbers and found that if you could put it in a water tower and activate it with magic mouth, it would supply all the water needed for a modern day English town of around 12, 000 people. I felt like a bit of an arse for just using it to shoot a water cannon every couple of days.

On use as a mould, that 'crude' shape qualifier might be significant: I suspect at least it won't be suitable for fine sculptures, and maybe not what we today would consider normal pottery, depending on interpretation

[austenashtree]

I always love videos like this where you analyze how a seemingly neish spell can cause change in whole goverments, trade, and communication. You're a gem of a channel and have inspired me and many more with great ideas, keep up the good work!

[feralgoblin]

GM's everywhere: "Goodberry and Create or Destroy Water make it really difficult to make survival aspects of the game interesting."
2024 WotC: "Good news, everyone! *slaps down Beckon Water*"

[kelpiekit]

There are two other points with the water that would certainly be made use of. Water suddenly evaporating means it rapidly expands at the end of a minute. It also cools what it is in contact with, as our sweat does to keep us cool, to the equivalent of 144000 cal per casting. I'm not an engineer but I'm sure both those traits could be mechanically useable.

[NemFX]

Prestidigitation and mending are the two most valuable spells in the game. Think about it, they are basically an undo button for anything bad.

Oops I broke it. Mending.
Oops I made a mess of it. Prestidigitation.

You could restore a building by yourself, or run a laundry business by yourself. Toss in the two restoration spells and now you're a one man renovation squad. Find a ruined castle, a week later it looks brand new.

[motherreaper]

Once upon a time I actually made a washer witch, it's nice to see someone else appreciate the prestidigitation cantrip, it's right up there with mending.

[Felrika]

I'd like to blow your mind, Mr Grungeon Master.

There is an equivalent of a Cleric cantrip called Create Water, which creates up to 2 gallons of water per level. The effect is instantaneous, which means that the water sticks around.

The cost of a magic item that is use-activated is 2, 000 * the spell level * the caster level. The item's creator can reduce their caster level to the minimum caster level. Cantrips/Orisons count as a spell level 1/2 for the purpose of magic item creation.

It is, therefore, possible to create an on use item with no limits of uses per day that creates 2 gallons of water per use every times it's used for a total of 1, 000 gold. Expensive for an individual. Doable for a town. This means that a single expenditure of gold will completely prevent a town from ever suffering from the effects of a drought.

[Heavenly_Heal]

2:55 I know of a few historical events where entire groups of people were wiped out due to asphyxiation from large quantities of gas with a density higher than atmosphere being trapped in essentially a valley due to the terrain. Being able to just move it away would’ve saved so many lives.

[Drikonn]

I don't know if another comment already pointed this out, but even if the water evaporates after you drink it, it's still IN YOU. It might be in a gaseous form, but it will condense back into liquid, so unless you proceed to burp like crazy, you still get the hydration because evaporation doesn't mean it vanishes into nothing

[beardyben]

The modern implications of the ability to create a thin layer of silica is kind of phenomenal. Assuming that molecular level control is outside of the power level of this spell, which is a reasonable restriction, modern tech could separate the silicon out, and we have so many uses for that

[zebaklongfang]

some extra points I can see on these:

Beckon Earth - one can devise a cilinder (or a few nested ones), that fits a 5 ft cube, hanging verticaly above a basin for collection.. plenty of surface for a decent sand collector, per casting..

Beckon Water - similar to Earth, one could devise a small construct to maximise and funnel the mist that "dampens" said object.. add in Shape Water to move said moisture to a funnel and said construct can be of a cloth to gather as much as possible when "damp"..

Beckon Water - another use, an arcane steam engine, a few casters as a team and enough "volume" inside the construct to hold 1 minute of castings by said crew, and after said 1 minute delay, you have water evaporating magicaly and with no need of any fire.. an Artificer would certainly have a field day with these...

[mitchhaelann]

The Mold Earth cantrip is a *gamechanger*. Move a 5x5x5 cube of dirt every six seconds. In an hour, you could replicate every fort the Romans ever built, including the ones that are still around today and intact.

[BuddaPark]

Love these kind of videos! One of my favs Grungeon. I was also thinking of some other aspects with this spell! Based on the information you showed us in this video.

"Beckon Air"
+ A slight breeze can greatly increase the drying process in clothes on a laundry line especially in humid environments.
+ Combine airflow with fire and smoke to create simple long-distance communication systems like smoke signals. (This also can work with another person using "Beckon Fire")
+ With the building of an elevated platforms or a hand held nozzel device (with your hands free to cast the spell) you can use the spell to gently scatter seeds over a prepared field, ensuring even distribution
+ With some patience you can help dry hides during leather preparation by ensuring steady airflow.

"Beckon Earth"
+ You can create layer sand on muddy or uneven ground to create stable walkways in settlements.
+ In a survival situation you can use the layers of sand to filter water for drinking and irrigation purposes.
+ Since it also sticks around you can generate sand quickly for flood defenses or military fortifications OR put into gaps in walls or foundations for added stability.

"Beckon Fire"
+ Though your not making "FIREBALL" level fire the small controlled heat can be use to make fires for refining ores or heating tools without needing traditional flint.
+ Since you can create a "colored smoke" a non-verbal communication system over distances. Like Smoke signals. (Aided with "Beckon Air")
+ With generating controlled heat for smoking or drying meat and flavored scented meats.
+ I think is is SUPER IMPORTANT but since you need a temperature required to light a candle wick is approximately 450°F (232°C) (which is the ignition temperature of most waxes used in candles) with the part of "Beckon Fire" since you create "a thin cloud of harmless embers" and I asume you can control it within a "5-foot Cube" you can use this spell to quickly sterilize metal tools, especially in medical or crafting scenarios or help close wounds and calm the senses of an injured person when medical bandages are not available.

"Beckon Water"
+ You can mix precise amounts of water with clay for pottery, bricks, or other craft projects. (Though with evaporation this can be debated in what would happen if the water evaporates out of the clay is to be up to the GM and Rule Lawyers.
+ Sanitation is key for health in any civilization you can rinse tools or utensils used in crafting, cooking, or farming.
+ Something I also thought of was you can prevent sensitive goods like parchment or foodstuffs from drying out by adding moisture to the air.



This video always make me realize that magic truly changes the game for standard living way more than just for some murder-hobos.
Love videos like these! Keep it up!

[theawkwardpotato]

The usefulness of spells does also depend on how many people in a world can actually use magic at all. High elves most definitely have an advantage there, the same for high elf-born half-elves. Though drow and Drow-born half-elves are limited to the dancing lights Cantrip but that’s easier for them to learn and very useful in dark places. They’d make amazing miners and would absolutely make the difference in any mining team. They’d just need to take a few seconds to cast the Cantrip every so often to keep up four roughly torch-sized floating lights. In situations where flammability is normally an issue, it now isn’t because dancing lights isn’t fire and doesn’t produce any heat.

[Generalth]

Also, if a species that recently developed agriculture relies so heavily on a few spellcasters for survival, then over a millennia or two of history, those spellcasters will become more common in the gene pool. People able to use magic -- even just these basic cantrips -- are exceptionally "fit" both personally and for their societies.