10 Best Utility Spells In Dungeons & Dragons

This cantrip, which is available to Bards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards, is described as a minor magical trick that novice spellcasters use for practice. However, there is nothing minor about it. Often overlooked compared to the other spells in this list, Prestidigitation has a staggering number of uses. These include:

- Creating an instantaneous sensory effect, such as a shower of sparks, a light gust of wind, faint musical notes or an odd odour.

- The ability to instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, torch or small campfire.

- The ability to instantaneously clean or soil an object no bigger than one cubic foot.

- You can chill, warm or flavour One cubic foot of food or non-organic material.

- Make a colour, small mark or symbol appear on an object for one hour.

- Create a non-magical trinket or illusionary image that can fit in your hand until the end of your turn.

Some players may look at that list and see a selection of mostly useless parlour tricks, but an ingenious player will see the world of possibility opening up before them.

The potential of being able to create a sensory effect was shown with Druidcraft, such as for a distraction or misdirection. The same goes for lighting and snuffing out of candles, touches and small campfires. Cleaning and soiling objects is where it really becomes interesting. Perhaps that guard will leave his post if he suddenly has a soiled uniform or maybe you need to clean up after a fight got out of hand, allowing you to cover your tracks.

The ability to chill, warm, and flavour also have interesting uses. Sure, you can’t poison the stew, but you can make it taste terrible. Are you surviving in a cold environment, well just keep heating up your armour? Maybe you’re tracking a person or an object, put a strange colour or mark on something and it will be easier to track. Making a deal with a dodgy merchant, you can always show them the goods or coin by making an illusion of it in your hand, while keeping the real item safe.

These are just a few ways in which Prestidigitation can be used, I’m sure if you put your mind to it you could think of hundreds of ways to use it in your next campaign.