I was thinking of creating a spell that takes a snapshot of something you can see within range, and can be magically printed on a sheet of paper or parchment or something, but I wanted to make sure such a spell didn’t already exist. I was thinking of this spell because there’s so many Cantrips that can be used to make everyday living so much easier, and I thought “being able to capture an image and having it on a paper or something would make doing things a lot easier for an everyday person, why isn’t this a spell?!” I’ve been looking around for such a spell, but can’t find one! Has there been something similar in earlier editions?
There might be something from earlier editions and there are very likely multiple versions from third party publications at least though those might be of dubious balance. I'm unaware of any such official spell for 5e though it does seem like the sort of thing that should be fully possible with relatively simple magic. I would definitely not make it a cantrip though, it's just too useful, especially if it's permanent.
Making a small visual recreation of something could possibly fall into the range of minor illusion, though some DMs might want to rule that a high level of detail would be more in the range of silent image though that spell can create three dimensional images and move them around so it would definitely be at least powerful enough to compare to the "taking a picture" part of your proposed spell. Making it permanent is another thing though, especially if you want to keep a "photograph" level of detail. The first thing that comes to mind along those lines is illusory script, a first level spell that only covers writing and lasts for ten days but also includes some encoding type effects allowing it to show different things based on who's reading it so that indicates a bit of extra utility that isn't being used for your snapshot spell (I would argue that removing the mutability and making it permanent would balance out). Illusory script also has a 10gp material cost so if we're using that as a template and not upping the spell level we're still going to need something similar, keeping the material price at first level (we'll call it silver based ink instead of lead because non-digital photography uses silver). You also have to define what the image that's being preserved/created can cover; for simplicity I would suggest defining that as "something the caster can see while they cast the spell." Also set a limit on how large the print can be and clarify that whether the image is added to a surface like ink, burned or carved in, etc; I would suggest "a surface no larger than one foot square" and the image is "permanently displayed on the surface as if dyed." And make it a first level spell. While creating imagery is generally illusion magic, the actual effect of the spell is printing an image so that would be transmutation. Finally you're taking an instantaneous picture so no ritual tag. So from this we get:
Magic Photograph 1st level transmutation Casting Time: One action Range: Self Components: V, S, M (a vial of silver based alchemical ink worth 10gp) Duration: Concentration, up to one minute You preserve the image of something you can see in your mind and then affix it permanently to a surface you touch no larger than one square foot. The act of recreating the image is instantaneous and the spell immediately ends after this is done. The image appears as you perceived it in the instant that you completed casting this spell, including color or lack thereof in the case of darkvision. If you were under the effect of see invisibility, for example, invisible creatures that you see would be visible in the created image but invisible creatures you were unable to see at the time will not become visible in the image by later use of see invisibility. The image produced is nonmagical, gives off no aura, and has the permanence and durability of ink placed onto the surface and can be damaged, obscured, or scraped away as such.
It's interesting: I don't believe there's ever been such a spell, across all the different editions, even including the unbelievable sprawl of spells published for 3.5e during its lifetime. Similarly, I don't believe there's ever been a magic item that does it.
If this is true, then I feel like it must mean something. I just can't put a finger on what. At first I thought, well, maybe the fantasy genre is somehow reliant on the subjectivity of truth -- getting photographic evidence might somehow throw a wrench into the fundamental workings of the genre, somehow. Turn it into something too different from what it is. But I'm not sure about all that. There's been plenty of divergence already (I think the rules are pretty clear on this, you should feel free to do literally whatever you want), and I'm not even convinced a camera would have that effect in the first place. Then I thought, perhaps the thing would be too easy to use for creepy or evil purposes, but there's already Scrying and Charm Person and the like, so that's not it. Maybe the writing team just hasn't been able to make it sound exciting or cool? Surely that's not impossible though, and they've had plenty of time.
I think the most likely explanation I've got is, it's hard to determine how powerful it is. Like, it's an effect that probably doesn't help you in 99% of situations, and in the 1% where it does, it's huge. What is that? A level 2 spell? A cantrip? The closest thing I can think of is Encode Thoughts from the Ravnica book: you turn some information into a physical form that you can share with someone else directly, without bias, without the possibility that you're lying. They made that a cantrip. Is that right? It requires some world building to function -- you need NPC contacts who can cast it, if you're trying to be a spy. Plus you need another spell like Detect Thoughts to extract info. So it's taking up two different spell levels now? Surely that's not ideal.
I've actually thought about this for a long time. I've definitely run into a lot of situations where I'd have liked to have this spell... But I'm not sure I've had situations where I'd have chosen it over other options, you know? It would depend on the opportunity cost. Personally, if I was designing it for play (rather than for world building) I'd make it a magic item. Limited charges, something about its use that favors a certain skill or something so one player ends up having it. If I was designing it for world building... I can't ignore play, right? It would have to be easily accessible by NPCs, so not a rare item or a leveled spell, but it can't be so free that all my PCs can do it at will... Right? I mean, maybe that's not even a problem. Maybe just put instant cameras in your game and they cost like ten bucks or whatever. Maybe that's fine. It would probably be bad to make that the default for every game everywhere, but you could do it for yours and it might not be a problem at all.
Fabricate, with the right materials, would probably allow you to create a painting, but it specifies that anything that takes a high level of skill, which a detailed painting would, requires proficiency in related tools. There are probably ways to convince a DM to allow calligrapher's tools or a forgery kit to work just as well as painter's tools.
Funnily enough: I actually made a homebrew Rogue subclass where-in the idea of being able to "take a picture" as its core "thing" since that's sort of a revolutionary idea in a pre-modern society.
Funnily enough: I actually made a homebrew Rogue subclass where-in the idea of being able to "take a picture" as its core "thing" since that's sort of a revolutionary idea in a pre-modern society.
I'm thinking an Artificer Subclass "Recorder" with a range of infusion options of capturing sight and sound, sometimes even together. Maybe even some powerful stuff that would touch on mythical concepts like archeaoaccoustics (the notion that ancient artifacts, particularly ceramics can contain embedded casts of sounds from their creation or particularly accoustically powerful events.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Funnily enough: I actually made a homebrew Rogue subclass where-in the idea of being able to "take a picture" as its core "thing" since that's sort of a revolutionary idea in a pre-modern society.
I'm thinking an Artificer Subclass "Recorder" with a range of infusion options of capturing sight and sound, sometimes even together. Maybe even some powerful stuff that would touch on mythical concepts like archeaoaccoustics (the notion that ancient artifacts, particularly ceramics can contain embedded casts of sounds from their creation or particularly accoustically powerful events.
Ah; interesting idea; and makes sense given ceramics and waxes were among the first sound recording mediums we ever invented. The way I went about it in my case was that this Rogue class uses magic to capture "secrets" in physical forms ala the "prophecies" from Harry Potter. Thus allowing for those "secrets" that contain perfect recollections of conversations, images, objects etc to be traded. It started out as just a subclass but wound up introducing an entire faction into the world I was writing.
Was DM'ing Mad Mage ... In the Yawning Portal i had groups of two wizards working together - one concentrating on an arcane eye the other an illusionist - a symbiotic link between them. The illusionist would basically 3d animate the events in the dungeon.
Turned the Yawning Portal into a sports bar where various scenes in the dungeon could be displayed to the punters in the tavern to bet on
Cast a spell that allows you to "see the thing" or just go observe it yourself.
Cast an illusion on the other side of the glass with the sun shining on the glass.
Hold a piece of paper to the glass, and copy over the shadow lines created by the sun shining through the illusion onto the glass.
a version of an ancient light table. I used to do this in the army to copy maps in the field quickly. I just needed a vehicle with an accessible window. Place one map against the window. Place the paper over the map. Copy the lines.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Funnily enough: I actually made a homebrew Rogue subclass where-in the idea of being able to "take a picture" as its core "thing" since that's sort of a revolutionary idea in a pre-modern society.
I'm thinking an Artificer Subclass "Recorder" with a range of infusion options of capturing sight and sound, sometimes even together. Maybe even some powerful stuff that would touch on mythical concepts like archeaoaccoustics (the notion that ancient artifacts, particularly ceramics can contain embedded casts of sounds from their creation or particularly accoustically powerful events.
Ah; interesting idea; and makes sense given ceramics and waxes were among the first sound recording mediums we ever invented. The way I went about it in my case was that this Rogue class uses magic to capture "secrets" in physical forms ala the "prophecies" from Harry Potter. Thus allowing for those "secrets" that contain perfect recollections of conversations, images, objects etc to be traded. It started out as just a subclass but wound up introducing an entire faction into the world I was writing.
So sort of like encode thoughts applied to detect thoughts but more explicitly applied to capturing experiences and events?
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Funnily enough: I actually made a homebrew Rogue subclass where-in the idea of being able to "take a picture" as its core "thing" since that's sort of a revolutionary idea in a pre-modern society.
I'm thinking an Artificer Subclass "Recorder" with a range of infusion options of capturing sight and sound, sometimes even together. Maybe even some powerful stuff that would touch on mythical concepts like archeaoaccoustics (the notion that ancient artifacts, particularly ceramics can contain embedded casts of sounds from their creation or particularly accoustically powerful events.
Ah; interesting idea; and makes sense given ceramics and waxes were among the first sound recording mediums we ever invented. The way I went about it in my case was that this Rogue class uses magic to capture "secrets" in physical forms ala the "prophecies" from Harry Potter. Thus allowing for those "secrets" that contain perfect recollections of conversations, images, objects etc to be traded. It started out as just a subclass but wound up introducing an entire faction into the world I was writing.
So sort of like encode thoughts applied to detect thoughts but more explicitly applied to capturing experiences and events?
More or less yeah; the idea initially came about from thinking about "what would it be like if you did have the equivalent of a compromising photo, or recording of a conversation, or photocopy of a document in a fantasy setting? A way to provide proof of something in a way that we didn't have until the advent of modern technology?" The idea even lead to a pretty natural progression as the subclass gains levels: going from being able to do this with your own experiences, to being able to capture one from a willing participant, to (of course the ultimate one for a Rogue subclass) being able to steal information from someone else. Leads to all sorts of interesting potential story hooks; spies, information brokers, detective stories, etc.
I wanted to create a Bard Spell that allows the Bard to project an image of anything he has seen as a hologram that would show motion like a dragon flying or something similar. A requirement for the spell is that the spellcaster would have to have seen the event, and then using the spell they can recreate the image in 3d with motion depicting about one minute of time, but the image plays over and over while the spellcaster concentrates on it. So for example, a spellcaster could use this as testimony before a noble (or in court), or could project the image and watch it over and over looking for a clue, or could enhance a ballad he was performing by showing the vision about which the song speaks. Since it carries the same sort of information you would use in the 3rd level spell sending, that is the level I would give this spell.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Since magic is a thing, the sky is the limit, so you may want to consider thinking and imagining beyond pictures. While D&D does not have a camera spell, it has Major Image and Programmed Illusion that you can use to record information and whatever you are experiencing.
You can use Major Image to record a three dimensional moving "picture" that also comes with sound, smell, and temperature!
Programmed Illusion is a higher level spell, but it only includes visual and audio information and it has a time limit. However, Programmed Illusion is maybe a bit more tamper proof though, since you cannot change the illusion after you have cast it, unlike Major Image where you have continual control over it. Programmed Illusion is also more secure since it has a password system in place. Programmed Illusion can turn itself off though, unlike Major Image which just sits there permanently.
The limitations of both spells is that it is tied to an area rather than an object, so it is not exactly portable, unlike Magic Mouth. Although depending on how you define "area", you can cast it inside a Portable Hole, and now you have a magical "book" that is also portable. It is kind of dangerous though, and you want to becareful not to accidentally shove your Portable Hole into a Handy Haversack.
I was thinking of creating a spell that takes a snapshot of something you can see within range, and can be magically printed on a sheet of paper or parchment or something, but I wanted to make sure such a spell didn’t already exist. I was thinking of this spell because there’s so many Cantrips that can be used to make everyday living so much easier, and I thought “being able to capture an image and having it on a paper or something would make doing things a lot easier for an everyday person, why isn’t this a spell?!” I’ve been looking around for such a spell, but can’t find one! Has there been something similar in earlier editions?
Hiraeth!
There might be something from earlier editions and there are very likely multiple versions from third party publications at least though those might be of dubious balance. I'm unaware of any such official spell for 5e though it does seem like the sort of thing that should be fully possible with relatively simple magic. I would definitely not make it a cantrip though, it's just too useful, especially if it's permanent.
Making a small visual recreation of something could possibly fall into the range of minor illusion, though some DMs might want to rule that a high level of detail would be more in the range of silent image though that spell can create three dimensional images and move them around so it would definitely be at least powerful enough to compare to the "taking a picture" part of your proposed spell. Making it permanent is another thing though, especially if you want to keep a "photograph" level of detail. The first thing that comes to mind along those lines is illusory script, a first level spell that only covers writing and lasts for ten days but also includes some encoding type effects allowing it to show different things based on who's reading it so that indicates a bit of extra utility that isn't being used for your snapshot spell (I would argue that removing the mutability and making it permanent would balance out). Illusory script also has a 10gp material cost so if we're using that as a template and not upping the spell level we're still going to need something similar, keeping the material price at first level (we'll call it silver based ink instead of lead because non-digital photography uses silver). You also have to define what the image that's being preserved/created can cover; for simplicity I would suggest defining that as "something the caster can see while they cast the spell." Also set a limit on how large the print can be and clarify that whether the image is added to a surface like ink, burned or carved in, etc; I would suggest "a surface no larger than one foot square" and the image is "permanently displayed on the surface as if dyed." And make it a first level spell. While creating imagery is generally illusion magic, the actual effect of the spell is printing an image so that would be transmutation. Finally you're taking an instantaneous picture so no ritual tag. So from this we get:
Magic Photograph
1st level transmutation
Casting Time: One action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a vial of silver based alchemical ink worth 10gp)
Duration: Concentration, up to one minute
You preserve the image of something you can see in your mind and then affix it permanently to a surface you touch no larger than one square foot. The act of recreating the image is instantaneous and the spell immediately ends after this is done. The image appears as you perceived it in the instant that you completed casting this spell, including color or lack thereof in the case of darkvision. If you were under the effect of see invisibility, for example, invisible creatures that you see would be visible in the created image but invisible creatures you were unable to see at the time will not become visible in the image by later use of see invisibility. The image produced is nonmagical, gives off no aura, and has the permanence and durability of ink placed onto the surface and can be damaged, obscured, or scraped away as such.
It's interesting: I don't believe there's ever been such a spell, across all the different editions, even including the unbelievable sprawl of spells published for 3.5e during its lifetime. Similarly, I don't believe there's ever been a magic item that does it.
If this is true, then I feel like it must mean something. I just can't put a finger on what. At first I thought, well, maybe the fantasy genre is somehow reliant on the subjectivity of truth -- getting photographic evidence might somehow throw a wrench into the fundamental workings of the genre, somehow. Turn it into something too different from what it is. But I'm not sure about all that. There's been plenty of divergence already (I think the rules are pretty clear on this, you should feel free to do literally whatever you want), and I'm not even convinced a camera would have that effect in the first place. Then I thought, perhaps the thing would be too easy to use for creepy or evil purposes, but there's already Scrying and Charm Person and the like, so that's not it. Maybe the writing team just hasn't been able to make it sound exciting or cool? Surely that's not impossible though, and they've had plenty of time.
I think the most likely explanation I've got is, it's hard to determine how powerful it is. Like, it's an effect that probably doesn't help you in 99% of situations, and in the 1% where it does, it's huge. What is that? A level 2 spell? A cantrip? The closest thing I can think of is Encode Thoughts from the Ravnica book: you turn some information into a physical form that you can share with someone else directly, without bias, without the possibility that you're lying. They made that a cantrip. Is that right? It requires some world building to function -- you need NPC contacts who can cast it, if you're trying to be a spy. Plus you need another spell like Detect Thoughts to extract info. So it's taking up two different spell levels now? Surely that's not ideal.
I've actually thought about this for a long time. I've definitely run into a lot of situations where I'd have liked to have this spell... But I'm not sure I've had situations where I'd have chosen it over other options, you know? It would depend on the opportunity cost. Personally, if I was designing it for play (rather than for world building) I'd make it a magic item. Limited charges, something about its use that favors a certain skill or something so one player ends up having it. If I was designing it for world building... I can't ignore play, right? It would have to be easily accessible by NPCs, so not a rare item or a leveled spell, but it can't be so free that all my PCs can do it at will... Right? I mean, maybe that's not even a problem. Maybe just put instant cameras in your game and they cost like ten bucks or whatever. Maybe that's fine. It would probably be bad to make that the default for every game everywhere, but you could do it for yours and it might not be a problem at all.
Fabricate, with the right materials, would probably allow you to create a painting, but it specifies that anything that takes a high level of skill, which a detailed painting would, requires proficiency in related tools. There are probably ways to convince a DM to allow calligrapher's tools or a forgery kit to work just as well as painter's tools.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Funnily enough: I actually made a homebrew Rogue subclass where-in the idea of being able to "take a picture" as its core "thing" since that's sort of a revolutionary idea in a pre-modern society.
I'm thinking an Artificer Subclass "Recorder" with a range of infusion options of capturing sight and sound, sometimes even together. Maybe even some powerful stuff that would touch on mythical concepts like archeaoaccoustics (the notion that ancient artifacts, particularly ceramics can contain embedded casts of sounds from their creation or particularly accoustically powerful events.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Not a direct answer, but if we are offering potential alternatives...
Artificer's Magical Tinkering feature (I have personally used this to "photocopy" a small map)
Conjuration Wizard's Minor Conjuration feature may work in a similar manner as above
College of Creation Bard has a similar, but limited use feature
The Keen Mind feat + any writing implements
Ah; interesting idea; and makes sense given ceramics and waxes were among the first sound recording mediums we ever invented. The way I went about it in my case was that this Rogue class uses magic to capture "secrets" in physical forms ala the "prophecies" from Harry Potter. Thus allowing for those "secrets" that contain perfect recollections of conversations, images, objects etc to be traded. It started out as just a subclass but wound up introducing an entire faction into the world I was writing.
Was DM'ing Mad Mage ... In the Yawning Portal i had groups of two wizards working together - one concentrating on an arcane eye the other an illusionist - a symbiotic link between them. The illusionist would basically 3d animate the events in the dungeon.
Turned the Yawning Portal into a sports bar where various scenes in the dungeon could be displayed to the punters in the tavern to bet on
If you want what you want then just do it
With a proper piece of glass in a window ...
Cast a spell that allows you to "see the thing" or just go observe it yourself.
Cast an illusion on the other side of the glass with the sun shining on the glass.
Hold a piece of paper to the glass, and copy over the shadow lines created by the sun shining through the illusion onto the glass.
a version of an ancient light table. I used to do this in the army to copy maps in the field quickly. I just needed a vehicle with an accessible window. Place one map against the window. Place the paper over the map. Copy the lines.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
So sort of like encode thoughts applied to detect thoughts but more explicitly applied to capturing experiences and events?
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
More or less yeah; the idea initially came about from thinking about "what would it be like if you did have the equivalent of a compromising photo, or recording of a conversation, or photocopy of a document in a fantasy setting? A way to provide proof of something in a way that we didn't have until the advent of modern technology?" The idea even lead to a pretty natural progression as the subclass gains levels: going from being able to do this with your own experiences, to being able to capture one from a willing participant, to (of course the ultimate one for a Rogue subclass) being able to steal information from someone else. Leads to all sorts of interesting potential story hooks; spies, information brokers, detective stories, etc.
I wanted to create a Bard Spell that allows the Bard to project an image of anything he has seen as a hologram that would show motion like a dragon flying or something similar. A requirement for the spell is that the spellcaster would have to have seen the event, and then using the spell they can recreate the image in 3d with motion depicting about one minute of time, but the image plays over and over while the spellcaster concentrates on it. So for example, a spellcaster could use this as testimony before a noble (or in court), or could project the image and watch it over and over looking for a clue, or could enhance a ballad he was performing by showing the vision about which the song speaks. Since it carries the same sort of information you would use in the 3rd level spell sending, that is the level I would give this spell.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Since magic is a thing, the sky is the limit, so you may want to consider thinking and imagining beyond pictures. While D&D does not have a camera spell, it has Major Image and Programmed Illusion that you can use to record information and whatever you are experiencing.
You can use Major Image to record a three dimensional moving "picture" that also comes with sound, smell, and temperature!
Programmed Illusion is a higher level spell, but it only includes visual and audio information and it has a time limit. However, Programmed Illusion is maybe a bit more tamper proof though, since you cannot change the illusion after you have cast it, unlike Major Image where you have continual control over it. Programmed Illusion is also more secure since it has a password system in place. Programmed Illusion can turn itself off though, unlike Major Image which just sits there permanently.
The limitations of both spells is that it is tied to an area rather than an object, so it is not exactly portable, unlike Magic Mouth. Although depending on how you define "area", you can cast it inside a Portable Hole, and now you have a magical "book" that is also portable. It is kind of dangerous though, and you want to becareful not to accidentally shove your Portable Hole into a Handy Haversack.
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