So it seems that druidcraft is the Primal caster's version of the Arcane caster's prestidigitation and the Divine caster's thaumaturgy. The general differences between these 3 cantrips, according to the RAW, are range and duration; and unlike druidcraft, prestidigitation and thaumaturgy can be cast up to 3 times thus producing 3 effects. The RAW for each of these cantrips includes specific examples of effects that each can do, e.g., druidcraft can make a flower blossom, prestidigitation can create a nonmagical trinket, thaumaturgy can create harmless ground tremors. But when we limit the scope of the effects of these cantrips to sensory effects, are there any important differences in the types of sensory effects that can be produced by either of these 3 cantrips? Can one of these cantrips create a certain type of sensory effect that one or more of the other two cannot?
Druidcraft doesn't have a rule about multiple effects because none of the options has a duration. (except for the weather predictor with a duration of 1 round so it will have gone before your next action (You could in theory do this twice if you have access to quickened spell or action surge).
Thaumaturgy and Prestidigitation specify it is only the non instantanious effects that you can have up to 3 of at any one time (and Druidcraft doesn't have any of these)
Where the spells are not clear is whether an instantanious effect is permanent. If you create a faint odour of skunk does it only last long enough to be noticed or idoes it mean the creation is instantanious but once there it stays (presumably forever).
Regarding your last question
Druidcraft and Presidigitation not not give any limits as to their type, but druidcraft must fit in a 5 ft cube in any location within 30ft of the caster while prestidigitation can only affect places withing 10 ft of the caster (though this is a much larger area)
Thermaturgy has two options that I would consider "sensory effects" either a sound or tremors in the ground (with the later being for 1 minute). So no puffs of wind or odours or anything visual but it can be for the whole area within 30ft of the caster.
Overall in my experiance druidcraft is a much weaker option than either of the others.
Good point about the duration of druidcraft. The only way I can make sense out of the duration of druidcraft is that the duration depends on what the spell does: a sensory effect lasts for 1 round, but a small campfire and flower blossom lasts longer than a round. Otherwise, the small campfire would only last one round, which seems implausible. (Seems counterintuitive that a sensory effect created by druidcraft only lasts 1 round but a real thing like a fire and blossom lasts longer. Oh well.)
It's also interesting that only druidcraft specifies that the sensory affect occurs within a 5 ft cube (5 x 5 x 5), although the spell's rage is 30 ft. Since the areas of the sensory effects of prestidigitation and thaumaturgy aren't specified, I think we just have to assume that everyone with senses within the spell range experiences the sensory effect.
Regardless of these ambiguities, it does seem clear that druidcraft is intended to be weaker (more limited by space and time) than prestidigitation and thaumaturgy.
Personally, I'd like to see the duration and AoE for these cantrips to be more similar.
Thaumaturgy can make your voice a lot louder. That is one of its most useful features.
Druidcraft seems weaker, yes. However, one of its least used effects is potentially extremely useful. "You instantly make a flower blossom, a seed pod open, or a leaf bud bloom." The "seed pod open" portion is actually quite powerful if you get up to 5th level spells. Most people would not pay any mind to this part, but if you combine Druidcraft with Plant Growth and carry around many seeds of a particular type of tree, you can set up a teleportation network for yourself by later casting Tree Stride.
My most common use of Thaumaturgy: "You instantaneously cause an unlocked door or window to fly open or slam shut."
I have used this on giant sized doors that require strength checks, doors I worried were trapped (from behind cover), doors I worried had monsters behind (from behind cover), and used it to close doors to impede ranged enemies.
My most common use of Thaumaturgy: "You instantaneously cause an unlocked door or window to fly open or slam shut."
I have used this on giant sized doors that require strength checks, doors I worried were trapped (from behind cover), doors I worried had monsters behind (from behind cover), and used it to close doors to impede ranged enemies.
This is cool because Open/Close used to be a Bard/Wizard cantrip in 3.5e. (And there was no Thaumaturgy Cleric cantrip in 3.5!) No doubt the most common use of Open/Close was applied to doors. So, Open/Close ended up just being collapsed into Prestidigitation in 5e, making it stronger. Also, just giving Thaumaturgy to Clerics in 5e with open/close locked doors was huge.
So it seems that druidcraft is the Primal caster's version of the Arcane caster's prestidigitation and the Divine caster's thaumaturgy. The general differences between these 3 cantrips, according to the RAW, are range and duration; and unlike druidcraft, prestidigitation and thaumaturgy can be cast up to 3 times thus producing 3 effects. The RAW for each of these cantrips includes specific examples of effects that each can do, e.g., druidcraft can make a flower blossom, prestidigitation can create a nonmagical trinket, thaumaturgy can create harmless ground tremors. But when we limit the scope of the effects of these cantrips to sensory effects, are there any important differences in the types of sensory effects that can be produced by either of these 3 cantrips? Can one of these cantrips create a certain type of sensory effect that one or more of the other two cannot?
[ spell]x[/ spell]
Started playing 1e in the late 70s and stopped in the mid-80s. Started immersing myself into 5e in the last year.
Druidcraft doesn't have a rule about multiple effects because none of the options has a duration. (except for the weather predictor with a duration of 1 round so it will have gone before your next action (You could in theory do this twice if you have access to quickened spell or action surge).
Thaumaturgy and Prestidigitation specify it is only the non instantanious effects that you can have up to 3 of at any one time (and Druidcraft doesn't have any of these)
Where the spells are not clear is whether an instantanious effect is permanent. If you create a faint odour of skunk does it only last long enough to be noticed or idoes it mean the creation is instantanious but once there it stays (presumably forever).
Regarding your last question
Druidcraft and Presidigitation not not give any limits as to their type, but druidcraft must fit in a 5 ft cube in any location within 30ft of the caster while prestidigitation can only affect places withing 10 ft of the caster (though this is a much larger area)
Thermaturgy has two options that I would consider "sensory effects" either a sound or tremors in the ground (with the later being for 1 minute). So no puffs of wind or odours or anything visual but it can be for the whole area within 30ft of the caster.
Overall in my experiance druidcraft is a much weaker option than either of the others.
Good point about the duration of druidcraft. The only way I can make sense out of the duration of druidcraft is that the duration depends on what the spell does: a sensory effect lasts for 1 round, but a small campfire and flower blossom lasts longer than a round. Otherwise, the small campfire would only last one round, which seems implausible. (Seems counterintuitive that a sensory effect created by druidcraft only lasts 1 round but a real thing like a fire and blossom lasts longer. Oh well.)
It's also interesting that only druidcraft specifies that the sensory affect occurs within a 5 ft cube (5 x 5 x 5), although the spell's rage is 30 ft. Since the areas of the sensory effects of prestidigitation and thaumaturgy aren't specified, I think we just have to assume that everyone with senses within the spell range experiences the sensory effect.
Regardless of these ambiguities, it does seem clear that druidcraft is intended to be weaker (more limited by space and time) than prestidigitation and thaumaturgy.
Personally, I'd like to see the duration and AoE for these cantrips to be more similar.
Started playing 1e in the late 70s and stopped in the mid-80s. Started immersing myself into 5e in the last year.
Thaumaturgy can make your voice a lot louder. That is one of its most useful features.
Druidcraft seems weaker, yes. However, one of its least used effects is potentially extremely useful. "You instantly make a flower blossom, a seed pod open, or a leaf bud bloom." The "seed pod open" portion is actually quite powerful if you get up to 5th level spells. Most people would not pay any mind to this part, but if you combine Druidcraft with Plant Growth and carry around many seeds of a particular type of tree, you can set up a teleportation network for yourself by later casting Tree Stride.
My most common use of Thaumaturgy:
"You instantaneously cause an unlocked door or window to fly open or slam shut."
I have used this on giant sized doors that require strength checks, doors I worried were trapped (from behind cover), doors I worried had monsters behind (from behind cover), and used it to close doors to impede ranged enemies.
This is cool because Open/Close used to be a Bard/Wizard cantrip in 3.5e. (And there was no Thaumaturgy Cleric cantrip in 3.5!) No doubt the most common use of Open/Close was applied to doors. So, Open/Close ended up just being collapsed into Prestidigitation in 5e, making it stronger. Also, just giving Thaumaturgy to Clerics in 5e with open/close locked doors was huge.
Started playing 1e in the late 70s and stopped in the mid-80s. Started immersing myself into 5e in the last year.