What are the rules for Prestidigitation? I want to call into question one specific point of this spell. I believe that almost everyone is fooled or doesn't truly understand the spell, and I am looking for straight up RAW here. The point in question is:
You chill, warm, or flavor up to one cubic foot of nonliving material for 1 hour.
The general consensus is that this means you can change the flavor of food to whatever you want. I don't think that's the case. I believe, and the way it's been explained to me, is that this "flavoring" refers to decorating the area (ex: causing flowers or vines to grow, , creating a minor illusion like heat waves or steam, or changing the color of that square area). "Flavoring" in this sense refers to design, not taste. This, to me, makes more sense and seems more inline with the other aspects of this spell as well. The wording used to describe "flavoring" also supports this theory. Why does it specify one cubic foot of nonliving material as opposed to just saying food? If I were to flavor a single bean, would the surrounding one cubic foot of air also become flavored? Also, some fruits and vegetables are still technically alive even after being plucked. Would casting this spell on the cubic foot surrounding a raw potato have no effect? It's fun to think that a cantrip can do something like changing the flavor of whatever nasty meals the party may be forced to endure, but I don't think this cantrip can actually do that. Again, I'm looking for strait up RAW here. Everywhere I've looked online says this spell changes the flavor of food, but if that's the case they should change the wording. I'm not trying to argue that everyone needs to change the way they use Prestidigitation, what you do at your game is your choice, I just want to know the correct (by the actual rules) way to use it.
I think you already have your answer, in that pretty much everyone else reads it differently than you. But to dig a little deeper, here’s my counter argument. There are already options for using Prestidigitation to create a minor illusion/transmutation/creation and they are smaller and shorter duration than the volume that can be flavored. I don’t see the logic in having disparate levels of power within the same category of effect for the cantrip. Also, while ‘flavor text’ is an idiom most gamers are familiar with, it has no place in mechanical RAW that I am aware of. It’s a creative reading, and as you say, play it however you want to, but I don’t think that RAW agrees.
It says nonliving material instead of food for two reasons. First, the limitation to nonliving material applies to all three options, allowing you to heat your seat or cool your pillow as well. Second, it lets you take non food and make it taste like food for nefarious purposes.
Why does it specify one cubic foot of nonliving material as opposed to just saying food?
Because you can chill and warm things that aren't food, and those words are in that sentence too
I suppose in theory you could also flavor non-food, if you had a pet rust monster or something
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Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I believe, and the way it's been explained to me, is that this "flavoring" refers to decorating the area (ex: causing flowers or vines to grow, , creating a minor illusion like heat waves or steam, or changing the color of that square area). "Flavoring" in this sense refers to design, not taste.
That would be incorrect. D&D 5e is a “plain language” rules system, if they meant “decorate” they would have used that word instead. A spell like druidcraft would be needed to make vines or flowers grow, and something like heatwaves or color changes would fall under the purview of the next two bullet points of the Prestidigitation spell:
You make a color, a small mark, or a symbol appear on an object or a surface for 1 hour.
You create a nonmagical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand and that lasts until the end of your next turn.
With Prestidigitation you could make a ball bearing taste like candy as an imitation all-day sucker, or a candle “taste” like an apple since between 75%-95% of what we think of as “flavor” is really scent.^ (But it also works on food too. 😉)
Why does it specify one cubic foot of nonliving material as opposed to just saying food?
Because you can chill and warm things that aren't food, and those words are in that sentence too
I suppose in theory you could also flavor non-food, if you had a pet rust monster or something
In Rime of the Frostmaiden, my character fell into frosty water. I used prestidigitation to warm my wet clothes and stave off hypothermia until we could find shelter and build a proper fire to dry my clothes. I did not flavor them, though. Maybe next time.
Using the word flavor in that way is gamer slang. Consider: It says you chill. Does that mean you have to calm down, and can't use Rage for the duration? Doubtful.
Flavor means flavor. Do not eat the delicious cards.
As IamSposta points out, you are partially confusing one bulletpoint of Prestidigitation with one of Druidcraft, (bulletpoint 2: "You instantly make a flower blossom, a seed pod open, or a leaf bud bloom.") as well as with bulletpoints 1 & 4 of Prestidigitation.
Please do not nerf my favorite spell I love using that spell to keep clean, spice up bland food and of course spicing the beer of the dwarf with Ghost Pepper when they are not paying attention at the table.
Is nonliving meant to exclude food? It can mean inorganic or inanimate. While food is organic, it's not living so i don't know.
Nonliving is meant to exclude creatures, it would also exclude a few foods, but that should probably be mostly ignored for the sake of simplicity.
Agree. Add in salts, which is a spice for food, and it never was living either. Water actually falls into this category too (let's pretend you aren't warming up a water elemental).
What are the rules for Prestidigitation? I want to call into question one specific point of this spell. I believe that almost everyone is fooled or doesn't truly understand the spell, and I am looking for straight up RAW here. The point in question is:
You chill, warm, or flavor up to one cubic foot of nonliving material for 1 hour.
The general consensus is that this means you can change the flavor of food to whatever you want. I don't think that's the case. I believe, and the way it's been explained to me, is that this "flavoring" refers to decorating the area (ex: causing flowers or vines to grow, , creating a minor illusion like heat waves or steam, or changing the color of that square area). "Flavoring" in this sense refers to design, not taste. This, to me, makes more sense and seems more inline with the other aspects of this spell as well. The wording used to describe "flavoring" also supports this theory. Why does it specify one cubic foot of nonliving material as opposed to just saying food? If I were to flavor a single bean, would the surrounding one cubic foot of air also become flavored? Also, some fruits and vegetables are still technically alive even after being plucked. Would casting this spell on the cubic foot surrounding a raw potato have no effect? It's fun to think that a cantrip can do something like changing the flavor of whatever nasty meals the party may be forced to endure, but I don't think this cantrip can actually do that. Again, I'm looking for strait up RAW here. Everywhere I've looked online says this spell changes the flavor of food, but if that's the case they should change the wording. I'm not trying to argue that everyone needs to change the way they use Prestidigitation, what you do at your game is your choice, I just want to know the correct (by the actual rules) way to use it.
Most dictionary definitions of the verb flavor means to give flavor to something.
I think you already have your answer, in that pretty much everyone else reads it differently than you. But to dig a little deeper, here’s my counter argument. There are already options for using Prestidigitation to create a minor illusion/transmutation/creation and they are smaller and shorter duration than the volume that can be flavored. I don’t see the logic in having disparate levels of power within the same category of effect for the cantrip. Also, while ‘flavor text’ is an idiom most gamers are familiar with, it has no place in mechanical RAW that I am aware of. It’s a creative reading, and as you say, play it however you want to, but I don’t think that RAW agrees.
It says nonliving material instead of food for two reasons. First, the limitation to nonliving material applies to all three options, allowing you to heat your seat or cool your pillow as well. Second, it lets you take non food and make it taste like food for nefarious purposes.
Because you can chill and warm things that aren't food, and those words are in that sentence too
I suppose in theory you could also flavor non-food, if you had a pet rust monster or something
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Is nonliving meant to exclude food? It can mean inorganic or inanimate. While food is organic, it's not living so i don't know.
Nonliving is meant to exclude creatures, it would also exclude a few foods, but that should probably be mostly ignored for the sake of simplicity.
That would be incorrect. D&D 5e is a “plain language” rules system, if they meant “decorate” they would have used that word instead. A spell like druidcraft would be needed to make vines or flowers grow, and something like heatwaves or color changes would fall under the purview of the next two bullet points of the Prestidigitation spell:
With Prestidigitation you could make a ball bearing taste like candy as an imitation all-day sucker, or a candle “taste” like an apple since between 75%-95% of what we think of as “flavor” is really scent.^ (But it also works on food too. 😉)
^https://flavourjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13411-015-0040-2
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In Rime of the Frostmaiden, my character fell into frosty water. I used prestidigitation to warm my wet clothes and stave off hypothermia until we could find shelter and build a proper fire to dry my clothes. I did not flavor them, though. Maybe next time.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Or make armor not “taste” like metal if fighting one.
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Using the word flavor in that way is gamer slang. Consider: It says you chill. Does that mean you have to calm down, and can't use Rage for the duration? Doubtful.
Flavor means flavor. Do not eat the delicious cards.
As IamSposta points out, you are partially confusing one bulletpoint of Prestidigitation with one of Druidcraft, (bulletpoint 2: "You instantly make a flower blossom, a seed pod open, or a leaf bud bloom.") as well as with bulletpoints 1 & 4 of Prestidigitation.
Please do not nerf my favorite spell I love using that spell to keep clean, spice up bland food and of course spicing the beer of the dwarf with Ghost Pepper when they are not paying attention at the table.
You! Wizard! Uh... You're the tank now! Don't worry, I'll make it up to you later or something.
I'm not letting that thing get a taste of my precious, lavishly expensive, nonmagical plate armor.
Agree. Add in salts, which is a spice for food, and it never was living either. Water actually falls into this category too (let's pretend you aren't warming up a water elemental).