Polymorph is kind of my go-to in terms of utility spells that are much more useful out of just regular-old combat. Obviously it gives you access to the ability to fly or swim at a moment's notice. It's great for sneaking your rogue out of jail when they inevitably do something stupid to the city guard. Or you can use it as an instant death trap... got a nasty baddie in your way? Turn them into a turtle, toss that turtle into your bag of holding and drop the spell, then wait ten minutes and clean that gross dead body out of your bag. Although if there's a cliff or a fastrunning river nearby that would probably work as well.
And of course, even if you don't have any heal spells, if your barbarian is looking ragged and the cleric's out of spell slots, just turn them into an ape or a T-Rex or something. Even if they're not as versatile as they were in their true form, they've at least got a pool of disposable HP to fight with (assuming the enemy doesn't see you doing it and immediately target you to break the concentration, but either way, your buddy's out of danger for a bit!)
move 5 ft cube from the ground in front of me. Stack it on the ground 5ft in front of the hole.
archers/spellcasters now have a foxhole for cover. And if they are standing back against what is now a 10 ft high wall that is atleast 5 ft thick. It’s total cover from anything not coming straight down or from the other direction.
Step 1: have a waterskin ready and cast Shape Water to get the water inside a lock (door, chest, whatever)
Step 2: Turn the water to ice
Result: Instant key :D
My druid used this in my current campaign on a small box where we weren't sure if it was trapped. My DM loved it. :D
This is a super fun idea... but not at all how locks work lol. If you could just fill them with something and turn it, a can of spray foam would be all you need to open most any lock.
Just noticed that Thaumaturgy opens unlocked doors from 30 feet (far enough away to be safe from most trapped doors). I've never seen a party member use it to open doors before, but could be a good alternative to Mage Hand since 10 lbs of force may not be enough.
Thaumaturgy is the most fun spell ever. This one little cantrip can give you one hell of an entrance.
The flames in the tavern start to flicker, despite there being no wind to speak of. With a resounding "BOOM" and a rumble of thunder, the front door flies open, revealing a figure with glowing red eyes standing in the doorway. "WHERE ARE THEY!?" The figure calls out in a voice far too loud for any mortal. The flames calm, but as they do the newcomer intones some arcane language in its booming voice, and the earth itself begins to tremor and shake. The voice thunders across the room; "I WILL NOT ASK AGAIN."
Yeah, scaring the tavern is all I've ever seen Thaumaturgy used for.
Another idea...for characters that want to be in dim light rather than bright light, I wonder whether a DM would allow a torch or lantern to shed dim light only while under the effects of this spell (see second bullet)?
As a note, the Shape Water lock thing actually works. Just..****y once.
Flood the lock with water. Turn the water to ice The water expands (as frozen water does), and mangles the interior of the lock. Unfreeze the water, flow it back out. Chunks of broken lock come with it. Door/chest opens.
If that were the case locks would be breaking constantly. This kind of product exists for a reason.
Such a sudden expansion & freezing might break a lock, but a broken lock is just even more difficult to open more often than not.
That said, I would still probably allow it for creativity. I've thought of doing it myself in the past, but I know it probably wouldn't work IRL so have refrained :P.
As a note, the Shape Water lock thing actually works. Just..****y once.
Flood the lock with water. Turn the water to ice The water expands (as frozen water does), and mangles the interior of the lock. Unfreeze the water, flow it back out. Chunks of broken lock come with it. Door/chest opens.
Most locks, when made, factor in thermal expansion dynamics and its properties.
as metal also expects and contracts with temperature.
this idea is creative along the lines of targeting an acid splash at a cricket you place on top of a lock, to use acid splash to open the lock.
purely up to DM or not to allow it.
now, I have seen someone, a sorcerer, use sorcery points, to use shape water, to make a water spear, at the front of their Tidal Wave, to see if they could do added “flavor” damage and some Piercing as well as the bludgeoning of tidal wave.
To be fair, the sorts of locks you'd be using this trick on wouldn't be modern top-end manufactured steel. Some of the higher DC ones sure, but I'd anticipate that your basic iron DC12 lock is not a masterwork of fantasy engineering.
Considering how many times thaumaturgy has been used for dramatic entrances, I'm probably going to post "NO THAUMATURGY" signs in well established taverns in larger cities...
Considering how many times thaumaturgy has been used for dramatic entrances, I'm probably going to post "NO THAUMATURGY" signs in well established taverns in larger cities...
Hahah
i like that sign.
“No thaunaturgy”
”leave your animal companions outside”
”if you are a bard, we reserve the right to throw things at you if you suck”
Could you use unseen servant kinda like a cat to get the help action? “Go lay under that orcs feet, or knock that candle off onto the mages robes”
RAW the Unseen servant can't perform the Help action, since it's not technically a creature, so it's limited in its actions. And while it would be incapable of like... throwing a candle as an attack, I don't see why it wouldn't be able to just knock stuff over or drop them. It's just up to the DM what effect that will have on the game.
Could you use unseen servant kinda like a cat to get the help action? “Go lay under that orcs feet, or knock that candle off onto the mages robes”
RAW the Unseen servant can't perform the Help action, since it's not technically a creature, so it's limited in its actions. And while it would be incapable of like... throwing a candle as an attack, I don't see why it wouldn't be able to just knock stuff over or drop them. It's just up to the DM what effect that will have on the game.
Can Thaumaturgy, the tremors, be used as a help action? (Throw their footing off for a split instant)
Not in combat... RAW, providing Help to give one character advantage requires you to be within 5 feet of the target. You could flavor it by saying that thaumaturgy is the method you're using to help. Outside of combat, though, the Help action is more loose. You could, say... help someone with an intimidation check by using thaumaturgy.
Unseen Servant is shapeless, but it is a Medium force. This means it is Medium in size (5' x 5') and is solid. Since it's "shapeless" it could maybe squeeze through cracks and such like the Gaseous Form spell allows - this would really be up to DM discretion, as the spell doesn't say it can - but it can't move through solid surfaces like walls or floors.
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Polymorph is kind of my go-to in terms of utility spells that are much more useful out of just regular-old combat. Obviously it gives you access to the ability to fly or swim at a moment's notice. It's great for sneaking your rogue out of jail when they inevitably do something stupid to the city guard. Or you can use it as an instant death trap... got a nasty baddie in your way? Turn them into a turtle, toss that turtle into your bag of holding and drop the spell, then wait ten minutes and clean that gross dead body out of your bag. Although if there's a cliff or a fastrunning river nearby that would probably work as well.
And of course, even if you don't have any heal spells, if your barbarian is looking ragged and the cleric's out of spell slots, just turn them into an ape or a T-Rex or something. Even if they're not as versatile as they were in their true form, they've at least got a pool of disposable HP to fight with (assuming the enemy doesn't see you doing it and immediately target you to break the concentration, but either way, your buddy's out of danger for a bit!)
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Mold earth.
move 5 ft cube from the ground in front of me. Stack it on the ground 5ft in front of the hole.
archers/spellcasters now have a foxhole for cover. And if they are standing back against what is now a 10 ft high wall that is atleast 5 ft thick. It’s total cover from anything not coming straight down or from the other direction.
Blank
This is a super fun idea... but not at all how locks work lol. If you could just fill them with something and turn it, a can of spray foam would be all you need to open most any lock.
Just noticed that Thaumaturgy opens unlocked doors from 30 feet (far enough away to be safe from most trapped doors). I've never seen a party member use it to open doors before, but could be a good alternative to Mage Hand since 10 lbs of force may not be enough.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Thaumaturgy is the most fun spell ever. This one little cantrip can give you one hell of an entrance.
The flames in the tavern start to flicker, despite there being no wind to speak of. With a resounding "BOOM" and a rumble of thunder, the front door flies open, revealing a figure with glowing red eyes standing in the doorway.
"WHERE ARE THEY!?" The figure calls out in a voice far too loud for any mortal. The flames calm, but as they do the newcomer intones some arcane language in its booming voice, and the earth itself begins to tremor and shake.
The voice thunders across the room; "I WILL NOT ASK AGAIN."
Yeah, scaring the tavern is all I've ever seen Thaumaturgy used for.
Another idea...for characters that want to be in dim light rather than bright light, I wonder whether a DM would allow a torch or lantern to shed dim light only while under the effects of this spell (see second bullet)?
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Certainly seems like it could. It straight up says "You cause flames to (...) dim (...) for 1 minute."
Could also cause a dim flame to become bright.
Thaumaturgy is great for causing an immediate panic, too. Sudden ground tremors typically set people off.
As a note, the Shape Water lock thing actually works. Just..****y once.
Flood the lock with water.
Turn the water to ice
The water expands (as frozen water does), and mangles the interior of the lock.
Unfreeze the water, flow it back out. Chunks of broken lock come with it.
Door/chest opens.
Please do not contact or message me.
If that were the case locks would be breaking constantly. This kind of product exists for a reason.
Such a sudden expansion & freezing might break a lock, but a broken lock is just even more difficult to open more often than not.
That said, I would still probably allow it for creativity. I've thought of doing it myself in the past, but I know it probably wouldn't work IRL so have refrained :P.
Most locks, when made, factor in thermal expansion dynamics and its properties.
as metal also expects and contracts with temperature.
this idea is creative along the lines of targeting an acid splash at a cricket you place on top of a lock, to use acid splash to open the lock.
purely up to DM or not to allow it.
now, I have seen someone, a sorcerer, use sorcery points, to use shape water, to make a water spear, at the front of their Tidal Wave, to see if they could do added “flavor” damage and some Piercing as well as the bludgeoning of tidal wave.
Blank
To be fair, the sorts of locks you'd be using this trick on wouldn't be modern top-end manufactured steel. Some of the higher DC ones sure, but I'd anticipate that your basic iron DC12 lock is not a masterwork of fantasy engineering.
Still, fair points.
Please do not contact or message me.
Considering how many times thaumaturgy has been used for dramatic entrances, I'm probably going to post "NO THAUMATURGY" signs in well established taverns in larger cities...
More Interesting Lock Picking Rules
Hahah
i like that sign.
“No thaunaturgy”
”leave your animal companions outside”
”if you are a bard, we reserve the right to throw things at you if you suck”
Blank
Could you use unseen servant kinda like a cat to get the help action? “Go lay under that orcs feet, or knock that candle off onto the mages robes”
RAW the Unseen servant can't perform the Help action, since it's not technically a creature, so it's limited in its actions. And while it would be incapable of like... throwing a candle as an attack, I don't see why it wouldn't be able to just knock stuff over or drop them. It's just up to the DM what effect that will have on the game.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Can Thaumaturgy, the tremors, be used as a help action? (Throw their footing off for a split instant)
Blank
Not in combat... RAW, providing Help to give one character advantage requires you to be within 5 feet of the target. You could flavor it by saying that thaumaturgy is the method you're using to help. Outside of combat, though, the Help action is more loose. You could, say... help someone with an intimidation check by using thaumaturgy.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Valid.
Blank
So if unseen servant doesn’t have a form would that mean it could walk through doors to unlock them from the other side, or maybe a window?
Unseen Servant is shapeless, but it is a Medium force. This means it is Medium in size (5' x 5') and is solid. Since it's "shapeless" it could maybe squeeze through cracks and such like the Gaseous Form spell allows - this would really be up to DM discretion, as the spell doesn't say it can - but it can't move through solid surfaces like walls or floors.