OSE Cantrips: Useful Cantrips
In this post, 23 classic cantrips, rewritten for OSE and B/X-adjacent games.
Cantrips are ubiquitous in 5E, but didn't appear until AD&D 1e. Dragon magazine issues 59 to 61 contain Gary's original articles. In their original form, they are much more like simple, level-0 spells. They are prepared and memorised like standard spells, and cannot be cast an unlimited amount of times.
Retro-clones that are based on B/X and OD&D have no cantrips at all, though they are a popular request at my table. Some games, like Worlds Without Number and Beyond The Wall, have their own cantrip-like system. Basic Fantasy Roleplay Game also has a cantrip supplement. But I have yet to see a rewrite of the original Unearthed Arcana list. So that is what I set out to do.
Below you will find the first half of the original cantrips rewritten for OSE or B/X adjacent gameplay. I have had to to employ some severe pruning to make it work:
- B/X has no concept of magic schools, so these are removed.
- There is also no concept of casting time segments, so I have just ruled it as two cantrips max per round.
- Spell components remain, but have been simplified. A lot of these are a little too ridiculous, and don't fit with the grim aesthetics of modern OSR.
- My metric brain baulks at the thought of having to convert between freedom units, so all distances and measurements are simplified in feet.
- Some reordering, tweaking and combining has occurred. And probably will continue. E.g., wilt and curdle have been combined as they are practically the same.
- Others remain separate for now but I may further tweak this list. E.g., Tie and Knot could probably be combined.
- There are several that probably could be combined, but I feel leaving them as separate helps add more diversity. For example, chill could be the reverse of warm, but works better narratively, if kept separate.
There is also an important first level arcane spell called Protection From Cantrips, that wards against these minor spells. I imagine any money lender or jeweller in a major settlement would be warded against cantrips.
I have much more to do. There are still 40-odd original cantrips remaining, and then a few more sprinkled throughout later issues of Dragon magazine. These ones require a bit more thinking than just a simple rewrite (does there really need to be separate cantrips for groaning and moaning?).
I also have been floating some ideas on how to introduce cantrips to non-magic users, in the form of hedge wizards and folk-magic. For instance, the lord's head chef might know cantrips to improve the flavour of foods, and a sailor might know some cantrips to help befoul ropes and repair sails. I believe there is already a Dungeon magazine article on entertainers who can use cantrips.
Once these have all been rewritten, I will compile them into a PDF.
But for now, please enjoy 23 useful cantrips, and a handful of reversed effects.
How to Use Cantrips in OSE
Cantrips are the base components for more complex spells. They are often recorded in tomes or passed down through song.
Cantrips are minor spells learned by apprentice magic-users and illusionists during their three years of training. A 0-level neophyte may cast 1 cantrip per day, an initiate may cast 2, and an apprentice 3.
Cantrips are recorded in spell books and memorised after an uninterrupted night's sleep, just like higher-level spells. Though normally discarded at 1st level, a magic-user may retain up to four cantrips from their training in place of one 1st-level spell, provided their cantrip book is kept.
All cantrips are 0-level with a close range and a small area of effect. They use simple sounds and phrases to cast, and have short casting times. Only those targeting living creatures offer a saving throw, and their effects emit a faint magical aura which can be seen with Detect Magic.
In combat: Cantrips are cast at the beginning of the round and are subject to initiative and surprise just like higher-level spells. Up to two cantrips may be cast per round. A spell and a cantrip cannot be cast in the same round.
Arcane Spell
For Magic Users and Illusionists
Protection From Cantrips
Level: 1
Duration: 1 day per level
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: One creature or objet
Grant immunity to cantrips for the caster, a person, or an item they touch (e.g., a spellbook or a drawer of components). Cantrips targeting the protected subject dissapate with a popping sound.
An unwilling target must be touched (roll to hit), and can save vs spells to resist.
Useful against mischievous apprentices or to enforce manual labour.
Useful Cantrips
Chill
Area of Effect: 1 × 1ft
Duration: 1 round
To cast: a soft whistle; a downward-thrust thumb.
Cool non-living material by 20°C/40°F, down to freezing. The effect is instant and lasts for only 1 round. The subject then slowly returns to normal temperature.
Clean (Dirty)
Area of Effect: 5 × 5ft
To cast: a low breath; a circular hand motion.
Clean heavy dirt and debris from surfaces like floors, walls, or dishes, leaving them spotless. Typically only one material is cleaned per use, so that any surface coating isn't damaged.
Reverse: Soils and dirties surfaces like walls, floors, or garments.
Colour
Area of Effect: 3 × 3ft
Duration: 30 days
To cast: a hum; a back-and-forth or polishing hand motion.
Restore colour to an object or change its hue, altering or brightening fabrics, pigments, hair, or skin. Lasts 30 days and can be renewed.
Dampen (Dry)
Area of Effect: 3 × 3ft
To cast: a low whistle or hum; an upward hand gesture with writhing fingers.
To cast: a low whistle or hum; a two-handed wringing motion.
Create a fog-like dampness, leaving everything in the area damp to the touch. Useful for making parchment and similar materials hard to ignite. Vision is obscured in the light fog (-1 to hit ranged targets).
Reverse: remove dampness from materials, useful for drying cloth, herbs, and cleaning.
Dusty
Area of Effect: 10ft radius
To cast: A soft hum; a shaking hand.
Coats an exposed surface with a layer of dust and grime.
Ensnarl
Area of Effect: One object
To cast: A low bussing sound; a strong forward wrist motion.
Entangle thread, string, cord, or rope in a way that is difficult to untie, taking 2d4 rounds minus the untying creature’s dexterity bonus. Works on tied material but not on magical ropes, held items, or taut lines.
Exterminate
Area of Effect: 1 small creature
To cast: a sharp exhale; a pointed finger
Kill small pests like flies, mice, or beetles. For very small insects, like sandflies or ants, it will affect a small swarm. Also works on magical creations but not magically shrunk beings or polymorphed creatures.
Flavour
Area of Effect: One object
To cast: a long exhale; a clockwise stirring motion with pointing finger.
Change the flavour of an object, making bland or unpleasant food taste better without affecting its actual quality or safety. Spoiled food or poison remains harmful, though the taste may be masked.
Freshen (Wilt/Curdle)
Area of Effect: One object
Duration: 6 turns (1 hour)
To cast: a steady hum; a circle made with thumb and forefinger, with other fingers spread.
Restore freshness to food, drink, flowers, and herbs, and revive wilted items. Does not revive spoiled food, like purify food & water. Works on small amounts like a cask of wine, a bushel of oats, or a leg of mutton.
Reverse: Spoil or wilt food and drink, curdle milk and hasten decay. Plant matter (growing or picked) withers. Does not cause putrefaction but has a permanent effect. Deals 1d4 damage plant-based creatures.
Gather (Spill)
Area of Effect: 3 × 3ft
To cast: The caster names the material while making a gathering motion.
Gather or stack small objects like nails, coins, or papers. Selectively gather a specific material from a mix.
Reverse: Tip a container or spill its contents, affecting non-magical containers up to a bucket in size, if not securely sealed. Solids and liquids will spill freely.
Hair-growth (Trim)
Area of Effect: One object
To cast: A scissor motion with index and middle finger.
Thicken and lengthen hair, fur, or similar growth by 2-12 inches. The hair must be trimmed to remove.
Reverse: Shorten or shave hair and fur, leaving short growth absent for 2-12 days.
Polish
Area of Effect: One object, or one surface up to 100 × 100ft
To cast: A tune hummed; buffing motion.
Add lustre to clean materials like wood, metal, stone, leather, or ceramic. Works on reasonable sizes, from small items like boots or mirrors, to larger surfaces like floors and walls.
Salt
Area of Effect: One object up to 10 × 10ft
To cast: Smacked lips; a sprinkling motion.
Create a fine sprinkling of salt over a target object, such as food, weeds, or items to be preserved. Smaller objects receive a strong dosing, while larger objects receive minimal salt. Creatures harmed by salt, like giant slugs, take 1d4 damage.
Shine (Tarnish)
Area of Effect: One object up to 3 × 3ft
To cast: A tune hummed; buffing motion.
Remove tarnish, rust, and corrosion, leaving objects smooth and mirror-bright. Can enhance the appearance of jewellery and may restore the base value of gems if previously decreased.
Reverse: Cover an object with tarnish, rust, or corrosion.
Sour
Area of Effect: One object
To cast: A whoosh sound through pursed lips; a clenched fist.
Give food or drink a sour, vinegar-like taste. Often used to spoil items like wine or beer. Produces up to one flask of actual vinegar, which appears over the subject or in an empty container.
Spice
Area of Effect: One object
To cast: A tune is hummed; a crumbling and sprinkling motion with one hand.
Conjure a specific spice or herb, such as ginger, pepper, garlic, or parsley, to enhance or disguise the flavour of food or drink. Produces enough for a dish or drink serving about a dozen people. The spice appears as a fine powder or flakes, falling onto the target.
Sprout
Area of Effect: 3 × 3ft
To cast: A soft whisper; a hoeing motion with two hands.
Accelerate plant growth, causing seeds to sprout, plants to grow slightly, and buds to flower. Fruits and vegetables are ripened or spoiled.
Stitch (Ravel)
Area of Effect: 60ft or 6ft
To cast: A rhyme recited; a sewing motion with two hands.
Magically sew or repair seams in cloth (up to 60ft) or leather (up to 6ft). The seam is as strong as a non-magical one.
Reversed: Undo seams in fabric. The thread must be loose, broken or magically stitched. Inherently magical items are not affected (e.g., a bag of holding).
Sweeten
Area of Effect: One object
To cast: A buzzing sound; a stirring motion
Evoke a sweetener such as sugar, honey, or syrup, to enhance or disguise the flavour of food or drink. Produces enough for a dish or drink serving about a dozen people. The sweetener appears as a sparkling mist, falling onto the target.
Tangle
Area of Effect: 3 × 3ft
To cast: A buzzing sound; a stirring motion with the index finger.
Twist fine materials like thread, hair, or grass into a tangle. Does not affect heavier materials like rope. Untangling takes 3d4 rounds unless done roughly, risking damage to the materials. Can tangle mixed materials, such as grass and string.
Tie (Untie)
Area of Effect: One object
To cast: The type of knot named; the tying of a knot mimed.
Magically tie thread, string, rope, or cable into a desired knot, such as a half-hitch, square knot or bowline.
Reverse: Removes knots or ties from thread, string, or cord, including those created by a tie cantrip. Nullifies tangles but cannot undo both a tangle and a normal tie simultaneously. Has no effect on magical objects.
Warm
Area of Effect: 1 × 1ft
To Cast: a softly exhaled sigh; a rubbing of hands.
Raise the temperature of a liquid or solid by 20°C/40°F. Living creatures are not warmed beyond their normal body temperature. The subject then slowly returns to normal temperature.
Wrap
Area of Effect: 3 × 3ft
To Cast: The type of wrapping name; folding motions with both hands.
Create a sturdy wrapping tailored to the subject, such as parchment for powders, felt for gems, or cloth for meal. The wrapping can be undone normally or opened by the caster's command, making it ideal for spell components.