Wand of Prestidigitation???

[Leress]

I keep hearing on the Wizards Board that arcane casters should have a wand of Prestidigitation as essential equipment. Is that really true? I thinks it's crap but I want know what other think about this.

[User3]

That sounds like a waste of money, but it is certainly one of the best cantrips. The only other truly worthwhile one, imo, is Ghost Sound, because both are waaaaay too open-ended for a 0-level slot.

Spells like Detect Magic, Extended Daze and Acid Splash have their uses, but for most Arcane casters, you'll want pretty much nothing but Ghost Sound and Prestidigitation.

[Maj]

An item of Prestidigitation is pretty much standard in all of our games. It started as a joke with my character who "carried" around a gnome for the sole purpose of having her clothes dry-cleaned. It grew into a requirement for anyone who wants to have cheesy hero-like effects (waving cape, gleaming teeth, blowing hair), a lighter, a way to keep food warm or cool (or make it taste better), in addition to always being perfectly spotless in front of the king (and never needing toilet paper).

[Cielingcat]

Personally, I think that cantrips should just be at-will. None of them actually do anything worthwhile besides flavor effects (and minor stuff like Detect Magic or Ghost Sound). Of course, Prestidigitation is really useful if you play a game that takes such things into account, but it has no mechanical effects and shouldn't cost you money.

[User3]

Eh, at-will Cure Minor Wounds would be problematic early, but if you gave unlimited cantrips at level 5 or so, I doubt people would notice.

[Leress]

1169927567[/unixtime]]Eh, at-will Cure Minor Wounds would be problematic early, but if you gave unlimited cantrips at level 5 or so, I doubt people would notice.

We had a whole thread about at will cantrips/orisons.
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=770675

[Crissa]

How is healing a point of damage every round you do nothing really noticable in a low-level game?

Anyhow, I think the most use I ever got out of prestidigitation is to dig a hundred small holes looking for something in one campaign...

-Crissa

[MrWaeseL]

How is healing a point of damage every round you do nothing really noticable in a low-level game?

Because it invalidates the tactic of wearing down the PC's over several encounters because they're fully healed after every battle.

[RandomCasualty]

1169997833[/unixtime]]
Because it invalidates the tactic of wearing down the PC's over several encounters because they're fully healed after every battle.

Yeah, WotC kind of flip flops about this subject anyway, as the game begins as a sort of war of hit point attrition, and then turns into "you're fully healed at the start of each battle" when you see wands of CLW.

In 2nd edition, healing items were super rare, so much so that your cleric almost always devoted all his spells to pure healing. In 3rd edition, WotC can't seem to decide whether they want the game to have lots of healing or not.

[Endovior]

I wouldn't buy a WAND of Prestidigitation... too much money for too few uses. Really, Cantrip wands are fairly useless in general... consider the Wand of Light; 50 uses of the Light cantrip for 375 Gp when an Everburning Torch is only 110. Instead, I'd get a Wondrous Item granting Prestidigitation, ala the Hand of the Mage:

Hand of the Mage

This mummified elf hand hangs by a golden chain around a character’s neck (taking up space as a magic necklace would). It allows the wearer to utilize the spell mage hand at will.

Faint transmutation; CL 2nd; Craft Wondrous Item, mage hand; Price 900 gp;Weight 2 lb.

In a similar vein, consider these magic items (homebrew, but following the appropriate rules).

Hat of Wizardry

This conical blue hat is embroidered with stars, and alternately sparkles and glows... in other words, it's a stereotypical wizard's hat, oozing with magical power. It allows the wearer to utilize the spell prestidigitation at will.

Faint transmutation; CL 2nd; Craft Wondrous Item, prestidigitation; Price 900 gp


Lenses of Magical Vision

The lenses of this item are apparently ordinary glass, and although their thickness implies that they are used to correct some serious vision problem, the wearer can see through them without difficulty (although they grant no special bonuses to Spot). They allow the wearer to utilize the spell Detect Magic at will. Both lenses must be worn for the magic to be effective.

Faint divination; CL 2nd; Craft Wondrous Item, detect magic; Price 900 gp

[Judging__Eagle]

Meh, just buy a spell-trigger item with 100 charges.

750 GP for infinite useds; your DM can never make the party dirty or smelly again; nor can he ruin your clothing or break any loot that you find.

You just take more time to fix stuff though.


As for healing between battles being an 'issue'. Yeah, as soon as Complete Divine came out parties could simply buy Hit Points wholesale at a cost of 750 GP per 550 HP or 1.36 GP per HP healed. By making or buying wands of Lesser Vigour.

Fast Healing 1 for 10 + 1/Caster level rounds (Max of.. 15 rounds); so 11 HP healed per casting.

Which is 2 more points than always rolling max on a CLW from a wand (which we know won't happen; CLW is better for boosting LV healing in combat though) which gives anywhere from 100 to 450 HP for 750 gp (average of 275 HP); at a cost of 2.72 GP per HP healed; more than double the cost of an HP from a wand of LV.

Although really, you're better off just getting an infinite wand and throw the spell on a tank as soon as a fight starts to make sure they don't get dropped with a luck hit; or to quick-patch downed allies and even enemies if you want to capture them alive.