Cantrip

"Cantrip" was the common name for the weakest spells an arcane spellcaster could cast    The divine magic equivalents are known as orisons, but "cantrip" is often used to describe all beginner apprentice/acolyte spells. Cantrips were the first spells that a wizard learned during their apprenticeship. The effects that could be created were very minor, very brief, and mostly harmless, intended to entertain children or impress commoners, although some newer cantrips could cause damage.

Examples of post-Sundering cantrips:


 * Bard
 * blade ward &bull; dancing lights &bull; friends &bull; light &bull; mage hand &bull; mending &bull; message &bull; minor illusion &bull; prestidigitation &bull; true strike &bull; vicious mockery


 * Cleric
 * guidance &bull; light &bull; mending &bull; resistance &bull; sacred flame &bull; spare the dying &bull; thaumaturgy


 * Druid
 * druidcraft &bull; guidance &bull; mending &bull; poison spray &bull; produce flame &bull; resistance &bull; shillelagh &bull; thorn whip


 * Sorcerer
 * acid splash &bull; blade ward &bull; chill touch &bull; dancing lights &bull; fire bolt &bull; friends &bull; light &bull; mage hand &bull; mending &bull; message &bull; minor illusion &bull; poison spray &bull; prestidigitation &bull; ray of frost &bull; shocking grasp &bull; true strike


 * Warlock
 * blade ward &bull; chill touch &bull; eldritch blast &bull; friends &bull; mage hand &bull; minor illusion &bull; poison spray &bull; prestidigitation &bull; true strike


 * Wizard
 * acid splash &bull; blade ward &bull; chill touch &bull; dancing lights &bull; fire bolt &bull; friends &bull; light &bull; mage hand &bull; mending &bull; message &bull; minor illusion &bull; poison spray &bull; prestidigitation &bull; ray of frost &bull; shocking grasp &bull; true strike

Examples of post-Spellplague wizard cantrips:
 * ghost sound &bull; light &bull; mage hand &bull; prestidigitation

Examples of standard pre-Spellplague wizard cantrips:
 * acid splash &bull; arcane mark &bull; dancing lights &bull; daze &bull; detect magic &bull; detect poison &bull; disrupt undead &bull; flare &bull; ghost sound &bull; light &bull; mage hand &bull; mending &bull; message &bull; open/close &bull; prestidigitation &bull; ray of frost &bull; read magic &bull; resistance &bull; touch of fatigue

Examples of Pre-Time of Troubles "Magic-user" cantrips:
 * Useful
 * chill &bull; clean &bull; color &bull; dampen &bull; dry &bull; dust &bull; exterminate &bull; flavor &bull; freshen &bull; gather &bull; polish &bull; salt &bull; shine &bull; spice &bull; sprout &bull; stitch &bull; sweeten &bull; tie &bull; warm &bull; wrap


 * Reversed
 * curdle &bull; dirty &bull; dusty &bull; hairy &bull; knot &bull; ravel &bull; sour &bull; spill &bull; tangle &bull; tarnish &bull; untie &bull; wilt


 * Legerdemain
 * change &bull; distract &bull; hide &bull; mute &bull; palm &bull; present


 * Person-Affecting
 * belch &bull; blink &bull; cough &bull; giggle &bull; nod &bull; scratch &bull; sneeze &bull; twitch &bull; wink &bull; yawn


 * Personal
 * bee &bull; bluelight &bull; bug &bull; firefinger &bull; gnats &bull; mouse &bull; smokepuff &bull; spider &bull; tweak &bull; unlock


 * Haunting
 * creak &bull; footfall &bull; groan &bull; moan &bull; rattle &bull; tap &bull; thump &bull; whistle

Illusionist cantrips:
 * colored lights &bull; dim &bull; haze &bull; mask &bull; mirage &bull; noise &bull; rainbow &bull; two-d'lusion

Realmslore
The mage Sabirine was well known to have had a special interest in cantrips, and was an enthusiastic advocate of the continued use and refinement of them. Sabirine is known to have created several unique cantrips.

Background
The word “cantrip” has been used both as common slang for minor arcane spells or effects of level 0 or its equivalent, though the particular definition has varied with the actual ruleset edition being used.

Cantrips first appeared in print in Dragon magazine and then reprinted in the First Edition Unearthed Arcana and were well supported in the Forgotten Realms setting through articles written by Ed Greenwood for Dragon Magazine and later, in official AD&D Forgotten Realms supplements. In this edition, each cantrip was a distinct spell with its own specific attributes. A magic-user of 1st level or higher could replace a single first-level spell slot for the ability to memorize four cantrips. These cantrips were almost universally very minor things, with extremely limited ranges and areas of effect, though some did stand out as actually useful; Bluelight (a light equivalent to a candle that lasts for as long as it is concentrated upon), Color (up to 2 sq yd, 30 days duration; instant hair, skin and clothes change), Unlock (works on simple locks), Spider (summons a spider; actually quite useful when combined with spells like ‘’Spidereyes’’), Hide (essentially a 2D curtain that renders one object behind it invisible), Gather (great for sorting platinum pieces from a pile of silver) and both Salt and Spice, which actually conjure stuff that can be collected and… sold.

With AD&D 2nd Edition, the concept of 0-level spells was abandoned, but the cantrip still remained in the form of the 1st level spell Cantrip, which had a duration of one hour per caster level and allowed the caster to essentially use weaker versions of the previous edition’s cantrips once per round for the duration of the spell; if the caster attempted to do anything actually lasting, the spell effect would end. The abortive Spells & Magic Player’s Option book (one of the books of what is commonly known as 2.5 Edition) did away with the 1st level Cantrip spell and again made use of 0-level spell slots for the individual effects of cantrips, but tied the mechanic to the optional rules presented therein, so they were not very popular.

Cantrips in 3rd Edition and 3.x are very different from their predecessors; they are significantly more powerful than 1st or 2nd edition cantrips; in fact, several (Read Magic, Detect Magic, Light, Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights) were full-power first level spells in previous editions. The minor aspect of earlier edition cantrips comes from the 0-level spell Prestidigitation, which closely mimics the second edition Cantrip spell with a flat duration of one hour. In 3.x, cantrips have their own spell slot progression column on the appropriate table, so first level spells need not be sacrificed in order to be able to cast them.

Ever since their first appearance in the Realms, cantrips have been considered individual spells, with new ones appearing in legendary spellbooks penned by great wizards.

Divine (clerical and druidic) cantrips were known as orisons, although the word cantrip is sometimes used for all 0-level spells regardless of type.