Sting was a person-affecting cantrip that apprentice wizards could learn.[3] It caused an annoying pain in a target creature that was possibly disruptive. Sting was generally used to intimidate or warn people or creatures that they should show the caster some respect.[1][2]
Effects[]
This cantrip could target one creature within 30 feet (9.1 meters) of the caster and, if not resisted, caused the target to experience a momentary but intense pain in a spot on their body chosen by the caster. If successfully cast on the eyes, it caused blindness. If cast on the tongue, it garbled speech. If cast on a hand, it ruined any precise manipulation of small objects, with a fifty-fifty chance to drop them. All of these effects lasted less than one minute and did no direct physical damage, but were enough to disrupt the casting of a spell if it spoiled the verbal, somatic, or material component of the spell being cast.[1][2][note 1] When cast, this spell gave off a small cloud of harmless blue sparks.[4]
Components[]
Sting required verbal and somatic components to cast. While looking at the target creature, the caster made a buzzing sound (like "bzzzt") and pointed to a spot on their own body where they wished the target creature to feel pain.[1][2]
History[]
The description of this cantrip was recorded in the spellbook known as The Alcaister, along with cut and gallop.[1][4][note 2]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The Wizard's Spell Compendium Volume Four reduced the range and slightly altered the duration of this spell's effects.
- ↑ The three cantrips described in Dragon #100 were replaced with the cantrip spell when the 2nd-edition Pages from the Mages was published. The Wizard's Spell Compendium Volume Four describes all the 1st-edition cantrips as examples of what you could do with cantrip.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Ed Greenwood (August 1985). “Pages from the Mages V”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #100 (TSR, Inc.), p. 19.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Mark Middleton et al (September 1998). Wizard's Spell Compendium Volume Four. (TSR, Inc), p. 1063. ISBN 978-0786912094.
- ↑ Mark Middleton et al (September 1998). Wizard's Spell Compendium Volume Four. (TSR, Inc), p. 1048. ISBN 978-0786912094.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ed Greenwood, Tim Beach (November 1995). Pages from the Mages. Edited by Jon Pickens. (TSR, Inc.), p. 9. ISBN 0-7869-0183-7.