Help Me Build a Know Direction Cantrip - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 AlHazred Apr 22, 2015 11:05:25	I've been working on some new stuff for my Eberron 5E campaign, and I was wondering if this seems too powerful or not powerful enough: Know Direction Divination cantrip Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V Duration: Instantaneous You call upon the spirits of nature to grant you one of the following effects: You instantly know which direction is north. You can tell approximately how far and in which direction you were the last time you cast this cantrip. If you know this cantrip and you are navigating in a wilderness (Dungeon Master's Guide, page 111-112) or at sea (Dungeon Master's Guide, page 117-118), you have advantage on the navigation check.
#2 Tempest_Stormwind Apr 22, 2015 11:56:23	It's not too powerful. See also the Keen Mind feat, the Outlander's Wanderer feature, or the Druidcraft cantrip (the latter doesn't actually point out direction, but it predicts weather, which is harder). I think it's a bit too weak, but its effects are in line with some of the selections from other cantrips. I'd probably roll it in with a few other navigation aid effects (structure it like Prestidigitation and the related cantrips (including the elemental ones in Elemental Evil), where you pick one from a short list of minor effects; you can have up to three running simultaneously, and each lasts an hour) and call it a day. Real-world tools that you can copy for this may include: Odometer - while the effect lasts, you know how far you've travelled. This is as-the-wolf-runs distance (think spooling out string as you walk), but the spell might correct for displacement (so you'd know if you were actually going in circles). Compass - Always point north. I'd also suggest including a beacon - the effect attunes to an object you use as an optional material component, and not only gives you north, but also the direction to that object. With some basic trigonometry this gives you as-the-crow-flies distance, akin to a sextant. (You get a similar effect by linking it to where it was last cast, but this way it can easily be fooled if the object moves, and doesn't imply that the spell is tracking anything when it isn't cast.) Note that with the right object choice or the aid of a familiar, this can also be used to aim artillery. Plum-bob or Barometer - The same basic idea, but measures slope or pressure (respectively), which can be useful in determining altitude or depth. (A big advantage to magic over mundane tools is that they work in three dimensions without solid ground.) Clock or timer (either countdown or count-up). Timers are probably more appropriate - you can evoke hourglass imagery, and while they don't give you the exact time, they can be used to infer it based on when you started it. (Note that most prestidigitation-style cantrips can keep three effects running at once; just start another as soon as you see the first run out.) These are invaluable for sailors - portable spring-powered clocks were developed to aid ship navigation - but it also gives you a measure of speed when combined with the above. Some of this might also need a quick calculator - basically, an instant answer (accurate to within 5% or 10%) to a simple counting or physical measurement task on something you can directly see. Examples include how far from here to that tree, how high is that mountain, how fast is the wind blowing, and so on, but this can also be used with the first two - is accurately answered to within 5%. This specific one could be used for non-navigation aids, such as gold in a pile or soldiers in a formation, but I don't think that's too much of a problem). A basic rule like the one you presented that adds advantage on navigation checks (or checks involving navigator's tools) is a good final call. A potential extension: these tools would make retracing your steps in a nonmagical maze automatic as well. (Note: unlike Find the Path, this won't help you get through a maze (just back out of it), and magic mazes (including maze) or mechanical shifting labyrinths foil it.) If you round it out like that, I'd give it a more evocative name. I never really liked magic effects with names like Know Direction and Location or Helm of Comprehending Languages and Reading Magic, but I'm terrible at coming up with names myself.
#3 transcendantviewer Apr 22, 2015 13:07:33	Convoke Object? Does that seem like a good name?
#4 Primarchx Apr 22, 2015 13:30:26	I like Garmin's Eldritch Reckoning, myself...
#5 AlHazred Apr 22, 2015 13:30:30	Cool! Thanks! Tempest_Stormwind wrote:
#6 Barky Apr 22, 2015 19:32:48	I am taking this for my own campaign, this is great.
#7 AlHazred Apr 23, 2015 6:52:17	This is what I ended up with: Know Direction Divination cantrip Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V Duration: Instantaneous You call upon the spirits of nature to grant you one of the following effects: You instantly know which direction is north. You can tell how far and in which direction you were the last time you cast this cantrip. You can use this to know how far you’ve traveled. You can attune yourself to an object; you have no more than three objects attuned with this cantrip at one time. When you cast the cantrip again, you know how far and in what direction an attuned object is. If you know this cantrip, you always know the way out of a mundane maze; it provides no benefit to navigating through a maze, and is foiled by magical or mechanically-moving labyrinths. If you know this cantrip and you are navigating in a wilderness (*Dungeon Master's Guide, page 111-112) or at sea (Dungeon Master's Guide*, page 117-118), you have advantage on the navigation check.
#8 Tempest_Stormwind Apr 23, 2015 11:23:11	Two points: First is a wording one. I wouldn't use the word "attune" in retrospect, since it's already used for magic items. (This didn't occur to me until now.) Second, and more important, your second and third options do the same thing (cast the spell to learn distance and bearing from some reference point), with the only difference being the beacons can be moved. That's kind of why I was suggesting other navigation tools as inspirations - a single-use dedicated Know Direction effect is probably on par with a single bullet point on such a cantrip, and it's easy to overload a single function (as you've discovered). Here's my total suggestion. Spell lists: Bard, Druid. (Sadly, rangers don't get cantrips.) Surveyor's Sight Divination cantrip Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V Duration: Instantaneous You call upon the spirits of nature to grant you one of the following effects: You instantly know which direction is north. You know exactly how much time has passed since you last cast this cantrip. You know the exact straight-line distance to any one object or landmark you can see. Visual illusions that fool you also fool this cantrip. You can declare an object you hold in one hand to be a beacon. An object remains a beacon until you cast this cantrip again to remove it or if you create more than three simultaneous beacons. When you cast this cantrip again, you know how far away and in what direction each beacon you've created is from you, provided the beacon is not currently worn or carried. You have advantage on an ability check made to navigate in a wilderness (*Dungeon Master's Guide, page 111-112) or at sea (Dungeon Master's Guide*, page 117-118) or to avoid getting lost.
#9 Coredump00 Apr 23, 2015 12:38:47	In general, I like the Know Direction cantrip better than the Surveyors Sight. But from the little I know of Eberron, Surveyors Sight may fit better. (Magic as science and all that) I am not fond of magic that can give you things like "exact" distances, I am leary enough bout exact direction from a cantrip....but thats probably okay. Keep in mind, my first thought for those Beacons are amazingly excellent Tracking locators. Slip one into the backpack of the bad guy's Lt. And you quickly learn the location of his secret hideout. If you are concerned about the tiny and innocuous object being found.... you can just cast it on his cloak before he puts it on, or cast it on his Horse's saddle, or whatever. Locate Object is a first level spell and only has a range of 1000'. OTOH, you don't have to cast it on the object for LO.
#10 Tempest_Stormwind Apr 23, 2015 13:25:10	Coredump00 wrote:

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

AlHazred

Apr 22, 2015 11:05:25

I've been working on some new stuff for my Eberron 5E campaign, and I was wondering if this seems too powerful or not powerful enough:

Know Direction

Divination cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V

Duration: Instantaneous

You call upon the spirits of nature to grant you one of the following effects:

You instantly know which direction is north.
You can tell approximately how far and in which direction you were the last time you cast this cantrip.

If you know this cantrip and you are navigating in a wilderness (Dungeon Master's Guide, page 111-112) or at sea (Dungeon Master's Guide, page 117-118), you have advantage on the navigation check.

Tempest_Stormwind

Apr 22, 2015 11:56:23

It's not too powerful. See also the Keen Mind feat, the Outlander's Wanderer feature, or the Druidcraft cantrip (the latter doesn't actually point out direction, but it predicts weather, which is harder).

I think it's a bit too weak, but its effects are in line with some of the selections from other cantrips. I'd probably roll it in with a few other navigation aid effects (structure it like Prestidigitation and the related cantrips (including the elemental ones in Elemental Evil), where you pick one from a short list of minor effects; you can have up to three running simultaneously, and each lasts an hour) and call it a day.

Real-world tools that you can copy for this may include:

Odometer - while the effect lasts, you know how far you've travelled. This is as-the-wolf-runs distance (think spooling out string as you walk), but the spell might correct for displacement (so you'd know if you were actually going in circles).
Compass - Always point north. I'd also suggest including a beacon - the effect attunes to an object you use as an optional material component, and not only gives you north, but also the direction to that object. With some basic trigonometry this gives you as-the-crow-flies distance, akin to a sextant. (You get a similar effect by linking it to where it was last cast, but this way it can easily be fooled if the object moves, and doesn't imply that the spell is tracking anything when it isn't cast.) Note that with the right object choice or the aid of a familiar, this can also be used to aim artillery.
Plum-bob or Barometer - The same basic idea, but measures slope or pressure (respectively), which can be useful in determining altitude or depth. (A big advantage to magic over mundane tools is that they work in three dimensions without solid ground.)
Clock or timer (either countdown or count-up). Timers are probably more appropriate - you can evoke hourglass imagery, and while they don't give you the exact time, they can be used to infer it based on when you started it. (Note that most prestidigitation-style cantrips can keep three effects running at once; just start another as soon as you see the first run out.) These are invaluable for sailors - portable spring-powered clocks were developed to aid ship navigation - but it also gives you a measure of speed when combined with the above.
Some of this might also need a quick calculator - basically, an instant answer (accurate to within 5% or 10%) to a simple counting or physical measurement task on something you can directly see. Examples include how far from here to that tree, how high is that mountain, how fast is the wind blowing, and so on, but this can also be used with the first two - is accurately answered to within 5%. This specific one could be used for non-navigation aids, such as gold in a pile or soldiers in a formation, but I don't think that's too much of a problem).
A basic rule like the one you presented that adds advantage on navigation checks (or checks involving navigator's tools) is a good final call. A potential extension: these tools would make retracing your steps in a nonmagical maze automatic as well. (Note: unlike Find the Path, this won't help you get through a maze (just back out of it), and magic mazes (including maze) or mechanical shifting labyrinths foil it.)

If you round it out like that, I'd give it a more evocative name. I never really liked magic effects with names like Know Direction and Location or Helm of Comprehending Languages and Reading Magic, but I'm terrible at coming up with names myself.

transcendantviewer

Apr 22, 2015 13:07:33

Convoke Object? Does that seem like a good name?

Primarchx

Apr 22, 2015 13:30:26

I like Garmin's Eldritch Reckoning, myself...

AlHazred

Apr 22, 2015 13:30:30

Cool! Thanks!

Tempest_Stormwind wrote:

Barky

Apr 22, 2015 19:32:48

I am taking this for my own campaign, this is great.

AlHazred

Apr 23, 2015 6:52:17

This is what I ended up with:

Know Direction

Divination cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V

Duration: Instantaneous

You call upon the spirits of nature to grant you one of the following effects:

You instantly know which direction is north.
You can tell how far and in which direction you were the last time you cast this cantrip. You can use this to know how far you’ve traveled.
You can attune yourself to an object; you have no more than three objects attuned with this cantrip at one time. When you cast the cantrip again, you know how far and in what direction an attuned object is.

If you know this cantrip, you always know the way out of a mundane maze; it provides no benefit to navigating through a maze, and is foiled by magical or mechanically-moving labyrinths.

If you know this cantrip and you are navigating in a wilderness (Dungeon Master's Guide, page 111-112) or at sea (Dungeon Master's Guide, page 117-118), you have advantage on the navigation check.

Tempest_Stormwind

Apr 23, 2015 11:23:11

Two points: First is a wording one. I wouldn't use the word "attune" in retrospect, since it's already used for magic items. (This didn't occur to me until now.)

Second, and more important, your second and third options do the same thing (cast the spell to learn distance and bearing from some reference point), with the only difference being the beacons can be moved.

That's kind of why I was suggesting other navigation tools as inspirations - a single-use dedicated Know Direction effect is probably on par with a single bullet point on such a cantrip, and it's easy to overload a single function (as you've discovered).

Here's my total suggestion.

Spell lists: Bard, Druid. (Sadly, rangers don't get cantrips.)
Surveyor's Sight

Divination cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V

Duration: Instantaneous

You call upon the spirits of nature to grant you one of the following effects:

You instantly know which direction is north.

You know exactly how much time has passed since you last cast this cantrip.

You know the exact straight-line distance to any one object or landmark you can see. Visual illusions that fool you also fool this cantrip.

You can declare an object you hold in one hand to be a beacon. An object remains a beacon until you cast this cantrip again to remove it or if you create more than three simultaneous beacons. When you cast this cantrip again, you know how far away and in what direction each beacon you've created is from you, provided the beacon is not currently worn or carried.

You have advantage on an ability check made to navigate in a wilderness (Dungeon Master's Guide, page 111-112) or at sea (Dungeon Master's Guide, page 117-118) or to avoid getting lost.

Coredump00

Apr 23, 2015 12:38:47

In general, I like the Know Direction cantrip better than the Surveyors Sight. But from the *little* I know of Eberron, Surveyors Sight may fit better. (Magic as science and all that)

I am not fond of magic that can give you things like "exact" distances, I am leary enough bout exact direction from a cantrip....but thats probably okay.

Keep in mind, my first thought for those Beacons are amazingly excellent Tracking locators. Slip one into the backpack of the bad guy's Lt. And you quickly learn the location of his secret hideout. If you are concerned about the tiny and innocuous object being found.... you can just cast it on his cloak before he puts it on, or cast it on his Horse's saddle, or whatever.

Locate Object is a first level spell and only has a range of 1000'. OTOH, you don't have to cast it on the object for LO.

#10

Tempest_Stormwind

Apr 23, 2015 13:25:10

Coredump00 wrote: