A mage sets a broom to sweeping his floor. A priest lights a candle with the grace of her god. A bard tells an animated story in the night air, illuminated with the dancing cinders of a campfire. Such minor orisons (prayers) or lesser magicks are collectively called “cantrips.”
In Pathfinder for Savage Worlds, any character with an Arcane Background can cast cantrips.
A character may cast a cantrip by making an arcane skill roll. This is an action, and the effect must be based on one of the character’s existing powers. A sorcerer could use bolt with a fire Trapping to light a campfire, for example. A druid could use entangle to make vines dance to entertain a group of children. A wizard can use sound to ring a bell calling a servant to his study.
Success means the desired effect occurs. A raise has an additional narrative impact of some kind—the candle glows brightly, the vines dance in perfect synchronicity, or the bell rings loud and pure.
Failure causes the spell to fail without effect. A Critical Failure causes the spell to backfire, which requires the caster to lose 1 Power Point (or suffer Fatigue if the caster has no Power Points). Critical Failure also causes an embarrassment or minor mishap of some sort—an animated broom carelessly knocks a jar of ink onto the floor, a conjured flame lights a book on fire, or the power makes an embarrassing sound or smell.
A successfully cast cantrip’s Duration is the same as the power it’s based on and may be maintained by spending Power Points as usual.
The GM has the final say on what a cantrip can do, but the effect must not replace a power or cause damage (at least directly). It can be used to Test or Support, or grant a +1 bonus on a subsequent roll in the same encounter. For example, if the bard uses a cantrip to impress the children of Sandpoint, the GM might give him +1 to a Persuasion roll later on if he talks to their parents or someone else who witnessed the kindness.
The following complex cantrips are available to all characters with an Arcane Background (not Mystic Powers).
A character selects two of the following complex cantrips the first time he gains an Arcane Background and an additional one when he takes the New Powers Edge or another Edge that grants an Arcane Background. These cannot use Limitations or Power Modifiers and gain no benefit for being cast with a raise.
Power Points: 0
Range: Smarts
Duration: 5
Trappings: A small whirlwind.
The affected target falls slowly. Feather fall instantly changes the rate at which the targets fall to a mere 60 feet per round, and the subjects take no damage upon landing while the spell is in effect. When the spell Duration expires, a normal rate of falling resumes.
Power Points: 0
Range: Smarts
Duration: One minute
Trappings: A translucent floating hand.
The caster points his finger at an object weighing up to 5 lbs and can lift it and move it at will from a distance. As a limited free action, he can propel the object as far as 3" (6 yards) in any direction, though the spell ends if the distance between the caster and the object ever exceeds the spell’s Range.
Power Points: 0
Range: Smarts
Duration: Instant
Trappings: Ethereal thread patches up items.
With a 10-minute ritual, the caster is able to repair an item weighing up to 50 lbs that has been damaged, but not completely destroyed.
Power Points: 0
Range: Smarts
Duration: Instant
Trappings: Acid splash, ray of frost, jolt of electricity.
Minor bolt sends damaging bursts of energy, streaks of holy light, or shards of matter toward one’s foes.
There are no Range penalties, but the arcane skill roll is affected by Cover, Illumination, and all other usual penalties.
The damage is 2d4.
Power Points: 0
Range: Smarts
Duration: One hour
Trappings: A wave of the wand, sprinkling of dust, or simple magic trick.
Prestidigitations are minor tricks that novice spellcasters use for practice. Once cast, a prestidigitation spell enables the caster to perform simple magical effects for one hour. The effects are minor and have severe limitations. A prestidigitation can slowly lift one pound of material. It can color, clean, or soil items in a 1-foot cube each round. It can chill, warm, or flavor one pound of nonliving material.
It cannot deal damage or affect the concentration of spellcasters. Prestidigitation can create small objects, but they look crude and artificial. The materials created by a prestidigitation spell are extremely fragile, and they cannot be used as tools, weapons, or spell components. Finally, prestidigitation lacks the power to duplicate any other spell effects. Any actual change to an object (beyond just moving, cleaning, or soiling it) persists only one hour.
Power Points: 0
Range: Smarts
Duration: Instant
Trappings: A whisper carried on the wind.
With a 10-minute ritual, the character contacts a particular creature with which he is familiar and sends a short message of 25 words or less to the subject. The subject recognizes the character if it knows him. It can answer in like manner immediately. Even if the sending is received, the subject is not obligated to act upon it in any manner.
If the creature in question is not on the same plane of existence as the caster, there is a 5% chance that the sending does not arrive.
Power Points: 0
Range: Smarts
Duration: Instant
Trappings: A glow emanates from the injury.
Upon casting this spell, the caster targets a living creature that is Bleeding Out. That creature gains a +2 bonus to his next Vigor roll to stop Bleeding Out.