Cantrip " Cantrip " was the common name for the weakest spells an arcane spellcaster could cast . The divine magic equivalents were known as orison s , but " cantrip " was 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 . Post - Second Sundering . Examples of post - Second Sundering cantrips : Post - Spellplague . Examples of post - Spellplague wizard cantrips : Pre - Spellplague . Examples of standard pre - Spellplague wizard cantrips : Pre - Time of Troubles . Examples of Pre - Time of Troubles " Magic - user " cantrips : Illusionist cantrips : 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 created several unique cantrips . Appendix . 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 were then reprinted in the First Edition " Unearthed Arcana " . They were well supported in the " Forgotten Realms " campaign setting through articles written by Ed Greenwood for " Dragon " 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 " ( an instant change in hue of hair , skin , and clothes ) , " unlock " ( worked 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 goods 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 " " 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 . 5 edition 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 " ) are full - power 1st - level spells in previous editions . The minor aspect of earlier edition cantrips comes from the 0 - level spell " prestidigitation " , which closely mimics the 2nd - 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 1st - 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 orison s , although the word " cantrip " is sometimes used for all 0 - level spells regardless of type .