Hasty Spells for Pathfinder 1e; Cantrips (Patreon)

Here's a whole set of 0-level "hasty" spells, ready for use in your 1st edition Pathfinder Roleplaying Game campaign. Hasty spells are fast, easy-to-cast versions of existing spells that trade a significant amount of power (usually in the form of duration, range, number of targets, or general utility). All hasty spells are cast as swift or immediate actions or reactions, and have only verbal components.

The idea behind hasty spells is that sometimes a little bit of utility that doesn't prevent you from doing something else more important is worth the significantly reduced power of a spell. Essentially all hasty spells are quickened still spells, which is a lot of benefit, but they are otherwise much less effective compared to other spells of their level. For cantrips, the main cost of using a hasty spell is that it takes up a spell known or spell preparation slot, which are in short supply for spellcasters. For higher-level spells, those opportunity costs are compounded by expending a spell slot to produce such a minor effect, even if it is done as a swift action.

Any character that receives the base version of a spell as a class feature (such as from a bloodrager's or sorcerer's bloodline, a cleric's domains, an oracle's mystery, or a psychic's discipline) may choose to instead receive the hasty version of the spell. The exceptions to this are alchemists and investigators -- alchemist formulas are never able to be hasty.

Characters that normally receive a spellbook with all cantrips in it do not automatically have hasty cantrips included. A character may decide to replace each normal cantrip known with its hasty version if any, when first receiving their spellbook.

Hasty spells are too quick and simple to empower other actions. Hasty spells cannot be used to trigger other abilities that normally function when a specific type spell is cast. For example, a unicorn bloodline sorcerer could not use their bloodline arcana to heal another creature if they had access to a hasty cure spell, a magus cannot use a hasty touch spell for spellstrike, and so on.

All hasty spell are listed with the name of the spell it is based on, followed by ", hasty." In cases where a hast spell is based on a spell from the core rulebook, the description of the hasty spell may refer to the original spell. If the hasty spell is based on a spell from another source, the entire text needed for the hasty spell is included.

In this article I'm just doing 0-level hasty spells. If they are popular, hasty spells of higher-level will be forthcoming.

(Art by Digital Storm)

Bleed, HastySchool necromancy; Level cleric 0, inquisitor 0, medium 0, mesmerist 0, occultist 0, psychic 0, shaman 0, spiritualist 0, witch 0, wizard 0Casting Time 1 swift actionComponents VRange touchTarget one living creature touchedDuration instantaneousSaving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

This spell functions as bleed, except as noted above.

Dancing Lights, HastySchool evocation [light]; Level bard 0, magus 0, medium 0, mesmerist 0, occultist 0, psychic 0, shaman 0, witch 0, wizard 0Casting Time 1 swift actionComponents VRange 10 feetEffect up to four lights, all within a 10-ft.-radius area centered on youDuration 1 roundSaving Throw none; Spell Resistance noThis spell functions as dancing lights, except as noted above.

Guidance, HastySchool divination; Level adept 0, cleric 0, druid 0, inquisitor 0, medium 0, occultist 0, shaman 0, spiritualist 0, summoner 0, summoner (unchained) 0, witch 0Casting Time 1 swift actionComponents VRange touchTarget creature touchedDuration 1 round or until dischargedSaving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes

This spell functions as guidance, except as noted above.

Jolt, HastySchool transmutation [electricity]; Level wizard 0Casting Time 1 swift actionComponents VRange touchTarget creature or object touchedDuration instantaneousSaving Throw Reflex half; Spell Resistance Yes

You cause a spark of electricity to shock the target with a successful touch attack, for 1d3 points of electricity damage.

Message, HastySchool transmutation [language-dependent]; Level bard 0, medium 0, mesmerist 0, occultist 0, psychic 0, spiritualist 0, summoner 0, summoner (unchained) 0, witch 0, wizard 0Casting Time 1 standard actionComponents VRange short (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target one creatureDuration InstantaneousSaving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

This spell functions as message, except as noted above and as follows. You do not need to point at the target. The message can be no more than two words, and the target creature cannot respond.

Ray of Frost, HastySchool evocation [cold]; Level wizard 0Casting Time 1 swift actionComponents VRange touchTarget creature or object touchedDuration instantaneousSaving Throw Reflex half; Spell Resistance Yes

A ray of freezing air and ice projects from your pointing finger, though it travels only about an inch. You must succeed on a touch attack with the ray to deal damage to a target. The ray deals 1d3 points of cold damage.

Resistance, HastySchool divination; Level bard 0, cleric 0, druid 0, inquisitor 0, medium 0, occultist 0, paladin 1, psychic 0, shaman 0, spiritualist 0, summoner 0, summoner (unchained) 0, witch 0, wizard 0Casting Time 1 swift actionComponents VRange touchTarget creature touchedDuration 1 roundSaving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes

This spell functions as resistance, except as noted above.

Root, HastySchool transmutation [earth]; Level wizard 0Casting Time 1 swift actionComponents VRange touchTarget creature touchedDuration 1 roundSaving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes

This spell strengthens the subject’s connection to the ground below, bolstering its defense against combat maneuvers. It gains a +2 insight bonus to its CMD to resist being moved or tripped and a +2 competence bonus on all Acrobatics checks made to balance or remain standing on earth, sand, stone, or a similar rocky substance.

Stabilize, HastySchool conjuration (healing); Level adept 0, cleric 0, druid 0, inquisitor 0, medium 0, occultist 0, psychic 0, shaman 0, spiritualist 0, witch 0Casting Time 1 swift actionComponents VRange touchTarget one living creature touchedDuration instantaneousSaving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

This spell functions as stabilize, except as noted above.

Vigor, HastySchool transmutation; Level adept 0, cleric 0Casting Time 1 swift actionComponents V Range touch Target creature touchedDuration 1 round or until dischargedSaving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes

This spell functions as vigor, except as noted above.

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