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Guidance

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Guidance
  • Level: Cantrip
  • School: Divination
  • Class: Cleric, Druid
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You touch a willing creature and choose a skill. Until the spell ends, the creature adds 1d4 to any ability check using the chosen skill.

Tactical Usage​

Skill Enhancement: Guidance provides reliable skill assistance through divine or magical insight. This divination cantrip excels at improving ability checks and skill success rates.

Optimal Timing: Cast before important ability checks, skill attempts, or when small bonuses determine success.

Resource Management: Cantrip - unlimited use without spell slot expenditure. Available from character level 1+ with concentration.

Target Selection: Single willing creature within touch range gains skill enhancement bonus.

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Enhancement Magic: Combine with enhance ability for comprehensive skill improvement
  • Utility Magic: Layer with other assistance spells for maximum success rates
  • Detection Magic: Pair with skill-based detection spells for enhanced effectiveness

Class Feature Interactions:

  • Expertise: Skill proficiency bonuses stack with guidance for superior skill performance
  • Jack of All Trades: Half-proficiency bonuses complement guidance enhancement
  • Reliable Talent: Features ensuring minimum rolls work excellently with guidance

Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple guidance effects can assist different party members simultaneously.

Material Component Details​

Component Acquisition: No material components required - only verbal and somatic components needed.

Component Handling: Simple V, S casting allows quick assistance deployment.

Roleplay Opportunities: Different guidance manifestations reflect divine connections or magical traditions.

Economic Considerations: No costs make this economically viable for unlimited skill assistance.

Creator Notes​

Encounter Balancing: Skill bonuses affect exploration encounters and ability check success rates.

NPC Usage: Helpful NPCs or support-focused characters might provide guidance assistance.

Environmental Considerations: Touch range requires proximity. Concentration limits to one guidance at a time.

Campaign Integration: Essential utility magic for skill-heavy campaigns and ability check scenarios.

Environmental Interactions​

Terrain Effects: Touch range requires physical proximity for assistance delivery.

Weather Influence: Unaffected by weather conditions, providing reliable assistance regardless of environment.

Structural Interactions: Works in any environment where touch range can be achieved.

Elemental Interactions: Skill assistance unaffected by elemental conditions or environmental factors.

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Timing Questions: Action casting time with concentration up to 1 minute. Bonus applies to next ability check.

Target Limitations: Single willing creature within touch range. One ability check before spell ends.

Duration Interactions: Concentration required. Ends after target makes one ability check.

Mechanical Interactions: 1d4 bonus to one ability check. Cannot target same creature again until after short/long rest.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses: Skill assistance, ability check enhancement, crafting improvement, or general task assistance.

Social Encounters: Enhanced social interactions, negotiation assistance, or persuasion improvement.

Exploration Applications: Superior skill checks, trap detection assistance, or environmental navigation.

Utility Functions: Skill enhancement, task assistance, ability improvement, or general support.

Same School: Other divination cantrips like minor illusion (cantrip utility), other divination spells like enhance ability (2nd level ability enhancement), augury (2nd level guidance).

Similar Effects: enhance ability (2nd level ability enhancement), bless (1st level attack/save bonus), bardic inspiration (class feature assistance).

Progression Options: guidance (cantrip basic assistance), enhance ability (2nd level comprehensive enhancement), foresight (9th level ultimate advantage).

Complementary Magic: enhance ability (comprehensive bonuses), bless (combat assistance), bardic inspiration (additional bonuses).

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression: Remains consistently valuable throughout campaigns for skill assistance and ability check enhancement.

Upcast Benefits: No spell slot usage - instead provides unlimited reliable assistance throughout campaign.

Campaign Phases: Consistently useful across all levels for skill checks and ability enhancement needs.

Comparative Value: Excellent utility cantrip that provides unlimited skill assistance without resource expenditure.

Narrative Flavor​

Casting Description: Divine or magical insight flows to the target as supernatural guidance enhances their next attempt.

Effect Manifestation: The enhanced creature gains momentary clarity and confidence for their next ability check.

Personal Style: Clerics channel divine wisdom, while druids provide natural insight through spiritual connection.

World Integration: Represents fundamental assistance magic available to divine casters, often associated with wisdom traditions, divine guidance, or supportive magic.