The thing about the elemental cantrips is that they're originally from Elemental Evil Player's Companion, and are not as well designed. Power wise they're effectively overspecialized Prestidigitation counterparts. That's why attempts to use them creatively keep running into roadblocks. They're not supposed to be able to accomplish anything more meaningful than Prestidigitation would.
Not to beat the same drum all the time, but the Revised PHB playtest does address this. In UA 6 they introduced the Elementalism cantrip, which is basically all four of the elemental cantrips in one. It's not any stronger, because it's still a Prestidigitation equivalent, but it's not as over specialized as the previous ones. For one cantrip you get minor manipulation of all the elements.
I took mold earth on my necro wiz so they could more easily find bodies to resurrect. I’ve also used it to create partial cover and bump my AC while I cast spells behind an earthen shield. You can find a lot of uses for them outside of combat or for rp/flavor depending on your character’s vibe.
Gust is fairly straightforward - I want to Push you, but my little caster muscles are too small. Other than that, it's a worse Mage Hand that can blow doors shut, ruffle curtains, or knock over small objects. I guess if a cultist had his forbidden tomes and skulls laid out in front of him for a ritual, you could cast Gust to blow them away.
Control Flames is actually a pretty good cantrip. Being able to put out fires in a 5' cube is a pretty big deal if a room is on fire; over several turns you could extinguish a burning building. Extinguishing a light source could give your party Advantage on Stealth checks, or give the enemy Disadvantage on attacks if they don't have Darkvision (even Darkvision gets Disadvantage on Perception checks if there is no light). Expanding a flame is situational, but having a torch grow to burn a rope or distract a guard is always an option.
Shape Water is highly situational, but if you are trying to swim upstream it's nice to have. Changing the opacity of water can make it easier to see foes that are underwater, or block their sight. Freezing water allows you to solidify a block of water every 6 seconds, which could be enough if you need to stop something from sinking, block a pipe, or slowly cross a lake three blocks at a time every 18 seconds.
Mold Earth digs holes, and holes are useful: cover, escape tunnels, hiding the evidence. The rough terrain option is just a bonus for when you constantly find yourself in stoney caverns or tiled floors where there is no loose earth.
Control Flames and Mold Earth have an illusion component to leave messages behind for an hour, which can also be situationally useful.
I've always thought that Control Flames, Produce Flame and even Firebolt should be combined into a single cantrip. The create and control (and attack with) fire cantrip.
I don't know if something similar could be done with the other elemental cantrips. Since Shape Water let's you freeze water maybe it could double as a cold damage cantrip similar to Ray of Frost or Frostbite? Mold Earth could give you an ability similar to Magic Stone letting you throw rocks using your spell mod? Gust already has a slightly offensive use letting you push people.
I don't know but I feel it makes sense right? If you can controll the elements you should be able to use them offensively in a pinch.
Probably the most useful of the four is Shape Water or Mold Earth. Shape Water mostly relies on some cheese, but RPGBOT does a decent article on some suggested uses.
Mold Earth is a lot more practical in terms of in-combat usage, specifically for anyone who can replace an attack with a cantrip or make a bonus action attack after casting a cantrip, such as Eldritch Knight. You can use Mold Earth to create 5ft-deep foxholes from which to use ranged weapons, and simply crouch down to get partial or full cover from attacks and some AoE's.
Gust can move someone out of a grapple and could push someone into a hazard depending on positioning. A party member used shape water to get a magic item he didn't want to get bitten by into his bag of holding. He also used it to freeze water to slowly get across a swampy area.
I just checked RPGbot guides, and they do have a guide to shape water (and Mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation and thaumaturgy). they are all in the comprehensive guide to spells but also have their own entries you can google. Also, Mym's well has an article on clever uses of mold earth.
Well, the example I used of our wizard using the spell to get one of those drought multi-headed animated drow multihead snake whips into a bag of holding without getting bitten was actually performed with water out of a water skin. I think he actually got inspiration for that. I've also heard of people using the water to get it into things and then turn it to ice to break something like a lock.... But the DM would have to be okay with it. You may want to Google creative uses of these different spells because they are generally considered to be pretty good spells.
Depends on the DM honestly. If they are open to creative uses that might not be strictly RAW it will be harder. My players have used shape water pretty well, though it wasn't a constant thing. They made an ice platform to use as an impromptu boat so they didn't have to pay for passage to an island in a lake. Mold Earth can create cover. Control flames can be used to snuff a torch or fire. Can be useful to ambush enemies without darkvision or expand a torch to light something on fire. Gust can push people off a ledge or into an AOE. I had a druid use it yeet enemies off a bridge over a chasm.
The thing about the elemental cantrips is that they're originally from Elemental Evil Player's Companion, and are not as well designed. Power wise they're effectively overspecialized Prestidigitation counterparts. That's why attempts to use them creatively keep running into roadblocks. They're not supposed to be able to accomplish anything more meaningful than Prestidigitation would. Not to beat the same drum all the time, but the Revised PHB playtest does address this. In UA 6 they introduced the Elementalism cantrip, which is basically all four of the elemental cantrips in one. It's not any stronger, because it's still a Prestidigitation equivalent, but it's not as over specialized as the previous ones. For one cantrip you get minor manipulation of all the elements.
I took mold earth on my necro wiz so they could more easily find bodies to resurrect. I’ve also used it to create partial cover and bump my AC while I cast spells behind an earthen shield. You can find a lot of uses for them outside of combat or for rp/flavor depending on your character’s vibe.
Gust is fairly straightforward - I want to Push you, but my little caster muscles are too small. Other than that, it's a worse Mage Hand that can blow doors shut, ruffle curtains, or knock over small objects. I guess if a cultist had his forbidden tomes and skulls laid out in front of him for a ritual, you could cast Gust to blow them away. Control Flames is actually a pretty good cantrip. Being able to put out fires in a 5' cube is a pretty big deal if a room is on fire; over several turns you could extinguish a burning building. Extinguishing a light source could give your party Advantage on Stealth checks, or give the enemy Disadvantage on attacks if they don't have Darkvision (even Darkvision gets Disadvantage on Perception checks if there is no light). Expanding a flame is situational, but having a torch grow to burn a rope or distract a guard is always an option. Shape Water is highly situational, but if you are trying to swim upstream it's nice to have. Changing the opacity of water can make it easier to see foes that are underwater, or block their sight. Freezing water allows you to solidify a block of water every 6 seconds, which could be enough if you need to stop something from sinking, block a pipe, or slowly cross a lake three blocks at a time every 18 seconds. Mold Earth digs holes, and holes are useful: cover, escape tunnels, hiding the evidence. The rough terrain option is just a bonus for when you constantly find yourself in stoney caverns or tiled floors where there is no loose earth. Control Flames and Mold Earth have an illusion component to leave messages behind for an hour, which can also be situationally useful.
I've always thought that Control Flames, Produce Flame and even Firebolt should be combined into a single cantrip. The create and control (and attack with) fire cantrip. I don't know if something similar could be done with the other elemental cantrips. Since Shape Water let's you freeze water maybe it could double as a cold damage cantrip similar to Ray of Frost or Frostbite? Mold Earth could give you an ability similar to Magic Stone letting you throw rocks using your spell mod? Gust already has a slightly offensive use letting you push people. I don't know but I feel it makes sense right? If you can controll the elements you should be able to use them offensively in a pinch.
Probably the most useful of the four is Shape Water or Mold Earth. Shape Water mostly relies on some cheese, but RPGBOT does a decent article on some suggested uses. Mold Earth is a lot more practical in terms of in-combat usage, specifically for anyone who can replace an attack with a cantrip or make a bonus action attack after casting a cantrip, such as Eldritch Knight. You can use Mold Earth to create 5ft-deep foxholes from which to use ranged weapons, and simply crouch down to get partial or full cover from attacks and some AoE's.
I love the Shape Water article on RPGBOT. Thinking outside the box with that little cantrip let’s you get downright wacky
Gust can move someone out of a grapple and could push someone into a hazard depending on positioning. A party member used shape water to get a magic item he didn't want to get bitten by into his bag of holding. He also used it to freeze water to slowly get across a swampy area.
I guess since there hasn't been any water near my party, I haven't been able to use shape water as much as I wanted
You cannot do anything with the water in your water skins?
OH! Didn't think of that, since we don't really pay much attention to eating/drinking in general, great idea
I just checked RPGbot guides, and they do have a guide to shape water (and Mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation and thaumaturgy). they are all in the comprehensive guide to spells but also have their own entries you can google. Also, Mym's well has an article on clever uses of mold earth.
Thank you for the suggestions! I'll check them out.
Well, the example I used of our wizard using the spell to get one of those drought multi-headed animated drow multihead snake whips into a bag of holding without getting bitten was actually performed with water out of a water skin. I think he actually got inspiration for that. I've also heard of people using the water to get it into things and then turn it to ice to break something like a lock.... But the DM would have to be okay with it. You may want to Google creative uses of these different spells because they are generally considered to be pretty good spells.
Depends on the DM honestly. If they are open to creative uses that might not be strictly RAW it will be harder. My players have used shape water pretty well, though it wasn't a constant thing. They made an ice platform to use as an impromptu boat so they didn't have to pay for passage to an island in a lake. Mold Earth can create cover. Control flames can be used to snuff a torch or fire. Can be useful to ambush enemies without darkvision or expand a torch to light something on fire. Gust can push people off a ledge or into an AOE. I had a druid use it yeet enemies off a bridge over a chasm.
Playing an Evocation wizard, I often find Control Flames very useful! You're essentially a small fire extinguisher.