Non-combat uses for combat spells.

[Senko]

So I was playing Baldurs Gate 3 and caught Gale using mirror image to trim his beard and it got me thinking I've often looked for non-combat magic spells or creatively ways to use non-combat spells but not non-combat uses for combat spells. Things like mirror image in place of a mirror to check your entire body properly, fire ball for demolition of old buildings, ray of frost to freeze water in a hot environment. What other ways can people think of to use combat spells for non-combat purposes?

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

We've mostly gone the other way, using non-combat spells in combat.
I suppose one borderline case was when one PC was suffering from a curse that pinged Con damage every minute. Without any immediate way to break the curse or restore ability damage, they used Polymorph Other to turn the PC into an ooze. Then they had all the time in the world to find a cure. Of course, we always considered Polymorph Self/Other to be at least as much utility spells as combat spells.

[WagnerSika]

I would imagine channeling negative energy would be a good way to deal with vermin infestation in a house or annoying bugs at the camp site. Burning hands could be used to light a fire. Grease would make moving heavy items around easier. Could be used as a massage oil. Sleep or slumber hex would make nap times in kindergarten a breeze. Or give an insomniac person some respite. Hydraulic push/torrent could be used as a (really dangerous) power washer.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Come to think of it, we did have at least one other instance. We were stuck on a frozen mountain with no gear other than a breastplate we had looted, a couple of weapons and the clothes on our back. We'd killed some food but had no way of cooking it, so we sliced it super thin and cast Heat Metal on the breastplate and briefly seared the meat on the hot metal.

[TxSam88]

WagnerSika wrote:

Burning hands could be used to light a fire. \

Spark and Presdigitation both should be able to light a fire and not waste a level 1 spell slot.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Depends on how flammable the stuff is. I can totally see a GM saying that some wood is too wet to catch fire with a 0th level spell but allow the extra heat from a 1st level spell to do the trick.