The Limit: When casting a cantrip, make a fairly easy check (DC 8 Arcana, maybe?). On a failure, choose either (a) you've exhausted use of that particular cantrip until you regain your spell slots after a long rest, or (b) you mis-cast the cantrip as determined by the DM.
Interesting notion. Arcana is of course something sorcerers are generally pretty baaaaaad at, but if the check DC is easy that isn't as much a factor. Of course, if it's TOO easy, then the increase in proficiency bonus will eventually make it effectively a 'free' bonus.
But at the levels that happens at, it probably doesn't matter anymore for the purpose of balance. If your character is throwing Chain Lightnings, it won't matter much that she can also make glowy ice images for free.
The Benefit: However, the Source can manipulate and combine her cantrips to create new effects, limited only by the player's creativity (as long as it doesn't invalidate an actual spell of 1st-level or higher).
Could be interesting. I like ideas that let creativity enter the game more. And with the assumption that any cantrip-based effect can't exceed the power level of cantrips, then balance shouldn't be much of an issue.
I'd like to throw out the idea that perhaps the limit only comes into play when this enhanced effect is called on? For example, if you want to just plink with Ray of Frost, then there's no special check for that. But if you want make a Ray of Frost that also sings Yankee Doodle Dandy when it's fired, combining the effects of Ray with Minor Illusion perhaps, then that unusual exertion demands unusual risk.
If you went that way, the DC could be more difficult as well, making the consequences of failure more of an actual risk.
Interesting notion. Arcana is of course something sorcerers are generally pretty baaaaaad at, but if the check DC is easy that isn't as much a factor. Of course, if it's TOO easy, then the increase in proficiency bonus will eventually make it effectively a 'free' bonus.
But at the levels that happens at, it probably doesn't matter anymore for the purpose of balance. If your character is throwing Chain Lightnings, it won't matter much that she can also make glowy ice images for free.
The Benefit: However, the Source can manipulate and combine her cantrips to create new effects, limited only by the player's creativity (as long as it doesn't invalidate an actual spell of 1st-level or higher).
Could be interesting. I like ideas that let creativity enter the game more. And with the assumption that any cantrip-based effect can't exceed the power level of cantrips, then balance shouldn't be much of an issue.
I'd like to throw out the idea that perhaps the limit only comes into play when this enhanced effect is called on? For example, if you want to just plink with Ray of Frost, then there's no special check for that. But if you want make a Ray of Frost that also sings Yankee Doodle Dandy when it's fired, combining the effects of Ray with Minor Illusion perhaps, then that unusual exertion demands unusual risk.
If you went that way, the DC could be more difficult as well, making the consequences of failure more of an actual risk.
