What solution for "Cantrips don't feel magical"?

[billd91]

Yes, 4e had a very polarizing opinion. 5e, for better or worse depending on the gamer, stepped away from of lot of it. But it did keep at-will attacks for everyone, so that must have been seen as one of the unqualified successes.

At least with respect to cantrips, I'd say the market shows that's the case. Keep in mind it's not only in 4e and continued on to 5e, but it's also in Pathfinder. Granted, those cantrips in PF don't scale, but they still fill much the same role - giving the spell casters options on always having magic at their fingertips.

 

[Yardiff]

I believe that started in 3/3.5 with the d3 damage cantrips.

 

[Yardiff]

I think the first time Cantrips were seen in D&D was in 2e. The Cantrip spell was a first level spell that lasted 1hr/lv. Pg 131 of the PHB.

 

[cbwjm]

I believe that started in 3/3.5 with the d3 damage cantrips.

Cantrips were first introduced in 1e from memory. I'm not sure if they were in the books or in dragon magazine though.

 

[Yardiff]

Probably Dragon Mag, as the 1e PHB doesn't have the Cantrip spell in it. Havent check UA though.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Cantrips (and Orisons for clerics) where optional rules for 1st and 2nd edition. We didn't use them because they where too weak to be of any value. Many 5e cantrips where 1st level spells in earlier editions.

 

[Yardiff]

Cantrips and Orisons were flavor effects, "the wizard floating his pipe to his hand and lighting it with his finger" type things, they were not meant to be combat spells. At least in 1e and 2e they were.

 

[Satyrn]

I believe that started in 3/3.5 with the d3 damage cantrips.

If we're talking about at-will magic attacks, then I'd place the starting point at 3.5's Reserve feats.

Or 3e's Craft Wand feat, with its 50 charges for cheap.

 

[Yardiff]

Cantrips were in the 1e UA for wizards/illusionists. Don't think orisons were around until 2e.

 

[Satyrn]

Cantrips were in the 1e UA for wizards/illusionists. Don't think orisons were around until 2e.

Were they unlimited use? 3e's cantrips and orisons we fueled by a limited number of 0-level spell slots (and were terrible as an attack on top of that)