D&D General Limiting Utility Cantrips

[Distracted DM]

This stems from threads discussing how cantrips easily bypass some challenges without much thought/effort. Utility cantrips specifically, not damage cantrips- how to limit them?

• Number of uses per short rest? Long rest? Say, PB cantrips casts/short rest? Now you have to think about whether you're casting Light or not, or if you really want to use Mage Hand to pull that lever. Oh hey, this also cuts down on Guidance spam. Cast light now, no guidance later, etc.
• Just make them all Concentration? OK now the caster's Light spell can be threatened... but it's not going to affect much else. This is definitely the "lite" version of the balance attempt.
• Both? Eh, probably not necessary to do both.

edit: an example of what comments/threads I'm referring to:

I don't like cantrips as they are now either. They aren't even cantrips anymore, they're unlimited 1st level spells. I preferred when players had to memorize read magic and actually had to identify magical items to figure out what they were. Cantrips used to be the very minimal basic of spells, used to light a pipe, clean up your clothes when they got dirty or spray some Febreze when the Barbarian took a wicked dump. IMO anything that deals damage should be a 1st level spell.

I'm not even sure on this... thematically I agree, but from a gameplay standpoint if I were to choose unlimited utility or damage cantrips... limited utility cantrips seems to suggest make harder choices. limiting damage cantrips seems to just mean casters have to drop back to darts, slings, crossbows, etc. The utility cantrips are the ones that usually get around obstacles, like Light, Mage Hand, Message, Mending, etc.

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Definitely a valid concern, but I think it'll be tough to find a slope more slippery than low level magical spells and cantrips that completely negate the need for just about any adventuring equipment to solve problems. Eliminating the need to track mundane items gives Martial characters a better shot at being useful outside combat but is still nowhere near a match for prevalent magic spells

Also in your examples, Antitoxin and Alchemist's Fire are on my list of Common magic items so I would require those to be tracked (I forget if that's RAW or my Homebrew ruling so your mileage may vary there).

Ha yeah, cantrips really screw the curve. That's a good point. However, I am also of the mind that utility cantrips should be limited to a certain number per rest.

Antitoxin, acid, alch fire etc. are standard equipment, not magic items, but yeah no worries.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Post in thread 'What is the Deal with the Twilight Cleric?' D&D 5E - What is the Deal with the Twilight Cleric?

 

[Quickleaf]

My fav approach to cantrip limitation is Beyond the Wall:

Make spellcasting check when you use a cantrip. If succeed, you cast it fine.

If you fail, either you cast and exhaust your uses of that cantrip for the day OR you let the GM come up with a miscast complication.

 

[AK81]

Great question. A question I have asked myself too. I am considering moving all utility cantrips to first level spells

 

[TiQuinn]

My fav approach to cantrip limitation is Beyond the Wall:

Make spellcasting check when you use a cantrip. If succeed, you cast it fine.

If you fail, either you cast and exhaust your uses of that cantrip for the day OR you let the GM come up with a miscast complication.

Ah, that's the Shadowdark method too. I like that for cantrips as well. I voted limit uses per long rest.

 

[mellored]

The issue with all of these is they don't really add a limit.

You might only use Mage Hand once a day, out of combat.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Just make them 1st level spells.

 

[Stormonu]

I go with uses per long rest - either using PB (preferred) or spellcasting modifier.

 

[LordEntrails]

Never had a campaign with cantrip abuse. Maybe my players hadn't "figured it out", or perhaps they didn't want to abuse it, or perhaps I didn't present situations where they could abuse it. Probably some of all of them.

 

[TiQuinn]

The issue with all of these is they don't really add a limit.

You might only use Mage Hand once a day, out of combat.

Why would you need a limit if you're only using it once a day?