Inane cantrip question:

[Tuzenbach]

Why is it that having a high intelligence entitles one to bonus spells of 1st, 2nd level, etc., but not bonus cantrips? Did somebody just decide that cantrips weren't important enough to be qualified as a "bonus" item?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

They're just too hard to learn to cast

So how would you rectify it? If you get a 1st level or higher bonus spell, you get a bonus cantrip?

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I once did it where you got a bonus cantrip for every level you got a bonus spell. I like lots of low-level magic. Makes the wizards really feel like masters of magic when they can do the little stuff at will.

 

[Trainz]

Another way to go at it would be to double the number the number of cantrips you can cast.

It's not like it will unbalance the game or something.

Personally, I like it just fine as is.

 

[shilsen]

I've allowed an extra cantrip every two levels (round down). Worked fine.

 

[Umbran]

Why is it that having a high intelligence entitles one to bonus spells of 1st, 2nd level, etc., but not bonus cantrips?

I look at it this way: 0-level spells are so simple that for anyone with the basic training and/or aptitude, Intelligence (or whichever stat is appropriate) isn't the limiting factor on the number per day you can use.

 

[coyote6]

We've given casters their spellcasting stat bonus as extra cantrips per day (so, a 16 Int wizard gets 3 extra cantrips per day). It's a small power boost at lower levels, and helps those first level wizards avoid feeling useless after they've cast their two-three spells for the day.

 

[Tuzenbach]

We've given casters their spellcasting stat bonus as extra cantrips per day (so, a 16 Int wizard gets 3 extra cantrips per day). It's a small power boost at lower levels, and helps those first level wizards avoid feeling useless after they've cast their two-three spells for the day.

Ah! That's a good idea. Mind if I steal it?

 

[Darklone]

The reason why they didn't give bonus spells for 0th level? Easy, anyone with Int 10 shouldn't get bonus spells at all

 

[JoeBlank]

I either dreamed up or read that the reasoning was if a spellcaster has the requisite ability score to cast cantrips then he automatically qualifies for a bonus cantrip, so the "extra" cantrip is already included in the spell chart.

Think of if a caster needed a 12 in the requisite stat to cast 1st level spells. Then every caster who could cast 1st level spells would get a bonus 1st level spell, so it would be just as easy to go ahead and include the bonus spell in the charts.