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<blockquote data-quote="Tony Vargas" data-source="post: 7635825" data-attributes="member: 996"><p>Or that, yeah. Actually, now that you mention it, my second 4e character was an "old-school high-elf fighter/magic-user," he was a wand wizard, and he did explain his Scorching Burst as "an old Wand of Fireballs that doesn't work like it used to." (There was, in that campaign, a conceit that magic had historically, or pre-historically, worked as it had in prior eds, so I got to lampshade the differences.)</p><p></p><p>I recall you were meant to trade in one 1st-level spell for 4 cantrips. Later, in 2e, there was a cantrip spell that let you cast any cantrip for something like 2hrs/level, which is pretty close to at-will, sure.</p><p></p><p>Three darts. Yes. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p> Nod. That's an understandable initial reaction on their part.</p><p></p><p>D&D Vancian casters have always had 'infinite'* resources, just on a different time scale. Cantrip 1/round that does 'almost nothing' every round (until you get bored/tired anyway, so what, 8 hrs a day?) vs a spell 1/day that does something pretty dramatic every day - over a life time. The variety & impact of cantrips is pretty minor compared to spells. You can light up a small room with a cantrip, but to keep it lit you have to stay there re-casting it. You can light up a larger room, more brightly, with Continual Light, forever... and do it to a different room tomorrow...</p><p>...OK, technically a permanent effect like that is closer to an 'infinite resource.'</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>* obviously, cantrips aren't literally infinite, just once every six seconds until you die. That's not even 'unlimited.' More accurately, you might say "can be used systematically."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Tony Vargas, post: 7635825, member: 996"] Or that, yeah. Actually, now that you mention it, my second 4e character was an "old-school high-elf fighter/magic-user," he was a wand wizard, and he did explain his Scorching Burst as "an old Wand of Fireballs that doesn't work like it used to." (There was, in that campaign, a conceit that magic had historically, or pre-historically, worked as it had in prior eds, so I got to lampshade the differences.) I recall you were meant to trade in one 1st-level spell for 4 cantrips. Later, in 2e, there was a cantrip spell that let you cast any cantrip for something like 2hrs/level, which is pretty close to at-will, sure. Three darts. Yes. ;) Nod. That's an understandable initial reaction on their part. D&D Vancian casters have always had 'infinite'* resources, just on a different time scale. Cantrip 1/round that does 'almost nothing' every round (until you get bored/tired anyway, so what, 8 hrs a day?) vs a spell 1/day that does something pretty dramatic every day - over a life time. The variety & impact of cantrips is pretty minor compared to spells. You can light up a small room with a cantrip, but to keep it lit you have to stay there re-casting it. You can light up a larger room, more brightly, with Continual Light, forever... and do it to a different room tomorrow... ...OK, technically a permanent effect like that is closer to an 'infinite resource.' * obviously, cantrips aren't literally infinite, just once every six seconds until you die. That's not even 'unlimited.' More accurately, you might say "can be used systematically." [/QUOTE]
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