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Message: <blockquote data-quote="cbwjm" data-source="post: 9887042" data-attributes="member: 6788732">I really like the old colour of magic article from dragon magazine and like having unlimited cantrip magic, but only for atmosphere, I'm not sure how I feel about the attack cantrips of 5e, on the one hand, I love them because it makes the spellcaster feel magical since they don't have to resort to throwing darts or using a light crossbow, but on the other hand, with no way to take away their "weapons" it can impact some events and encounters.Here's the relevant bit from the colour of magic on cantrip effects:Magic is powerful stuff, and casting even a first-level spell presumably requires a lot of physical or mental effort. No one ought to be able to cast fireballs indefinitely.The problem arises at the lower end of the magical scale. There are no spells less powerful than those of first level- no cantrips, no minor prestidigitations. A Warlock may be able to fly and turn invisible, but he still has to cook his own breakfast. Xeno the Enchanter can conjure a fireball by waving his arms about, but he cannot light his pipe by snapping his fingers.Magic-users need a bit more panache than this. In one sense they are only human - even a Necromancer has to use the garderobe - but they are also a breed apart. A magic-user who lowers himself to plebeian levels does a lot of harm to his image,and this illusion of power is one of his greatest assets. To maintain this image, the magic-user ought to be able to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way. Xeno should be able to light his pipe like that - SNAP! He could probably poach his eggs without a campfire, too.Don't go overboard. A good rule of thumb is to allow magic-users to do magically only what they can already do by normal means. The idea is to enhance the atmosphere of the game, not the power of the magic-user. No effect as powerful as even a first-level spell should be allowed.To prevent players doing "just anything" with these subsidiary powers, and also for the sake of consistency, all magical effects should reflect the spells that the magic-user already knows. Xeno, incinerator extraordinaire, can dispense with flint and tinder to light his pipe. Corvus the Conjurer (who knows levitate, floating disc, and his own version of magic missile: telekinetic fist) can shuffle cards with psychokinesis. Maximus the Black, who knows death spell, can kill small harmless animals like mice merely by stroking them (he's not bothered by flies or mosquitoes, either, as they die upon touching his flesh).It is worth repeating that these effects are only for atmosphere. They should not be useful in combat. Tantalus the Beguiler (who knows charm person) can probably haggle a good price on a new horse, but if he is jumped in a dark alley and cannot bluff his assailant, he must resort to his dagger. Supernatural panache is a useful thing to have, but it is not a suit of armour.</blockquote>

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