D&D 5E Wizard's at will damage cantrips concern

[keterys]

No, he isn't. If anything, WOTC has data from their forums, which are full of 4e players, which are definitely a minority of D&D players. At will, damaging cantrips do not belong in D&D and are one of the main reasons my group will be passing on it. Passing on those spells is not a viable option. It would be like Miguel Cabrera choosing to use a wiffle ball bat.

Eh - you may want to look more closely. Folks interested in D&D Next were decidedly not the 4e fanboys.

Anyhow, to be really clear. When we were playtesting, the wizard in my group took the cantrip. Over the course of many levels, he used it a bunch of times. As the DM, I was personally keeping track of things, and it was almost never a good idea for him to do so. At early levels, using a crossbow/bow would have been more effective in 8 of 9 instances. At later levels, the only time it ever made sense was when the combat was so much in the bag that he could have just as soon delayed and made no difference in the outcome of the fight.

That said, he was a dominating force using his actual spells.

Ergo, you could ignore the damaging cantrips. Doing so will likely make you more effective in the campaign, despite feeling some unnecessary requirement that you bow to the damage gods who have given you a spell which allows you to act less effective than your companions in the rounds when you choose not to use something effective.

If I made a wizard, I'd probably consider it, mind you, cause even if it's just as effective I choose not to be the wizard using a crossbow because _that_ breaks my genre appropriateness more than being the wizard hurling rays from his wand - but first I'd make sure I had minor illusions and mage hand, cause they're awesome and fun. And if they add a 3rd cantrip equally as awesome, then back to the crossbow I go. After I run out of all my other spells. Which I never did. In any of the playtests.

 

[Cybit]

No, he isn't. If anything, WOTC has data from their forums, which are full of 4e players, which are definitely a minority of D&D players. At will, damaging cantrips do not belong in D&D and are one of the main reasons my group will be passing on it. Passing on those spells is not a viable option. It would be like Miguel Cabrera choosing to use a wiffle ball bat.

Staring at the latest documents - crossbows are almost strictly better now for spellcasters than their cantrips for damage; unless you really want the ability to slow something.

 

[Minigiant]

Meh. You don't need a damage cantrip. And by the time you'd really want one mechanically, you'd be high enough level that you possibly encounter a scroll of one or have enough gold to buy one to add it to your spellbook.

But Read Magic and Minor Illusion is just so great from level one that they are hard to pass up.

 

[DEFCON 1]

No, he isn't. If anything, WOTC has data from their forums, which are full of 4e players, which are definitely a minority of D&D players. At will, damaging cantrips do not belong in D&D and are one of the main reasons my group will be passing on it. Passing on those spells is not a viable option. It would be like Miguel Cabrera choosing to use a wiffle ball bat.

Considering that I think you're still playing AD&D (yes?)... the fact that you won't be playing edition 5 when you never switched over to editions 2, 3, or 4 either doesn't not seem to be much of a loss for them.

 

[Umbran]

The cult of PEW PEW is too strong to oppose.

Oh, don't worry - it looks like the cult of I Don't Like It So I'll Be Snarky And Insulting seems to be going strong.

Really. You did not have to be a jerk about it. But you were. Good job! Really going above and beyond to make the world a better place, there!

I'm going to guess you didn't like that. Which is the point - if you don't like it done to you, don't do it to others. Show respect for other posters and their preferred playstyles, please and thank you.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Considering that I think you're still playing AD&D (yes?)... the fact that you won't be playing edition 5 when you never switched over to editions 2, 3, or 4 either doesn't not seem to be much of a loss for them.

Actually, I spent thousands of dollars on 3e (and 3rd party d20 stuff) and played it for a while, until the money grab of 3.5. ran us screaming back to 1E.

 

[Ichneumon]

A Guide To Cantrips

Chill Touch
Like all spells requiring you to get next to a hostile target, this requires a high AC, a sympathetic DM or some funky technique to extend your reach. Could be useful if you're fighting lots of trolls.

Best Used By: The Necromancer, when released, might make this awesome. Until then, an enchanter with Aura of Antipathy isn't bad.

Dancing Lights
Will do as makeshift illumination if all the party's light sources have been busted, but is best used to fool dungeon denizens. Liable to provoke the "You picked WHAT?!" reaction from fellow players before gaining their appreciation by ensuring the party's never surprised in dungeons.

Best Used By: Any wizard with a good helping of trickster in its DNA.

Light
Unlike the above, ships with full wattage. Being able to place it on an object allows for easy dousing and un-dousing (far easier than hiding a torch), giving creative wizards a great range of options.

Best Used By: Wizards who know a dozen ways to wreak havoc with strategically placed luminescence.

Mage Hand
Probably the most useful pure utility cantrip. Wizards can find all sorts of stuff to manipulate from a distance. Best to remember that its range is only 25ft and many traps shoot further than that. Oh, and you should totally use this spell to shake the king's hand.

Best Used By: Everyone whose cantrip slots aren't already filled with better suited options.

 

[Falling Icicle]

Passing on those spells is not a viable option. It would be like Miguel Cabrera choosing to use a wiffle ball bat.

On the contrary, it's easily possible to play a wizard in Next that doesn't take a damaging cantrip, and do just fine. A crossbow is just as good or even better until level 5, and at that point, you have enough daily spells that the lack of an attack cantrip doesn't really matter. I think you're greatly overestimating not only how powerful the attack cantrips are (they're really not that great), but also how "necessary" they are. My gnome illusionist used minor illusion much more in combat than he used ray of frost, and to much greater effect. The monsters wasted quite a few attacks against my "summoned monsters" and "reinforcements", until they realized they were fake, saving the party quite a few hps worth of damage as a result. I also found that to be a lot more fun than spamming rays of frost. If I every play such a character again, I probably won't even bother taking any attack cantrips, at least not until I find them in a spellbook. I'd much rather have minor illusion, mage hand, light, prestidigitation, mending or message.

 

[Mistwell]

No, he isn't. If anything, WOTC has data from their forums

Uh, no. That is not the primary composition of either the open or the private playtest.

Passing on those spells is not a viable option. It would be like Miguel Cabrera choosing to use a wiffle ball bat.

I disagree. They're not very good spells. I think many players pass on them. Minor Illusion and Light are arguably better. It's really not much better than a crossbow.

 

[ExploderWizard]

I disagree. They're not very good spells. I think many players pass on them. Minor Illusion and Light are arguably better. It's really not much better than a crossbow.

Tell that to a crossbowman with a broken crossbow or one who has run out of ammo during a siege.