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Haldrik wrote:

The cantrips ARE the Wizard class features.

The class doesnt have anything else except for Ritual Caster which really is a feat, and an implement feature which actually sucks (except for the accidental Orb cheese at Epic levels). Regarding implements a +1 magic wand - which you really can buy at 1st level is much better than the class feature. And you dont even need the feature to use the wand. For example, a Staff Wizard can still use a magic wand. These features arent powerful.

The designers created cantrips to be the Wizards potent class features - and they are!

It's not the only class feature. The spellbook is my personal favorite class feature of the wizard. That said, cantrips have minor utility ability, most of which could be easily handled by a toolbelt containing flint, steel, some throwing rocks and a hook on a wire. They are damn useful, but not THAT damn useful.

However, I agree that they all shouldn't be granted in a single feat, or even one that has a prerequisite feat.

Haldrik wrote:

Cantrips are more powerful than other powers, because cantrips work well at Epic levels too.

IMX, cantrips are like the Wish spell. In the hands of an intelligent player, cantrips become extremely game-breakingly powerful.

Cantrips are awesome powerful - and thats why most people want them!

I disagree. Virtually every utility power above level 2 is significantly better than any one cantrip. As I said, most cantrips can be reproduced nonmagically through judicious use of sleight of hand, ventriloquism, flint and steel (with a torch), or a hook on a wire. There's even a level 5 cleric utility that is vastly better than Light is (Holy Lantern).

They are good, but not THAT good.

Haldrik wrote:

The VERSATILITY of what a cantrip can do is part of what makes it so powerful. You can do amazing stuff on the fly - even while naked without gear.

There are so many powers that suck in comparison to a single cantrip. And a feat isnt even powerful enough to get a crappy power.

The question is why you would be naked without gear? If the players were captured or something to that sort? If that were the case, they would likely put a blindfold on the face of whomever they suspect to be a spellcaster anyways (or eladrin), so even cantrips would become completely useless. The chances of being fully naked are slim enough that there is no need to balance the game based on it. It's not like D&D developers playtest "what if everyone is stripped naked of their weapons?" as a scenario, nor would they playtest "would Orcus remain a challenge if he was rendered blind, deaf and hexaplegic?"

Like I said, cantrips are slightly better than level 2 utility powers (largely due to their at-will properties). After that, they quickly lose steam... and while they remain useful throughout your career, so do virtually all utility powers.

Decivre wrote:

Like I said, cantrips are slightly better than level 2 utility powers (largely due to their at-will properties).

Compare to:
Expeditious Retreat (free movement without provoking opportunity attacks)
Feather Fall (situationally life-saving, as opposed to, say, Prestidigitation's situational niftiness)
Jump (free [large] bonus to Athletics checks)
Shield (free bonus to AC and Reflex defenses)

That's just the Wizard powers. Here's Rogue:
Fleeting Ghost (Oh, this is good! It's at will like the cantrips and actually does something useful.)
Great Leap (Even better! Free running start vs. combing my hair without using a comb? Yes please!)
Master of Deceit (free re-roll; none of the cantrips can give you that)
Quick Fingers (Thievery as a minor action; Beats the ever-living **** out of Prestidigitation any day of the week.)
Tumble (not as good as Expeditious Retreat, but shifting is usually more useful to Rogues).

Do you want more? 'Cause the further I go, the deeper your hole gets. The fallacy of "More uses means more power" doesn't need addressing.