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Mar 4, 2013 -- 4:49PM, lokiare wrote:

Mar 3, 2013 -- 10:07PM, Psikerlord wrote:

IMO the OP has it backwards.

In the current iteration, cantrips are too weak, damage wise.

Martial damage is off the charts in comparison. Happily (I believe?) martial damage is getting toned down next packet. If it were to stay as it is, however, cantrips would need a boost, not a nerf.

Since martial dmg is getting nerfed, cantrips can probably stay as is, and be reasonably balanced.

I dont mind the idea of the current cantrips. I prefer at will minor magic to wizard shooting crossbows or throwing daggers, etc. I think more effect style cantrips would be good, and feats which boost your cantrip damage also desireable - for those mages who want to be "blasters".

The best option would be to put all these variations into traditions.

Vancian
You can cast each cantrip you have prepared 3 times per day and you gain a weapon bonus equal to your Spellcasting Bonus to attack and damage.

AEDU
You can cast any cantrip you have prepared at-will but no more than once per round. You can trade out all but 1 daily slot for each spell level to cast one spell of that spell level once per short rest.

Pure At-will
You can cast any cantrip you have prepared at-will but no more than oncer per round. Ignore the spell slot chart. You can prepare one 1st level spell at level 2 of your choice that you can cast at-will from your known level 1 spells, you get no spells other than your cantrips to use. You gain other spells in a similar manner. A 2nd level spell at level 4, a 3rd level spell at level 6, and so on.

Pure Encounter
You can prepare one cantrip and one spell of each spell level you know. The cantrip is prepared as though it were of your highest known spell level. You can cast each of your prepared spells once per encounter. You can have a maximum of 5 spells prepared at one time.

This would be the best way to do it, too bad WotC isn't even considering it...

That would be an intersting idea and I would probably play the At-Will version, heck that would be a good way to go for my at-will magic missile spamming build I have wanted to play for quite some time.  Never got a chance in 3.5, and I don't think 3.5 still has a way to get 1st level spells at will.  Of course 4e could but it was more than subobtimal there to keep using a 1st level at will as your main attack.