Basically what I’m thinking is, at least for wizards, making a feat that allows them to Scribe cantrips into their spell books like regular spells and prepare a select number of them. This would be in addition to their normal cantrips that they know no matter what. I’m thinking of making it based off of half the characters INT mod, rounded down. When taking the feat they get to add 2 cantrips to their spellbooks. That’s everyone think?
The PHB feat Magic Initiate lets learn 2 cantrips (castable unlimited times per day) and a 1/day 1st level spell, and you can pick any single class to add those, but all 3 must be from that list.
Yours is significantly weaker than this official feat.
It would be weaker than the feat in the PHB if it was limited to only wizard cantrips. It sounds like your idea scales as the character grows if they buff their INT score any during the course of the campaign and lets them choose from any class' spell list for cantrips. It's a teeny bit lower in power level than the feat just because it doesn't allow the 1st level spell choice that the feat in the PHB does. But with the scaling, it gives them a lot of access to freebie spells they otherwise don't have an payment to make.
The PHB feat Magic Initiate lets learn 2 cantrips (castable unlimited times per day) and a 1/day 1st level spell, and you can pick any single class to add those, but all 3 must be from that list.
Yours is significantly weaker than this official feat.
I think you misunderstood. Their great feat allows the Wizard to learn additional Cantrips and write them in their Spellbook like leveled spells, and grants 2 additional Cantrips immediately, and allows the Wizard to prepare a number of Cantrips from their Spellbook equal to their Int mod each morning in addition to their permanent known Cantrips.
So, with this feat, by 10th level, the Wiz would have 5 permanently known Cantrips, and an additional number of Cantrips (up to 26+homebrew) in their book, of which they could prepare another (up to) 5 each morning.
This feat would effectively double the Wiz’s # of castable Cantrips every day, half “always prepared” and half they get to prepare as spells.
Considering that Wizards will gain Cantrip Versatility next month....
it would be half the int mod rounded down so a 20 int with a +5 mod would only get 2 additional cantrips, but yea you could swap them out on a daily basis so long as you have others in your spellbook to prepare in their place. And it would be wizard only cantrips.
This item lets a Warlock make a DC Intelligence (Arcana) check to cast a cantrip that they don't know, once per long rest.
I could imagine an Uncommon version of this for Wizards that would function similarly.
Decorated Spellbook (A)
Wonderous Item, Uncommon (Requires attunement by a Wizard) ______
This spellbook is covered in intricate scribbles and formulas from years of arcane study. While you are holding it, you gain the following benefits:
You can use the book as a spellcasting focus for your Wizard spells.
You can try to cast a cantrip that you don't know. The cantrip must be on the Wizard spell list, and you must make a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check. If the check succeeds, you cast the spell. If the check fails, so does the spell, and the action used to cast the spell is wasted.
You can use this property a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier per Long Rest.
Basically, some Wizard was doodling cliffnotes throughout his Spellbooks, and you can attempt to decipher them on the fly.
At low levels (Int+3, Prof +2), you'll probably have a 80% chance of casting any cantrip 3 times per day.
At high levels, you'll essentially be guaranteed to cast any cantrip up to 5 times per day.
This item lets a Warlock make a DC Intelligence (Arcana) check to cast a cantrip that they don't know, once per long rest.
I could imagine an Uncommon version of this for Wizards that would function similarly.
Decorated Spellbook (A)
Wonderous Item, Uncommon (Requires attunement by a Wizard) ______
This spellbook is covered in intricate scribbles and formulas from years of arcane study. While you are holding it, you gain the following benefits:
You can use the book as a spellcasting focus for your Wizard spells.
You can try to cast a cantrip that you don't know. The cantrip must be on the Wizard spell list, and you must make a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check. If the check succeeds, you cast the spell. If the check fails, so does the spell, and the action used to cast the spell is wasted.
You can use this property a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier per Long Rest.
Basically, some Wizard was doodling cliffnotes throughout his Spellbooks, and you can attempt to decipher them on the fly.
At low levels (Int+3, Prof +2), you'll probably have a 80% chance of casting any cantrip 3 times per day.
At high levels, you'll essentially be guaranteed to cast any cantrip up to 5 times per day.
I don't want unlimited cantrips. To me wizards not being able to prepare cantrips has always been an oddity, Im trying to find a way to make it to the can prepare some but not all cantrips. I also don't want them to be able to have a massive amount of them prepared at once, hence it being equal to half their int mod. Even if they find the book and bump their int to 22 thats only 3 slots for prepared cantrips, otherwise its maxed at 2. I figured a feat might be the best way to do it.
When you take this feat, you learn two additional cantrips from the wizard list which you do not already know. In addition, you may now also prepare additional cantrips per day equal to half your Intelligence modifier, rounded down (minimum of one cantrip). You may change spells prepared in this way each day as normal.
If you wanted to further limit it (which you wouldn't be able to do with the homebrew itself due to the limitations of the system), you could restrict the choices to spells of their school of magic that they learn and prepare. Which would free up their usual level-up choices to learn stuff outside their chosen specialty.
But correct me if I'm wrong. Cantrips are just known always and not something wizards prepare from each day, correct? It's only spells of first or higher they prepare daily. If you want to increase the # of cantrips they can learn you can give them the option of taking the feat multiple times. (I believe there are some feats in the PHB that can be taken multiple times.) So each time they take the feat they learn two more cantrips.
Yes as it sits RAW wizards cantrips are "always known" and they gain a new one at level 4 and 10. Ive always thought wizards as the arcane spell preparers that is based on their intelligence not being able to prepare cantrips is stupid but thats how it is for everyone else. Im looking for a middle ground, some that are always known and some that are prepared. Wizards are like my leatherman, they have great utility because they are prepared casters and I want to have that flow into cantrips too but not have it though the balance of the class off.
Ah, well there is one solution that may be underwhelming.
As stated, the idea of a cantrip is simply something that has been committed to memory such that it can be cast "At-Will".
Spell "Slots" are used for prepared spells and span levels 1-9
Solution:
Let Wizards separately treat Cantrips as "0th level spells" and give them 4- 0th level spell slots.
Cantrips are then just 0th level spells that you've committed to memory, otherwise you just treat them as an extension of regular prepared spellcasting.
Allow Wizards to separately have "Known Cantrips" the way they have "Known Spells", and let them prepare them with spell slots.
It would probably be fine letting Wizards have every Wizard Cantrip automatically under "Known Spells", so long as it cost them a Spell Slot to cast.
As long as they can't flexibly prepare Cantrips for use "At-Will", it shouldn't be a problem.
Alternatively, or additionally, you could give them Level 0 Spell Slots. Extending the -Spell Slots per Spell Level- chart using the same pattern would probably give them a static 4- 0th level slots.
Basically what I’m thinking is, at least for wizards, making a feat that allows them to Scribe cantrips into their spell books like regular spells and prepare a select number of them. This would be in addition to their normal cantrips that they know no matter what. I’m thinking of making it based off of half the characters INT mod, rounded down. When taking the feat they get to add 2 cantrips to their spellbooks. That’s everyone think?
The PHB feat Magic Initiate lets learn 2 cantrips (castable unlimited times per day) and a 1/day 1st level spell, and you can pick any single class to add those, but all 3 must be from that list.
Yours is significantly weaker than this official feat.
It would be weaker than the feat in the PHB if it was limited to only wizard cantrips. It sounds like your idea scales as the character grows if they buff their INT score any during the course of the campaign and lets them choose from any class' spell list for cantrips. It's a teeny bit lower in power level than the feat just because it doesn't allow the 1st level spell choice that the feat in the PHB does. But with the scaling, it gives them a lot of access to freebie spells they otherwise don't have an payment to make.
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I think you misunderstood. Their
greatfeat allows the Wizard to learn additional Cantrips and write them in their Spellbook like leveled spells, and grants 2 additional Cantrips immediately, and allows the Wizard to prepare a number of Cantrips from their Spellbook equal to their Int mod each morning in addition to their permanent known Cantrips.So, with this feat, by 10th level, the Wiz would have 5 permanently known Cantrips, and an additional number of Cantrips (up to 26+homebrew) in their book, of which they could prepare another (up to) 5 each morning.
This feat would effectively double the Wiz’s # of castable Cantrips every day, half “always prepared” and half they get to prepare as spells.
Considering that Wizards will gain Cantrip Versatility next month....
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Oh. So each morning they choose which 5 extra cantrips they wish to cast? Changeable?
That is overpowered. Especially when an existing feat grants 2 specific cantrips and a single 1st level spell.
I would allow any of the following:
Nothing Int derived, not needed and makes it too powerful.
it would be half the int mod rounded down so a 20 int with a +5 mod would only get 2 additional cantrips, but yea you could swap them out on a daily basis so long as you have others in your spellbook to prepare in their place. And it would be wizard only cantrips.
An alternative might be to look at the Dark Shard Amulet (Common).
This item lets a Warlock make a DC Intelligence (Arcana) check to cast a cantrip that they don't know, once per long rest.
I could imagine an Uncommon version of this for Wizards that would function similarly.
Basically, some Wizard was doodling cliffnotes throughout his Spellbooks, and you can attempt to decipher them on the fly.
At low levels (Int+3, Prof +2), you'll probably have a 80% chance of casting any cantrip 3 times per day.
At high levels, you'll essentially be guaranteed to cast any cantrip up to 5 times per day.
The Wizard version of that is a Hat of Wizardry.
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Well, there you go!
Start with that, step it up a notch or two, and you've got a feat free path to unlimited cantrips.
I don't want unlimited cantrips. To me wizards not being able to prepare cantrips has always been an oddity, Im trying to find a way to make it to the can prepare some but not all cantrips. I also don't want them to be able to have a massive amount of them prepared at once, hence it being equal to half their int mod. Even if they find the book and bump their int to 22 thats only 3 slots for prepared cantrips, otherwise its maxed at 2. I figured a feat might be the best way to do it.
Something like this?
Heightened Intellect.
When you take this feat, you learn two additional cantrips from the wizard list which you do not already know. In addition, you may now also prepare additional cantrips per day equal to half your Intelligence modifier, rounded down (minimum of one cantrip). You may change spells prepared in this way each day as normal.
If you wanted to further limit it (which you wouldn't be able to do with the homebrew itself due to the limitations of the system), you could restrict the choices to spells of their school of magic that they learn and prepare. Which would free up their usual level-up choices to learn stuff outside their chosen specialty.
But correct me if I'm wrong. Cantrips are just known always and not something wizards prepare from each day, correct? It's only spells of first or higher they prepare daily. If you want to increase the # of cantrips they can learn you can give them the option of taking the feat multiple times. (I believe there are some feats in the PHB that can be taken multiple times.) So each time they take the feat they learn two more cantrips.
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Yes as it sits RAW wizards cantrips are "always known" and they gain a new one at level 4 and 10. Ive always thought wizards as the arcane spell preparers that is based on their intelligence not being able to prepare cantrips is stupid but thats how it is for everyone else. Im looking for a middle ground, some that are always known and some that are prepared. Wizards are like my leatherman, they have great utility because they are prepared casters and I want to have that flow into cantrips too but not have it though the balance of the class off.
Ah, well there is one solution that may be underwhelming.
Solution:
Let Wizards separately treat Cantrips as "0th level spells" and give them 4- 0th level spell slots.
Cantrips are then just 0th level spells that you've committed to memory, otherwise you just treat them as an extension of regular prepared spellcasting.
Allow Wizards to separately have "Known Cantrips" the way they have "Known Spells", and let them prepare them with spell slots.It would probably be fine letting Wizards have every Wizard Cantrip automatically under "Known Spells", so long as it cost them a Spell Slot to cast.As long as they can't flexibly prepare Cantrips for use "At-Will", it shouldn't be a problem.Alternatively, or additionally, you could give them Level 0 Spell Slots. Extending the -Spell Slots per Spell Level- chart using the same pattern would probably give them a static 4- 0th level slots.