I was thinking of designing a kinda quirky character class that specialises in casting cantrips and orisons. Does anyone know if something like this has been attempted before? My perception check uncovers nothing.
I guess you could be a very multi classed character...not sure how you could do it being so MAD...but seems kind of fun. You could do something like Sorcerer/Bard as a human w eclectic and get bonus spells which would be orisons at low levels, then multi class again into rogue or some other class that doesn't get spells
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It probably has been attempted, but I see no reason to let that stop you.
My biggest worry is that unlimited spells per day opens itself up to potential abuses. They took cure/inflict minor wounds out of the game for a reason, after all. Cantrips and orisons are sort of like a toolbox-- they're not really there to be viable combat options or tricks you can lean on, they're just there for when the situation calls for them. Like Light and Detect Magic, two of the most useful cantrips I can think of. You don't cast those over and over again. You learn them so that when the need arises, you have them. What exactly is a 5th, 10th, or 20th level character doing with cantrips and orisons that other spellcasters couldn't do with their higher level spells?
Seems like it is a flavor thing. I actually think it could be fun, but you would have to be VERY clever and have a DM that is allows you to be creative, and maybe bend the rules a bit.
For example if the DM is willing to let you use spark to set the frayed edge of a enemy wizards robe on fire (usually has to be an unattended object) and then say the following round they either take a little damage as well as a minus to concentration or spend a move action putting it out you could be useful. You can do great things with ghost sound as well.
Drop create water over someones head and maybe they have to spend a move action to wipe their eyes or have a minus to hit
etc etc
Seems like it is a flavor thing. I actually think it could be fun, but you would have to be VERY clever and have a DM that is allows you to be creative, and maybe bend the rules a bit.
For example if the DM is willing to let you use spark to set the frayed edge of a enemy wizards robe on fire (usually has to be an unattended object) and then say the following round they either take a little damage as well as a minus to concentration or spend a move action putting it out you could be useful. You can do great things with ghost sound as well.
Drop create water over someones head and maybe they have to spend a move action to wipe their eyes or have a minus to hit
etc etc
Yeah, this is exactly the sort of stuff I was thinking of. You'd end up being some sort of magical prankster, rather than a wizard or sorceror. At higher levels, there could be different applications, or higher level versions of all the cantrips. Greater Mass Prestidigation could let you get up to all kinds of mischief.
What exactly is a 5th, 10th, or 20th level character doing with cantrips and orisons that other spellcasters couldn't do with their higher level spells?
This is the part I'm not really sure about. Powered up versions of cantrips would basically become other spells that a wizard would normally cast, eg. Acid Splash becomes Acid Arrow, Light becomes Continual Flame, or Ghost Sound becomes Minor Image or Ventriloquism etc etc... Perhaps, with the Orison Walker's obsessive study of these low level spells, he could simply become much better at casting them. Maybe I'll thrown in a few metamagic sort of feats that would apply to all cantrips.
I don't know. I'll think about it while I'm at work.
Watch this space.
Oh, and by the way, what do you think of the name 'Orison Walker'? It's sort of meant to be a bad pun on 'Horizon Walker'. Should I keep it? Or is it too silly? Perhaps 'Magician', 'Hedge Wizard' or 'Prankster' is more appropriate. Or maybe 'Arcane Harlequin', or 'Legerdemainist'.
I had posted up a Master Journeyman prestige class a while back. You might want to take a look at it, could be up your alley.
Found it -- as a google document.
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Combining cantrip-level magic with alchemical items is always a good source of fun; spark can ignite small incendiaries placed in strategic locations [possibly via mage hand]. You might want to add those sorts of options to your character concept.
In any case, this has got me thinking about creative applications of unlimited low-level magic, now. Thanks for the brainstorm-fodder!
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This is sort of reminding me of the Arcane Trickster. That's a bad thing.
But I agree with the 3/4 BAB suggestion. I feel like they'd have to be fairly rogue-like in execution, since a lot of cantrips/orisons are basically like skills, in that they have uses but can't really be depended on in combat unless you have the BAB and damage output to back them up.
Here's an idea: bonus metamagic feats, plus spells per day of higher levels, but these spell slots can only be used on metamagic-enhanced cantrips/orisons. Perhaps the ability to treat cantrips/orisons as higher level than they are for purposes of Arcane Blast/Arcane Shield?