High Cantrips / Orisons Concept

[Draco Bahamut]

Many casters can cast cantrips and orisons at will, but at certain levels they aren't that versatile or utilitary. How about special feats that improve the cantrips without raising the power level, so when the spells run out, the caster can have a bit of usability left ?

Feats-
High Cantrip: Ray of Frost
Prequesite: Cantrip class feature, Arcane caster level 5
Benefits: When casting ray of frost, the ray gains a bonus of +2 to hit and the base damage of the ray is raised to 1d4 frost damage. Alternatively, the caster can hit a ground square within the range of the spell and turn it into dificult terrain until the start of his next turn. He also could hit a vertical square and give a penalty to the climb check of -5 to anyone crossing the affected square until the start of the next turn.

High Orison: Guidance
Prequesite: Orison class feature, Divine caster level 5
Benefits: When casting Guidance, the target of the spell can also also ignore any circuntances that causes a -1 penalty to his roll. And he can retry a skill test that he has failed one time that day and he couldn't normally retry, even a knowledge test.

High Orison: Know Direction
Prequesite: Orison class feature, Divine caster level 5
Benefits: When casting Know Direction, the caster can know which way is the north and which way is the closest border of a forest, desert, mountain or large body of water.

[darkwarriorkarg]

Very situational

IMO: Ask yourself, when would a caster take these instead of
1) Metamagic feats
2) Item creation feats
3) Channelling feats

Might as well have some 1st level spells that do this.

[Tiny Coffee Golem]

At higher levels I just take can trips that remain useful, such as detect magic and Mage hand.

[Draco Bahamut]

A caster would take them because they are at will. They aren't optimized option, but simpler options to those who aren't into complex combos.

[Draco Bahamut]

More sugestions:

High Cantrip: Acid Splash
Prequesite: Cantrip class feature, Arcane caster level 5
Benefits: When casting acid splash, the ray gains a bonus of +2 to hit and the base damage of the ray is raised to 1d4 acid damage. Alternatively, the caster can hit a device, granting any skill test to disable it a +2 bonus.

High Cantrip: Detect Magic
Prequesite: Cantrip class feature, Arcane caster level 10
Benefits: Apply the effects of the following metamagic feats to each casting detect magic, silent spell, , still spell, quicken spell.

[Big Lemon]

1d3-1d4 isn't much of a change, and actually I just houserule it to a d4 because I think the existence of the d3 is pointless.

At high levels a caster isn't going to run out of spells very often and as such relies on cantrips and orisions less, but some of them can still be very useful if the player is clever enough. Using create water over an enemies head in combat as a distraction or using Message on sleeping enemies to subliminally influence them are a couple I've had players come up with.

[Draco Bahamut]

Hmmm, ok, i ll try raising the power a bit higher.

[Drejk]

Maybe gather them into single feat that turns 1 cantrip/orison per point of Int/Wis/Cha bonus into advanced form. It would make it a bit more attractive option.

[Draco Bahamut]

Nope, this approach would only make it boring. I am thinking into making the idea into weapon like itens that mage can equip, Orb of the Frozen Way (gives the effect of the Ray of Frost feat above) etc... The orb must be equiped in hand to cast the higher version.

[DeathMvp]

If you want it to do more damage I would make it so on the damage spells it adds your 1/2 your caster level to it in damage. Yes at very high level this would make it so it is more powerful then lest say a level 1 but even then by thoes level it is not that that offen you need level 1 or 2 spells to do damage.

[Shane LeRose]

I'm restarting my campaign world in March and I'm incorporating Skill Tricks. That's what these should be with a knowledge arcane/religion and spellcraft requirement.

For those who don't know what skill tricks are, they cost 2 skill points and could only be used once per encounter (or once per minute). I'm dropping the time limitation and just adjusting them to be 1/2 feats (normal limitation of no more than 1/2 your level in skill tricks is being kept).

In other words I'm dotting this for future reference. My casters will love having the ability to spend skill points on improving their cantrips. Thanks for the idea!

[Azaelas Fayth]

I would maybe just make it to where the Feat upgrades all Cantrips/Orisons. Say allow them to scale with Caster Level.

[Arcanemuses]

Azaelas Fayth wrote:

I would maybe just make it to where the Feat upgrades all Cantrips/Orisons. Say allow them to scale with Caster Level.

I agree.

[Azaelas Fayth]

Arcanemuses wrote:

Azaelas Fayth wrote:

I would maybe just make it to where the Feat upgrades all Cantrips/Orisons. Say allow them to scale with Caster Level.

I agree.

Especially since Casters tend to be Feat Starved as is.

[Sphen]

Azaelas Fayth wrote:

Arcanemuses wrote:

Azaelas Fayth wrote:

I would maybe just make it to where the Feat upgrades all Cantrips/Orisons. Say allow them to scale with Caster Level.

I agree.

Especially since Casters tend to be Feat Starved as is.

The last point is the one I immediately thought of in this case. It is a nice concept, but a wand or rod does just as well.

[Azaelas Fayth]

Hmm... maybe a Magic wand Wondrous Item that grants certain Cantrips bonuses based on the users CL?