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I'm working on a fire cantrip (just a bolt of fire) and I'm debating on the damage. My instincts say d3 in line with other cantrips but disrupt undead deals d6 so a part of me wants to make it d4. I don't think it'd be that much more powerful than other cantrips d4 vs d3 but I want feedback from other people. I don't think it should be d6 as disrupt undead only works on a specific type of foe but that's also a possibility I guess.
disrupt undead only work on undead. fire work on anything not resistant\imumne. so 1d3 . 1d6 if it also only work on undead (and only undead. can't light a candle with it!).
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disrupt undead only work on undead. fire work on anything not resistant\imumne. so 1d3 . 1d6 if it also only work on undead (and only undead. can't light a candle with it!).
That was my reasoning for not being d6. I just like d4 more than d3 for some reason maybe the fact you can roll a d4 but most people roll a d6 and treat 1/2, 3/4, 5/6 as the d3 results.
I would also say that a D4 is fair over jolt and the like, since fire is one of the most resisted elements in PF.
Filtering my spreadsheet for monsters with CR3 and below, there're actually more cold resistant/immune ones than fire resistant/immune ones (cold 77 vs. fire 72, followed by electricity 64 and acid 49, out of a total of 800).
Yeah, if you increase the damage but it works just the same as the other cantrips, nobody will use the d3 cantrips.
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Yeah, if you increase the damage but it works just the same as the other cantrips, nobody will use the d3 cantrips.
Playing BG3 I noticed firebolt (yes it inspired this) does d10 while the other spells do d8 + effect e.g. ray of frost reduces an enemies speed by 10 feet which is interesting. Would overpower cantrips in this system but still interesting and your right since in pathfinder they're just damage they'd need to be the same to avoid a best in slot.
So would you say ramp all damaging cantrips up to d4 (same as a dagger) or leave fire as D3 would be better?
I’m in the d3 camp. If you do it as a reflavoured acid splash and allow an alchemical focus component then it’s d3+1, which is a good low level wizard default attack option when you are out of other spells or are mopping up, which is what attack cantrips should be for.
(I’m playing aa PF2 sorceror at the moment, and at L3 cantrips are the best thing to throw each round. But it is so bloody boring. I hope the game gets more varied at higher levels.)
So would you say ramp all damaging cantrips up to d4 (same as a dagger) or leave fire as D3 would be better?
I like the idea of starting at d3 and then scaling as they level up, but to Neriathale's point, they shouldn't scale up so fast that they compete with higher level damage options. D3 + class level, maybe?
But honestly, if you want to stick with d4 across the board, that's also probably fine. Once I'm 3rd level or so, I don't use any damaging cantrips because they are rarely the best option. Disrupt undead may be an exception, but as stated above, that has a specific use.
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The issue is that Ray of Frost and Acid Splash are really weak, even at low level. Disrupt Undead is mainly good because common undead (like zombies) have DR which low-level martials may have trouble with.
I'd model a fire cantrip after the power of the Fire Domain, which deals 1d6 + half level damage. That's decent and is not going to overpower anything.
I'd model a fire cantrip after the power of the Fire Domain, which deals 1d6 + half level damage. That's decent and is not going to overpower anything.
It overpowers the ranged damage options that many martials have.
In my games, flying/levitating enemies (which in e.g. caves can't go any higher), and enemies on ledges, walls, cliffs etc., exist.