[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-510690-105":59,"doc-detail-510690-en":122},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":115,"head_meta":117,"extra_data":119,"updated_unix":121},105,"en","cantrips-revisited","Cantrips Revisited","","The work examines how spellcasting rules in D&D 5e shape character building and spell selection, emphasizing pressure from spell save mechanics, limited slots, and the all-or-nothing nature of many effects. It argues for balancing combat and non-combat spell options while ensuring usability and fun, guided by a golden rule of real player use. The author also presents a differential approach focused on cantrips, listing commentary and proposed changes for each spell to enrich tactical play and out-of-combat identity.",{"@graph":69,"@context":114},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":10,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/story-novel/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/cantrips-revisited/510690/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/cantrips-revisited/510690.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Fahsai","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-10-05",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":34},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"How does the work present cantrip content for the reader?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Cantrips are treated as baseline spells that define classes. The author lists each cantrip by name, provides DM-focused commentary, and then specifies changes after the commentary.","Answer","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":116,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":118,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":120,"site_id":62},510690,1791293160,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":123},{"doc_id":120,"user_id":124,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":125,"doc_module":4,"category_id":8,"category_name":10,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":126,"file_id":127,"file_url":128,"file_type":129,"file_size":130,"view_count":34,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":131,"language":132,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":133,"faqs":134,"seo_title":135,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":136,"read_time":137},549768702563,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/8000c4aa63b76e948b?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1786536092046926083","Page 12  \nCantrips~  \nRevisited  \nIntroduction  \nI’ve played D&D for 35 years and have designed games of all kinds for about that long. In all that time I never had any interest in the spell-casting classesmainly because I viewed the system that they operated under as overly restrictive and underly cinematic.  \nNow that 5e has reframed 4e in a more palatable way, players are embracing the concept that all the classes are spellcasters to some degree. This not only makes the concept of spellcasting pandemic, but it has two additional cascading effects.  \nFirst, it puts pressure on the spell lists tobe balanced. For the combat spells, this means that the existence of each spell must be arguable in the face of the best spells of that level and ideally should create tactical options for the player and open their mind to opportunities on the battlefield. For non-combat spells, they must immediately spark the player’s imagination with possible uses. Players will give up combat spells for noncombat spells but only if they truly believe that those spells will allow their character tobe cool in a unique way.  \nSecond, it puts pressure on the list to have more class-focused spells. In all my years, I have yet to see a party where two players ran the same character class. Players want to make a unique contribution to the group effort. I think spells like Vicious Mockery and Druidcraft are great examples ofwhat I’m talking about. Unfortunately, the D&D spell list has a long history, and that legacy calcifies it a bit. It is beyond the scope of this work to address the “every class should have a cool and mostly unique spell list” problem. I hope to address that in future works.  \nIn this work I lend a hand to balancing and redistributing the existing list of Cantrips from the Player’s Handbook and the adventure supplements for the sake of enriching play and giving players more tactical opportunities in combat and more coolness out of it.  \nThe Rules and their Effects on Spell Choice  \nIn 5e, the rules, as written, deeply promote specialized characters and spell optimization. The combination of high average bonuses for monsters, restrained point buy character creation mechanics, and saving throws that tend to make the spells all or nothing, put pressure on the caster to have a high spell DC in order tobe effective. If you’re using the point buy system (which is in my opinion one of the best parts of 5e) this creates a big temptation to build unbalanced characters in order to reach those high spell DC’s. Every party I’ve run in or DM’ed in 5e is loaded with casters who have at least one 8 in their stats so that they could have a high stat somewhere else. I’m not opposed to this when it’s a choice. I just don’t like players feeling that they have to build this way so they can be effective.  \nDon’t get me wrong, I love the restrained point buy system where it’s tough to have an 18 or better at the start. Point buy, in general, removes the temptation to roll three 18’s naturally at home when no one is looking.”  \nThe problem is that, while they have reset player growth with this and the new magic item system that makes items rarerand caps them smaller, the monsters were all made pretty tough and that sets the saving throw mechanics to be slightly against the player. Couple that with the fact that players usually fight in  \noutnumbered situations and the player’s options become to optimize or to be disappointed session after session.  \nWhat that means for spells is that most of the list within the Player’s Handbook gets discarded as players seek to fill limited slots with the spells most likely to help the party in clutch situations and make them cool out of combat.  \nAs a DM and a player, I want two things out of the spells in the game. First, I want the spells to be fun. There are lots of“unfun” aspects to the spell list as it stands and this work (and subsequent ones) will try to address them. The second thing I want to address is usability an","cbCaig7grmYk17Bz","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaig7grmYk17Bz","pdf",549143,12,"English","# Introduction\n## The Rules and their Effects on Spell Choice\n## How to read this work\n# Cantrips","[{\"question\":\"How does the work present cantrip content for the reader?\",\"answer\":\"Cantrips are treated as baseline spells that define classes. The author lists each cantrip by name, provides DM-focused commentary, and then specifies changes after the commentary.\"}]","Cantrips Revisited | PDF",1791243971,18]