An Alternate Take on B/X D&D Cantrips

I recently read an article on another blog talking about cantrips for magic-users in B/X D&D.  "Buffing up" the magic-user has been on my mind lately, as - much like the blog's author - I'm starting up a B/X D&D game soon and have always been dissatisfied with low-level magic-users in B/X D&D.

I'd come up with a few non-cantrip solutions to help the starting magic-user, but the article's cantrip approach really clicked with me.  But then I started ruminating on that topic and I think I've come up with something that I really like, which doesn't really require coming up with a whole list of cantrip spells.

Basically, the premise is this: when a magic-user prepares a spell, they're not just memorizing a formula, strange gestures, and arcane commands, but they're locking the arcane energy needed to power the spell into place; were that not the case, it makes no sense that the magic-user "forgets" the spell when it's cast.  It's not that they're "forgetting" the spell, it's that the arcane energy is spent.  So that being the case, a magic-user should be able to "tap into" that arcane energy to produce minor magical effects.  These minor magical effects are called cantrips, and they are inherently tied to the spells that the magic-user has prepared.

Instead of coming up with a list of cantrip spells, I only need to then come up with the guidelines of what can be done with a cantrip.  My initial thoughts are as follows:

• A cantrip can do no more than 1d3 damage.
• A damaging cantrip always requires an attack roll.
• Non-damaging cantrips that affect other beings always require a saving throw.
• A cantrip can never exceed 10' as an area of effect range.
• If a spell duration is rated in turns, a cantrip has a duration of 1 turn.  If it is rated as 1 turn, the duration is 1 round.  If a spell duration is rated in rounds, a cantrip duration is 1 round.
• Generally speaking, the effect of a cantrip is much smaller than the spell itself and, when appropriate, is a single-use effect.

So.  Following those guidelines, a magic-user who has prepared Magic Missile could fire off a "magic dart" cantrip that, on a successful attack roll, does 1d3 damage.  A magic-user who has prepared Light could cast a cantrip that would create the equivalent of a candlelight in a 10' radius that exists for one turn.  A Shield cantrip would last for 1 turn and provide AC 17/19 against one attack, disappearing when the attack is done (even if the attack misses).

Cantrips can be cast once per turn.  Since they're simply "tapping into" the arcane energy stored for the full spell, they're not "forgotten" once they're cast and can be cast repeatedly.  However, once the full spell is cast, the magic-user can cast no more cantrips tied to that spell.  As an example, the magic-user mentioned above who has prepared Magic Missile could cast the Magic Missile cantrip all day long.  As soon as Magic Missile proper is cast, however, the magic-user can no longer cast the Magic Missile cantrip.  Of course, cantrips should be pre-defined.  This isn't an ad-hoc spell system.

I think I very much like this idea, and I think this is what I will use in my upcoming game.