Would granting every PC the choice of a feat or a cantrip be unbalancing?

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This question and the accepted answer are of the opinion that granting an extra feat to all PCs at level 1 does not affect game balance.



Would granting every PC the choice of a feat or a cantrip (as opposed to a feat only) be unbalancing?



I recognize that in some cases characters get racial cantrips, in which case, this house-rule extra cantrip would be in addition to racially granted ones.










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    up vote
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    down vote

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    This question and the accepted answer are of the opinion that granting an extra feat to all PCs at level 1 does not affect game balance.



    Would granting every PC the choice of a feat or a cantrip (as opposed to a feat only) be unbalancing?



    I recognize that in some cases characters get racial cantrips, in which case, this house-rule extra cantrip would be in addition to racially granted ones.










    share|improve this question

























      up vote
      13
      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
      13
      down vote

      favorite











      This question and the accepted answer are of the opinion that granting an extra feat to all PCs at level 1 does not affect game balance.



      Would granting every PC the choice of a feat or a cantrip (as opposed to a feat only) be unbalancing?



      I recognize that in some cases characters get racial cantrips, in which case, this house-rule extra cantrip would be in addition to racially granted ones.










      share|improve this question















      This question and the accepted answer are of the opinion that granting an extra feat to all PCs at level 1 does not affect game balance.



      Would granting every PC the choice of a feat or a cantrip (as opposed to a feat only) be unbalancing?



      I recognize that in some cases characters get racial cantrips, in which case, this house-rule extra cantrip would be in addition to racially granted ones.







      dnd-5e character-creation house-rules






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      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited Dec 6 at 10:08

























      asked Dec 5 at 16:58









      Jack

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      9,02943386




















          1 Answer
          1






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          up vote
          32
          down vote



          accepted










          No.



          Since the Feat Magic Initiate grants 2 cantrips, giving the choice of gaining a single cantrip instead would be worse than granting a Feat.






          share|improve this answer


















          • 5




            Excellent observation. With my mod, a character could take a free house-rule cantrip at level 1, then Magic Initiate instead of an ASI, and with the potential for racial and class cantrips, end up cantripy as heck. That would be alright.
            – Jack
            Dec 5 at 17:23






          • 2




            @Jack If you are worried about a character with many cantrips you may be interested in checking this question
            – Sdjz
            Dec 5 at 17:26






          • 2




            While true, this doesn't really answer the question. "Would it unbalance the game?" is the question, not "would anyone pick a cantrip over a feat?".
            – GreySage
            Dec 5 at 18:20






          • 7




            @Jack You're missing the point... Given the choice between "a feat" and "a cantrip", nobody in their right mind would take the cantrip, because there is a feat that allows a more than just that. The existence of Magic Initiate indicates that a feat is more valuable than a single cantrip. Your game would become slightly unbalanced in favor of the people who took the feat.
            – T.J.L.
            Dec 5 at 18:21






          • 5




            I feel like this isn't actually an answer to the question. just a problem with the question that should have really been a comment.
            – goodguy5
            Dec 5 at 19:28










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          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes








          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes








          up vote
          32
          down vote



          accepted










          No.



          Since the Feat Magic Initiate grants 2 cantrips, giving the choice of gaining a single cantrip instead would be worse than granting a Feat.






          share|improve this answer


















          • 5




            Excellent observation. With my mod, a character could take a free house-rule cantrip at level 1, then Magic Initiate instead of an ASI, and with the potential for racial and class cantrips, end up cantripy as heck. That would be alright.
            – Jack
            Dec 5 at 17:23






          • 2




            @Jack If you are worried about a character with many cantrips you may be interested in checking this question
            – Sdjz
            Dec 5 at 17:26






          • 2




            While true, this doesn't really answer the question. "Would it unbalance the game?" is the question, not "would anyone pick a cantrip over a feat?".
            – GreySage
            Dec 5 at 18:20






          • 7




            @Jack You're missing the point... Given the choice between "a feat" and "a cantrip", nobody in their right mind would take the cantrip, because there is a feat that allows a more than just that. The existence of Magic Initiate indicates that a feat is more valuable than a single cantrip. Your game would become slightly unbalanced in favor of the people who took the feat.
            – T.J.L.
            Dec 5 at 18:21






          • 5




            I feel like this isn't actually an answer to the question. just a problem with the question that should have really been a comment.
            – goodguy5
            Dec 5 at 19:28














          up vote
          32
          down vote



          accepted










          No.



          Since the Feat Magic Initiate grants 2 cantrips, giving the choice of gaining a single cantrip instead would be worse than granting a Feat.






          share|improve this answer


















          • 5




            Excellent observation. With my mod, a character could take a free house-rule cantrip at level 1, then Magic Initiate instead of an ASI, and with the potential for racial and class cantrips, end up cantripy as heck. That would be alright.
            – Jack
            Dec 5 at 17:23






          • 2




            @Jack If you are worried about a character with many cantrips you may be interested in checking this question
            – Sdjz
            Dec 5 at 17:26






          • 2




            While true, this doesn't really answer the question. "Would it unbalance the game?" is the question, not "would anyone pick a cantrip over a feat?".
            – GreySage
            Dec 5 at 18:20






          • 7




            @Jack You're missing the point... Given the choice between "a feat" and "a cantrip", nobody in their right mind would take the cantrip, because there is a feat that allows a more than just that. The existence of Magic Initiate indicates that a feat is more valuable than a single cantrip. Your game would become slightly unbalanced in favor of the people who took the feat.
            – T.J.L.
            Dec 5 at 18:21






          • 5




            I feel like this isn't actually an answer to the question. just a problem with the question that should have really been a comment.
            – goodguy5
            Dec 5 at 19:28












          up vote
          32
          down vote



          accepted







          up vote
          32
          down vote



          accepted






          No.



          Since the Feat Magic Initiate grants 2 cantrips, giving the choice of gaining a single cantrip instead would be worse than granting a Feat.






          share|improve this answer














          No.



          Since the Feat Magic Initiate grants 2 cantrips, giving the choice of gaining a single cantrip instead would be worse than granting a Feat.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited Dec 5 at 20:13

























          answered Dec 5 at 17:03









          Destruktor

          3,3461953




          3,3461953







          • 5




            Excellent observation. With my mod, a character could take a free house-rule cantrip at level 1, then Magic Initiate instead of an ASI, and with the potential for racial and class cantrips, end up cantripy as heck. That would be alright.
            – Jack
            Dec 5 at 17:23






          • 2




            @Jack If you are worried about a character with many cantrips you may be interested in checking this question
            – Sdjz
            Dec 5 at 17:26






          • 2




            While true, this doesn't really answer the question. "Would it unbalance the game?" is the question, not "would anyone pick a cantrip over a feat?".
            – GreySage
            Dec 5 at 18:20






          • 7




            @Jack You're missing the point... Given the choice between "a feat" and "a cantrip", nobody in their right mind would take the cantrip, because there is a feat that allows a more than just that. The existence of Magic Initiate indicates that a feat is more valuable than a single cantrip. Your game would become slightly unbalanced in favor of the people who took the feat.
            – T.J.L.
            Dec 5 at 18:21






          • 5




            I feel like this isn't actually an answer to the question. just a problem with the question that should have really been a comment.
            – goodguy5
            Dec 5 at 19:28












          • 5




            Excellent observation. With my mod, a character could take a free house-rule cantrip at level 1, then Magic Initiate instead of an ASI, and with the potential for racial and class cantrips, end up cantripy as heck. That would be alright.
            – Jack
            Dec 5 at 17:23






          • 2




            @Jack If you are worried about a character with many cantrips you may be interested in checking this question
            – Sdjz
            Dec 5 at 17:26






          • 2




            While true, this doesn't really answer the question. "Would it unbalance the game?" is the question, not "would anyone pick a cantrip over a feat?".
            – GreySage
            Dec 5 at 18:20






          • 7




            @Jack You're missing the point... Given the choice between "a feat" and "a cantrip", nobody in their right mind would take the cantrip, because there is a feat that allows a more than just that. The existence of Magic Initiate indicates that a feat is more valuable than a single cantrip. Your game would become slightly unbalanced in favor of the people who took the feat.
            – T.J.L.
            Dec 5 at 18:21






          • 5




            I feel like this isn't actually an answer to the question. just a problem with the question that should have really been a comment.
            – goodguy5
            Dec 5 at 19:28







          5




          5




          Excellent observation. With my mod, a character could take a free house-rule cantrip at level 1, then Magic Initiate instead of an ASI, and with the potential for racial and class cantrips, end up cantripy as heck. That would be alright.
          – Jack
          Dec 5 at 17:23




          Excellent observation. With my mod, a character could take a free house-rule cantrip at level 1, then Magic Initiate instead of an ASI, and with the potential for racial and class cantrips, end up cantripy as heck. That would be alright.
          – Jack
          Dec 5 at 17:23




          2




          2




          @Jack If you are worried about a character with many cantrips you may be interested in checking this question
          – Sdjz
          Dec 5 at 17:26




          @Jack If you are worried about a character with many cantrips you may be interested in checking this question
          – Sdjz
          Dec 5 at 17:26




          2




          2




          While true, this doesn't really answer the question. "Would it unbalance the game?" is the question, not "would anyone pick a cantrip over a feat?".
          – GreySage
          Dec 5 at 18:20




          While true, this doesn't really answer the question. "Would it unbalance the game?" is the question, not "would anyone pick a cantrip over a feat?".
          – GreySage
          Dec 5 at 18:20




          7




          7




          @Jack You're missing the point... Given the choice between "a feat" and "a cantrip", nobody in their right mind would take the cantrip, because there is a feat that allows a more than just that. The existence of Magic Initiate indicates that a feat is more valuable than a single cantrip. Your game would become slightly unbalanced in favor of the people who took the feat.
          – T.J.L.
          Dec 5 at 18:21




          @Jack You're missing the point... Given the choice between "a feat" and "a cantrip", nobody in their right mind would take the cantrip, because there is a feat that allows a more than just that. The existence of Magic Initiate indicates that a feat is more valuable than a single cantrip. Your game would become slightly unbalanced in favor of the people who took the feat.
          – T.J.L.
          Dec 5 at 18:21




          5




          5




          I feel like this isn't actually an answer to the question. just a problem with the question that should have really been a comment.
          – goodguy5
          Dec 5 at 19:28




          I feel like this isn't actually an answer to the question. just a problem with the question that should have really been a comment.
          – goodguy5
          Dec 5 at 19:28

















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