Items with permanent cantrips

[DarcyFinn]

Has anyone found it possible to allow players to possess items that give them the semi/permanent benefits of a cantrip.

One of my players is desperate for a battle axe with the 'Green flame blade' permanently applied. I will hasten to add this player is lvl 1. And new to the game.

A plausible backstory has been constructed by them, however I am worried this might cause problems. However if they possessed the cantrip anyways then they could pretty much always have a permanent GFB at early levels anyway...so unsure if it changes very much in the long run.

What do others think. I was more tempted to make it an effect that they could use X many times per rest instead of constant. So what do others consider to be the optimum amount of times it can be used per long or short rest that would maintain both fun for the player and balance for me?

[Kadesh]

If your player wants to take a Cantrip, there's a Feat which is available from 4th level in all classes.

[JoeJ]

If the item allows Extra Attack and GFB on the same round it's a power boost over just knowing the cantrip. If it's a even greater boost if GFB damage occurs on all of the attacks and not just one of them. That's not necessarily bad - magic items are supposed to increase the capabilities of PCs - but it's something to consider. You also need to consider what caster level the item casts as, since that affects the damage.

[thoroughlyS]

There are also potential racial options, such as High Elf, variant Human, or Half-Elf (trading away Skill Versatility for a wizard cantrip, according to the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide).

[Lunali]

Number of times per rest isn't the big issue, it's number of times per round. If you make it trigger on every attack it's a massive boost. If you make it so the weapon (or some other item they carry) allows you to use the cantrip at will, (replacing their action) it's less of a problem, especially if the damage doesn't scale with level.

[Falcon X]

Sounds fine to me, so long as it requires attunement. Magic item should should be able to give magical abilities. This is limited by only being able to attune 3 things.

[Lord8Ball]

I think that having GFB on its lowest level permanently applied to the blade wouldn't be game-breaking. It would be less powerful than a flametounge and still give the player what he/she wants; however, the copy-pasting of a spell to an item is boring IMO. Here are a couple ideas to spice this weapon up that are balanced for low levels.

1. Allow the weapon to do an extra 1d6 fire damage in a 5 ft cone as part of the attack(it can ignite flammable objects). After the effect is used roll a 1d6 every turn and on a 6 the ability recharges. Have the player describe what this ability looks like. This weapon and its ability do not count as magical for the purposes of overcoming monstrous resistances.

2. The player can use a bonus action to apply GFB at its lowest level on the next weapon attack which still requires an action. He/she can also spend a spellcasting action on their turn to cast firebolt at its lowest level. The spellcasting modifier is intelligence or charisma based on the creation of this item. This ability does not scale with level and doesn't count as magic for the purpose of overcoming monstrous resistances.

3. The caster can spend an action to cast GFB at 5th level. This effect can only be used a number of times equal to your spellcasting modifier(intelligence or charisma depending on creation method). The player must declare beforehand that he is using this ability before making the attack roll, not after the fact so that any miss will count as expending a charge. After this effect is used roll a 1d6 on a 5-6 this ability is recharged. This weapon and its ability don't count as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance.

[DarcyFinn]

Thanks for the advice.

So if I understand, having it as a constant effect would be too much, but having it take a action or bonus action would be more advisable. I think that having it take a roll to recharge is a good idea, but I then think I will make the fire only apply to the attacked monster and not follow the rule of GFB where it doesn't touch the initial attacked monster and jumps to another instead.

[Vogie]

I understand the allure, but would want to have some limitations. Not only for balance reasons, but also to give the player meaningful choices.

For example,

Axe with permanent green-flame blade ability, but can only activate once the axe has blood on it - Thus only making it available on the second round at the earliest, or giving them the option to wound themselves as an object action to turn it on.
Axe that contains charges of GFB that have to be refilled passively - at dawn, after a long rest, et cetera
Axe that contains charges of GFB that have to be refilled actively - must actively insert the axe into a campfire, or a body that had the green-flame effect on it during an encounter.
Axe with permanent green-flame blade ability, but can only activate once the when exposed to an external flame first - forcing the player to either actively have a torch or similar around, or having it activate as a reaction a la Absorb elements, but only for fire.

[Rusvul]

A magic item that lets you cast one cantrip at will? That's not going to break anything. Cantrips are made to be cast at will. If it's an in-character goal of theirs, I'd play along: don't just give them a magic axe (because that's boring) but let them quest for one, or the components needed to make one. You could give the weapon some limitations or something, but "you know an extra cantrip" is really not a very powerful magic item, so I wouldn't complicate it with restrictions. At most, you might have it require attunement.

Really, what I'd focus on most is how to make getting the axe an interesting process for the player, and how to make the axe itself an interesting and flavorful item.

EDIT: This is all under the assumption that the item just says something along the lines of "When you wield/are attuned to this axe, you know the green-flame blade cantrip. You can only use this axe to make the melee weapon attack granted by the spell." If you let it do weird things with action economy, then you're gonna have problems, but if you stick to just "you can cast this spell" then it'll be perfectly fine. Honestly, GFB is only a tangible increase in power for classes without Extra Attack. If your PC is a fighter or a barbarian or something, this axe won't actually help them much (if at all) past level 5.

[JoeJ]

In most cases I wouldn't give out a magic item of any kind at 1st level, but for a low level item I like the suggestion of having the wielder know GFB (which doesn't count as one of the cantrips known as part of any class) while they're attuned to the axe. They cast it as normal, which means it can't be used with Extra Attack because it uses the Cast a Spell action, not the Attack action.

[Lombra]

Magical axe that when wielded allows you to cast the cantrip, that's how I'd do it mechanically. But not at first level, plus, will it be charisma, intelligence, or wisdom-based?

I would make it so that the axe wakes this ability after a couple leveks worth of adventuring (level 3 or 4) as a kind of reward different from money or potions.

Actually, the axe should be non-magical.

[McSkrag]

A magic item that lets you cast one cantrip at will? That's not going to break anything. Cantrips are made to be cast at will. If it's an in-character goal of theirs, I'd play along: don't just give them a magic axe (because that's boring) but let them quest for one, or the components needed to make one. You could give the weapon some limitations or something, but "you know an extra cantrip" is really not a very powerful magic item, so I wouldn't complicate it with restrictions. At most, you might have it require attunement.

I agree. Starting off with a magic item like this at 1st level won't break anything, but I'd recommend against it. I think players should have to work for their magic items. It makes the magic items much more meaningful. That's what adventuring is all about, right?

But going on a quest to find this special axe tied to their backstory makes a great adventure hook. I'd try to make them get to at least 2nd or 3rd level before they can actually get the axe.

In terms of mechanics I think you will be fine if you make it so the axe wielder can cast the Green Flame Blade cantrip using INT, WIS, or CHA.

[solidork]

I actually played from 5-13 as a War Cleric who had a magic scabbard that let him cast Booming Blade. It's a powerful ability for several classes but not broken or anything.

Edit: My hook into the campaign was that the scabbard had been stolen by a cousin of mine who then proceeded to join the cultists that the party was fighting. My cleric obtained it after helping the party defeat the Fire cult and then he decided to stay with them to prevent the remaining cults from destroying the world.(We were playing Princes of the Apocalypse)