[RPG] Can a spellbook contain cantrips

cantripsdnd-5eequipmentwizard

Is it possible for cantrips to be written in a spellbook? Their description suggests not, as well as the fact that the Wizard's cantrips are 'known' rather than being in their spellbook.

For example, if a Wizard found a scroll with a cantrip on it (can cantrips even be on scrolls?), could they copy it into their spellbook and 'know' it henceforth?

The reason for the question isn't that I'm hoping to know more cantrips than the rules allow, it's for a character's backstory I'm working on. The character will only know the allowed number of cantrips, but it doesn't make any sense for the character to know any cantrips unless they were in a spellbook. (The character is a Rogue who stole a spellbook and started learning magic from it.)

(It's fine if this can't be answered now, I'm happy to wait for the DMG release if there's no answer beyond 'who cares, just make it up'.)

Best Answer

No.

Cantrips are never prepared, they are only learned, and from then on they are known and available to cast. They explicitly cannot be copied into a spell book because cantrips do not fill nor expend a spell slot. From the spellbook inset on PHB p. 114 :

When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if is of a level for which you have spell slots and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it

So no, you can't add a cantrip to your spellbook. As far as learning more cantrips than you are allowed in some way, I don't think it's viable to learn more than your class level allows without a multiclass or a feat.