Cantrips are spells that player can use at will and as much as they want. Some of the cantrips shed light or can entertain players, but others really pack a punch. Even if the cantrip isn't very powerful, a player can use it over and over again.
Here are the 10 best cantrips for attacking.
10. Shocking Grasp
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You shocked me!
A player can shock an opponent by touching them. Have you ever shocked someone after dragging your feet over a carpet? This cantrip is an amped up version of that. If a target gets shocked with this, they take lightning damage.
What is awesome about this cantrip name:
Usually, when you accidentally shock someone, it’s with the brush of a finger or something, but with “grasp” in the name, it shows that a player is full-on clutching another.
The name is rather mysterious without the cantrip itself. Even if you hear someone say it, you don’t necessarily know what’s going to happen.
Cantrip Details:
Instantaneous
Range: touch
Components: V,S
1 d8 lightning damage
target can't use reactions until their next turn
9. Vicious Mockery
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Does me making fun of you give you a stomach ache? It should.
Vicious Mockery is a bardic cantrip. Bards spew enchanted insults at other players (in earshot) who then take psychic damage unless they succeed on a saving throw.
I actually played a bard in a D&D campaign, and I totally wrote down funny insults from TV in a notebook to use in the next gameplay.
This cantrip may not do tons of damage initially, but causing the opponent to have disadvantage on an attack can mean the difference between winning or losing a battle.
What is awesome about this cantrip name:
This cantrip is potentially hilarious because the bard just gets to insult people.
The name literally shows that someone is going to be mocked, viciously.
Not only do you get a hit in, but you can make a sick burn, too.
Cantrip Details:
Instantaneous
Range: 60 ft
Components: V
opponent must succeed on a saving throw or take 1d4 psychic damage and have disadvantage on their next attack
8. Acid Splash
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An elf throws acid at an enemy.
A player hurls a bubble of acid at an opponent... or two. The opponents have to be within 5 ft of each other, but a player can hit two targets with this cantrip. IRL, this would be terrifying! A player can potentially burn off two opponents faces.
What is awesome about this cantrip name:
This name is pretty self-explanatory. A player gets to splash someone else with acid!
Acid is pretty intense already. You wouldn’t want it getting on you.
The name also tells how much acid gets thrown. It’s enough acid to hit and then the excess splashes. That’s a lot of acid.
Cantrip Details:
Instantaneous
Range: 60 ft
Components: V,S
1 d6 acid damage
7. Frostbite
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It's a little chilly.
A player can cause an opponent to be covered by a layer of frost, effectively numbing them. This cantrip also gives an opponent disadvantage on their next roll (whether it’s an attack or not), which, again, can mean the difference between winning or losing a battle.
What’s awesome about this cantrip name:
This name makes frost sound like a hibernating bear - it’s usually gentle, because frost, but it can bite you and really mess up your day.
Cantrip Details:
Instantaneous
Range: 60 ft
Components: V,S
1 d6 cold damage
6. Mind Sliver
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Do you have a headache?
Use this cantrip to shoot a spike of energy into an opponent's mind. It deals psychic damage to the opponent and decreases the opponent's ability to make their next saving throw.
What is awesome about this cantrip name:
The name “Mind Sliver” sounds cool, but it doesn’t explain much on the surface.
For this name to really mean something, you need to know about Mind Slivers from other realms (like Magic: The Gathering) which are terrifying monsters.
This cantrip name suggests that a sliver monster (or something equally powerful) attacks the mind.
Cantrip Details:
Instantaneous
Range: 60 ft
Components: V
1 d6 psychic damage
target subtracts 1 d4 from its next saving throw before the caster's next turn
5. Ray of Frost
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A ray of light hits an opponent and causes cold damage and slows them down until their next turn. This basically turns a player into a very weak white dragon. It doesn't give the strength of a dragon, but this cantrip allows a player to freeze others.
What is awesome about this cantrip name:
Ulike Frostbite, the name of this cantrip doesn’t show that the frost, itself, is being mean,but someone is attacking with that frost… like a dragon.
Cantrip Details:
Instantaneous
Range: 60 ft
Components: V,S
1 d8 cold damage
slows a player's speed by 10 ft until their next turn
4. Sacred Flame
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Destroy enemies with the power of the sun.
Flame-like radiance hits a character from above. Not only can this cantrip be used at a distance, but the opponent also can't dodge well since the attack comes from above and isn't dampened by cover. Opponents in a building may have a false sense of safety when it comes to aerial attacks.
What is awesome about this cantrip name:
The name makes this cantrip sound super intense. What’s more powerful than something sacred?
Also, “Flame” is used. Anything with a fire element in the name sounds amazing already, but this fire is also sacred!
With this name, it sounds like nothing can stand in the way of this spell!
Cantrip Details:
Instantaneous
Range: 60 ft
Components: V,S
1 d8 radiant damage
3. Chill Touch
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I'm not touching you... hahaha.
A player makes a skeletal hand appear and grasp an opponent. This deals necrotic damage to the opponent, along with giving the player multiple other advantages. If a D&D game were a movie, there would be some serious CGI effects attached to this cantrip.
What is awesome about this cantrip name:
While what this does isn’t obvious from the name, “Chill Touch” just sounds cool.
The name does indicate some use of touching, and once you know what this cantrip does, “Chill Touch” does describe it well.
The fact that the name is vague makes this spell even scarier. With no prior knowledge, there is no way to know what this spell will do.
Cantrip Details:
Instantaneous
Range: 120 ft
Components: V,S
1 d8 necrotic damage
target can't regain HP until the caster's next turn
If the target is undead, it has disadvantage on attack rolls towards the caster until the caster's next turn.
2. Eldritch Blast
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A witch gets ready to hit her enemies with beams of power.
This cantrip allows a caster to send a beam of energy at an opponent. Really, it's like being able to shoot light saber bolts at other people. As the character levels up, they can shoot more beams at once. At level 17, a character could hit four different opponents with this cantrip.
What is awesome about Cantrip Name:
I don’t know about you, but the only part of this name I understand is “blast”.
Even so, “Eldritch” makes this name sound like the name of a powerful spell.
Eldritch sounds old world and supernatural.
Plus, this sounds like you’re about to blast something with the power of elders, so it must be powerful.
Cantrip Details:
Instantaneous
Range: 120 ft
Components: V,S
1 d10 force damage
1. Fire Bolt
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Shoot flames from your hands.
Here we go, the number one cantrip: Fire Bolt! Not only can this spell deal 1 d10 damage, but it can be used for long or short-ranged attacks, and it won't set a player's friends on fire.
Fire Bolt can also set flammable objects on fire, making this useful for distraction. It could potentially be used to confine opponents as well by being used to create walls of fire.
What is awesome about this cantrip name:
“Fire Bolt” already sounds cool, but the fact that a player then throws an actual fire bolt at something puts this spell over the top.
As a giant from Texas with an unfair disadvantage in heat, Catherine loves all things geek. From gaming to anime and everything in between, this giant loves to spout tales of his passions
