A cantrip is a spell that can be cast at any time, without the need for a spell slot or preparation thanks to repeated practice that has fixed the spell in the caster's mind and infused the caster with the magic required to repeatedly produce its effect.
If you want to play a spellcaster in Dungeons & Dragons, cantrips will be your bread and butter. This level of spells can be cast whenever and however many times you want.
They are reliable damage dealers or indispensable utility, and they do not consume any of your spell slots. The number you receive is determined by your class, and some half-casters, such as paladins, do not receive any at all.
You'll want to construct your arsenal wisely keeping this in mind. What are the most useful spells to have on hand at all times? Which spell attacks have the best consistency? How can you spend your money as wisely as possible? So let's look at some of the most practical cantrips you can utilize to make your caster a valuable and well-rounded member of your party.
Since its often times difficult to find that answer, we have made a list to help you pick your cantrips based on the usual roles classes accomplish.
Artificer
Artificers are masters of invention who use their intellect and magic to unleash astonishing talents in items. They regard magic as a sophisticated system that must be deciphered before it can be used in spells and creations. Our recommended cantrips are:
Mending
While unusable in combat, this cantrip lets you repair objects. This does not only fit thematically, but also makes it so you can get creative when dealing with certain situations: No lockpicks when infiltrating? No matter, just break the lock and mend it later!
Shocking Grasp
This touch-based spell does 1d8 lightning damage, and if the victim is wearing metal armor, the caster has an advantage. Shocking Grasp is one of the most powerful cantrips available to any class, but not because of its damage output.
The fact that Shocking Grasp forces the target to be unable to take responses until the beginning of its next turn makes it exceptionally potent. Removing a creature's responses eliminates several abilities and strong spells like Hellish Rebuke from play, which can help the party win a combat. It's very effective in the early levels.
Bard
A bard, whether a scholar, skald, or rogue, weaves magic via words and song to uplift comrades, demoralize adversaries, influence minds, produce illusions, and even heal wounds. The bard is an expert in words, music, and the magic they hold. Our top cantrips for these spell-slinging poets are:
Vicious Mockery
An intrepid bard can magically insult their adversaries and make it so hurtful that it really causes them physical harm. Vicious Mockery is the best of the bard cantrips.
Vicious Mockery grants disadvantages to the target's subsequent attack roll and deals 1d4 psychic damage. Bardic insults constitute a serious threat as a result.
This bard cantrip has good range, a fair damage type, nice scaling, and overall amusing visuals.
Mage Hand
One of the best all-purpose arcane utility spells is mage hand. It is so helpful that every arcane class gets access to it. Mage Hand is a lifesaver when you need to untie a knot or unlock a door from across the room.
Cleric
Clerics are the bridge between the earthly realm and the far-off godly planes. They attempt to embody the ideals of the gods they serve, becoming is a special kind of priest who possesses divine magic. Our recommended cantrips are:
Guidance
This is it—a cantrip so powerful that most games struggle to balance it.
You can touch a creature who is willing and give them an additional d4 for one of their ability checks when using guidance.
Since it's a cantrip, there's no reason not to keep this spell active in any circumstance that permits it, which is why it's so effective since the target can roll the d4 either before or after making the check.
Sacred Flame
The standard destructive spell for clerics. The target of Sacred Flame must make a successful Dexterity saving throw or else they’ll suffer radiant damage.
If this seems overly simple, remember that Sacred Flame disregards cover for the saving throw, making it that much more difficult to resist.
Great damage, and great range, useful against slow, highly armored opponents and foes who abuse cover.
Druid
Some druids would stay outside of conflict, enabling allies and summoned animals to engage in combat while they baffle enemies with the powers of nature, while others might change into terrible monsters and enter the fray with savagery. Given their variety, our recommended cantrips are:
Guidance
Druids are lucky to have access to guidance, one of the strongest spells in 5th Edition. It enables the user to add an additional 1d4 to their own or another party member's ability check within the next minute. Having a +1 to a +4 to a check is quite helpful throughout an adventurer's career because the skill DCs in 5th Edition don't actually scale all that much with higher levels. Most adventurers will be able to cast it before practically every skill check the party needs to make because it only takes an action to cast.
Shillelagh
Shillelagh should be a top priority for any druid who wants to switch things up in melee combat without using their Wild Shape. With this spell, one can endow a staff or club with the ability to deal 1d8 damage and attack using their spellcasting modifier rather than their strength. This weapon, unlike Magic Stone, cannot be transferred to another character, but it is still a very helpful spell that effectively puts the druid's combat skills on level with those of the most front-line party members.
Sorcerer
Sorcerers are skilled combat magicians since they routinely perform a variety of their favorite spells.
Sorcerers frequently find new and adaptable methods to employ magics that other spellcasters would ignore when they grow familiar with a specific and constantly expanding range of spells. The extra powers they receive from their lineages ensure that no two sorcerers are ever exactly similar. Our recommended cantrips are:
Mind Sliver
Mind Sliver is one of the most powerful combat cantrips accessible to any class, although its main strength is not the 1d6 psychic damage it causes. Its most potent effect, though, is to reduce the target's next saving attempt by 1d4.
Its secondary effect can be used to soften a target before casting a more powerful spell on the next round. Twinning the spell also allows a sorcerer to target two opponents at once, leaving them open to any area of effect spells that may follow.
Mage Hand
The main job of Mage Hand has little to do with fighting. The Hand has a variety of physical abilities, including the ability to interact with objects, set off traps, and much more.
Warlock
Warlocks produce magical effects both subtle and spectacular by making pacts with mystery entities of superhuman power. Thus, with their kit in consideration, we recommend the following cantrips:
Eldritch Blast
A crackling energy beam shoots at your target. They will receive 1d10 force damage if they are struck. At higher levels, this spell does not do more damage but instead generates additional beams for which you must make separate attack rolls, either on the same target or across numerous enemies.
At higher levels, the multi-target potentiality increases your chances of scoring hits, becoming an unstoppable force of power with Eldritch Invocations.
Chill Touch
When your victim is nearby, a skeleton, ghostly hand materializes and strikes them with the force of the hereafter. A creature that receives a successful hit will suffer 1d8 necrotic damage and lose the ability to gain heal until the beginning of your next turn. If the victim is an Undead, they can't attack you until the start of your subsequent turn.
With its great range, ability to shut off healing and extra effect against undead, you can never go wrong with this one.
Wizard
Wizards study the schools of magic that enable them to manipulate magic with great expertise. No matter what their area of expertise, wizards are all masters of the impossible and can help their companions defeat any threat.
Considered one of the strongest late game classes in the game, we recommend the following cantrips:
Mage Hand
The environments created by dungeon masters frequently contain a variety of mimics, trap doors, and perilous, unidentified magical objects. Most locks are handled by rogues, and the wizard must first inspect nearly every magical item. Mage Hand is a powerful spell that may be used in certain situations to check for danger and safeguard the safety of the group.
Mind Sliver
Due to the low Intelligence of most creatures, any trait, spell, or cantrip that compels a creature to use an Intelligence saving throw is considered beneficial, and Mind Sliver targets just that.
The best part of the cantrip, however, is that if the target fails their saving throw, they deduct 1d4 from their next saving throw, setting them up for future failure against more powerful spells.
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