D&D Best Warlock Cantrips to Have

Updated:

15 Jun 2022

From selling their souls to a cunning fiend to charming the heart of an aloof fey, warlocks are individuals who have caught the attention of an otherworldly being who, in exchange for their services, showers them with arcane might.

Out of all the spellcasters in 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, none are more reliant on their cantrips than warlocks thanks to the way their pact magic feature works.

With how important they are, deciding which ones to pick can be an ordeal, but worry not, we have endeavored glimpses into horrific tomes and ancient tombs to help you choose the best warlock cantrips available!

5. Minor Illusion

You create a sound or an image within a 5-foot cube, forcing a creature to make an Intelligence check to disbelieve your illusion, otherwise taking it for real.

This spell can be top-notch if used creatively, making up cover where there is none, fake walls to divert pursuers, or even the promise of a more dangerous foe approaching!

What Minor Illusion Is Useful for:

A fake bridge, a fake door, the possibilities are limitless. Used properly, this can be the most versatile cantrip available for the threats it can make your foes believe exist.

Minor Illusion details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:minor-illusion

4. Mage Hand

You conjure a spectral, floating hand that can manipulate objects, retrieve items and so much more.

While the hand can’t attack or activate magical items, it's impervious to damage, so it could pull acid-covered levers, retrieve ancient treasures within pools of lava and scratch your back when it itches somewhere inconvenient!

What Mage Hand Is Useful for:

The utility is the third name of this spell. There are many issues regarding distance or booby-trapped objects that simply summoning an impervious hand from 30 feet away can solve.

Mage Hand details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:mage-hand

3. Chill Touch

With its deceiving name, Chill Touch does neither cold damage nor is it a touch spell, instead, you send a ghostly hand towards a creature in range, dealing necrotic damage, and, guess what, it can’t regain Hit Points for a turn.

If the creature is undead, it comes with the bonus of granting it a disadvantage on attacks against you for the turn.

What Chill Touch Is Useful for:

Healing can be problematic in the 5th edition, some Spells can bring a foe to full Hit Points in the blink of an eye, by denying them this, no amount of enemy healers will make a difference.
Undead creatures are problematic, granting them a disadvantage on attacks against you, as well as denying the natural healing some of them have (talking to you Vampires!) is a great way of dealing with them.

Chill Touch details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:chill-touch

2. Toll the Dead

For whom does the bell toll? Your enemies of course!

By pointing at a target within range, a dolorous chime fills the air, making them suffer if they are at a Wisdom saving throw.

What’s more, if they are below their maximum Hit Points, the damage dice increases!

Toll the Dead is an amazing spell to bypass high Armor Class foes, not only that, It deals necrotic damage.

What Toll the Dead Is Useful for:

Sometimes you’re squaring off against foes with very High ACs, so by forcing them to make a save to resist your damage, you’re making sure you can always respond to a threat.
Necrotic damage is far from being on the list of most resisted elements, so unless you’re fighting the undead, you can rely on this bad boy to bring the hurt.

Toll the Dead details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:toll-the-dead

1. Eldritch Blast

Here it is, the undisputed best damage cantrip in the whole system.

You can fire a beam of arcane energy towards a target within range, dealing force damage. As you grow in power, you can fire off more beams with a single cast of this spell.

To top it off, not only does it have excellent range and an insane damage type, the warlock class has many, many ways in which to improve Eldritch Blast, making it the best cantrip you could pick.

What Eldritch Blast Is Useful for:

Force damage is seldom resisted, making this the most reliable source of damage any spellcaster could ask for.
Thanks to your eldritch invocations, you could add your charisma modifier to its damage, increase its range, and push enemies every time you hit. Eldritch Blast lets you draw the most of your potential.
Since you can end up firing off several beams, you have more chances of getting a critical hit, destroying your enemy’s concentration, and more.

Eldritch Blast details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:eldritch-blast