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Oh, cantrips.
You poor, weak, underutilized and often-underappreciated spells.
So swiftly overshadowed by the magic of higher levels, cantrips often fall into the category of “only to be used when necessary” be it at the end of a long fight when all spell slots are spent, or when fighting a few minions that aren’t even worth wasting a first level spell on.
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But cantrips — the good ones, anyways — can be so much more.
There are some gems in the bunch, but there are also some real losers that make the rest look bad.
We’ve decided to rank all original D&D 5e cantrips from worse to best to showcase just how wide of a spread the damage, utility, and cool factor is for these level 0 spells.
So without further ado…
24) True Strike
Yeah. Why not give up a full action to give yourself advantage on the next attack… oooooor you could just, I don’t know, attack twice? Sure, it allows you “a brief insight into your target’s defenses,” so you could potentially convince your DM to tell you about immunities, resistances, and vulnerabilities, but that’s a long shot.
Not to mention that it’s a damn concentration spell, so if you get hit before your next turn there’s a chance that it was all for naught. Well, there’s not just a chance; it was all for naught regardless. Boooo True Strike. You’re the worst.
23) Resistance
Sure, a d4 bonus to a saving throw may come in handy, but the thing about saving throws is that you usually don’t know that you’ll be needing to make them ahead of time. This spell would be great if it lasted for an hour, or even ten minutes for some pre-dungeon crawl buffs, but it only works for up to a minute.
It’s just rare that you’ll ever get any actual use out of this one.
22) Light
You make a torch, pretty much. Okay, sure, you can cast Light on an enemy (if you want to get close enough for that) so that they can’t lose the party in the darkness, but other than that specific situation, it’s just a torch. You can get those for what, a few copper? Next.
21) Dancing Lights
Literally everything we just said above. Dancing Lights gets one place higher because it makes four “torches”, but the fact that it requires concentration is a serious impediment.
20) Druidcraft
Sorry Druids, but when the main utility of this spell is to figure out the weather, it’s going to fall a little low on this list. Points for being able to make the “faint odor of a skunk” for pranking purposes, though.
19) Poison Spray
If you want to be the skunk, this cantrip is for you. The first damage cantrip on our list, Poison Spray’s CON save will be easy for most enemies, and requires getting within 10 feet… a dangerous game to play for any low level spellcaster, and you’ll only be using this at low levels given that it doesn’t amp up as PCs get more powerful. Not to mention the amount of enemies that are immune or resistant to poison. Just bad all around.
18) Ray of Frost
We can respect some cold damage, and a ranged spell attack is always more fun because you’re the one who get’s to roll for it. 1d8 really isn’t much and that’s all you’re gonna get no matter what level you are. Slowing an enemy’s speed by 10 feet might help in like, a chase sequence or something, but how often do those happen?
17) Acid Splash
You’re basically just chucking a grenade of acid at your enemies. Points for being able to damage two people (so long as they’re buddied up next to each other), but demerits for only being 1d6 damage. I guess you could maybe kill two commoners in one go, if that’s you’re sort of thing, you sicko.
16) Mending
Yes, being able to mend something comes in handy, and will likely be used on more than a few occasions. But at the same time it feels a little lame to be reserving a cantrip spot just to fix small tears in coats or whatever.
15) Message
Another spell that’s sure to see some utility, Message is the poor man’s Sending, but only if your target is within shouting distance. A Mage Hand or Homunculi with a written note can do basically the same thing.
14) Minor Illusion
Finally, a spell with some creativity built into it! Make a box for your halfling rogue to hide behind, or the sounds of a woman’s screams as a distraction. This one is really only limited by your imagination, a 5 foot cube, and your DM’s willingness to allow shenanigans.
13) Produce Flame
Make a ball of fire in your hand that you can chuck at enemies? What’s not to love? Well, maybe the fact that it’s just 1d8 damage, and the whole issue of fire resistances, and all that… but it sure looks cool to hold a ball of fire in your hand.
12) Prestidigitation
Who needs card trips when you’ve got prestitigitizagition??? This spell is fun for the spellcasters to be able to flex their magic during downtime or while travelling. It really should be lower on the list because there isn’t all that much you can do with it, but we love the name so that obviously had to bump it up a few spots.
11) Fire Bolt
A classic go-to, Fire Bolt’s damage increases with class level meaning that it will still be a viable choice later in the campaign.
However, you may start facing enemies that have fire resistances or immunities, especially if you manage to make your way into the Nine Hells… So just keep that in mind.
10) Sacred Flame
Whether you’re a Paladin or a Warlock, you gotta respect that Radiant damage. Few monsters are immune or resistant, many are vulnerable, and it comes in handy when taking on some of the nastiest enemies in the game. Points for ignoring cover, as well.
9) Shillelagh
There’s just something about screaming Shillelagh (incorrectly) as you bash your now-magical club into the skull of a goblin. Bonus action cantrips get an automatic spot in the top ten, and when you add in yet another funny name you just know we gotta give Shillelagh some love. Plus, watching the Druid just go ham with a melee weapon right up there with the fighters and barbs of the world is quite the sight to see.
8) Spare the Dying
It’s handy to be able to stop your friends from dying with nothing but a cantrip and a loving touch. Definitely one to keep in the back pocket if you’ve got the room to stock it.
7) Thaumaturgy
This spell, which is only given to Cleric, is essentially tailor-made to make commoners believe that you have godly powers. It may not be all too powerful in its own right, but once you’ve got yourself a cult of devoted followers a lot more opportunities start to open up.
6) Chill Touch
Even though this is the most confusingly named cantrip on the list (Chill Touch has a range of 120 feet. lol ok.), its necrotic damage, scaling with levels, forced disadvantage against undead, and ability to stop enemies’ health from regenerating make it necessary for those big baddies who will just keep on healing throughout the fight.
5) Shocking Grasp
Ideal for the glass cannons who usually spend their time in the back ranks, any Wizard worth his spellbook knows the value of being able to cancel reactions (AKA attacks of opportunity) for whoever dared get close enough for you to touch. Advantage on those with armor made of metal is a nice bonus, but really this is for those zap and run situations.
4) Guidance
I doubt that any cantrip in D&D 5e has been used as often as Guidance. It’s just so nice to be able to huck an extra d4 at your buddy whenever they’re trying to do pretty much anything. Throw in a help action and you’ve got any skill check in the bag.
3) Eldritch Blast
You knew this one had to be up here. We knew this one had to be up here. Warlocks are probably confused that there even are 23 other spells on this list. Force damage is a beast when it comes to immunities and resistances, 120 feet is a snipe-show, and being able to attack different targets once the spell starts to stack is, well, *chef’s kiss*.
Mix in whatever spice Warlocks get to add and it’s no wonder this becomes their #1.
2) Mage Hand
From grabbing the keys to the cell you’re stuck in, to high-fiving yourself, to combining with Enlarge/Reduce so that your gnome wizard can literally fly, Mage Hand comes in HANDY pretty much every session. Even the newest of players can understand how to use a magical hand that can float around. It just works.
1) Vicious Mockery
Obviously the best cantrip to ever grace us with its existence, Vicious Mockery embodies what D&D is at its very core; a mixture of badassery and stupid shenanigans. The fact that the Bard is able to say something hilariously stupid and have it literally murder a (previously weakened) dragon, or devil or BBEG, is just… well, that’s D&D in a nutshell right there.
Think we messed up on the list? Have a hot take about any of these spells? Take this stuff really seriously and are mad that we called your favorite spell dumb? Let us know in the comments below!
And find more on these cantrips in the Player’s Handbook.
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