I think I have a problem....

[nickl_2000]

So, I have an almost unnatural love for cantrips. For pretty much every character I've ever created for play or in my mind, I have an idea in my head of how to get more and more cantrips. In fact, my current level 16 character has 11 of them. I just can't help it, they are so versitial and have so much amazing utility.

I don't know why I had to post, maybe it's a confession, maybe I'm looking for kindred spirits, or maybe work is really slow today and I'm bored.

[ImproperJustice]

It’s ok. Your not alone.

I have a Sorceror with Mold Earth, Shape Water, Control Flames, and Mage Hand.
I pretrend he is a master of the four elements and the Cantrips are by far one of the most enjoyable parts of gameplay with him.

[Wuzza]

I missed 2e, 3e, 3.5e and 4e, and coming back to 5e, cantrips are one of the things I love that has changed. No longer can low level magic users be useless after casting 2 spells.

But do you really need 11 of them????

[nickl_2000]

But do you really need 11 of them????

That is why I think I may have a problem

Although the character has a solution for many, many problems outside of combat through the use of the cantrips. Though, to make it worth there are 4 other characters who are, in one way or anther, melee spellcasters and also have their on cantrips. Actually, somehow this character ended up being a very, very well rounded generalist. There are very few situations where he can't contribute to helping out the other PCs or solving a problem.

[Calthropstu]

Yet with all of that, none of them can trip.

[TMac9000]

I had a sorcerer at one point whose goal was to have a damage-dealing cantrip from as many energy types as possible. I’m sure there’s a point at which that becomes a legit obsession. But I do like having a tool for every job.

[Dr. Cliché]

I also love Cantrips.

Much as I liked 3.5, one of the things I really hated was playing a wizard but having no 'standard attack' option outside of mundane weapons.

So having something as simple as Fire Bolt or Chill Touch is a fantastic improvement in my eyes.


Likewise, being able to cast non-combat spells at will opens more options for fun, flavour, and experimentation. e.g. it's now possible to play an extremely lazy caster who uses Mage Hand even for the most minor of tasks.

[RForgione]

First off, playing a warlock I'm assuming? Imo they seem to be built around cantripping it out.

Second, make sure to check out the *new* Artificer UA if you haven't already. That is the epitome of cantrip focused caster so far as I'm concerned.

[nickl_2000]

First off, playing a warlock I'm assuming? Imo they seem to be built around cantripping it out.

Second, make sure to check out the *new* Artificer UA if you haven't already. That is the epitome of cantrip focused caster so far as I'm concerned.

Nope, not at all I'm a level 10 Moon Druid, Level 4 Ranger, Level 1 Light Cleric with MI: Wizard (and one extra cantrip as a campaign boon). Who mixes it up in combat with his gauntlet's of ogre strength and staff of the woodlands.

[RForgione]

So, not only does it sounds fun, but super versatile.

[Kane0]

So, I have an almost unnatural love for cantrips. For pretty much every character I've ever created for play or in my mind, I have an idea in my head of how to get more and more cantrips. In fact, my current level 16 character has 11 of them. I just can't help it, they are so versitial and have so much amazing utility.

I don't know why I had to post, maybe it's a confession, maybe I'm looking for kindred spirits, or maybe work is really slow today and I'm bored.

Before a proper diagnosis can be made, we need to run some tests.

Assuming you are familiar with 3rd edition, what was your favorite 'Complete' book?
Assuming you are familiar with 4th edition, what was your favorite AEDU category?
Given the opportunity to Gestalt, what class would you pick?
Given a free feat as a boon, what would you pick?
How highly do you value Ritual Casting?

[8wGremlin]

Hi my name is Eight Watt Gremlin and I'm an cantripoholic.

I find the versatility, the way that there could be a cantrip fro eery occasion just wonderful.
yes they might not be able to do as much damage as a fully optimised barrage of higher level spells, but I love them and can't get enough of them.

I play a Warlock (tome,hexblade) /Sorcerer (divine) and take the Book of Ancient Secrets invocation, just to have more of them.

[GlenSmash!]

Cantrips are awesome, but I disdain combat ones in favor of utility cantrips. I'll take as many of those as I can get.

They feel like the casual sort of magic you would see in a movie, even more than say a Fireball does.

[nickl_2000]

So, not only does it sounds fun, but super versatile.

I actually really love the character. He isn't the primary damage dealer ever, but he already contributes and always helps the party.

[ImproperJustice]

Just for Hilarity I made a Fighter / Rogue / Bard / Cleric / Wizard and he had a ton of cantrips.
His best feature really, amongst many others.

[Ventruenox]

And here I thought Gary Gygax introduced cantrips in Dragon Magazine #59.

[Christian]

And here I thought Gary Gygax introduced cantrips in Dragon Magazine #59.

Cantrips in the sense of "spells below level 1" go way back.

Cantrips in the sense of "unlimited magical resource" were introduced in 4th Edition (in the 'official D&D' ruleset, Pathfinder had that idea first, obviously).

[Particle_Man]

Now I am wondering how many cantrips one could get if one went for it.

[Mjolnirbear]

I made a spreadsheet cataloguing them. Damage type is only relevant to me if playing a Fire Wizard or something. MI is the first feat on every character.

The only time I don't take shape water and mold earth as class cantrips are if they aren't on the class spell list. Mending and minor illusion are my next faves. I love me some prestidigitation. I only take light on non-darkvision characters but even that cantrip has great special effects.

I only dislike one cantrip. I hate guidance. Loathe it. Because the potential flavour of literally praying for your ally's success got ruined by over-saturation.

I... I think I had a brilliant idea. Make it a ritual.

... Maybe. Anyways. Yay cantrips!

[Mjolnirbear]

I'm at 36 cantrips without using UA stuff like the new Arificer. Can get to 38 with a level of that if they make it the official one.


(1) Pick from the Races of High Elf (any 1 Wizard), Drow Elf (Dancing Lights), Tiefling (PHB or several variants in SCAG or MToF), 1/2 Elf (High or Drow) variant in SCAG, Yuan-Ti (Poison Spray)... (NOTE: Forest Gnome will give you minor illusion, but we're getting that from Illusionist below. Likewise, Aasimar will give us Light, but we are getting that from Celestial Warlock, and finally Gith will give us a Mage Hand, but we get a better one with Arcane Trickster.)

(8) 5 levels of Celestial Warlock with Pact of the Tome
(4) 4 levels of Land Druid or Spores Druid (Chill Touch)
(3) 3 Levels of Arcane Trickster
(2) 3 Levels of Eldritch Knight
(2) 2 levels of Bard (For Jack of All Trades, can drop to 1 level if taking a level of Artificer)
(5) 1 level of Arcana Cleric
(4) 1 level of Illusionist Wizard
(4) 1 level of Divine Sorcerer (Mostly for Favor of the Gods, feel free to choose any archetype)

(2) Magic Initiate feat
(1) Spell Sniper feat

36 Total cantrips that include a better Minor Illusion (Illusionist), a better Mage Hand (Arcane Trickster), plus Light, Sacred Flame, and possibly a race specific one.

Take the Book of Ancient Secrets Invocation for the possibility of 26 ritual spells too.

Stats come out something like 8 Str, 14 Dex, 14 Con, 13 Int, 13 Wis, 14 Cha (16 Cha if you go the 1/2 Elf variant rout from SCAG)



Looking through Eberron atm so I might be back to Edit ;)

You need two levels of wizard to pick up a subclass.

There was a competition of sorts to get all the cantrips. Of course, there's a lot of duplication, so after a few attempts I sorted them by basic function. For instance, Frostbite and Viscious Mockery both offer disadvantage on your target's next attack. Prestidigitation, Thaumaturgy and Druidcraft all do the 'thematic special effect'. Thorn whip and lightning lure both do battlefield control. Shape Water and Mold Earth do elemental effects.

Then you can prioritize which cantrips you want. I prefer prestidigitation to Thaumaturgy but if you want both you can take both. You can take all the elemental cantrips if you want to Avatar it up, or stick to your Water theme. Damage cantrips, in face of all this choice, are usually my lowest priority after the first.

[JackPhoenix]

Cantrips in the sense of "spells below level 1" go way back.

Cantrips in the sense of "unlimited magical resource" were introduced in 4th Edition (in the 'official D&D' ruleset, Pathfinder had that idea first, obviously).

Technically, 3.5, as reserve feats: get some minor at-will magical ability as long as you have spell of certain type (force, fire, conjuration...) prepared. Even without that, 4e predates PF for obvious reasons (PF was made as a response to 4e release and the discontinuation of 3.5 product line)

[Waterdeep Merch]

Cantrips are probably my absolute favorite 5e change. I really love all the tricky, utility abilities you can have on tap so that you can freely utilize magic tools on everything.

I think my DM knows my absolute adoration for cantrips, because I keep getting new ones as plot rewards. Prestidigitation, Minor Illusion, Mending, Mage Hand. I'm a happy paladin.

[Particle_Man]

Telesphoros, wow! Would that be a viable character, or is this just a theoretical experiement?

[Mjolnirbear]

Telesphoros, wow! Would that be a viable character, or is this just a theoretical experiement?

It's got a lot of high-level spell slots and no high-level spells known. With a few changes, it could be made more viable, with 2 levels of paladin or switching the warlock pact to blade (and adding a level in lock). Either would get you smites for days to use up those spell slots. The lock levels would be more efficient for getting Extra Attack with his current example.

Alternatively he can invest in more Sorcerer levels instead of druid, take Quicken, and use all those spell slots for sorcery points, spamming cantrips like Eldritch Blast.

Either way he would also need to carefully curate his spell list for upcastable spells.

[Seclora]

Before a proper diagnosis can be made, we need to run some tests.

Assuming you are familiar with 3rd edition, what was your favorite 'Complete' book?
Assuming you are familiar with 4th edition, what was your favorite AEDU category?
Given the opportunity to Gestalt, what class would you pick?
Given a free feat as a boon, what would you pick?
How highly do you value Ritual Casting?

Complete Mage, so many fun spells, and the feats! Oh the feats!
Not familiar with 4th.
Fighter(Eldritch Knight)/Forge Cleric, for Gestalt. Not sure if I'd go Hill Dwarf or Hobgoblin though
Lucky, with War Caster and Magic Initiate coming in 2nd and 3rd

Ritual Casting is just the bee's knees. Nothing quite like free magic, and ritual cast Divinations are really the only choice.