Wizard cantrips thoughts

[Moonbane]

It strikes me that one should be a lot more careful about the cantrips they pick for their wizards.
There is 13 cantrips available to wizards. You can learn 5 through picks on creation/level up. 6 if a high elf.

The following is available from scrolls
Bone Chill, Fire Bolt, Ray of Frost, Shocking Grasp

Leaving the following with no associated scrolls to my knowledge
Acid Splash, Blade Ward, Dancing Lights, Friends, Light, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Poison Spray, True Strike

So it seems clearly to me that a wizard should refrain from picking any of the scroll learned cantrips and focus on the limited ones.

Out of those I would pick Acid Splash, Light, Mage Hand and Minor Illusion as good picks.

[MewTressym]

Never put that much thought in to it honestly.

Lets see, I pick... Pikachu!!!!!!!

[MewTressym]

Seriously though, that is good advice. Pick the ones you can't get from scrolls.

[Sistalis]

Well for mage hand there are lots of rings that give that power.

[Moonbane]

Originally posted by Sistalis:

Well for mage hand there are lots of rings that give that power.

Yes, but would you rather not have a more useful ring in combat?

Of course cantrip selections would be further slimmed down if you are a git or a mephy tiefling with their innate mage hand.

[Supply Slut]

As long as someone in your party has firebolt then yeah, waiting for a scroll makes sense. But otherwise, it’s useful to have a ranged way to light a fire without using an item.

[Glyph]

I don't consider min/maxing cantrip selection that beneficial but nevertheless this is good for those wizards who want all the possible spells in their spellbook.

[Moonbane]

Originally posted by Supply Slut:

As long as someone in your party has firebolt then yeah, waiting for a scroll makes sense. But otherwise, it’s useful to have a ranged way to light a fire without using an item.

Considering you can only edit the starting cantrip for Astarion and Shadowheart if you play their origin, they will always begin with firebolt.

[Supply Slut]

Originally posted by Moonbane:

Originally posted by Supply Slut:

As long as someone in your party has firebolt then yeah, waiting for a scroll makes sense. But otherwise, it’s useful to have a ranged way to light a fire without using an item.

Considering you can only edit the starting cantrip for Astarion and Shadowheart if you play their origin, they will always begin with firebolt.

Sure, but not everyone rolls out with those two is my point.

[Kernest]

I will say, on a strong CHA character in particular, Friends was the MVP spell of the game. Not just the best cantrip, but including all spells.

Beat 30 DC persuasion checks like it was nothing, including all the Thorms that can be convinced to off themselves in Act 2. Without savescumming, just a Inspiration re-roll here or there.

For a party leader Wizard I would still take it.

Mage Hand is also very good in certain situations, as is Minor Illusion particularly for getting unsuspecting fools to walk next to a void I'm about to shove them into.

True Strike is garbage, never take it.

I'd pick one ranged spell attack cantrip, Fire Bolt, and one melee for when you're desperate, Shocking Grasp.

[Moonbane]

Originally posted by Kernest:

I will say, on a strong CHA character in particular, Friends was the MVP spell of the game. Not just the best cantrip, but including all spells.

Beat 30 DC persuasion checks like it was nothing, including all the Thorms that can be convinced to off themselves in Act 2. Without savescumming, just a Inspiration re-roll here or there.

For a party leader Wizard I would still take it.

Mage Hand is also very good in certain situations, as is Minor Illusion particularly for getting unsuspecting fools to walk next to a void I'm about to shove them into.

True Strike is garbage, never take it.

I'd pick one ranged spell attack cantrip, Fire Bolt, and one melee for when you're desperate, Shocking Grasp.

The rules is different for cha classes, they dont learn the cantrips from scrolls. They are forced to rely on creation/level picks. This is about wizards.

Acid splash should tide you over till you get a firebolt scroll in the grove.

[Kernest]

Originally posted by Moonbane:

The rules is different for cha classes, they dont learn the cantrips from scrolls. They are forced to rely on creation/level picks. This is about wizards.

Acid splash should tide you over till you get a firebolt scroll in the grove.

That's only if you're looking to learn all the spells for whatever reason.

Sad truth is, you're only ever going to use a handful of spells,

And of the cantrips with no scrolls, Friends, Mage Hand and Minor Illusion are realistically the only ones worth learning.

[Myrmicus]

Honestly, not all cantrips are useful.
Blade Ward, Mage Hand and Minor Illusion are all good choices, great utility.
For the damaging cantrip, you'll likely want to have two different elements. Shocking Grasp is always good, since it offers a close quarter option for when a pesky melee fighter come close... other than that, pick your favorite element... If you go frost build, don't pick Ray of Frost, because the staff that helps the build gives it...

[Moonbane]

Originally posted by Kernest:

Originally posted by Moonbane:

The rules is different for cha classes, they dont learn the cantrips from scrolls. They are forced to rely on creation/level picks. This is about wizards.

Acid splash should tide you over till you get a firebolt scroll in the grove.

That's only if you're looking to learn all the spells for whatever reason.

Sad truth is, you're only ever going to use a handful of spells,

And of the cantrips with no scrolls, Friends, Mage Hand and Minor Illusion are realistically the only ones worth learning.

Eh, I see plenty of guides advising filling up the initial selection with all offensive cantrips when its truly a trap. Seriously delaying the aqusition of the useful utility cantrips when you can learn all offensive cantrips but acid splash from scrolls.

[talemore]

Lae'zel got mage hand. Friends is odd on a wizard. Light and dancing light does the same thing in practice with one being a concentration. True strike is wasting your turn for someone else's and there are other better buffs.

Acid Splash, Blade Ward, Light

Familiar work similar to minor illusion with exception it doesn't trigger alarm. Familiar may be better since it allow to lure in multiple targets.

Then we got poison spray. You can just poison a bottle of water and throw it or find basic potion or any venom.

[talemore]

Originally posted by Myrmicus:

Honestly, not all cantrips are useful.
Blade Ward, Mage Hand and Minor Illusion are all good choices, great utility.
For the damaging cantrip, you'll likely want to have two different elements. Shocking Grasp is always good, since it offers a close quarter option for when a pesky melee fighter come close... other than that, pick your favorite element... If you go frost build, don't pick Ray of Frost, because the staff that helps the build gives it...

The best thing you can do when in melee with a wizard is to get away from there because next turn will be all fun being hit with a great axe. The attacker is not going to vanish because you use shocking grasp. Why don't we all go to sillytown and cast Tasha's hilarious laughter