Light is party dependent. For one, if lots of people have dark vision, it’s usually not very useful. For two, if someone else has it, you probably don’t need it. Mending is one of those that’s useful only a couple times per campaign, but when it is, it’s clutch. Thaumaturgy is fun for role play, and its value often depends on how creative you are, and what your DM allows. For example, can you use it on a stuck but otherwise unlocked door to bypass a str check?
Yeah that's about where I'm at. Hard to gauge, being a bit newer, especially to casters. Haven't seen Mend or Thaumaturgy used much if at all, but I do want to try being more useful out of combat. Light's benefit seems more defined - if you don't have a good amount of Darkvision in your group, you'll need it in the dark. But you may also just not need it. Something to sus out at the start of the campaign.
Might Word of Radiance be better than one of the utility spells? Was already planning to take Toll the Dead and pickup Sacred Flame via the Spellfire Spark origin feat. So felt good on damage cantrips. And as a Light Cleric, Radiance of the Dawn is way better.
Something to note about Thaumaturgy is that its 5.5e version now does have a very specific mechanical benefit: if you use the "booming voice" effect, it provides advantage on Intimidation checks while active. I've ended up using this a few times.
Word of Radiance is great if you think you're going to be in melee combat a lot. If your Cleric is more of a back-line support caster, you're not going to find yourself using it very much.
The thing with clerics is, their cantrips are kind of meh. There's guidance, one of the best, arguably the best, utility spell in the game, and then there's everything else. And they don't really have a cantrip with an attack roll, which is always nice for those high save/low AC enemies.
Something to note about Thaumaturgy is that its 5.5e version now does have a very specific mechanical benefit: if you use the "booming voice" effect, it provides advantage on Intimidation checks while active. I've ended up using this a few times.
Word of Radiance is great if you think you're going to be in melee combat a lot. If your Cleric is more of a back-line support caster, you're not going to find yourself using it very much.
That's helpful thank you! Booming Voice sounds like the Voice in Dune, lol...
The thing with clerics is, their cantrips are kind of meh. There's guidance, one of the best, arguably the best, utility spell in the game, and then there's everything else. And they don't really have a cantrip with an attack roll, which is always nice for those high save/low AC enemies.
In my limited play I found Toll the Dead to be quite powerful for a Cantrip. You are right however about no attack roll option, but I think having one that targets WIS and one that targets DEX hopefully will have me covered. If neither of those work, then Guiding Bolt is there at level 1.
Something to note about Thaumaturgy is that its 5.5e version now does have a very specific mechanical benefit: if you use the "booming voice" effect, it provides advantage on Intimidation checks while active. I've ended up using this a few times.
Word of Radiance is great if you think you're going to be in melee combat a lot. If your Cleric is more of a back-line support caster, you're not going to find yourself using it very much.
That's helpful thank you! Booming Voice sounds like the Voice in Dune, lol...
You can also always prepare Command (or Suggestion, though it's not on the Cleric list) if you want to feel like a Bene Gesserit.
Mending is pure RP. If you want a friar tuck type cleric that looks like a beggar, then mending is not a priority, if you plan to be in court and and hob nob with social elite, then mending is more useful. Mending is a nice filler after the battle, the cleric can mend both wounds and attire.
Light s mentioned is limited based on the party, however for those without Darkvision, it is needed. You can cast it on a stone, put it in a hooded/bullseye/etc. lantern then change the color per "The light can be colored as you like." and it will not be a huge beacon to the party and those that need light can have some.
Mending is pure RP. If you want a friar tuck type cleric that looks like a beggar, then mending is not a priority, if you plan to be in court and and hob nob with social elite, then mending is more useful. Mending is a nice filler after the battle, the cleric can mend both wounds and attire.
Light s mentioned is limited based on the party, however for those without Darkvision, it is needed. You can cast it on a stone, put it in a hooded/bullseye/etc. lantern then change the color per "The light can be colored as you like." and it will not be a huge beacon to the party and those that need light can have some.
Very helpful thank you. On Light, I had assumed it would have to be a giveaway, but of course you could wrap it in most anything and conceal or direct it somewhat.
Seems like that and Thaumaturgy are more useful over Mending. So maybe at the start I'd take: Guidance, Light, Thaumaturgy, and Toll the Dead, and then also Sacred Flame via Spellfire Spark.
Seems like Spare the Dying is redundant with healing spells? Do folks take/use that much?
Mending is pure RP. If you want a friar tuck type cleric that looks like a beggar, then mending is not a priority, if you plan to be in court and and hob nob with social elite, then mending is more useful. Mending is a nice filler after the battle, the cleric can mend both wounds and attire.
Light s mentioned is limited based on the party, however for those without Darkvision, it is needed. You can cast it on a stone, put it in a hooded/bullseye/etc. lantern then change the color per "The light can be colored as you like." and it will not be a huge beacon to the party and those that need light can have some.
Very helpful thank you. On Light, I had assumed it would have to be a giveaway, but of course you could wrap it in most anything and conceal or direct it somewhat.
Seems like that and Thaumaturgy are more useful over Mending. So maybe at the start I'd take: Guidance, Light, Thaumaturgy, and Toll the Dead, and then also Sacred Flame via Spellfire Spark.
Seems like Spare the Dying is redundant with healing spells? Do folks take/use that much?
Spare the Dying can be useful in a few situations. If your DM lets NPC's make death saving throws, you can fight one until they drop to 0 HP, then stabilize with Spare the Dying while you restrain them or toss them in a jail cell, then you can heal them wake them up and interrogate them to your heart's content.
Overall, I would mostly agree with your choices in cantrips. Only one I might switch out would be maybe Light or Toll the Dead for [spells]Word of Radiance[spells] to have a nice AoE cantrip that won't hurt your allies. Which ever of these three you don't pick to start, I would pick up at level 4 when you get another cantrip known.
Mending is pure RP. If you want a friar tuck type cleric that looks like a beggar, then mending is not a priority, if you plan to be in court and and hob nob with social elite, then mending is more useful. Mending is a nice filler after the battle, the cleric can mend both wounds and attire.
Light s mentioned is limited based on the party, however for those without Darkvision, it is needed. You can cast it on a stone, put it in a hooded/bullseye/etc. lantern then change the color per "The light can be colored as you like." and it will not be a huge beacon to the party and those that need light can have some.
Very helpful thank you. On Light, I had assumed it would have to be a giveaway, but of course you could wrap it in most anything and conceal or direct it somewhat.
Seems like that and Thaumaturgy are more useful over Mending. So maybe at the start I'd take: Guidance, Light, Thaumaturgy, and Toll the Dead, and then also Sacred Flame via Spellfire Spark.
Seems like Spare the Dying is redundant with healing spells? Do folks take/use that much?
Spare the Dying can be useful in a few situations. If your DM lets NPC's make death saving throws, you can fight one until they drop to 0 HP, then stabilize with Spare the Dying while you restrain them or toss them in a jail cell, then you can heal them wake them up and interrogate them to your heart's content.
Overall, I would mostly agree with your choices in cantrips. Only one I might switch out would be maybe Light or Toll the Dead for [spells]Word of Radiance[spells] to have a nice AoE cantrip that won't hurt your allies. Which ever of these three you don't pick to start, I would pick up at level 4 when you get another cantrip known.
Thanks. Yeah Word of Radiance does look cool if I am getting mobbed. Wasn’t planning to wade into melee if I can help it, but then sometimes you can’t help it.
As a Light Cleric I’ll have the Radiance of the Dawn, which is way more potent, though limited use of course. So yeah, level 4 should pick up whichever I’m missing.
Mending is pure RP. If you want a friar tuck type cleric that looks like a beggar, then mending is not a priority, if you plan to be in court and and hob nob with social elite, then mending is more useful. Mending is a nice filler after the battle, the cleric can mend both wounds and attire.
Light s mentioned is limited based on the party, however for those without Darkvision, it is needed. You can cast it on a stone, put it in a hooded/bullseye/etc. lantern then change the color per "The light can be colored as you like." and it will not be a huge beacon to the party and those that need light can have some.
Very helpful thank you. On Light, I had assumed it would have to be a giveaway, but of course you could wrap it in most anything and conceal or direct it somewhat.
Seems like that and Thaumaturgy are more useful over Mending. So maybe at the start I'd take: Guidance, Light, Thaumaturgy, and Toll the Dead, and then also Sacred Flame via Spellfire Spark.
Seems like Spare the Dying is redundant with healing spells? Do folks take/use that much?
Spare the Dying can be useful in a few situations. If your DM lets NPC's make death saving throws, you can fight one until they drop to 0 HP, then stabilize with Spare the Dying while you restrain them or toss them in a jail cell, then you can heal them wake them up and interrogate them to your heart's content.
Overall, I would mostly agree with your choices in cantrips. Only one I might switch out would be maybe Light or Toll the Dead for [spells]Word of Radiance[spells] to have a nice AoE cantrip that won't hurt your allies. Which ever of these three you don't pick to start, I would pick up at level 4 when you get another cantrip known.
Worth mentioning that you can just knock NPC's out without bothering with Spare The Dying. From the PHB:
When you would reduce a creature to 0 Hit Points with a melee attack, you can instead reduce the creature to 1 Hit Point and give it the Unconscious condition. It then starts a Short Rest, at the end of which that condition ends on it. The condition ends early if the creature regains any Hit Points or if someone takes an action to administer first aid to it, making a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.
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After Guidance, which 2 utility Cleric cantrips would you pick and why?
I'm looking between: Light, Mending, and Thaumaturgy.
Thx!
Light is party dependent. For one, if lots of people have dark vision, it’s usually not very useful. For two, if someone else has it, you probably don’t need it.
Mending is one of those that’s useful only a couple times per campaign, but when it is, it’s clutch.
Thaumaturgy is fun for role play, and its value often depends on how creative you are, and what your DM allows. For example, can you use it on a stuck but otherwise unlocked door to bypass a str check?
Yeah that's about where I'm at. Hard to gauge, being a bit newer, especially to casters. Haven't seen Mend or Thaumaturgy used much if at all, but I do want to try being more useful out of combat. Light's benefit seems more defined - if you don't have a good amount of Darkvision in your group, you'll need it in the dark. But you may also just not need it. Something to sus out at the start of the campaign.
Might Word of Radiance be better than one of the utility spells? Was already planning to take Toll the Dead and pickup Sacred Flame via the Spellfire Spark origin feat. So felt good on damage cantrips. And as a Light Cleric, Radiance of the Dawn is way better.
Something to note about Thaumaturgy is that its 5.5e version now does have a very specific mechanical benefit: if you use the "booming voice" effect, it provides advantage on Intimidation checks while active. I've ended up using this a few times.
Word of Radiance is great if you think you're going to be in melee combat a lot. If your Cleric is more of a back-line support caster, you're not going to find yourself using it very much.
pronouns: he/she/they
The thing with clerics is, their cantrips are kind of meh. There's guidance, one of the best, arguably the best, utility spell in the game, and then there's everything else. And they don't really have a cantrip with an attack roll, which is always nice for those high save/low AC enemies.
That's helpful thank you! Booming Voice sounds like the Voice in Dune, lol...
In my limited play I found Toll the Dead to be quite powerful for a Cantrip. You are right however about no attack roll option, but I think having one that targets WIS and one that targets DEX hopefully will have me covered. If neither of those work, then Guiding Bolt is there at level 1.
You can also always prepare Command (or Suggestion, though it's not on the Cleric list) if you want to feel like a Bene Gesserit.
pronouns: he/she/they
I think this is why Baldur's Gate 3 added Produce Flame to its Cleric spell list.
pronouns: he/she/they
Mending is pure RP. If you want a friar tuck type cleric that looks like a beggar, then mending is not a priority, if you plan to be in court and and hob nob with social elite, then mending is more useful. Mending is a nice filler after the battle, the cleric can mend both wounds and attire.
Light s mentioned is limited based on the party, however for those without Darkvision, it is needed. You can cast it on a stone, put it in a hooded/bullseye/etc. lantern then change the color per "The light can be colored as you like." and it will not be a huge beacon to the party and those that need light can have some.
Very helpful thank you. On Light, I had assumed it would have to be a giveaway, but of course you could wrap it in most anything and conceal or direct it somewhat.
Seems like that and Thaumaturgy are more useful over Mending. So maybe at the start I'd take: Guidance, Light, Thaumaturgy, and Toll the Dead, and then also Sacred Flame via Spellfire Spark.
Seems like Spare the Dying is redundant with healing spells? Do folks take/use that much?
Spare the Dying can be useful in a few situations. If your DM lets NPC's make death saving throws, you can fight one until they drop to 0 HP, then stabilize with Spare the Dying while you restrain them or toss them in a jail cell, then you can heal them wake them up and interrogate them to your heart's content.
Overall, I would mostly agree with your choices in cantrips. Only one I might switch out would be maybe Light or Toll the Dead for [spells]Word of Radiance[spells] to have a nice AoE cantrip that won't hurt your allies. Which ever of these three you don't pick to start, I would pick up at level 4 when you get another cantrip known.
Thanks. Yeah Word of Radiance does look cool if I am getting mobbed. Wasn’t planning to wade into melee if I can help it, but then sometimes you can’t help it.
As a Light Cleric I’ll have the Radiance of the Dawn, which is way more potent, though limited use of course. So yeah, level 4 should pick up whichever I’m missing.
Worth mentioning that you can just knock NPC's out without bothering with Spare The Dying. From the PHB: