I think Guidance is great from a combat perspective, but it also just fits so well in roleplaying many of the different 'typical' Druidy characters e.g. wise, helpful, kind Druids. I ranked Guidance and Shape Water as the best cantrips when I wrote our Druid guide recently - Druid 5E Guide and looking at the votes I think I maybe consider roleplaying/out of combat actions a lot more than in combat effectiveness which probably reflects the type of games I play in
I think Guidance is great from a combat perspective, but it also just fits so well in roleplaying many of the different 'typical' Druidy characters e.g. wise, helpful, kind Druids. I ranked Guidance and Shape Water as the best cantrips when I wrote our Druid guide recently - Druid 5E Guide and looking at the votes I think I maybe consider roleplaying/out of combat actions a lot more than in combat effectiveness which probably reflects the type of games I play in
Not sure Guidance is ever useful in combat (surely you've got something better - unless it's an ambush, because THAT is sweet) but yep, it's great out of combat. Easily #1 IMO.
I'm in the happy position of having other players with guidance in my party. The utility I've got from Control Flames had been great. Prison lit by torches? Done. Enemy guards playing cards on a (flammable) table? I got this. Fire burning down a hut? 5' cube every 6 seconds, sucker.
I think Guidance is great from a combat perspective, but it also just fits so well in roleplaying many of the different 'typical' Druidy characters e.g. wise, helpful, kind Druids. I ranked Guidance and Shape Water as the best cantrips when I wrote our Druid guide recently - Druid 5E Guide and looking at the votes I think I maybe consider roleplaying/out of combat actions a lot more than in combat effectiveness which probably reflects the type of games I play in
How does Guidance help in Combat? It only benefits Ability Checks.
I suppose Athletics, Acrobatics, and (situationally) Medicine, but that's about it.
I think Guidance is great from a combat perspective, but it also just fits so well in roleplaying many of the different 'typical' Druidy characters e.g. wise, helpful, kind Druids. I ranked Guidance and Shape Water as the best cantrips when I wrote our Druid guide recently - Druid 5E Guide and looking at the votes I think I maybe consider roleplaying/out of combat actions a lot more than in combat effectiveness which probably reflects the type of games I play in
How does Guidance help in Combat? It only benefits Ability Checks.
I suppose Athletics, Acrobatics, and (situationally) Medicine, but that's about it.
I think Guidance is great from a combat perspective, but it also just fits so well in roleplaying many of the different 'typical' Druidy characters e.g. wise, helpful, kind Druids. I ranked Guidance and Shape Water as the best cantrips when I wrote our Druid guide recently - Druid 5E Guide and looking at the votes I think I maybe consider roleplaying/out of combat actions a lot more than in combat effectiveness which probably reflects the type of games I play in
How does Guidance help in Combat? It only benefits Ability Checks.
I suppose Athletics, Acrobatics, and (situationally) Medicine, but that's about it.
It also works on Initiative (which is an ability check), so if you see a combat coming you can have it active when you roll for initiative.
I definitely agree though that it's usefulness in combat is limited; it's very much an out of combat cantrip, as requiring an action means you lose basically a whole turn to use it so it's most useful when you don't have as much time pressure.
For my characters that have it I've discussed with DMs and agreed that I can assume it's being used basically whenever my character isn't doing something else that would require an action, so I can just apply it whenever I take a check after what would have been an idle turn, but only when they're in an "alert" state. So for example, I might use it on Perception checks while standing watch, but not if I'm relaxing, I'll use it for searching a room but not for noticing something that suddenly happens, I'll use it for initiative if we start the fight (or moved to join it) but not if ambushed or suddenly confronted and so-on. This makes things a lot smoother than me announcing every six seconds that I'm using it, and keeps it maximally useful and minimally disruptive since it is a cantrip so can technically be used up to 14,400 times per day (assuming a setting with 24 hour days). 😉
I think Guidance is great from a combat perspective, but it also just fits so well in roleplaying many of the different 'typical' Druidy characters e.g. wise, helpful, kind Druids. I ranked Guidance and Shape Water as the best cantrips when I wrote our Druid guide recently - Druid 5E Guide and looking at the votes I think I maybe consider roleplaying/out of combat actions a lot more than in combat effectiveness which probably reflects the type of games I play in
How does Guidance help in Combat? It only benefits Ability Checks.
I suppose Athletics, Acrobatics, and (situationally) Medicine, but that's about it.
A hit for the noisy bugger to help the ambush.
It also works on Initiative (which is an ability check), so if you see a combat coming you can have it active when you roll for initiative.
I would consider that pre-combat, but that's definitely an added bonus to the combat-ish application for Guidance. Getting the first strike is a benefit to combat but that's a bit too specific for me to agree with Guidance being "great from a combat perspective" as a result.
Guidance is the King and Queen of non-combat application.
Create bonfire is good both in combat and out of it but i think choosing just one is too restrictive so i will give my top 5 with a brief explanation.
1) create bonfire: save to dodge so is a viable option for PCs with sunlight sensitivity to damage enemies and very useful out of combat 2) thunderclap: good AOE spell 3) druidcraft: ton of roleplay potential 4) guidance: useful in every scenario the party might be in 5) shillelag: last because i don't ususally play melee druids
Create bonfire is good both in combat and out of it but i think choosing just one is too restrictive so i will give my top 5 with a brief explanation.
1) create bonfire: save to dodge so is a viable option to sunlight sensitivity races and very useful out of combat 2) thunderclap: good AOE spell 3) druidcraft: ton of roleplay potential 4) guidance: useful in every scenario the party might be in 5) shillelag: last because i don't ususally play melee druids
I don't think thatvis how sunlight sensitivity works. From what I have read there is a difference between "light" and "sunlight"
i was talking about a player character with sunlight sensitivity, it will have disadvantage to hit enemies if him or the target are in direct sunlight, but not with save to dodge spells
i was talking about a player character with sunlight sensitivity, it will have disadvantage to hit enemies if him or the target are in direct sunlight, but not with save to dodge spells
OK that makes more sense. I would have to agree that the Druid is not a good sunlight sensitivity class ehen it comes to cantrips. Bonfire, frostbite, infestation,, poison spray, and thunderclap. These are the only dodge spells, and all but one is Constitution. And create bonfire is concentration. Which makes it really bad.
Create Bonfire isn't BAD because it's concentration.. its bad because <90% of your spells are concentration as a Druid. On other classes that have less concentration spells its quite feasible...
Eldtritch knight tend to have fewer cases of concentration (or rather limited spell slots) , and if you're a Grappler build and have War Magic, you can grapple and hold them in place after casting it.
Wizards and sorcerers, and even Warlocks can be a little more diverse in spells so they dont need to always have a concentration spell up... but Druids dont have as many non-concentration options ... never really worth taking once you get access to level 2 druid spells
I didn't think about the concentration component but I think it's still pretty good thanks to the ability of being just a bonfire (it saved our asses a lot in chult)
Create Bonfire isn't BAD because it's concentration.. its bad because <90% of your spells are concentration as a Druid. On other classes that have less concentration spells its quite feasible...
Eldtritch knight tend to have fewer cases of concentration (or rather limited spell slots) , and if you're a Grappler build and have War Magic, you can grapple and hold them in place after casting it.
Wizards and sorcerers, and even Warlocks can be a little more diverse in spells so they dont need to always have a concentration spell up... but Druids dont have as many non-concentration options ... never really worth taking once you get access to level 2 druid spells
I would argue that entangle is better than bonfire. And if it wasn't for the concentration it would make a fantastic combo.
Not gonna argue that Entangle is a better spell, but it's a save or suck spell with some lingering difficult terrain options on a save. Create Bonfire is a low resource option. At level 1-2, if you only have access to level 1 spells, not every spell you take will have Concentration.
At level 3 and beyond As a Druid, with access to level 2 spells, is when you'll be scratching youe head as to which concentration spell you want to prioritize. Again, I 100% oppose druids taking create bonfire, but it's not a bad spell/cantrip, but it's actual use just diminishes 3 levels into the class which is why it isnt recommended.
I did some theorycrafting on a beastmaster ranger that used bonfire with a grappling pet.
It would be better to use Spike growth if you are doing that.
Spike growth is a level 2 spell which rangers get at level 5. Also competes with things like summon beast and pass without trace. The combo I mentioned is usable from level 2 and has no resource cost.
I think Guidance is great from a combat perspective, but it also just fits so well in roleplaying many of the different 'typical' Druidy characters e.g. wise, helpful, kind Druids. I ranked Guidance and Shape Water as the best cantrips when I wrote our Druid guide recently - Druid 5E Guide and looking at the votes I think I maybe consider roleplaying/out of combat actions a lot more than in combat effectiveness which probably reflects the type of games I play in
Not sure Guidance is ever useful in combat (surely you've got something better - unless it's an ambush, because THAT is sweet) but yep, it's great out of combat. Easily #1 IMO.
I'm in the happy position of having other players with guidance in my party. The utility I've got from Control Flames had been great. Prison lit by torches? Done. Enemy guards playing cards on a (flammable) table? I got this. Fire burning down a hut? 5' cube every 6 seconds, sucker.
How does Guidance help in Combat? It only benefits Ability Checks.
I suppose Athletics, Acrobatics, and (situationally) Medicine, but that's about it.
A hit for the noisy bugger to help the ambush.
It also works on Initiative (which is an ability check), so if you see a combat coming you can have it active when you roll for initiative.
I definitely agree though that it's usefulness in combat is limited; it's very much an out of combat cantrip, as requiring an action means you lose basically a whole turn to use it so it's most useful when you don't have as much time pressure.
For my characters that have it I've discussed with DMs and agreed that I can assume it's being used basically whenever my character isn't doing something else that would require an action, so I can just apply it whenever I take a check after what would have been an idle turn, but only when they're in an "alert" state. So for example, I might use it on Perception checks while standing watch, but not if I'm relaxing, I'll use it for searching a room but not for noticing something that suddenly happens, I'll use it for initiative if we start the fight (or moved to join it) but not if ambushed or suddenly confronted and so-on. This makes things a lot smoother than me announcing every six seconds that I'm using it, and keeps it maximally useful and minimally disruptive since it is a cantrip so can technically be used up to 14,400 times per day (assuming a setting with 24 hour days). 😉
Characters: Bullette, Chortle, Dracarys Noir, Edward Merryspell, Habard Ashery, Legion, Peregrine
My Homebrew: Feats | Items | Monsters | Spells | Subclasses | Races
Guides: Creating Sub-Races Using Trait Options
WIP (feedback needed): Blood Mage, Chromatic Sorcerers, Summoner, Trickster Domain, Unlucky, Way of the Daoist (Drunken Master), Weapon Smith
Please don't reply to my posts unless you've read what they actually say.
I would consider that pre-combat, but that's definitely an added bonus to the combat-ish application for Guidance. Getting the first strike is a benefit to combat but that's a bit too specific for me to agree with Guidance being "great from a combat perspective" as a result.
Guidance is the King and Queen of non-combat application.
Create bonfire is good both in combat and out of it but i think choosing just one is too restrictive so i will give my top 5 with a brief explanation.
1) create bonfire: save to dodge so is a viable option for PCs with sunlight sensitivity to damage enemies and very useful out of combat
2) thunderclap: good AOE spell
3) druidcraft: ton of roleplay potential
4) guidance: useful in every scenario the party might be in
5) shillelag: last because i don't ususally play melee druids
EDIT: wording on the pros of the first cantrip
I don't think thatvis how sunlight sensitivity works. From what I have read there is a difference between "light" and "sunlight"
Dragonhearth is correct that normal light does not count as sunlight. Only spells like Dawn that expressly state "is sunlight" count as sunlight.
i was talking about a player character with sunlight sensitivity, it will have disadvantage to hit enemies if him or the target are in direct sunlight, but not with save to dodge spells
OK that makes more sense. I would have to agree that the Druid is not a good sunlight sensitivity class ehen it comes to cantrips. Bonfire, frostbite, infestation,, poison spray, and thunderclap. These are the only dodge spells, and all but one is Constitution. And create bonfire is concentration. Which makes it really bad.
Create Bonfire isn't BAD because it's concentration.. its bad because <90% of your spells are concentration as a Druid. On other classes that have less concentration spells its quite feasible...
Eldtritch knight tend to have fewer cases of concentration (or rather limited spell slots) , and if you're a Grappler build and have War Magic, you can grapple and hold them in place after casting it.
Wizards and sorcerers, and even Warlocks can be a little more diverse in spells so they dont need to always have a concentration spell up... but Druids dont have as many non-concentration options ... never really worth taking once you get access to level 2 druid spells
I didn't think about the concentration component but I think it's still pretty good thanks to the ability of being just a bonfire (it saved our asses a lot in chult)
I would argue that entangle is better than bonfire. And if it wasn't for the concentration it would make a fantastic combo.
I did some theorycrafting on a beastmaster ranger that used bonfire with a grappling pet.
Not gonna argue that Entangle is a better spell, but it's a save or suck spell with some lingering difficult terrain options on a save. Create Bonfire is a low resource option. At level 1-2, if you only have access to level 1 spells, not every spell you take will have Concentration.
At level 3 and beyond As a Druid, with access to level 2 spells, is when you'll be scratching youe head as to which concentration spell you want to prioritize. Again, I 100% oppose druids taking create bonfire, but it's not a bad spell/cantrip, but it's actual use just diminishes 3 levels into the class which is why it isnt recommended.
Druids need more save cantrips.
It would be better to use Spike growth if you are doing that.
Spike growth is a level 2 spell which rangers get at level 5. Also competes with things like summon beast and pass without trace. The combo I mentioned is usable from level 2 and has no resource cost.
The problems with a grappling pet are (A) they are few and far between and (B) the DC to break free never increases.