Chill Touch probably, the side effect is key in a lot of fights. I like fire bolt a lot as well, its solid damage and effects objects. Toll the dead is the best of the save ones, I find at low to mid levels enemies make their saves a lot more often than I miss a shot. At high levels it may go the other way a bit but a lot of boss enemies flat our never miss your save. If you are an evoker at least you get 1./2 damage on a successful save so Toll probably wins out overall there.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Mind Sliver is the best cantrip ever for a good battlefield control Wizard. 1d6 damage sucks, but it’s an INT save and the lovely -1d4 on subsequent saves are brutal.
However, if I had to chose something thinking about both damage and versatility, I would pick Create Bonfire for sure. You can make your Bonfire really threatening by adding some flask of oil (+5 damage) — you can easily pour the oil in the enemies square with your Familiar, Unseen Servant or using Mage Hand. A grappler or a pusher in the party (Thorn Whip, Thunderwave) can act as huge force multiplier with Create Bonfire, since the cantrip causes damage when they enter & stay in the area. On small corridors and tight battle arenas, you can also give a hard time to your enemies forcing them to provoke OAs, etc.
Concentration and fire damage are clear downsides, but this cantrip can provide awesome resourceless contribution in combat.
I do not believe you can really just pick a Damage dealing cantrip and call it good. It all depends on what is your character and their fighting style. Any melee combatant would pick either Dooming blade or Green Flame Blade for that extra damage, or maybe even Lightning Lure as a way to get that quick enemy right next to you and close to your allies.
Of course Eldritch Blast is the best cantrip for any Warlock or Warlock Multiclass. Firebolt is a solid damage dealer but fire is also the most resisted element. So in the end it's all about your character and what it is you're trying to do. There is no right answer to this.
There is no "best" cantrip, for wizards but the point of that I was asking and curious about was what would everyones go-to damage cantrip be. I hate burning good cantrips slots on damage cantrips, except for playing evokers. But its also a moot issue with the new cantrip formulas ability since wizards can swap a cantrip on a long rest. Basically the way im gonna play it is ill keep one damage cantrip always prepped, just in case, and the rest will be utility and quality of life cantrips like prestidigitation, mage hand, minor illusion, light, etc. Ill swap one of those out utility cantrips for another damage dealing cantrip, if needed, that I think will best suit the needs of the situation or expected encounters.
Well if you want a good answer than you need to state the kind of wizard or character you plan on playing. That is the only way to give you a good choice of a cantrip that would be always useful for you.
acid splash because it can hit two targets at once and can be used in melee range without penalty. Admittedly, I find this better on gish builds like the Bladesinger and the fighter's Eldritch Knight.
frostbite is the only ranged cantrip that benefits from the Evocation School's Potent Cantrip and Empowered Evocation. The damage is pitiful, but the damage is decent and the rider effect is great for support. The fact that it also works with Spell Sniper is an added bonus.
green-flame blade is another gish spell, and I like it over booming blade because I find it both the more evocative of the two and easier to get the full effect.
lightning lure, like frostbite, benefits from both Potent Cantrip and Empowered Evocation. Unfortunately, I don't think most wizards would choose it because you don't generally want to be in melee with someone. But if you're playing a Githyanki Evoker, decked out in half plate and swinging a greatsword, then maybe you do. Or just play an Eldritch Knight for that sweet War Magic.
Booming blade is fantastic on a bladesinger with extra attack. I use a build where I took telekinetic for my half feat, so i attack with booming blade, attack again, and use the telekinetic shove to make the monster proc (on their turn, that is, not from the push.)
Absolutely Ray of Frost. Decent damage, has a control effect that helps mitigate its mediocre range, and most importantly, requires an attack roll so I don’t need to worry about the enemy being proficient in the save I would target.
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Toll the dead. If facing multiple enemies, magic missile to damage them all at once then toll the dead them to death with d12 rolls.
Chill Touch probably, the side effect is key in a lot of fights. I like fire bolt a lot as well, its solid damage and effects objects. Toll the dead is the best of the save ones, I find at low to mid levels enemies make their saves a lot more often than I miss a shot. At high levels it may go the other way a bit but a lot of boss enemies flat our never miss your save. If you are an evoker at least you get 1./2 damage on a successful save so Toll probably wins out overall there.
Clever use of a first level spell for the various scrub fights you don't want to waste your good spells on.
Well I guess with TCOE and the cantrip formulas feature this is a moot issue.
Not for High Elves or any subclass that gives wizard cantrips (eldritch knights and arcane tricksters).
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I'm very partial to Ray of Frost.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Mind Sliver is the best cantrip ever for a good battlefield control Wizard. 1d6 damage sucks, but it’s an INT save and the lovely -1d4 on subsequent saves are brutal.
However, if I had to chose something thinking about both damage and versatility, I would pick Create Bonfire for sure. You can make your Bonfire really threatening by adding some flask of oil (+5 damage) — you can easily pour the oil in the enemies square with your Familiar, Unseen Servant or using Mage Hand. A grappler or a pusher in the party (Thorn Whip, Thunderwave) can act as huge force multiplier with Create Bonfire, since the cantrip causes damage when they enter & stay in the area. On small corridors and tight battle arenas, you can also give a hard time to your enemies forcing them to provoke OAs, etc.
Concentration and fire damage are clear downsides, but this cantrip can provide awesome resourceless contribution in combat.
I do not believe you can really just pick a Damage dealing cantrip and call it good. It all depends on what is your character and their fighting style. Any melee combatant would pick either Dooming blade or Green Flame Blade for that extra damage, or maybe even Lightning Lure as a way to get that quick enemy right next to you and close to your allies.
Of course Eldritch Blast is the best cantrip for any Warlock or Warlock Multiclass. Firebolt is a solid damage dealer but fire is also the most resisted element. So in the end it's all about your character and what it is you're trying to do. There is no right answer to this.
There is no "best" cantrip, for wizards but the point of that I was asking and curious about was what would everyones go-to damage cantrip be. I hate burning good cantrips slots on damage cantrips, except for playing evokers. But its also a moot issue with the new cantrip formulas ability since wizards can swap a cantrip on a long rest. Basically the way im gonna play it is ill keep one damage cantrip always prepped, just in case, and the rest will be utility and quality of life cantrips like prestidigitation, mage hand, minor illusion, light, etc. Ill swap one of those out utility cantrips for another damage dealing cantrip, if needed, that I think will best suit the needs of the situation or expected encounters.
Well if you want a good answer than you need to state the kind of wizard or character you plan on playing. That is the only way to give you a good choice of a cantrip that would be always useful for you.
Kind ok, you can swap out cantrips not make them up or customize what they do.
I have four
Booming blade is fantastic on a bladesinger with extra attack. I use a build where I took telekinetic for my half feat, so i attack with booming blade, attack again, and use the telekinetic shove to make the monster proc (on their turn, that is, not from the push.)
clever, they have to move to attack you so the booming blade goes off. so they either lose tier attack or take more damage.
Absolutely Ray of Frost. Decent damage, has a control effect that helps mitigate its mediocre range, and most importantly, requires an attack roll so I don’t need to worry about the enemy being proficient in the save I would target.