I am currently playing in a campaign where I have a level 3 evocation wizard, my cantrips are prestidigitation, light and firebolt. I have a hard time choosing a cantrip, I am a bit torn between mending (because I think the utility provides is really good), chill touch (since the campaign mostly so far, is us going around and capturing necromancers and fighting undead, though I don't know if this is considered meta-gaming) and Frostbite (since I feel like it would be a waste not to have a cantrip with a saving throw, because of Potent Cantrip).
I think you need to resign yourself to the inevitability that you’ll have some situation where you need one of them ones that you didn’t pick. 😄 Seriously though, go with what your character would likely choose. And seeing how your character is fighting undead and necromancers, chill touch would hardly be meta gaming but a reasonable choice for that wizard.
Are you going to be mending a lot of small items throughout the run? What's your party composed of besides you? I'd choose Chill Touch over Frostbite as you're facing undead and it has longer range. It seems to also force undead to take disadvantage if the spell hits, compared to Frostbite which forces a CON save. Chill Touch also prevents the target from restoring hit points until your next turn so it can be pretty handy (pun intended) to keep enemies low on HP, especially if they have healers on their side.
Out of those 3 frostbite due to potent cantrip. Not necessarily the best choice math wise but I think people should lean into their specialties. Personally I'd take toll the dead for my save based cantrip. Though create bonfire would be a good choice as well. As you sustain it you could get multiple uses of potent cantrip from one spell, though as you go up in levels using it as your concentration spell is less likely. .
The inability to choose is why Magic Initiate and Spell Sniper exist.
Evocation cantrips can add your intelligence modifier to the damage at level 10, which always helps. Unfortunately Toll the Dead is Necromantic. Frostbite and Thunderclap are both evocation, so there's something to be said for those. Unfortunately they both target Constitution, which tends to be pretty good most of the time. Targeting Dexterity (at least for some monsters) is more reliable. Also, if you're close enough to need Thunderclap then you have some real problems.
However, because of Powerful Cantrip you will do half damage even if they pass their save.
So, Toll the Dead maxes out at 4D12, or an average of 26. Frostbite maxes out at 4D6+5 for an average of 19. Since you don't get Empowered Evocation until level 10 anyway at level 10 it's 2D12 (13) versus 2D6+5 (12). Even at the point where you have the best chance Toll the Dead still comes out ahead. The jump from D6 to D12 is just too big.
So I too would recommend Toll the Dead rather than Frostbite. Also necrotic damage is less resisted than cold or fire.
The inability to choose is why Magic Initiate and Spell Sniper exist.
Evocation cantrips can add your intelligence modifier to the damage at level 10, which always helps. Unfortunately Toll the Dead is Necromantic. Frostbite and Thunderclap are both evocation, so there's something to be said for those. Unfortunately they both target Constitution, which tends to be pretty good most of the time. Targeting Dexterity (at least for some monsters) is more reliable. Also, if you're close enough to need Thunderclap then you have some real problems.
However, because of Powerful Cantrip you will do half damage even if they pass their save.
So, Toll the Dead maxes out at 4D12, or an average of 26. Frostbite maxes out at 4D6+5 for an average of 19. Since you don't get Empowered Evocation until level 10 anyway at level 10 it's 2D12 (13) versus 2D6+5 (12). Even at the point where you have the best chance Toll the Dead still comes out ahead. The jump from D6 to D12 is just too big.
So I too would recommend Toll the Dead rather than Frostbite. Also necrotic damage is less resisted than cold or fire.
What if you can freeze the floor just to take control of the incomming raid over your party ??? In that case, you could save some precious time just placing "an improvised TRAP", and then waste that saved time alerting your party about the situation.
One Cantrip that didn't come up here is Shocking Grasp, which I always see as a solid choice.
You get an option that you can use in melee without disadvantage, and prevent the target from taking reactions, which can get you out of sticky situations without needing to use the Disengage action. If the target wears metal armor, you even get advantage on the attack roll.
Other than that, out of the three options you listed, Frostbite is the only one to profit from your Potent Cantrip Feature. Since you have none that profit from it right now, I would probably go for that. The debuff is a nice addition.
I am currently playing in a campaign where I have a level 3 evocation wizard, my cantrips are prestidigitation, light and firebolt. I have a hard time choosing a cantrip, I am a bit torn between mending (because I think the utility provides is really good), chill touch (since the campaign mostly so far, is us going around and capturing necromancers and fighting undead, though I don't know if this is considered meta-gaming) and Frostbite (since I feel like it would be a waste not to have a cantrip with a saving throw, because of Potent Cantrip).
I think you need to resign yourself to the inevitability that you’ll have some situation where you need one of them ones that you didn’t pick. 😄 Seriously though, go with what your character would likely choose. And seeing how your character is fighting undead and necromancers, chill touch would hardly be meta gaming but a reasonable choice for that wizard.
Are you going to be mending a lot of small items throughout the run? What's your party composed of besides you? I'd choose Chill Touch over Frostbite as you're facing undead and it has longer range. It seems to also force undead to take disadvantage if the spell hits, compared to Frostbite which forces a CON save. Chill Touch also prevents the target from restoring hit points until your next turn so it can be pretty handy (pun intended) to keep enemies low on HP, especially if they have healers on their side.
Out of those 3 frostbite due to potent cantrip. Not necessarily the best choice math wise but I think people should lean into their specialties. Personally I'd take toll the dead for my save based cantrip. Though create bonfire would be a good choice as well. As you sustain it you could get multiple uses of potent cantrip from one spell, though as you go up in levels using it as your concentration spell is less likely. .
If you have access to it, I'd do Toll of the Dead. It works great with the 6th level evocation wizard ability.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
The inability to choose is why Magic Initiate and Spell Sniper exist.
Evocation cantrips can add your intelligence modifier to the damage at level 10, which always helps. Unfortunately Toll the Dead is Necromantic. Frostbite and Thunderclap are both evocation, so there's something to be said for those. Unfortunately they both target Constitution, which tends to be pretty good most of the time. Targeting Dexterity (at least for some monsters) is more reliable. Also, if you're close enough to need Thunderclap then you have some real problems.
However, because of Powerful Cantrip you will do half damage even if they pass their save.
So, Toll the Dead maxes out at 4D12, or an average of 26. Frostbite maxes out at 4D6+5 for an average of 19. Since you don't get Empowered Evocation until level 10 anyway at level 10 it's 2D12 (13) versus 2D6+5 (12). Even at the point where you have the best chance Toll the Dead still comes out ahead. The jump from D6 to D12 is just too big.
So I too would recommend Toll the Dead rather than Frostbite. Also necrotic damage is less resisted than cold or fire.
What if you can freeze the floor just to take control of the incomming raid over your party ??? In that case, you could save some precious time just placing "an improvised TRAP", and then waste that saved time alerting your party about the situation.
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
With Frostbite? It can only target a creature.
With Shape Water? Quite doable but dependent on having water around. It also wasn't one of the options presented.
One Cantrip that didn't come up here is Shocking Grasp, which I always see as a solid choice.
You get an option that you can use in melee without disadvantage, and prevent the target from taking reactions, which can get you out of sticky situations without needing to use the Disengage action. If the target wears metal armor, you even get advantage on the attack roll.
Other than that, out of the three options you listed, Frostbite is the only one to profit from your Potent Cantrip Feature. Since you have none that profit from it right now, I would probably go for that. The debuff is a nice addition.
I am in a game were I have a 2nd level evocation wizard. any recomendations?
"If you ever ask a wizard to list the books they've read recently, prepare to be there for a solid week. " - Original.
Grammar Cult
Bow down to Cats! (Cult of Cats)
Toll of the Dead.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms