Because they are rituals and seldom used in combat you can generally leave them in the spellbook and use your “prepared” slots for other spells at first level (assuming you have an INT of 16) you can prepare 4 spells (+ your cantrips) and cast 2 L1 spells with your slots. Personally I would prepare (and cast) mage armor to start the adventuring day with it being the last spell I prepped before the party headed out. The other 3 spells I would prepare off my list are: Magic Missile, Sleep and Feather Fall. With Detect Magic and Comprehend Languages available as rituals and your familiar already present close by.
I would add control flames and shape water to the list as well. Being able to silently snuff out a torch at 30 feet is handy, and being able to make solid blocks of ice or change a flask of water to look like a potion is nifty too.
Control Flames is one of the strongest spells in the game, in the right circumstance. Sure, it's a little on the slow side, but if you have the rounds to spare, you can quite literally burn down a city using Control Flames. You'll quickly run out of Fireballs - but Control Flames is forever.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Mending - fix your party's stuff. And fix stuff for NPCs so that they'll be more likely to do favors for you.
Unseen Servant - Has AC of 10, but it's invisible. Use it to feed potions to allies, spring traps, open faraway latches/doors/windows in the middle of combat - using a bonus action. At low levels, you won't have too much to do with your BA anyway.
Minor Illusion - Fantastic utility and combat setup cantrip if your DM isn't a killjoy. Need cover? Illusion a barrel or a big rock. Need to distract the guard? Create a sound in the opposite direction of the party. Distract a guard dog? Make the scent of delicious food somewhere away from the party. Need to create map from memory to show an NPC? M.Illusion does that too!
Dancing Lights - Useful for signalling other people from far away. Also nifty for distracting people or adding some pizzazz to your fellow Bard's performance.
Mold Earth - Make a trench, a latrine, a tunnel, a dam, etc. One of the best pre-combat cantrips for the strategic party.
All are good spells, the question is are they good enough to replace something on the starting list. This is one of the harder parts of character creation - trying to pick the spells you want to start with so you can handle as much as possible from the get go. A spell like feather fall could be switched out for unseen servant, if you don’t need light ( you/everyone have dark vision) it can be traded out for something like control flames or mending. This is something to talk over with the DM in session zero. Things like background/backstory, personality, etc can also impact your spell selection.
Yeah, it's good to coordinate with any other players who are running casters in order to make sure the party's got a good range of coverage instead of three people trying to do roughly the same role. Especially if people are running arcane casters and rangers.
yeah coordinating with the other players during creation so all bases are covered by the vrious spell casters is a great idea. Sadly my experience is that each player sort of goes their own way on their own and then brings the PC to session 0 preformed. Still you do have session 0 to revise in if folks are willing which helps.
Both spells tend to be fairly niche, but the consequences of needing Feather Fall and not having it tend to be a bit more painful (unless you're in a dungeon and need to distinguish between the lever that opens the emergency exit and the lever that sends shards of broken glass that's on fire under your fingernails, and the labels on both are written in Deep Speech).
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I would add control flames and shape water to the list as well. Being able to silently snuff out a torch at 30 feet is handy, and being able to make solid blocks of ice or change a flask of water to look like a potion is nifty too.
Control Flames is one of the strongest spells in the game, in the right circumstance. Sure, it's a little on the slow side, but if you have the rounds to spare, you can quite literally burn down a city using Control Flames. You'll quickly run out of Fireballs - but Control Flames is forever.
You could do that with just a torch if you have unlimited time too.
My party has 5 members and everyone tried to have different languages.
feather fall IMO is better than comprehend languages. Comprehend languages is more useful, but usually what it is useful for is not time-sensitive so your party is likely able to figure out an alternative solution that doesn't require comprehend languages or go find an NPC that can translate the text.
You could do that with just a torch if you have unlimited time too.
Um yes, in principle. But a torch doesn't create a 5x5 foot bonfire, round by round, forever. It also doesn't work at range. You cannot hide in an alley, and light a house on the other side of the street on fire - well, if you threw the torch, maybe, but flaming torches aren't stealthy, and then you no longer have a torch.
Control Flame is literally there to light great big fires, over time. In a time of wooden buildings and thatched roofs, it's ... frankly a little horrifying how much damage you could do.
Of course, you do need a way to light the initial fire. Firebolt would be my go-to solution, but that does mess a bit with the stealthy part of it.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I’m generally less concerned with burning down the town than I am with burning up the troll - or seeing in the dark. While I am typically in favor of mundane solutions over magical especially for leveled spell as for most mundane solutions you can carry more instances at a low encumbrance (assuming your even bothering with encumbrance) than you have spell slots available. Cantrips are the reverse, an essentially unlimited resource for little/encumbrance. That makes things like light and create bonfire very useful as they allow you to eliminate the torches freeing up the encumbrance/pack space or allowing you to bring other useful items. while I would like to have both featherfall and comp. Lang. I’ll take featherfall first and prep it far more often. Why? Because when you need it you NEED IT NOW! Comp. Lang. You can generally make do without or cast it as a ritual from your spellbook so why prep it. Also, FF affects upto 5 folks in a 60’ radius. So it’s good for the party, while CL is just you.
Technically Create Bonfire is literally there to light great big fires. Casting a spell is not stealthy either. And well, flaming arrows were an actual historic thing deliberately for this from the safe distance of outside the walls.
If I’m facing a troll or several trolls I WANT AT LEAST 1 great big bonfire close by to limit where the troll(s) go even if it does no damage. If I can get the troll into a fire as well even better. While burning down entire towns is certainly something armies do far too frequently, it is not, in my experience, something typical of adventurers. Dealing with trolls and wild animals and monsters is so I tend to look at spells from the viewpoint of what a character would typically use the spell for.
Technically Create Bonfire is literally there to light great big fires. Casting a spell is not stealthy either. And well, flaming arrows were an actual historic thing deliberately for this from the safe distance of outside the walls.
Ironically, I've simply never read Create Bonfire - although, why that and Control Flame both exist is slightly beyond me. Anyways, Control Flame is kinda stealthy, in that it has only Somatic component, so if you're standing somewhere dark, there's literally no way for anyone to see (unless they have dark vision, which for some reason almost all races seem to have these days).
Yes, a sieging army can also light fires. But it's no surprise to anyone that a sieging army can burn down a city - it's a lot more surprising that a single low level caster can do so. Walk around on a moonless night, spend a minute in one place, light a massive fire, walk off and let that fire spread on it's own, while lighting another somewhere nearby.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Create bonfire actually makes a fire, control flames doesn’t create a fire but it does move fires around. Both are useful but they do different things. When deciding on spells I try to think about the sorts of things I would realistically have a need for what the spell can do - hence create bonfire as a way to channel trolls so you only face one at a time or can get them burning as quickly as possible. In 40+ years of playing I’ve faced many trolls but never burned down a town ( I’ve saved a few towns on the other hand)
Create bonfire actually makes a fire, control flames doesn’t create a fire but it does move fires around. Both are useful but they do different things. When deciding on spells I try to think about the sorts of things I would realistically have a need for what the spell can do - hence create bonfire as a way to channel trolls so you only face one at a time or can get them burning as quickly as possible. In 40+ years of playing I’ve faced many trolls but never burned down a town ( I’ve saved a few towns on the other hand)
40+? Jeez, you must be old. I've played for 35+, and I watched the mountains rise from the sea. You must have seen the stars ignite in the sky =)
I think I've burned down two towns. But then, I don't generally play the villain.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
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Because they are rituals and seldom used in combat you can generally leave them in the spellbook and use your “prepared” slots for other spells at first level (assuming you have an INT of 16) you can prepare 4 spells (+ your cantrips) and cast 2 L1 spells with your slots. Personally I would prepare (and cast) mage armor to start the adventuring day with it being the last spell I prepped before the party headed out. The other 3 spells I would prepare off my list are: Magic Missile, Sleep and Feather Fall. With Detect Magic and Comprehend Languages available as rituals and your familiar already present close by.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Control Flames is one of the strongest spells in the game, in the right circumstance. Sure, it's a little on the slow side, but if you have the rounds to spare, you can quite literally burn down a city using Control Flames. You'll quickly run out of Fireballs - but Control Flames is forever.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Mending - fix your party's stuff. And fix stuff for NPCs so that they'll be more likely to do favors for you.
Unseen Servant - Has AC of 10, but it's invisible. Use it to feed potions to allies, spring traps, open faraway latches/doors/windows in the middle of combat - using a bonus action. At low levels, you won't have too much to do with your BA anyway.
Minor Illusion - Fantastic utility and combat setup cantrip if your DM isn't a killjoy. Need cover? Illusion a barrel or a big rock. Need to distract the guard? Create a sound in the opposite direction of the party. Distract a guard dog? Make the scent of delicious food somewhere away from the party. Need to create map from memory to show an NPC? M.Illusion does that too!
Dancing Lights - Useful for signalling other people from far away. Also nifty for distracting people or adding some pizzazz to your fellow Bard's performance.
Mold Earth - Make a trench, a latrine, a tunnel, a dam, etc. One of the best pre-combat cantrips for the strategic party.
All are good spells, the question is are they good enough to replace something on the starting list. This is one of the harder parts of character creation - trying to pick the spells you want to start with so you can handle as much as possible from the get go. A spell like feather fall could be switched out for unseen servant, if you don’t need light ( you/everyone have dark vision) it can be traded out for something like control flames or mending. This is something to talk over with the DM in session zero. Things like background/backstory, personality, etc can also impact your spell selection.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Yeah, it's good to coordinate with any other players who are running casters in order to make sure the party's got a good range of coverage instead of three people trying to do roughly the same role. Especially if people are running arcane casters and rangers.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
yeah coordinating with the other players during creation so all bases are covered by the vrious spell casters is a great idea. Sadly my experience is that each player sort of goes their own way on their own and then brings the PC to session 0 preformed. Still you do have session 0 to revise in if folks are willing which helps.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
A bit of bumping, but should I, instead of taking comprehend languages, take feather fall at level 2?
My party has 5 members and everyone tried to have different languages.
Both spells tend to be fairly niche, but the consequences of needing Feather Fall and not having it tend to be a bit more painful (unless you're in a dungeon and need to distinguish between the lever that opens the emergency exit and the lever that sends shards of broken glass that's on fire under your fingernails, and the labels on both are written in Deep Speech).
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
You could do that with just a torch if you have unlimited time too.
feather fall IMO is better than comprehend languages. Comprehend languages is more useful, but usually what it is useful for is not time-sensitive so your party is likely able to figure out an alternative solution that doesn't require comprehend languages or go find an NPC that can translate the text.
Um yes, in principle. But a torch doesn't create a 5x5 foot bonfire, round by round, forever. It also doesn't work at range. You cannot hide in an alley, and light a house on the other side of the street on fire - well, if you threw the torch, maybe, but flaming torches aren't stealthy, and then you no longer have a torch.
Control Flame is literally there to light great big fires, over time. In a time of wooden buildings and thatched roofs, it's ... frankly a little horrifying how much damage you could do.
Of course, you do need a way to light the initial fire. Firebolt would be my go-to solution, but that does mess a bit with the stealthy part of it.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I’m generally less concerned with burning down the town than I am with burning up the troll - or seeing in the dark. While I am typically in favor of mundane solutions over magical especially for leveled spell as for most mundane solutions you can carry more instances at a low encumbrance (assuming your even bothering with encumbrance) than you have spell slots available. Cantrips are the reverse, an essentially unlimited resource for little/encumbrance. That makes things like light and create bonfire very useful as they allow you to eliminate the torches freeing up the encumbrance/pack space or allowing you to bring other useful items.
while I would like to have both featherfall and comp. Lang. I’ll take featherfall first and prep it far more often. Why? Because when you need it you NEED IT NOW! Comp. Lang. You can generally make do without or cast it as a ritual from your spellbook so why prep it. Also, FF affects upto 5 folks in a 60’ radius. So it’s good for the party, while CL is just you.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Technically Create Bonfire is literally there to light great big fires. Casting a spell is not stealthy either. And well, flaming arrows were an actual historic thing deliberately for this from the safe distance of outside the walls.
If I’m facing a troll or several trolls I WANT AT LEAST 1 great big bonfire close by to limit where the troll(s) go even if it does no damage. If I can get the troll into a fire as well even better. While burning down entire towns is certainly something armies do far too frequently, it is not, in my experience, something typical of adventurers. Dealing with trolls and wild animals and monsters is so I tend to look at spells from the viewpoint of what a character would typically use the spell for.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Ironically, I've simply never read Create Bonfire - although, why that and Control Flame both exist is slightly beyond me. Anyways, Control Flame is kinda stealthy, in that it has only Somatic component, so if you're standing somewhere dark, there's literally no way for anyone to see (unless they have dark vision, which for some reason almost all races seem to have these days).
Yes, a sieging army can also light fires. But it's no surprise to anyone that a sieging army can burn down a city - it's a lot more surprising that a single low level caster can do so. Walk around on a moonless night, spend a minute in one place, light a massive fire, walk off and let that fire spread on it's own, while lighting another somewhere nearby.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Create bonfire actually makes a fire, control flames doesn’t create a fire but it does move fires around. Both are useful but they do different things. When deciding on spells I try to think about the sorts of things I would realistically have a need for what the spell can do - hence create bonfire as a way to channel trolls so you only face one at a time or can get them burning as quickly as possible. In 40+ years of playing I’ve faced many trolls but never burned down a town ( I’ve saved a few towns on the other hand)
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
40+? Jeez, you must be old. I've played for 35+, and I watched the mountains rise from the sea. You must have seen the stars ignite in the sky =)
I think I've burned down two towns. But then, I don't generally play the villain.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.