Best Cleric Cantrips in Dungeons & Dragons 5E

[@AmateurContendr]

Bro, thank you so much for everything you do. I've been binging the insane amount of content you made of the Lost Mine of Phandelver to help me prep for a campaign I'm running this weekend (I'm a new DM). It's incredibly useful and I'm really grateful for all of this stuff you've put out.

[@HowtoRPG]

Thanks. You are welcome Jack.

[@troygrossman8145]

Don't forget that an Initiative Roll is a dexterity skill check, so Guidence is useful for combat too!

[@jfduug4994]

I’m playing a cleric for the first time now so this is really great

[@HowtoRPG]

Glad to hear it. I made this video for first time Clerics.

[@colmcorbec7031]

Light, Thaumaturgy and Mending. (Need one hand for the shield and one for the "flashlight" Warhammer.)

[@HowtoRPG]

No Guidance?

[@Hyde_Hill]

My table tends to be battle heavy so as a cleric I start with toll the dead, sacred flame (in case of necrotic resistance, high wisdom or not damaged yet) and guidance as we do have some outside combat plus can buff initiative if you know combat is coming ( we don't allow continual casting). Then Mending and then resistance (as we get thaumaturgy for free otherwise would be here).

[@HowtoRPG]

What ever works for you.

[@nargileh1]

Does your dm play it so the bell sound of toll the dead has a chance to attract nearby npc's?

[@Hyde_Hill]

@@nargileh1 Not more then regular sound of combat.

[@binolombardi]

I love cleric cantrips. So many are still useful without a high wisdom stat. I took a 1 level dip in cleric with my war wizard. The cantrips I chose were guidance, resistance, and thaumaturgy. Guidance and Resistance are incredibly useful as their effects and concentration synergize with the war wizards features quite a bit. Guidance can be chosen to supplement initiative, or any tool/intelligence check. Resistance potentially stacks with the arcane deflection feature. Concentration from both of these cantrips activate the durable magic for no resources. Guidance/resistance can be used by the war wizard along with other self targeting cantrips to be dispelled via the dispel magic spell to gain power surge charges. Thaumaturgy can be used to target yourself for a non concentration spell effect to be dispelled. While this may be a less resource intensive way to gain surges, it’s still not worth sacrificing a 3rd level slot until around total level 12, and even then only if you have 4 individual spell effects to dispel along with 20 intelligence. Thaumaturgy is nice as it can turn dim light from flames into bright light, and bright light into dim light. Can squeeze out more effectiveness from lanterns like the bullseye lantern. Can also partially check doors and windows for locks and traps from 30ft away.

[@HowtoRPG]

Cleric with other classes is very strong.

[@maximesavard2759]

Sacred Flame is pretty useful since it can be used in melee cuz its a saving throw and not a ranged attack roll

[@HowtoRPG]

True for combat.

[@mikesands4681]

Dear Fred - talk about digging, burrowing and tunneling and mining. Combat vs travel vs sneaking around. Tools, traits and spells. Everyone talks about flying but Does burrowing in combat mean attack of opportunity if not leaving five foot range? Best monsters?

[@HowtoRPG]

If you can't see the target leave your threat range you don't get opportunity attacks.

[@cryhavoc1658]

Toll The Dead is such a good cantrip! I picked up Cleric cantrips on my Paladin by using the Blessed Warrior fighting stance. Offers a little more spell variety early game. And Toll The Dead puts in work!

[@HowtoRPG]

It's a very strong damage dealing cantrip for a Cleric.

[@spookieboogi6161]

Ooo this will help a lot thanks

[@HowtoRPG]

You are welcome :)

[@joshuahaynes1032]

I'm playing a grave cleric and got a 12 followed by a 10 for toll the dead. My dm was like wait that is a cantrip.

[@jjpatton88]

If you were playing a campaign with a lot of undead, would you take sacred flame over toll the dead?

[@HowtoRPG]

Yes if there's lots of zombies, but that is just me.

[@jjpatton88]

@@HowtoRPG thanks!

[@HowtoRPG]

@@jjpatton88 You are welcome 😊

[@andrewhazlewood4569]

5:57 did you mean spare the dying instead of sacred flame?

[@HowtoRPG]

Yes.

[@rayzerot]

Thaumaturgy is soooo limited as to be almost pointless unless you're trying to scare some kobolds. Change my mind.

[@HowtoRPG]

Why?

[@heart.9889]

It's also the absolutely best thing for roleplaying out of combat and an incredible amount of fun so gives me everything i want from a cantrip. Use it all the time.

[@Queerbbby]

​@@heart.9889could you give some examples for how you use it? :)

[@Nlotus]

@@Queerbbby I once used it to rattle the windows in a dark mansion and open the curtains. Useful as sunlight came pouring in and hit the Yeth Hound we were fighting. No more Yeth Hound.

[@Queerbbby]

@@Nlotus thank you! I am still undecided if I really want to use is or not

[@SeniorAdrian]

what about Spare the Dying?

[@HowtoRPG]

It's easier to get a Healers kit and use the cantrip slot for something else.

[@MattNeisinger]

Sadly, after DMing 5e from release until a little over a year ago, I didn't realize how shit Spare the Dying was until a brand new player made a character who selected the Healer feat. Only then did I actually look at how the healer's kit works and realize that Spare the Dying is only good if you can get it for free AND use it at range. That same player, playing a lore bard, also took the Inspiring Leader feat later on, making him one of the best party support characters I've ever seen.

[@HowtoRPG]

Spare the Dying was better during playtesting.

[@MattNeisinger]

@@HowtoRPG I'm a fan of consequences. I like the idea that being revived from zero hit points cumulatively bestows one level of exhaustion. Having said that, I think a good fix for Spare the Dying would be: Spare the Dying cantrip casting time 1 action range touch components V, S When you target an unconcious living creature who has 0 hit points with this spell, the target becomes stabilized, gains 1 hit point, and becomes conscious. Recovering from zero hit points adds one level of exhaustion to the target creature. Constructs, objects, and undead cannot be affected by this spell.

[@HowtoRPG]

@@MattNeisinger The spell was almost like that during alpha playtesting.

[@MattNeisinger]

@@HowtoRPG I feel like the exhaustion mechanics are severely under used. Implementing a cumulative exhaustion penalty for dropping to zero would do a lot to encourage tactical thinking, and it would greatly reduce players' tendency toward the Chumba Wumba effect. If you keep getting knocked down, pretty soon you won't get up again! To counterbalance this, allow a short rest to recover one level of exhaustion once per day, a long rest recovers two, and a full day of rest and light activity recovers four. And give the poor berserker barbarian an ability that improves on this... say they could recover one level after 1 minute of inactivity a number of times per day equal to their CON modifier (or something like that). I love the idea of Spare the Dying, but it sucks in its official version. Even without the exhaustion mechanic, a 1 hp heal with the restrictions mentioned would be extremely difficult to abuse. Heck, even the Life Domain Cleric can't abuse this, because it's a cantrip!