Best cantrips in D&D 5e

Learn all about cantrips and which ones are the best in D&D 5e

What is a cantrip?

A cantrip is a type of spell used in D&D 5e that doesn’t use spell slots. This means that cantrips can be used any number of times between rests (though there is a limit to how many can be used in a turn). Because of their infinite reusability, cantrips also tend to be less powerful than other spells, even 1st level spells, though if you use them cleverly, they can sometimes accomplish what a higher spell slot might have accomplished.

How do cantrips work in D&D 5e?

Like with other spells, you can memorise cantrips as part of your spell repertoire so it’s important to ensure you choose at least a few so you can keep casting even when you run low on spell slots. You will have access to these memorised cantrips whenever you need them and will not use up a spell slot when they’re cast.

One important advantage of cantrips is that you can cast a cantrip and another levelled spell in the same turn, as long as one of those spells only requires a bonus action to cast. Ordinarily, a player can’t cast 2 levelled spells in a turn. This adds another reason to ensure you have a good number of cantrips at your disposal, especially for combat encounters, and adding in that all important bonus action requirement is also a big plus.

What cantrips are there?

There are a lot of cantrips in D&D 5e. Some deal damage, others provide buffs and debuffs and others have out of combat effects. To make it easier for you to know what cantrips to choose, we’ve detailed them all out in the table below along with the important aspects of each cantrip.

Spell	Casting Time	Range	Saving Throw	Duration	Class	Damage	Effect
Acid Splash	1 action	60 ft	Dexterity	Instantaneous	Artificer, Sorceror, wizard	1d6 acid (up to 4d6 with level increases)	Can target up to 2 creatures within 5 ft of each other
Blade Ward	1 action	Self	None	1 round	Bard, sorceror, warlock, wizard	None	Resistance against bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage
Booming Blade	1 action	Self (5 ft radius)	None	1 round	Artificer, sorceror, warlock, wizard	If the target moves, they take 1d8 damage (additional damage at higher levels)	None
Chill Touch	1 action	120 ft	None	Instantaneous	Sorceror, warlock, wizard	1d8 necrotic (up to 4d8 with level increases)	Can’t regain hit points for a turn
Control Flames	1 action	60 ft	None	Instantaneous or 1 hour	Druid, sorceror, wizard	None	Manipulate a flame
Create bonfire	1 action	60 ft	Dexterity	1 minute concentration	Artificer, druid, sorceror, warlock, wizard	1 d8 (up to 4d8 with higher levels)	Ignites flammable objects
Dancing Lights	1 action	120 ft	None	1 minute concentration	Artificer, Bard, sorceror, wizard	None	4 balls of light that shed dim light
Druidcraft	1 action	30 ft	None	Instantaneous	Druid	None	Predict weather, make plants bloom, harmless sensory effect or light or snuff out flame
Eldritch Blast	1 action	120 ft	None	Instananeous	Warlock	1d10 force	Shoot up to 4 beams at higher levels
Fire bolt	1 action	120 ft	None	Instantaneous	Artificer, Sorceror, wizard	1d10 fire (up to 4d10 with higher levels)	Ignites flammable objects
Friends	1 action	Self	None	1 minute concentration	Bard, sorceror, warlock, wizard	None	Advantage on charisma checks against target
Frostbite	1 action	60 ft	Constitution	Instantaneous	Artificer, druid, sorceror, warlock, wizard	1 d6 cold (up to 4d6 at higher levels)	Disadvantage on next attack roll
Green Flame Blade	1 action	Self (5 ft radius)	None	Instantaneous	Artificer, sorceror, warlock, wizard	Fire equal to spellcasting modifier (additional damage at higher levels)	None
Guidance	1 action	Touch	None	1 minute concentration	Artificer, Cleric, druid	None	Target can add a d4 to an ability check
Gust	1 action	30 ft	Strength	Instantaneous	Druid, sorceror, wizard	None	Push a creature or small object a short distance
Infestation	1 action	30 ft	Constitution	Instantaneous	Druid, sorceror, warlock, wizard	1d6 poison (up to 4d6 with higher levels)	target moves 5 ft in random direction
Light	1 action	Touch	Dexterity	1 hour	Artificer, Bard, cleric, sorceror, wizard	None	Sheds bright light
Lightning Lure	1 action	Self (15 ft radius)	Strength	Instantaneous	Artificer, sorceror, warlock, wizard	1d8 lightning (up to 4d8 at higher levels)	Pulled 10 ft towards you
Mage Hand	1 action	30 ft	None	1 minute	Artificer, Bard, sorceror, warlock, wizard	None	Create a spectral hand to complete simple tasks
Magic Stone	1 bonus action	Touch	None	1 minute	Artificer, druid, warlock	1d6 + spellcasting modifier	Magic weapons
Mending	1 minute	Touch	None	Instantaneous	Artificer, Bard, cleric, druid, sorceror, wizard	None	Mend an object
Message	1 action	120 ft	None	1 round	Artificer, Bard, sorceror, wizard	None	Send a telepathic message
Mind Sliver	1 action	60 ft	Intelligence	1 round	Sorceror, warlock, wizard	1d6 psychic (up to 4d6 at higher levels)	subtract 1d4 from next saving throw
Minor Illusion	1 action	30 ft	Intelligence	1 minute	Bard, sorceror, warlock, wizard	None	Create an illusion
Mold Earth	1 action	30 ft	None	Instantaneous or 1 hour	Druid, sorceror, wizard	None	Manipulate the ground in various ways
Poison Spray	1 action	10 ft	Constitution	Instantaneous	Artificer, Druid, sorceror, warlock, wizard	1d12 poison (up to 4d12 with higher levels)	None
Prestidigitation	1 action	10 ft	None	1 hour	Artificer, Bard, sorceror, warlock, wizard	None	Create a small, harmless effect
Primal Savagery	1 action	Self	None	Instantaneous	Druid	1d10 acid (up to 4d10 at higher levels)	None
Produce Flame	1 action	Self	None	10 minutes	Druid	1d8 fire (up to 4d8 with higher levels)	Creates dim light
Ray of Frost	1 action	60 ft	Dexterity	Instantaneous	Artificer, Sorceror, wizard	1d8 cold (up to 4d8 with higher levels)	Reduce movement speed
Resistance	1 action	Touch	None	1 minute concentration	Artificer, Cleric, druid	None	Target can add a d4 to a saving throw
Sacred Flame	1 action	60 ft	Dexterity	Instantaneous	Cleric	1d8 radiant (up to 4d8 with higher levels)	None
Shape Water	1 action	30 ft	None	Instantaneous or 1 hour	Druid, sorceror, wizard	None	Manipulate water
Shillelagh	Bonus Action	Touch	None	1 minute	Druid	None	Weapon attacks can use spellcasting ability for attack and damage, weapon does d8 damage and becomes magical
Shocking Grasp	1 action	Touch	None	Insantaneous	Artificer, Sorceror, wizard	1d8 lightning (up to 4d8 with higher levels)	Advantage against enemies wearing metal. No reactions
Spare the Dying	1 action	Touch	None	Insantaneous	Artificer, Cleric	None	Stabilises a creature on 0 hit points
Sword Burst	1 action	Self (5 ft radius)	Dexterity	Instantaneous	Artificer, sorceror, warlock, wizard	1d6 force damage (up to 4d6 at higher levels)	Strikes all targets in range
Thaumaturgy	1 action	30 ft	None	1 minute	Cleric	None	Manifest a minor wonder
Thorn Whip	1 action	30 ft	None	Instantaneous	Artificer, Druid	1d6 piercing (up to 4d6 at higher levels)	Pull creature 10 ft towards you
Thunderclap	1 action	5 ft	Constitution	Instantaneous	Artificer, sorceror, warlock, wizard	1d6 thunder (up to 4d6 with higher levels)	Afects all creatures in range
Toll the Dead	1 action	60 ft	Wisdom	Instantaneous	Cleric, warlock, wizard	1d8 or 1d12 necrotic (up to 4d8 or 4d12 with higher levels)	None
True Strike	1 action	30 ft	None	1 round concentration	Bard, sorceror, warlock, wizard	None	Advantage on next attack roll
Vicious Mockery	1 action	60 ft	Wisdom	Instantaneous	Bard	1d4 psychic (up to 4d4 with higher levels)	Disadvantage on next attack roll
Word of Radiance	1 action	5 ft	Constitution	Instantaneous	Cleric	1d6 radiant (up to 4d6 with higher levels)	Affects all creatures you choose in range

Which cantrips are best?

There are quite a few cantrips to choose from and each fulfills a different function from damage dealing to buffs and out of combat effects. We’ve pieced together the cantrips we think are best so read on for our advice on the best cantrips for your character.

Eldritch Blast – Eldritch blast is hands down the best damage dealing cantrip. It gives you 1d10 of damage (unlike the more typical 1d8) and it’s force damage which is unusual to have a resistance against. There’s also no save to avoid damage either. On top of this, at higher levels, you get up to 3 more beams that can shoot at a single target or multiple targets (no other cantrips give you this flexibility). It’s a good job it’s so good as warlocks need a decent spell to cast with such limited spell slots.

Fire Bolt – If you’re not a warlock, then fire bolt is your next best bet with 1d10 damage. It’s slightly less effective as when it scales up in damage, it can still only strike a single target and more creatures are resistant to fire than force damage but still a great option.

Toll the Dead – Toll the dead is similar to the previous spells but it has a shorter range. It does, however, have more potential to deal damage. It’s standard damage is 1d8 necrotic but this jumps up to 1d12 if the target is already injured and it scales in damage with levels. If your enemy is low on wisdom, it works particularly well as it requires a wisdom saving throw. The main downsides are the shorter range (60 ft is normally enough but only half of eldritch blast’s range) and that more creatures have resistance to necrotic damage.

Booming Blade – Not always a good option for spellcasters as normally you’re staying out of melee range, but a few subclasses can benefit a lot from this cantrip that basically enhances a melee attack for the potential of more damage without sacrificing an action (or even a bonus action). One to consider for battlesmiths and hexblades.

Guidance – Not the greatest option in the middle of combat, but guidance is great outside of it when you know someone will need to make an important ability check (like disarming a trap), the extra d4 they get could be the difference between success and failure.

Minor Illusion – A great non-damaging spell if you need a distraction in combat. you can waste an enemy’s turn by having them try to hit your illusion. It’s also great out of combat. It can make a noise that appears from somewhere you are not if you’re trying to distract guards. It could be used to convince enemies that a place is haunted. It’s got all sorts of uses as long as you’re creative enough to work around a problem.

Mage Hand – Another great out of combat cantrip. Mage hand is very flexible, basically creating a spectral hand that can perform simple tasks like grabbing the keys to a jail cell off a table or attempting to trigger a trap (from a safe distance). It does have limitations for weight and strength (it is a cantrip after all) but still a great option.

Light – Light is very useful if the party don’t all have darkvision. Caves and dungeons are no longer a problem for the group and it’s easy to hide the light if you need to stay hidden just by covering it (it won’t burn you like a flaming torch).