D&D 5E All Cantrips, All the Time: What's your choice for a cantrip-monkey build?

[ro]

Suppose you wanted to build a character with the most (and most useful) cantrips possible. How would you build it, and what would you fill up any extra levels with?

Could such a character be beneficial to a party at higher levels?

Possible Build:
High Elf (1)
Sorceror (Draconic) 1 (4)
Wizard (Illusion) 2 (4)
Cleric (Arcana) 1 (5)
Warlock 2 (2) (for Agonizing Blast)
Bard 1 (2)
Druid 1 (2)

That would be level 8 with 20 cantrips.

For three levels of Fighter and three of Rogue you can get an additional 5 cantrips, for 25 cantrips at 14th level.

 

[Blue]

Are you looking for a theoretical build or a practical one?

Theoretical build, it looks like you've really got the bases covered in terms of number and variety but there are a few tricks for more. Add in the Magic Initiate feat for more. If your cleric domian is nature you get an extra druid one. bard magical secrets can pick up more. Warlock 3 for Tome can get you 3 more for any spell list (and they are Chr based instead of whatever).

Practical build. Hmm. well, there's a diminishing return for cantrips - you can only cast one at a time, and many do variations on the same thing. So I don't think you need to go to those lengths to still be the character with "a cantrip for every occasion".

Well, Warlock 2 with Agonizing Blast will be the most pure cantrip damage, though depending on the rest of your build one of the SCAG cantrips to attack with might work best.

The other combat choice could be Vicious Mockery, when imposing disadvantage for one attack is king.

Some rather useful cantrips:
Druidcraft (Drd)
Guidance (Clr, Drd)
Light (Bard, Clr, Sorc)
Mage Hand (Bard, Sorc, Warlock)
Mending (Bard, Clr, Drd, Sorc)
Message (Bard, Sorc)
Minor Illusion (Bard, Sorc)
Prestidigitation (Bard, Sorc, Warlock)
Shillelagh (Drd)
Thaumaturgy (Clr)

So, let's take a look. Warlock 3 (Tome) will give us 2 cantrips (EB, Booming Blade) plus 3 from any list Chr flavored. Let's take our druid options so we don't need to restrict armor. So Shillelagh (based on Chr), Druidcraft, and Mending. I like cleric 1 for medium armor prof, so that's Guidance, Thamaturgy, and Light. Sorc 1 keeps us Chr focused so we're not going crazy with multiclass requirements, giving us Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, and Prestidigitation. That leaves us Message off our list, but we could pick it up a number of ways, like another Warlock level. With Shillelagh to use Chr to attacks and Booming Blade, as well as Eldritch Blast, we're set for basic damage. We have good AC, and a large nujber of useful out-of-combat cantrips. And we can focus on Chr, and have a 13 Wis we don't need to pump. We're moving as "they guy with the cantrip for everything" already at 5th.

 

[mellored]

Possible Build:
High Elf (1)
Sorceror (Draconic) 1 (4)
Wizard (Illusion) 2 (4)
Cleric (Arcana) 1 (5)
Warlock 2 (2) (for Agonizing Blast)
Bard 1 (2)
Druid 1 (2)

That would be level 8 with 20 cantrips.

For three levels of Fighter and three of Rogue you can get an additional 5 cantrips, for 25 cantrips at 14th level.

Tome Warlock 3 (3)
Lore Bard 6 (2)

That's 30 cantrips and 20 levels.

Could such a character be beneficial to a party at higher levels?

You'll have plenty of spell slots and some level 3 bard spells, cutting words, as well as medium armor and shield. So hypnotic pattern + eldrich blast is your go to. Perhaps bless + eldritch blast. With the occasional heal to get someone off the ground.

So yes. Not optimal, but you could contribue. Just make sure to get max Cha.

 

[ro]

Lore Bard 6 would add one additional cantrip at level 4, and we could take Magic Initiate for two which brings us up to 33.

 

[Irda Ranger]

My current PC is my cantrip-monkey, and he's just a 4th level Tome-lock with Magic Initiate (Bard), so far. Honestly the only Cantrip I wish I had was Light, and I could have taken it but the wizard in the party already had it so I took Dancing Lights just to give the group something else to work with.

I'm already at the point of diminishing returns on Cantrip functionality. Eldritch Blast hurts pretty much everything. I have Thorn Whip (which I call Barbed Tentacle, because he's GOO) and Vicious Mockery (which I call Gibbering Whispers), but limited opportunities to use them.

 

[BasinRimmel]

My current PC is my cantrip-monkey, and he's just a 4th level Tome-lock with Magic Initiate (Bard), so far. Honestly the only Cantrip I wish I had was Light, and I could have taken it but the wizard in the party already had it so I took Dancing Lights just to give the group something else to work with.

I'm already at the point of diminishing returns on Cantrip functionality. Eldritch Blast hurts pretty much everything. I have Thorn Whip (which I call Barbed Tentacle, because he's GOO) and Vicious Mockery (which I call Gibbering Whispers), but limited opportunities to use them.

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[BasinRimmel]

I was able to get the undying light patron for my warlock . And got light for free


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[Irda Ranger]

I was able to get the undying light patron for my warlock . And got light for free

I remember reading that article a while ago, but my current DM is "PHB + SCAG" only for PC options.

 

[Vulf]

Rather than try to grab every cantrip from many multiclasses, I would stick with only 2 classes that used the same main stat for casting.

Bard has Ritual caster and a fair amount of utility from other abilities. That added on to Sorcerer would let you Twin-cast Vicious Mockery, or Hasten a Cure Wounds, freeing up your action for a cantrip. You'd be able to throw out multiple cantrips in a single turn for much of the day, even dumping higher level spell slots for extra sorcery points for more cantrip shenanigans.

Delivering multiple Greenflame Blades with a Rapier in a single turn, the Shield spell ready for defense, or twin casting Healing Word on two allies 100' apart. Or you cutting words an enemy's initiative, and then drop a web on them. All while Jack of All trades is adding a bonus to the ability checks in initiative, Counterspell, and Dispell magic. You could have a different role, every round of combat.

 

[Healex02]

I'm making a bit of a Cantrip/Ritual monkey myself that uses Tome Warlock (3) and Illusion Wizard (2), all wrapped up in a little Forest Gnome for 10 cantrips by level 5 (11 by level 6) not to mention 6 ritual spells (in my specific setup). Mind you my build is for 100% PHB and only takes a 2 level dip so I can main Warlock. Any further down cantrip lane and you start to get a lot of lesser cantrips in PHB.

Shameless plug: I'm looking for some help with my specific build on my own thread, but more with the actual leveled spells than the cantrips.

Thanks, Healex02