D&D 5E Wizard Cantrips: Which are the best early on?

[Mallus]

I'm taking Friends as one of my cantrips for the 1st level Warlock I'm going to play this Saturday. Working around its obvious drawback feels like an interesting challenge, and it fits the character perfectly -- he's a scary research librarian who read the wrong rare book in the Rare Books collection and is now in service, kinda, to a Great Old One.

 

[Fralex]

Although I've heard some people describe Prestidigitation as "the spell you take if you just want to make your pretend character more comfortable," it's actually got a TON of practical applications in addition to great roleplaying ones. It allows you to conjure any nonmagical item small enough to fit in your hand. No, it doesn't have the older editions' limitations that whatever you create looks fake and crude, or can't function as a tool or weapon. Need to get a better view of an approaching army? Conjure a spyglass! Need to mine a rare ore you came across in a cave? Summon a minor's pick! Heck, a vial of acid is just four ounces; you could conjure one and throw it on your next turn! There's so much stuff you can do with this tiny spell.

 

[Lidgar]

It allows you to conjure any nonmagical item small enough to fit in your hand.

Kind of. You actually "create a nonmagical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand and that lasts until the end of your next turn." Some DM's may be more limiting in what is considered a trinket...

 

[Fralex]

Kind of. You actually "create a nonmagical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand and that lasts until the end of your next turn." Some DM's may be more limiting in what is considered a trinket...

I wear vials of acid as ornamental jewelry all the time, what are you saying?

 

[Gothnog]

If you like role playing cantrips, this book has some excellent ones if I do say so myself.

 

[Fralex]

Oh, man, I didn't know this sort of extra stuff was out yet! Sold!

 

[Saeviomagy]

Given the power of some cantrips, friends should probably not have the drawback that it has.