D&D 5E What "attack"-oriented cantrips do you like the most?

[MikalC]

1) eldritch blast: only cantrip that progresses via additional rolls vs added damage dice. Combined with its intended use (warlocks with agonizing blast) and it can’t be beat

2) toll the dead: the best damaging save cantrip vs attack roll

3) booming blade: a must for the tactical kiting rogue. It combines with all weapon damage so technically the only cantrip that benefits from GWM +10 damage, mixes with your standard weapon damage, and can lock down an opponent or they face additional punishment. The best tactical cantrip due to that.

Special mention goes to guidance: it’s not truly an attack cantrip but since it can provide bonuses to checks you CAN potentially use it to add to rolls to create traps that damage enemies.

 

[Helldritch]

Shillelagh is overrated, it's great until level 5, but once all the other cantrips start scaling up, it's a bad choice.

There needs to be a better ranged Lightning-based one.

1) Shillelagh overrated? Nope. This cantrip enables the character to attack with a simple weapon (club) with her wisdom score and upgrade the club to magic weapon status and it also upgrade its damage die to a d8. It needs no concentration and can be used in conjonction with spiritual weapons and normal melee attacks without the cleric needing to raise his strength to the detriment of wisdom or an other feat. This spell is strong enough that almost all life clerics that I see at my table take the magic initiate to get it.

2) Fully agree on that. We need some decent lightning cantrip. Arcane ones, beside EB, would be welcomed too.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Shillelagh doesn't need to scale with level, since it is used to make melee weapon attacks, which do.

 

[cbwjm]

Shillelagh doesn't need to scale with level, since it is used to make melee weapon attacks, which do.

Which is a shame for the druid who doesn't get scaling melee weapon attacks. The class it is made for is not the one that would get the most use out of it. Clerics gain divine strike, warriors get extra attack, and rogues get sneak attack. Apart from the cleric who can leverage their wisdom modifier, I don't think I'd bother with it since its value quickly falls off at higher levels.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Which is a shame for the druid who doesn't get scaling melee weapon attacks. The class it is made for is not the one that would get the most use out of it. Clerics gain divine strike, warriors get extra attack, and rogues get sneak attack. Apart from the cleric who can leverage their wisdom modifier, I don't think I'd bother with it since its value quickly falls off at higher levels.

Druid can make it scale by acquiring Booming Blade.

Shillelagh is great for warlocks, bards, monks and rangers as well as clerics.

 

[ccs]

Its a great spell, but in the OP I clarify why it (along with Magic Stone) weren't included, as neither requires an attack roll or saving throw as part of the spell.

Pointless semantics. If my warlock casts magic stone & then misses the attack roll from the sling? It's exactly the same effect as if I'd missed an attack roll with one of the other cantrips. No hit/no damage.

 

[rgoodbb]

I've done a couple of Thorn Whip pulls over Spike Growth before, and one into a real campfire, but has anyone been lucky enough to Thorn Whip over a Created Bonfire Cantrip?

 

[ccooke]

Druid can make it scale by acquiring Booming Blade.

Shillelagh is great for warlocks, bards, monks and rangers as well as clerics.

The key thing is, if shillelagh scaled as a cantrip, it would be horribly overpowered if any other class took it or if the druid gained additional attacks or options - that could be as simple as a high elf druid with greenflame blade or booming blade. As is, it is good enough to make a difference if the druid needs to attack, and it opens up a huge number of options.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The key thing is, if shillelagh scaled as a cantrip, it would be horribly overpowered if any other class took it or if the druid gained additional attacks or options - that could be as simple as a high elf druid with greenflame blade or booming blade. As is, it is good enough to make a difference if the druid needs to attack, and it opens up a huge number of options.

Absolutely. Shillelagh can't scale, because if it did it would break stuff (including, potentially, future druid subclasses with scaling melee weapon attacks).

 

[Helldritch]

Druid can make it scale by acquiring Booming Blade.

Shillelagh is great for warlocks, bards, monks and rangers as well as clerics.

No one at my table ever thought of that! Not even me... Good Lord...