D&D 5E Advice about damage types

[Warpiglet-7]

I recently discussed my intention to possibly play an arcana melee cleric. I would like some advice.

first, yes, I am into melee for my fun. Even if blasting makes “more sense” mathematically to some I don’t enjoy backlining all the time. I like to help hold doorways and hopefully bring spirit guardians to the fight.

my question is about damage types and cantrips.

for wizard cantrips, I am thinking about greenflame blade and...that is where I stumble.

I want to potentially be relevant in all tiers. There is a lot of fire immunity out there. As a result I am torn between taking chill touch (thematic for a cleric of wee Jas!) booming blade or even acid splash.

I can still take toll of the dead or sacred flame at higher levels since they are cleric spells but wondered how essential booming blade will be.

of note, toll of the dead is a wisdom save and sacred flame is dex. Ultimately I suppose I could take both but chill touch is an attack roll and has a nice rider vs undead, trolls, etc and is necrotic. Hell its also thematic.

thanks for any recommendations.

 

[Ancalagon]

chill touch is really nice - yes it's a bit less damage than some other cantrips, but it's still decent.

Unless you have a gazillion cantrips, I wouldn't take more than 2 attack cantrips. Personally I try not to have more than 1, but sometimes 2 is ok? Cantrips can provide you a lot of utility...

 

[Warpiglet-7]

chill touch is really nice - yes it's a bit less damage than some other cantrips, but it's still decent.

Unless you have a gazillion cantrips, I wouldn't take more than 2 attack cantrips. Personally I try not to have more than 1, but sometimes 2 is ok? Cantrips can provide you a lot of utility...

Agreed. Since I am arcana, I believe I start with five. One gfb is a must for me. What really was a conundrum was booming blade vs. chill touch.

I otherwise plan to take light, guidance, thaumaturgy if able...

At level five I will have a total of 6 cantrips...

I like chill touch a lot. It will get wisdom bonus at level 8 but is no good close up unfortunately...

that is where booming blade might come in...

 

[Charlaquin]

Chill Touch and Toll the Dead have great synergy. Round 1 you Chill Touch to damage them target and insure it can’t heal, so you are guaranteed to get the bigger damage die for Toll the Dead round 2.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

Chill Touch and Toll the Dead have great synergy. Round 1 you Chill Touch to damage them target and insure it can’t heal, so you are guaranteed to get the bigger damage die for Toll the Dead round 2.

Well I have to admit they have thematic appeal too for arcana and death

 

[Arvok]

If you really want to maximize your effectiveness, might I suggest you take your second level in cleric (War domain). That gives you proficiency with all armor, shields, and weapons, and additional attack (the number of times you get to use that dependent upon your Wisdom), and three more cantrips. If that is too much min-maxing for your taste, than the Arcana domain should be a reasonable alternative. You still get proficiency in shields and light & medium armor, plus your 3 cleric cantrips and 2 more wizard cantrips. It shouldn't be that hard to come up with a good role play reason for a melee wizard to take a level of cleric.

 

[Arvok]

If anyone in your party has a way to move enemies (like a warlock with eldritch blast & repelling blast or if you have shield proficiency and the Shield Master feat), booming blade can be very effective. If you hit an enemy with the spell, and then he's pushed away from you he has to trigger the stored-up energy in order to make a melee attack against you. If you're relying on someone else to move him it's not as effective since you both need to go before or after him in the initiative order, but it does have it's uses.

 

[Ancalagon]

Agreed. Since I am arcana, I believe I start with five. One gfb is a must for me. What really was a conundrum was booming blade vs. chill touch.

I otherwise plan to take light, guidance, thaumaturgy if able...

At level five I will have a total of 6 cantrips...

I like chill touch a lot. It will get wisdom bonus at level 8 but is no good close up unfortunately...

that is where booming blade might come in...

Oof, booming blade and GFB? That's a lot.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

Oof, booming blade and GFB? That's a lot.

Yes but they are ‘free’ in a sense. Remember other clerics are getting divine strike and often with radiant damage.

arcana does not—-and I want to be able to be in melee across the life of the character.

so really here is my dilemma: I want to be relevant in melee and am certainly taking greenflame blade.

so I really want damage at close range for fire resistant and immune monsters. It may be that I take toll of the bell for them. One other thought I had is that I will have magic missile as well as inflict wounds as options up close too.

maybe I go chill touch and gfb for arcana domain. And later I could get toll of the dead for up close? If I hit with a magic missile first, I would rolling 2d12+4 or 5 at 8th level...For fire resistant monsters

 

[Warpiglet-7]

If anyone in your party has a way to move enemies (like a warlock with eldritch blast & repelling blast or if you have shield proficiency and the Shield Master feat), booming blade can be very effective. If you hit an enemy with the spell, and then he's pushed away from you he has to trigger the stored-up energy in order to make a melee attack against you. If you're relying on someone else to move him it's not as effective since you both need to go before or after him in the initiative order, but it does have it's uses.

Yeah. I will see what my friend is taking for this group. That would be nasty especially since I believe it would also get potent cantrip damage.

really torn now. Had almost convinced myself to got with gfb, chill touch and toll of the dead. Now I am wondering if booming blade should simply replace chill touch.

when what’s best is hard to determine I usually go with theme (and so when it’s not optimal anyway).

chill touch is creepy afterall—-fits with we Jas I think.