D&D 5E A little help please for a first time spellcaster.

[Minsc]

Hello. Tomorrow I am playing a spellcasters for the first time in 5e. It's a human cleric, first level.

I have a 16 WIS.

How many spells do I get?

I understand I pick 3 cantrips.

Under "Spell Slots per Spell Level" I get two 1st level spells.

That seems well and good, until I get to the section on Preparing and Casting Spells.

With my 16 WIS, am I reading correctly that my character chooses 4 1st level spells (1 from Cleric level, 3 from a 16 WIS stat) to prepare, but I still cast just two of these before a long rest?

I just want to clarify before stepping into a new group tomorrow.

Thank you!

 

[Paraxis]

You don't prepare "spell slots" they are used as fuel to power your prepared spells. So with 2 spell slots you can cast any 2 of your prepared spells before you take a long rest and recover your spell slots.

Your prepared spells is like you say Wis mod + Level so for you 4. You also have two spells of 1st level always prepared based on your chosen domain, for instance if you are a Life cleric you always have bless and cure wounds spells prepared.

 

[Minsc]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate it!

 

[Gecko85]

You also have two spells of 1st level always prepared based on your chosen domain, for instance if you are a Life cleric you always have bless and cure wounds spells prepared.

I'm not playing a cleric, just curious: does a cleric get the two domain spells plus the other 4 prepared?

 

[Paraxis]

I'm not playing a cleric, just curious: does a cleric get the two domain spells plus the other 4 prepared?

Yes. And as he levels up more domain spells are automatically added as prepared spells as well, and a few of these spells are not on the cleric spell list.
For example A 5th level Light Cleric with a 16 wisdom would be able to prepare any 3(wis)+5(level)=8 spells off the cleric list he wanted, but would always have burning hands, faerie fire, flaming sphere, scorching ray, daylight, and fireball as prepared spells in addition to those 8.

Also remember as you level you can mix those prepared spells however you want, for example that 5th level cleric with the 8 prepared spells 6 of them could be 3rd level, 1 2nd, and 1st, in addition to his domain spells. Now he will only have enough spell slots to cast 2 of those 3rd level spells a day, but he would have a lot of versatility in what they could be.

The land circle druid has a feature much like the cleric in getting bonus prepared spells.

 

[painted_klown]

Don't forget, that you can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest.