D&D 5E Fire Bolt vs other Wizzard offensive cantrips

[Inoeex]

Ray of Frost is possibly the best choice, from a support standpoint. It's rare that combat takes place at a range between 60 feet and 120 feet, and there are plenty of monsters where reducing their movement by 10' is enough to prevent them from ever making an attack.

I will go either Ray of Frost or Chill Touch
I dont like the Fire Element :S

 

[Fralex]

Could you possibly tell me what are the other two on the top three list, please ?

Here, why don't I give you all of them: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/show...stances-Immunities-Vulnerabilities-and-Damage

Of the damage types available to you in your bard an wizard cantrips, fire is resisted the most (though note that it's also strong against the most creatures), followed by cold, lightning, acid, necrotic, and finally psychic.

Damage type does not come into play a WHOLE lot in combat, so as long as you have a LITTLE variety you'll likely never encounter a monster you cannot hurt. It can also be helpful to consider damage types from a utility standpoint; a spell that deals acid damage could be useful if you need to corrode and weaken metal bars, cold spells might enable you to freeze water or other liquids, etc.

And of course, nondamaging spells can be quite versatile if you're clever about them. Never underestimate the value of a well-placed minor illusion!

 

[PnPgamer]

Here, why don't I give you all of them: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/show...stances-Immunities-Vulnerabilities-and-Damage

Of the damage types available to you in your bard an wizard cantrips, fire is resisted the most (though note that it's also strong against the most creatures), followed by cold, lightning, acid, necrotic, and finally psychic.

Damage type does not come into play a WHOLE lot in combat, so as long as you have a LITTLE variety you'll likely never encounter a monster you cannot hurt. It can also be helpful to consider damage types from a utility standpoint; a spell that deals acid damage could be useful if you need to corrode and weaken metal bars, cold spells might enable you to freeze water or other liquids, etc.

And of course, nondamaging spells can be quite versatile if you're clever about them. Never underestimate the value of a well-placed minor illusion!

don't forget poison spray. its damage type is most immunitized... immunified... immuned... not taken damage.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I mean whats the use of Ray of Frost? Give the target -10 speed while its 60 feet away from u ? Or its even closer ? The target can reach you in a two rounds, but Fire Bolt has 120 feet range!

For one thing, Ray of Frost stacks with Longstrider to allow you to kite. Every round you hit is a round the enemy doesn't get any closer at all, if he is a regular 30' movement dude. You hit him with Ray of Frost and retreat 40'; he Dashes for 40'. Repeat as desired.

Also it's great for killing oozes like Black Puddings.

Even better of course if you're already a Spell Sniper or if you have other ranged party-mates who are pouring on fire as well. You probably won't even miss the extra 2-3 points of damage from Fire Bolt in this case.

Chill Touch has the advantage of preventing regen and not being a ranged attack (so you can cast it in melee). Acid Splash and Thunderclap both do more damage than Fire Bolt in groups.

Fire Bolt isn't a bad default but it isn't dominant.

Edit: If we're talking about non-attack cantrips too, Dancing Lights deserves a mention, as does Minor Illusion. Both of these can grant you or one of your buddies advantage on attacks and disadvantage to your attacks by obscuring your location. Minor Illusion does this simply: create an illusion of a bush and then fire out of it. (If you do this a lot, be prepared for your DM to come to a belated realization that terrain is a good thing, and have goblins fill their lairs full of real bushes to shoot out of for advantage. It doesn't take magic to plant a bush.) Dancing Lights does this trickily: in a dark place, cast Dancing Lights in the darkness up to 120' ahead of you (and then use your own action next turn to Hide while you maintain it). Now you just have to stay out of the enemy's Darkvision range (usually 60' or 120') and you can shoot them full of holes at advantage with longbows and Eldritch Blast. Effectively you're using Dancing Lights as a NARC Missile Beacon.

 

[Blue]

From Bard Cantrips I got :
Mending
Vicious Mockery
Light
Mage Hand

When are you ever going to cast Firebolt over Vicious Mockery? It's quite a strong cantrip and the kicker is worth more than the 3 points of average damage firebolt will give you in almost every case. d10 is a lot more damage than d4 - but both are quite low compared to other character damage that you'll rarely ever want to cast it for just the damage component. It's like if you want a 8 oz cup or a 12 oz mug to bail out the sinking boat.

I'd suggest picking something with less overlap with what you already have.

 

[Mistwell]

When are you ever going to cast Firebolt over Vicious Mockery? It's quite a strong cantrip and the kicker is worth more than the 3 points of average damage firebolt will give you in almost every case. d10 is a lot more damage than d4 - but both are quite low compared to other character damage that you'll rarely ever want to cast it for just the damage component. It's like if you want a 8 oz cup or a 12 oz mug to bail out the sinking boat.

I'd suggest picking something with less overlap with what you already have.

I agree. Vicious Mockery is almost always better than firebolt.

 

[Dausuul]

For one thing, Ray of Frost stacks with Longstrider to allow you to kite. Every round you hit is a round the enemy doesn't get any closer at all, if he is a regular 30' movement dude. You hit him with Ray of Frost and retreat 40'; he Dashes for 40'. Repeat as desired.

That's great if you're fighting on a big open plain with nothing to hide behind and infinite room to retreat, and there's just the one guy, and he has no ranged options. Otherwise, you're this dude.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

That's great if you're fighting on a big open plain with nothing to hide behind and infinite room to retreat, and there's just the one guy, and he has no ranged options. Otherwise, you're this dude.

You don't need infinite room. You just need 40', and a secure line of retreat--e.g. kiting doesn't work when you're surrounded.

And no one is suggesting that every capability needs to be employed in every situation. Sometimes being able to kite is very useful.

 

[Jaelommiss]

And of course, nondamaging spells can be quite versatile if you're clever about them. Never underestimate the value of a well-placed minor illusion!

This can't be emphasized enough. There's an arcane tricker in one of my games who uses silent image to create "an opaque, black hemisphere with a diameter of 15 feet." Because he cast the spell and therefore knows that it is an illusion, he can see through it. The end result is constant advantage on attacks, disadvantage on all attacks against him, and it sometimes even uses up an enemy's action as they try to investigate the illusion. Only creatures with blindsight, tremorsense, or truesight are safe from this tactic.

 

[bid]

the kicker is worth more than the 3 points of average damage firebolt will give you in almost every case.

Ultimately it's 12, but yeah. Disabling for a round is worth much more.