D&D 5E (Homebrew) Which Must Have 1st-Level Spell? (by class)

[ezo]

So our current homebrew project is doing something a bit different with spells, and for part of this we have to choose a small (no more than 3, but can be as few as a single spell) list of 1st-level spells for each spellcasting class from their own spell list. Players get to pick one spell from this cultivated list for their PCs to know for free.

For example, Druids might have animal friendship, detect poison and disease, speak with animals as their list.

So, give it some thought, and what would your lists look like for the following classes: (sorry, we don't have Artificers)

Bard:
Cleric:
Druid:
Paladin:
Ranger:
Sorcerer:
Warlock:
Wizard:

Finally, please note this is a 5E tagged thread, not D&D (2024), so nothing from 2024. Thanks for your help.

 

[TwoSix]

Bard: charm person, dissonant whispers, healing word
Cleric: bless, cure wounds, sanctuary
Druid: entangle, faerie fire, goodberry
Paladin: searing smite, thunderous smite, wrathful smite
Ranger: animal friendship, hunter's mark, zephyr strike
Sorcerer: burning hands, chromatic orb, ice knife
Warlock: hex, ray of sickness, silent image
Wizard: magic missile, shield, sleep

 

[ezo]

Bard: charm person, dissonant whispers, healing word
Cleric: bless, cure wounds, sanctuary
Druid: entangle, faerie fire, goodberry
Paladin: searing smite, thunderous smite, wrathful smite
Ranger: animal friendship, hunter's mark, zephyr strike
Sorcerer: burning hands, chromatic orb, ice knife
Warlock: hex, ray of sickness, silent image
Wizard: magic missile, shield, sleep

Nice list. I am curious to see if any other will contribute.

I am surprised to not see Detect Magic on your Wizard list.

 

[TwoSix]

Nice list. I am curious to see if any other will contribute.

I am surprised to not see Detect Magic on your Wizard list.

Wizard was tough. Sleep has enough fey feel that I thought about using it for bard or druid (and sleep is too iconic to lose entirely, IMO).

I'm not a huge fan of detect magic, personally. If it wasn't in the game already, I would give it the read magic treatment, and have its functionality subsumed into skill checks and basic class features.

 

[J-H]

Bard: Charm Person, Command, Healing Word [theme: words]
Cleric: Bane, Bless, Cure Wounds [theme: blessings & their reverse; Inflict Wounds could go here as well]
Druid: Entangle, Faerie Fire, Thunderwave [theme: elements/nature]
Paladin: Compelled Duel, Shield of Faith, Thundering Smite [Honorable duel! protection and smiting]
Ranger: Absorb Elements, Ensnaring Strike, Hail of Thorns [Gishy attack-boosting spells]
Sorcerer: Catapult, Chaos Bolt, Shield [slightly unpredictable, spells that could be manifested for the first time in an emergency]
Warlock: Armor of Agathys, Dissonant Whispers, Hellish Rebuke [leaning into the creepy side]
Wizard: Grease, Magic Missile, Burning Hands [classics]

 

[CreamCloud0]

picked these out before looking at anyone else's lists
Bard: Charm Person, Faerie Fire, Tasha's Hideous Laughter
Cleric: Bless, Guiding Bolt, Inflict Wounds
Druid: Entangle, Healing Word, Speak With Animals
Paladin: Command, Heroism, Searing Smite
Ranger: Goodberry, Jump, Zephyr Strike
Sorcerer: Chromatic Orb, Mage Armour, Thunderwave
Warlock: Armour Of Agathys, Cause Fear, Hex
Wizard: Find Familiar, Magic Missile, Shield

edit: wait do they need to be on their own spell lists or not? i kept everything to what they already had, may look at alternative choices...uh, tomorrow at this point.

 

[AlViking]

Is this for 2014 or 2024? It makes a difference some of the spells like sleep changed pretty dramatically. It's now a save and actually useful at all levels.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Is this for 2014 or 2024? It makes a difference some of the spells like sleep changed pretty dramatically. It's now a save and actually useful at all levels.

2014, it says in the OP

 

[ezo]

Is this for 2014 or 2024? It makes a difference some of the spells like sleep changed pretty dramatically. It's now a save and actually useful at all levels.

Finally, please note this is a 5E tagged thread, not D&D (2024), so nothing from 2024. Thanks for your help.

It is right here in the OP... nothing from 2024.

 

[CreamCloud0]

It is right here in the OP... nothing from 2024.

Though I assume spells from Tasha’s and the like are valid to use?