How often would you say it's appropriate to use the Guidance Cantrip?

[DeanP]

I'd require my players to stand up and dance every time they cast Guidance. No, just kidding. If a character took Guidance as a cantrip, and remembered to use it regularly when an ally is using a skill, I'd consider it smart play, and wouldn't seek to restrict it in any way. I don't restrict combat cantrips, and can't see myself restricting a skill buff cantrip. I'd leave it be.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I have never found it to be an issue personally at my tables... but if it became an overabundance of cast-cast-cast... I might put forth the idea to my players who have it that Guidance is their deity (or the primal spirits) guiding the person trying to accomplish a task. So they would be willing to guide people on tasks that they themselves would like to see done, but would not necessarily help with everything. And that it might behoove the player to figure out what their cleric or druid believes in, and what is most important to them. Tasks that support those things? Being granted the miracle to cast Guidance would be accepted. Tasks that run counter to those beliefs? Would the deity really grant Guidance in that regard, and would the PC actually cast it?

Self-restraining the casting based upon what it is being used for could be a good way of cutting down on the number of times it comes up. Assuming your players actually care about those sort of character/roleplaying ideals.

 

[CTurbo]

Guidance is one of the best cantrips and I agree that it should be used pretty much every chance you get to use it, and yes of course there are times when it's not feasible or reasonable to cast as mentioned above a few times. I don't any DM has a right to be annoyed by it.

My last DM got to the point where he just said "and don't forget the d4 too" after every check because he knew it was going to be used lol

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

Character - ''Dear my various gods, guide me!''
VARIOUS GODS - SERIOUSLY? AGAIN? ALREADY? OK FINE - SURE, HE'S PROBABLY BLUFFING. PLAY THE TWO KINGS.

 

[CubicsRube]

Some good points here. Although various deities are generally kept somewhat generic in d&d, establishing what deity your cleric follows and what they stand for could be a good baseline to establish what uses the cleric can cast guidance for.

This is provided you have agreed upon this with your player

 

[Xetheral]

For more fun, take Guidance (via any source), three levels of Mastermind Rogue, and the Historian feat. Now you can single-handedly aid your allies' ability checks with Advantage AND 1d4, often adding your proficiency bonus too. Concepts such as a Creepy Oracle, a Busybody Elder, a Sprit-listening Shaman, or a Learned Sage would all be appropriate.

One my favorite characters to play was such a Busybody Elder who also took Natural Leader and Gourmand. His role in the party was "camp cook", and he loudy provided unasked-for advice (while gesticulating expansively with his Ladle of the Pact Keeper) whenever the opportunity arose. Guidance became a fun, interactive element of the game, rather than just a spammed passive bonus.

 

[Harzel]

I might be annoyed by it, but my players seem to forget to use it more often than they use it, and there is amusement value in seeing them beat themselves up for the oversight. Nevertheless, my inclination is to eliminate it from future campaigns, as well as instituting some limitation on all out-of-combat cantrip casting.

 

[jgsugden]

Role play it.

Do the constant prayers for Guidance get ... annoying? To the other characters? To the cleric?

Does the God seem like the type to want to be bothered over getting an edge on gambling? On seducing someone?

Honestly, there are certain spells that I wish you did not have to cast. Once you select/prepare them and devote the appropriate slot, they should give you a continuos ability. For example, if you prepare Mage Armor, you can devote a slot to give yourself the armor. If you choose the Guidance cantrip, allies just get a d4 bonus to skill checks when within the radius. It would make the game much easier.

 

[Ancalagon]

Also: Would it be counterproductive? The spell has a verbal component, so casting it on someone to help their Stealth check to sneak quietly probably isn't helpful.

Yup - all the examples I could think of were "social" so how I formulated my rule #3, but that's a very important expansion of that idea I was trying to articulate.