D&D 5E [POLL] Best non-combat cantrips

[GlassJaw]

My group has gotten good mileage out of Message.

 

[Salthorae]

I suspect I'll be a little lonely voting for Friends, but I always pair it with disguise and/or alter self, at which point it's dead sexy. For 3rd pillar play anyway.

I use that combination too, usually trying to look like someone that I want to get punked IC. Great fun and works well.

My favorites are Minor Illusion and Guidance. But aside from those, message is greatly useful to my table. Mage Hand is the only way to open doors that might be trapped, and you can't discount the usefulness of prestidigitation from cleaning up, to flavoring drinks to lighting and snuffing torches/candles/fires.

 

[Fenris-77]

The biggest draw, to me, of Prestidigitation is it's the cantrip that makes a Wizard feel the most like a Wizard, at least in the day to day stuff. I think every Wizard should get it as a matter of course and on top of any other cantrips. It feels like all the stuff a Wizard would learn how to do as an apprentice.

 

[Salthorae]

I think every Wizard should get it as a matter of course and on top of any other cantrips. It feels like all the stuff a Wizard would learn how to do as an apprentice.

Fully agree, though it's a balancing act.

Part of what makes a Sorcerer special is that they get 4 cantrips to start. If you give Wizards 3+Prestidigitation, it takes some of the oomf out of the Sorcerer at level 1. Especially since Wizards Vancian casting in 5e is basically Sorcerer casting.

 

[Fenris-77]

Heck, give to the Sorcerer for free too, I don't mind. It's not going to break the game

 

[Quartz]

Well it can't be used to inflict damage so its fine.

How about grappling?

 

[CleverNickName]

I can't vote for anything that gets used 345,235,362,435,435 times every gaming session, every time, for every action, in every situation. So guidance is so far down my list of "best" anything that it will take it centuries to crawl back up. (Or half a century, if everyone is casting guidance constantly for 50 solid years. Which seems to be the case.)

Real mages say "presto."

 

[Fenris-77]

How about grappling?

Oh hush.

 

[Salthorae]

I can't vote for anything that gets used 345,235,362,435,435 times every gaming session, every time, for every action, in every situation. So guidance is so far down my list of "best" anything that it will take it centuries to crawl back up. (Or half a century, if everyone is casting guidance constantly for 50 solid years. Which seems to be the case.)

Real mages say "presto."

Guidance does see an inordinate amount of use. it's just such a great boon to people in Bounded Accuracy. It is the best mechanical cantrip you can use.

 

[Fenris447]

Prestidigitation is by far my favorite RP cantrip. The day-to-day adventuring life is made so much better by it. Clean clothes, tasty food, etc. And you can do it for others, too. Which can help make the difference when dealing with NPCs.