D&D 5E sleep vs tasha's laughter

[auburn2]

Which one would you pick for a multi-class 4/2 arcane trickster/wizard?

At 4th level rogue I get another spell which must be an enchantment or illusion. I already have charm person and disguise self, there is not a lot left that excites me.

Sleep is pretty weak for a 6th level character, but I suppose I could use it to put down a heavily wounded foe in a fight with multiple enemies, and the no saving throw is nice especially for enemies with magic resistance (which we are running into a lot of lately). I can also upcast it with a 2nd level slot.

Tasha's laughter would work on more enemies and earlier in the fight, but it is kind of meh because it does not upcast, and allows a save every turn plus every time the enemy takes damage.

FWIW here is my spell list:
Cantrips: mending, message, light, booming blade, mage hand, chill touch
Wizard-detect magic, identify, find familiar, grease (P), protection from evil and good (P), shield(P), mage armor (P), feather fall (P)
Rogue-charm person, disguise self, absorb elements
Fey Touched feat-misty step, hex

 

[el-remmen]

Well, I'd choose the laughter spell because it lines up with the trickster/prankster theme.

 

[Arilyn]

Thematically, Tasha's seems to fit your concept better. Sleep, however, is probably more useful, so it really comes down to which one will give you more satisfaction at the table.

I am absolutely cursed with Tasha's. The spell almost never works for my characters. I'm now at the point of just ignoring it when choosing spells.

 

[Blue]

At 6th level, sleep cast with a 1st level isn't going to cut it, Tasha's scales natively a bit better. Even sleep with a 2nd level slot likely isn't going to help much with the foes you are facing.

 

[Arvok]

At 6th level, sleep cast with a 1st level isn't going to cut it, Tasha's scales natively a bit better. Even sleep with a 2nd level slot likely isn't going to help much with the foes you are facing.

Not in my experience. At 6th level sleep might be ineffective at the start of combat, but after an enemy is whittled down it can be very helpful (especially when upcast). This is especially true when you're fighting multiple enemies that are all rather tough. You can expect sleep to take out 1 opponent of around 20 hp or less, a sleep upcast to 2nd level to take out 2 opponents at 15 hp or less. In effect, your caster is putting out 20 or 30 damage with a 1st or 2nd level spell.

Of course it's easy for any remaining opponents to rouse sleep victims but they have to burn their action to do so, and any melee fighters get advantage on attacks against the sleepers (except maybe for horses and centaurs--a DM might rule they don't fall prone when they sleep ).

 

[Burnside]

Sleep is the better spell, but Tasha's is so much more emotionally satisfying when it works.

 

[Mort]

I'll agree with most of the above. Sleep is the better spell, but Tasha's seems thematically better.

Though it is a bit party dependent. I've seen groups where the party tactics (or, more usually, lack thereof) make sleep a very tricky spell to try to pull off. You don't have that problem with Tasha's.

 

[practicalm]

I know neither Silent Image or Color Spray are one of the spells you are trying to choose from but not sure why you wouldn't go with one of them instead.

 

[Mort]

I know neither Silent Image or Color Spray are one of the spells you are trying to choose from but not sure why you wouldn't go with one of them instead.

Silent image is good - especially when used creatively.

Color spray is not great: The mage has to essentially be in melee to use it and it's a 15' cone so ,realistically, you're not going to get that many targets. Sleep, on the other hand, has a 90' range and a 20' radius from there. Plus victims of sleep are not a threat at all, allowing serious focus on enemies. Color Spray reduces the threat (decently, sure) but does not eliminate it.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

You can expect sleep to take out 1 opponent of around 20 hp or less, a sleep upcast to 2nd level to take out 2 opponents at 15 hp or less. In effect, your caster is putting out 20 or 30 damage with a 1st or 2nd level spell.

Remember they're not a pure caster, they're mostly Rogue. 20 damage is probably what they deal if they spent the action attacking rather than burning a spell slot.