D&D 5E What are the 3 best cantrips a Tomelock can choose?

[Dessert Nomad]

Resistance is good but uses your concentration, which I believe can be problematic. Blade Ward is occasionally useful.

I don't think Blade Ward is worth giving up a slot for, the circumstances where you'd want to use it are pretty rare. You have to give up your chance to do any damage or apply a debuff in exchange for taking 50% damage from weapons until the next turn. When would you want to use that over dodging to apply disadvantage to all enemy attack rolls against you, or disengage to get out of melee range and/or line of fire? If you take vicious mockery instead, you can do some damage and give one enemy disadvantage on their next attack against anyone. I think Blade Ward is a trap.

I like Mending and Message, but when it comes to utility I think Mage Hand is pretty... handy...

The thing to watch about mage hand is that it's function can be done by ritually cast unseen servant. It's not as... handy... on short notice as a one action spell, but can do more things and is better at setting off traps from a distance. If you're planning to take book of secrets as an incantation, I think mage hand is redundant.

 

[clearstream]

I don't think Blade Ward is worth giving up a slot for, the circumstances where you'd want to use it are pretty rare. You have to give up your chance to do any damage or apply a debuff in exchange for taking 50% damage from weapons until the next turn. When would you want to use that over dodging to apply disadvantage to all enemy attack rolls against you, or disengage to get out of melee range and/or line of fire? If you take vicious mockery instead, you can do some damage and give one enemy disadvantage on their next attack against anyone. I think Blade Ward is a trap.

What do you think of Frostbite?

 

[jgsugden]

I have a Favored Soul 1 / Celestial Tomelock 3 Protector Aasimar PC. The character's idea is to be a blaster and a jack of all trades. A large number of cantrips is part of that jack of all trades, as is the tome invocation for rituals.

Celestial Warlock provided Sacred Flame and Light (redundant with Aasimar). Then I received 4 Sorcerer/Cleric cantrips from Favored Soul Sorcer, 2 from being a Warlock, and 3 more from the Tome.

I have Light (C), Sacred Flame (C), Minor Illusion (S), Mage Hand(S), Guidance(S), Resistance(S), Eldritch Blast (W), Control Flames (W), Mold Earth (T), Message (T) and Druidcraft(T).

They're all good. None of them were a waste. There are a half dozen more I wish I had and that would be useful.

I recommend taking one combat cantrip, and then using the rest on things that fit wth your PC's personality. You can't really go wrong.

 

[Falling Icicle]

I'm surprised by how many people are recommending Shillelagh. It gives you a 1d8 + Cha mod. melee weapon attack. That sounds decent at 1st level, but it doesn't scale! You don't get extra attacks, so it never gets any better than that! Every other attack cantrip in the game scales with level. Besides, if you aren't playing a blade lock, why on Earth would you want to stand in melee range hitting enemies with a stick? Tome Locks aren't exactly the toughest characters. This just seems like a suicidal strategy to me.

I'd avoid Shillelagh like the plague. It's a trap option. If you really want to be able to hurt enemies in melee range without penalty, I'd recommend Toll the Dead or Shocking Grasp instead. Those spells at least scale with level and have other uses.

 

[Falling Icicle]

I don't think Blade Ward is worth giving up a slot for, the circumstances where you'd want to use it are pretty rare. You have to give up your chance to do any damage or apply a debuff in exchange for taking 50% damage from weapons until the next turn. When would you want to use that over dodging to apply disadvantage to all enemy attack rolls against you, or disengage to get out of melee range and/or line of fire? If you take vicious mockery instead, you can do some damage and give one enemy disadvantage on their next attack against anyone. I think Blade Ward is a trap.

Blade Ward has some value when combined with Armor of Agathys. Taking half damage means the AoA lasts twice as long and has more opportunities to inflict retaliatory damage. I wouldn't generally recommend it, but it is worth noting.

 

[Dessert Nomad]

What do you think of Frostbite?

I like the debuff, but don't like that the save for it is con and the monsters you most want to hit with this debuff are generally big, tough things that get few attacks like giants or purple worms that have good con saves. Vicious Mockery goes against wisdom, so I'd take it over frostbite since I'd expect it to work more often. I don't think frostbite is bad, I just like the other option better.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I'm surprised by how many people are recommending Shillelagh. It gives you a 1d8 + Cha mod. melee weapon attack. That sounds decent at 1st level, but it doesn't scale!

You can combine it with Booming Blade/GFB, both of which are on the warlock list and do scale.

 

[Falling Icicle]

You can combine it with Booming Blade/GFB, both of which are on the warlock list and do scale.

That's true, but then you're spending two cantrips just to have a decent melee attack. Is it really worth it?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That's true, but then you're spending two cantrips just to have a decent melee attack. Is it really worth it?

Yes.

You get seven. You can get Shillelagh, GFB,BB, and eldritch blast. Guidance is only useful if the cleric/druid doesn't have it, so you still have two or three slots for fluff.

 

[smbakeresq]

Group dependent, but if you have Command/Dissonant Whispers or other OppAtt provokers then BB is good as you can get the damage in. Warcaster can get BB in on OppAtt without casting it on your turn.