What cantrip should you take?
Choosing a cantrip to take can be a tough decision especially if you are new to the game. Hopefully this guide can help give you a better idea of which cantrips are most useful in 2024 D&D.
Want to know my thoughts on other spell levels? Check out my guides below
How I view cantrips
My view of cantrips is that it’s most important that they help you out in lower levels (levels 1-4) and, to a lesser degree, mid-levels of the game (levels 5-10). Unless you are playing a Valor Bard, Eldritch Knight, or a Warlock, you probably won’t be casting cantrips often in combat by level 11.
Ratings
S-tier: It’s a must take spell that may even be overpowered for its level.
A-tier: It’s a spell that you won’t regret taking. It will be widely useful or just very effective for its level.
B-tier: It’s a mediocre, middle of the road spell. There may not be any major issues with the spell however there may be more powerful or less niche alternatives at its level.
C-tier: It’s a spell that might have specific, niche circumstances you can use it in but it’s likely not worth taking and may only be useful when ritual cast.
F-Tier: It’s not a spell that is worth taking in any circumstances.
Acronyms
Spells listed here are found in the 2024 Players Handbook unless otherwise indicated by the below acronyms.
SCAG: Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
EEPC: Elemental Evil Player’s Companion
Tasha’s: Tasha’s Guide to Everything
Xanathar’s: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
Cantrips
Absorb Elements (B-tier) (EEPC): It’s a handy spell to have on hand for when you take elemental damage. However, the 2024 edition has a lot of ways for you to get Temp HP to absorb large blasts. Damage isn’t as much of a concern as it once was.
Acid Splash (C-tier): The spell needed something more for it to be worth taking. As is, it’s only doing 1d6 damage (or higher at level 5 onwards). That’s not a lot of damage to begin with and if enemies make the save they take no damage. I wouldn’t use it unless I could hit three enemies.
Blade Ward (C-tier): The effect is great but needing both your concentration and to use an action to cast this makes it at best a niche spell. The characters who would most likely benefit from it, like an Eldritch Knight, are also the least likely to be hit because they have the best armor.
Booming Blade (A-tier) (SCAG): It’s an excellent spell for Rogues or someone (like a Valor Bard) who wants to fight in melee. Its requirement that the weapon needs to have a cost limits its ability to be used, as written, with other spells like Shadow Blade. Most of the casters that get access to the spell won’t have any need of it however.
Chill Touch (C-tier): The only point of this spell might be to try to kill a severely weakened enemy that is already next to you. Unfortunately, True Strike exists at this level and a 1d8+3 two-handed attack from a quarterstaff will do more damage. The only reason this isn’t worse is because Death Domain clerics might be able to use it effectively.
Control Flame (C-tier) (EEPC): Once in a blue moon you may use this spell to expand the size of bright light, change the colour of flames or to snuff them out or grow them in size. It just is too niche to get much use out of it beyond Tier 1 (levels 1-4) however.
Create Bonfire (F-tier) (EEPC): 1d8 is a decent amount of damage for a cantrip. The value of this spell at low levels is it can be used to provide a limited degree of ground control when narrow passages are involved. You can just cast it in a narrow corridor and force enemies to either walk through it or through a narrow passage. Unfortunately, fire damage is commonly resisted and the spell requires your concentration. It’s not good to use past Tier 1 of play.
Dancing Lights (C-tier): I’ve never seen anyone use this cantrip. Why would they? The Light spell also gives you light but without the downside of needing your concentration or only lasting a minute. The only advantage I can see that this spell offers over Light is that you can cast it from range to somewhere you can’t see to illuminate an enemy. They can’t see you as you can remain in darkness. But that’s too situational to bother with this over Light. Being able to move the lights is not enough of an incentive to take this.
Druidcraft (B-tier): People overlook that this spell has triple the range of Prestidigitation and that its sounds have no limit on their duration (only the weather sensor is limited in its duration). You can actually safely use this near the entrance to a cave to make a noise or odor without needing to stand too close to the entrance – which may encourage a creature inside to investigate and get attacked by your party. It’s a decent utility spell that gets worse reviews than it deserves.
Eldritch Blast (A-tier): This is great because it can make multiple attacks, hit multiple enemies, and uses a damage type that is rarely resisted. Without Agonizing Blast it’s a 4/5 because the likelihood of you doing a low amount of damage is high (and True Strike is better before level 5). With Agonizing Blast this is a 5/5.
Elementalism (B-tier): This would be a lot better if you could create some kind of sound that might attract hostile creatures. As is, even though it covers a wide range of terrain the actual use cases for this spell are fairly limited. It’s useful for opening unlocked doors from range, but I’d say Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation, and Thaumaturgy are more widely usable.
Firebolt (A-tier): The value of this cantrip is that it not only does a good amount of damage but it also ignites objects. That gives it a degree of combat utility and some degree of out of combat utility.
Friends (B-tier): This spell has a lot more usability than it is given credit for. Since the Help action requires the helper to have proficiency with the skill they are helping with it’s entirely possible that a party member may not be able to use the Help action to give advantage on an Influence check. Yes, after a minute someone will know they were charmed by you; however, a minute is enough time to get past a gate or to get away from a merchant after you’ve gotten a good deal out of them. The spell is just an easy way to get advantage. One downside of the spell is that the 2024 version only works on humanoids. This is unfortunate because many creatures that used to be humanoids no longer are. It’s still useful especially in Tier 1.
Frostbite (C-tier) (EEPC): Causing a creature to have disadvantage on their next weapon attack is a nice effect. However, at low levels in particular it’s much better to do more damage and kill a creature than do less damage with the hope they will miss you next turn. Most enemies that are going to be making weapon attacks against you have a decent chance of saving against a Constitution saving throw too so the spell has a good chance of not working.
Green Flame Blade (C-tier) (SCAG): The circumstances where you are better off using this spell over Booming Blade are very narrow. You basically need to have two enemies within 5 feet of each other. Even then, this is doing fire damage (which enemies may be resistant to). When you think about all the extra utility you can get from taking another cantrip instead of this (even out of combat utility) it’s a hard sell to take this over a lot of other spells. I’d rather see a Valor Bard or an Eldritch Knight take Booming Blade and Minor Illusion (or another utility cantrip) over having this and Booming Blade.
Guidance (S-tier): It’s pretty telling that they nerfed this spell and it is still a 5/5 spell to take. You now have to choose which skill it is useful for so you do need to know in advance what skill you plan to use it on (as opposed to the 2014 version where you could use it on any ability check). Regardless, it is a widely usable spell at any level.
Gust (F-tier) (EEPC): With characters able to shove a creature as part of an unarmed strike, a spell that can move a creature 5 feet isn’t as helpful as it once was. The rest of the features here can be either replicated out of combat by hand (moving an object) or probably won’t come up. Even if a DM gave this spell to me for free I probably would rarely find a use for it.
Infestation (F-tier) (Xanathar’s): It’s a Constitution saving throw (which many enemies will save against), the damage is low, and the additional forced movement is entirely random. Also the damage type is poor because it is often resisted and its range is only 30 feet.
Light (A-tier): I’m giving this such a high rating not because it is overpowered (it isn’t) but because it is useful for everyone. Even if you have Darkvision you still need light to see colour and to avoid disadvantage on Perception. This cantrip is by far the easiest way to get light because it lets you put it on any large or smaller object, doesn’t require someone to hold a lantern or torch, and it can be put on an object that can be covered easily (if needed).
Lightning Lure (C-tier) (SCAG): The damage is fine and is of a type that is rarely resisted. What is really good about this spell is that it uses a Strength saving throw (which physically weaker enemies are unlikely to resist) and can move a creature 10 feet. Unfortunately, the range of this spell is so small that it doesn’t work well as an alternative to Thorn Whip. It’s not a good option for dragging a creature into a Web or Spike Growth for instance. It doesn’t have a size requirement however (unlike Thorn Whip) so certain races (flyers) or subclasses (Eldritch Knight or Valor Bard for instance) may find value in being able to use it to drag creatures away from allies or up into the air.
Mage Hand (A-tier): The hand has a wide range of utility and allows for a lot of creativity in its use. However, I see a lot of people using this spell while forgetting that it has vocal components, a 1 minute duration, and only a 30 foot range. If you are constantly casting this in a dungeon someone can easily hear you casting it regularly. Using it for trap detection requires you to be getting away with a lot of casting in dungeons without anyone hearing you. This makes that use of this spell for that specific purpose very DM dependent.
Magic Stone (C-tier) (EEPC): You can use this with a warlock familiar, hirelings or summons to slightly increase their attack damage. Beyond that though the circumstances where it is worth it to use are very contrived. The amount of effort to make this spell workable isn’t worth it.
Mending (C-tier): The casting time kills this spell for me. Since it takes a minute to cast this it breaks any concentration spell you have active. This is especially bad in Tier 2 where you increasingly have access to hour long summons and long-term spells (Enhance Ability, etc) that you may want to have active instead.
The “single tear” criteria can also make it very DM dependent. Its limited range isn’t helping either.
Can you find uses for this? Sure. But they are going to be niche uses and the opportunity cost of taking this over another utility spell are too high in my opinion. Were it not for the casting time I’d give this 3/5.
Message (B-tier): Sometimes it’s to your benefit to have a creature hear from you only in their head. With its 120 foot range this spell can be pretty easy to use from a distance. It’s niche but applicable in enough circumstances that I think it slightly makes it to this ranking.
Mind Sliver (A-tier): An Intelligence saving throw makes this spell difficult for enemies to avoid. The fact that it hurts their chances on a future saving throw allows for some great setup options as well. The 60 foot range can be limiting, especially for aerial encounters, but its far enough to work in most combats. Overall, this is a solid cantrip to pick. It’s a 5/5 on a Sorcerer with Quickened Spell metamagic.
Minor Illusion (S-tier): There is so much opportunity this spell provides for. While it is DM dependent, even if you just use it for out of combat uses you can attract enemies to your location, trick enemies, use sounds or an image to intimidate or coerce others, or engage in fun shenanigans. Plus because it has no verbal component you can use it while hidden. There are too many opportunities to list here with this spell.
Move Earth (C-tier) (EEPC): With the right DM you can find a use for this spell. However, what constitutes “loose earth” allows for far too much wiggle room for me to recommend it. It is a good spell if you need to do a quick burial (to maybe hide your misdeeds) or set up a foxhole. But the opportunities for either of these to come up may not be very common. It’s also very dependent on your terrain.
Poison Spray (B-tier): While poison damage is often resisted, it’s also often the case that you can tell which creatures are going to be immune or resistant to it (undead, constructs, fiends, and creatures that can poison). With that in mind this does a good amount of damage as a cantrip. My only further complaint with it is its short range. If this were a 60 feet range I’d rate it higher.
Prestidigitation (A-tier): The range of this spell is the only thing stopping it from being rated higher by me. This spell has a lot of different options you can do with it, but with only a 10 foot range you need to be too close physically for some of them to be very useful in practice. A lot of groups I suspect overlook this. Being able to snuff out a flame isn’t that helpful when you have to be 10 feet from it (making you easily seen before doing so). It’s a very useful spell regardless.
Primal Savagery (C-tier) (Xanathar’s): It’s very similar to Chill Touch though its damage type is less likely to be resisted (and it is only available to Druids or someone who has access to Druid cantrips). The problem with this spell, at least in Tier 1, is that a Druid can just take Shillelagh instead and bonk someone on the head for more damage than this (1d8 + Wisdom Modifier). This won’t eclipse Shillelagh in damage until likely Tier 3 (at which point cantrips are a last resort).
Produce Flame (A-tier): You get most of the benefits of both the Light spell and an attack cantrip for 10 minutes. This is a very economical choice for a cantrip (and this is the main reason I’m rating it so highly). You can also use the spell, use your action on a levelled spell for a turn, and then switch over to using this on subsequent turns. So it has a bit of action economy flexibility. The only downside is, unlike the Light spell, there is nothing here saying that you can hide the light by covering it up. Since it isn’t a concentration spell you also can’t end it early.
Ray of Frost (A-tier): It’s a nice control and damage cantrip. Reducing an enemies movement by 10 feet can be helpful in some circumstances, though it will depend a lot on when in combat you are using a cantrip like this (I typically would expect to use a cantrip later into a combat – once you’ve expended at least one or two spell slots – at which point a movement reduction may not be as useful). This may be further useful for making sure enemies have trouble fleeing a fight and warning others.
Resistance (F-tier): It is very disheartening to see they did nothing to help this spell. They didn’t even make it a bonus action. In some ways the old version was better because at least it was a saving throw for more than just damage spells. On top of this, the size of the die doesn’t even scale with level. Reducing damage by a d4 (per instance of damage) is only somewhat helpful in Tier 1 and (unless you plan to be hit a lot) less than ideal in Tiers 2 and greater. I guess an Eldritch Knight can cast this as a cantrip during its attacks but it’s probably the only character you would want to use this on (because of the concentration requirement). Maybe a Moon Druid could use this and transform, but a druid, bard or other character has better things to concentrate on.
Sacred Flame (B-tier): I often see this spell getting rated highly. A lot of people I see mention how it ignores any protection from cover, but this effect is only relevant for spells that require a Dexterity saving throw. Any spell that uses say Wisdom or Constitution for its save never has to worry about the effect of cover to begin with.
Enemies are likely to make the save. While it’s true radiant damage is rarely resisted, it’s also true that the damage isn’t that much given this spell has no other effects.
Shape Water (C-tier) (EEPC): There are niche circumstances where you can find a use for this spell. The problem is there are better utility spells out there. While I’m certain you can use this to turn water red to scare someone, or make some animated figure out of water, the opportunities to do so can be pretty limited. It also only has a 30 feet range for some reason.
Shillelagh (B-tier): This is a spell that is excellent if you plan to play a melee character. However, that significantly constrains its usefulness (especially for Druids). The fact that you have to use a Club or Quarterstaff also constrains how useful the spell is in light of the other weapon mastery options you aren’t able to take advantage of when using this (even a Fighter with Tactical Master can’t use nick with these weapons). Druids may also not want to be in range since they are a class that relies on concentration spells.
Shocking Grasp (B-tier): This spell does less damage than Chill Touch but stops a hit enemy from using a reaction. Strictly speaking it’s probably better than Chill Touch at level 3 and greater, but you have a decent chance in earlier levels to kill CR0 and CR 1/8 enemies outright with a d10 roll vs the d8 of this spell.
Sorcerous Burst (A-tier): The flexibility this spell offers in terms of its damage makes it an excellent choice to take for a Sorcerer. While it is true that it won’t set things on fire, unlike say Firebolt, which limits its out of combat utility, this is more than made up for with the fact that you can change the damage type to prevent resistance and that 12.5% of the time it will do extra damage (this means on average about 0.5 extra damage in Tier 1). As it gets to be a higher level the chances of it getting an 8 on one roll only increase. On average, this does slightly less damage as Firebolt. There is however a remote chance you may do more if you roll back to back 8s. You can also use the Empowered Spell metamagic option to try to get more damage out of this, though it’s likely not worth it.
Spare the Dying (F-tier): There are so many ways to gain Temp HP now that getting to 0hp is much harder in 2024 vs 2014. On top of that, the range of this spell sucks at low levels. It also takes your full action to cast this. You can just use a Healer’s Kit instead as well.
Starry Wisp (B-tier): It’s a decent amount of damage for a cantrip that also helps to ensure a creature is visible. The fact that it is an attack roll makes it slightly more likely to work than Sacred Flame (though this spell is affected by cover unlike Sacred Flame). They are probably equal in terms of effectiveness in Tier 1 though in higher tiers they may not be.
Sword Burst (F-tier) (SCAG): The damage is too low to be useful and you basically need at least 3 creatures within range to make it worth trying. It’s force damage so it is unlikely to be resisted, though for so little damage it likely doesn’t matter.
Thaumaturgy (A-tier): A lot of people look down upon this spell over Prestidigitation without acknowledging the range difference. You can use this spell for a wide variety of things, including opening and closing doors from a distance, lighting or snuffing flames, making sounds, or making yourself appear or sound more intimidating. It’s a great spell for a variety of different uses.
Thorn Whip (A-tier): There are a lot of spells in the game, even more in 2024, that have an effect or do damage when a creature first enters the area of effect or when they start their turn there. This spell’s damage isn’t its selling point, but its ability to drag a creature closer to you is. This is great for Druid spells like Spike Growth but also Cleric spells like Spirit Guardians. As long as you are willing to use positioning to your advantage you can’t go wrong with taking this spell.
Thunderclap (F-tier): The damage is too low and you basically need to hit at least 3 enemies for it to be worth it to use. The spell also can alarm nearby enemies due to the sound it creates. There’s no reason to ever take this spell. It’s pretty unbelievable they didn’t at least bump this up to a 1d8. It also hurts your allies which makes it a very difficult spell to pull off.
Toll the Dead (A-tier): Taking this spell is never a bad idea. Lots of enemies have weak saving throws against Wisdom and even if you only hit a creature at full health you are still doing pretty average damage for a cantrip. When I last played a Cleric this spell was useful so many times.
Truestrike (S-tier): Since this spell works on both melee and ranged weapons it actually makes for a really good option for even ranged Wizards to take at first level. Wizards can cast this while using a quarterstaff or light crossbow (the somatic component can be done with the same hands holding the quarterstaff or crossbow since its the spells material component). This means likely 1d8+3 average damage, which is more than you’ll do with other cantrips like Firebolt.
Vicious Mockery (B-tier): Causing a creature to have disadvantage on their next attack is a nice effect. However, I’m of the opinion that at low levels in particular it’s much better to do more damage and kill a creature than do less damage with the hope they will miss you next turn. What sets this apart from Frostbite is really the fact that it works on all attack rolls, is a Wisdom saving throw, doesn’t require a somatic component, and does psychic damage. There are still frankly better options for a Bard.
Word of Radiance (F-tier): The damage is too low and you basically need to hit at least 3 enemies for it to be worth it to use. There’s no reason to ever take this spell. It’s pretty unbelievable they didn’t at least bump this up to a 1d8. The only thing positive it has over Thunderclap is that it won’t hurt allies and the radiant damage can prevent vampires and other creatures from regenerating. But this isn’t enough to justify ever taking it.
DnD Detective 