D&D Best Sorcerer Cantrips To Have (Ranked Good To Best)

Updated:

16 May 2022

Scions of innately magical bloodlines, the chosen of deities, the spawn of dragons, the chosen of fate, or simply coincidences of wild magic, sorcerers look within themselves for arcane prowess and draw forth might few mortals can imagine.

From the arch sorcerer of fire mountain to the dragon-waker of the sun empire, everyone started somewhere. Before summoning blazing meteors to scorch the land and disintegrating foes with a gaze, cantrips were the most reliable magic they could conjure.

Cantrips are spells that can be cast at will, without using a spell slot, and without being prepared in advance.

Repeated practice has fixed the spell in the caster's mind and infused the caster with the magic needed to produce the Effect over and over. Mechanically, a cantrip's Spell Level is 0.

Sorcerers have a rich repertory of cantrips at their disposal, so choosing only a handful for your adventures can be daunting. Worry not! We have compiled the best sorcerer cantrips to help you build your spell list.

10. Prestidigitation.

Part of every player’s bag of tricks, prestidigitation lets you create several, harmless sensorial effects to flex your creativity and lead to interesting role-playing scenarios.

This cantrip shines in the hands of a creative player, granting your sorcerer an arsenal of minor tricks to get by.

Why Prestidigitation Is Great:

Dirty shoes, wet clothes, smelly odors. It's usually the weirdest things that have the biggest impact, and Prestidigitation does just that, deals with the littlest of things, fixing minor inconveniences!

Prestidigitation details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:prestidigitation

9. Fire Bolt.

The classic choice for a damaging cantrip, this spell lets you fire off a beam of flame that strikes a foe for fiery punishment. If you hit a flammable object, it lights up in flames if it isn’t worn or carried.

The reason for picking this up is simple, it’s the highest damage cantrip available to sorcerers.

Why Fire Bolt Is Great:

Unlike other damaging cantrips, Fire Bolt has a d10 damage dice, putting in On Par with ranged weapons when it comes to dealing damage.
120 feet is no joke when it comes to range, letting you snipe at foes from a relatively safe distance.

Fire Bolt details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:fire-bolt

8. Shocking Grasp.

Unlimited Power! I mean, strips of lightning spring from your hands to shock a creature you touch, dealing lightning damage and it can’t take reactions until your next turn.

To top it off, you get an advantage on this attack if they are wearing metal armor.

Why Shocking Grasp Is Great:

Metal Armor is the most common kind of armor in 5th edition, meaning you’ll always have a good chance to hit with this spell.
No reactions mean no attacks of opportunity, no Shield spells, no pesky ways to interrupt your turn.

Shocking Grasp details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:shocking-grasp

7. Chill Touch.

With its deceiving name, Chill Touch does neither cold damage nor is it a touch spell, instead, you send a ghostly hand towards a creature in range, dealing necrotic damage, and, guess what, it can’t regain Hit Points for a turn.

If the creature is undead, it comes with the bonus of granting it disadvantage on attacks against you for the turn.

Why Chill Touch Is Great:

Healing can be problematic in 5th edition, some Spells can bring a foe to full Hit Points in the blink of an eye, by denying them this, no amount of enemy healers will make a difference.
Undead creatures are problematic, granting them disadvantage on attacks against you, as well as denying the natural healing some of them have (talking to you Vampires!) is a great way of dealing with them.

Chill Touch details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:chill-touch

6. Message.

The most reliable communication spell, message lets you whisper a message to a creature you point towards, and only they can hear it.

Since it has a 120 feet range, you can coordinate with your allies in any situation without blowing up your cover or stealth.

Why Message Is Great:

Communication is the key to teamwork, by taking this spell you can make sure that distance is never an issue when dealing with critical information.
Since it’s a whisper, you can deliver eerie thoughts and creepy messages towards a creature you can see, potentially messing with them.

Message details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:message

5. Mending.

The broken axle of a cart, a torn dress, or a damaged lock. These are things that can spiral into obstacles that derail your plans.

Worry not, for mending can fix and repair minor tears and breaks on certain items. It might not look like much but properly used you can take most carpenters out of commission with this here cantrip.

Why Mending Is Great:

Item-based obstacles are not common, but they happen. With mending, you no longer need to care about being subtle or careful, you can just repair the object afterward.
If your campaign places a great deal of importance on equipment, its durability, and maintenance, then Mending can completely take a load off of your shoulders.

Mending Details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:mending

4. Mind Sliver.

By forcing a target to make an Intelligence saving throw, you can cause considerable psychic damage and impose a d4 penalty on their next saving throw.

Not only does it deal decent damage, but it also makes it more difficult for the target to succeed in saving against the effects your party can bring to bear!

Why Mind Sliver Is Great:

Intelligence is, overall, an ability score most creatures tend to dump. From goblins to beasts and even most high CR creatures, it’s usually low, so you’re going to be constantly landing the spell.
A d4 penalty on a saving throw can spell the difference between safe and afflicted thanks to the 5th edition’s bound accuracy.

Mind Sliver details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:mind-sliver

3. Friends.

This spell gives you an advantage on all Charisma checks directed at one creature of your choice that isn’t hostile for the duration.

While they realize that you used magic to influence their mood once it’s over, you’ll most likely need but a minute to get what you want or need from them.

Why Friends Is Great:

Since Sorcerers are a Charisma-based class, gaining an advantage on these checks is a way to guarantee your success in what you’re already good at.
Diversions and getting out of trouble. While this won’t carry you through a large negotiation, it can let you avoid suspicious guards, feigning good intentions, and even distract foes long enough to escape.

Friends details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:friends

2. Mage Hand.

You conjure a spectral, floating hand that can manipulate objects, retrieve items and so much more.

While the hand can’t attack or activate magical items, it's impervious to damage, so it could pull acid-covered levers, retrieve ancient treasures within pools of lava and scratch your back when it itches somewhere inconvenient!

Why Mage Hand Is Great:

Utility is the third name of this spell. There are many issues regarding distance or booby-trapped objects that simply summoning an impervious hand from 30 feet away can solve.

Mage Hand details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:mage-hand

1. Minor Illusion.

You create a sound or an image within a 5-foot cube, forcing a creature to make an Intelligence check to disbelieve your illusion, otherwise taking it for real.

This spell can be top-notch if used creatively, making up cover where there is none, fake walls to divert pursuers, or even the promise of a more dangerous foe approaching!

Why Minor Illusion Is Great.

A fake bridge, a fake door, the possibilities are limitless. Used properly, this can be the most versatile cantrip available for the threats it can make your foes believe exist.

Minor Illusion details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:minor-illusion