Choosing Sorcerer Cantrips

[Escribblings]

I'm building a Yuan-Ti Pureblood Wild Magic sorcerer with the following stats:

Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 20

The setting is West Marches (Sandbox style)
We currently are NOT using SCAG.

The Yuan-Ti gives me Poison Spray and Animal Friendship (Snakes Only)

I'm looking at taking 4 of the following

Chill Touch
Create Bonfire
Fire Bolt
Mage Hand
Minor Illusion
Ray of Frost
Shocking Grasp

I'm leaning towards definitely taking Chill Touch and Shocking Grasp.

I think CT edges out Ray of Frost for me - unless you can say why RoF would be better?

Everyone likes Fire Bolt - But I have Poison Spray, so could be better going utility.

Of the Utility Spells, I'm leaning more towards the Mage Hand/Minor Illusion.

MH thematically sits nicely with Chill Touch and Shocking Grasp, but is it useful enough?

And I really haven't got a clue on which 2 1st level spells to take.

Help?

[Tanarii]

YMMV on Minor Illusion depending on how strictly the DM rules the visual illusion "image of an object". I mean, the example is muddy footprints, so clearly it can be a few 'objects', so to speak. But it's basically limited to a single-ish small non-mobile thing RAW. (Not necessarily static. A boiling pot would be non-mobile but not static.)

Edit: The reason I bring it up is it's very common for players to think Minor Illusion is far more powerful than it actually is. It's plenty powerful as written of course. I'm not trying to say it's useless or even weak. Just strictly limited in what it does, like most cantrips.

[Asmotherion]

I'm building a Yuan-Ti Pureblood Wild Magic sorcerer with the following stats:

Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 20

The setting is West Marches (Sandbox style)
We currently are NOT using SCAG.

The Yuan-Ti gives me Poison Spray and Animal Friendship (Snakes Only)

I'm looking at taking 4 of the following

Chill Touch
Create Bonfire
Fire Bolt
Mage Hand
Minor Illusion
Ray of Frost
Shocking Grasp

I'm leaning towards definitely taking Chill Touch and Shocking Grasp.

I think CT edges out Ray of Frost for me - unless you can say why RoF would be better?

Everyone likes Fire Bolt - But I have Poison Spray, so could be better going utility.

Of the Utility Spells, I'm leaning more towards the Mage Hand/Minor Illusion.

MH thematically sits nicely with Chill Touch and Shocking Grasp, but is it useful enough?

And I really haven't got a clue on which 2 1st level spells to take.

Help?

First of all, I would scrap out Create Bonefire. Since you are not a Fire Dragon Sorcerer (to add you Cha Bonus to it's Damage), and you have no spell that provides a pushback effect (unless you intend to multiclass warlock to get Eldritch Blast, and then Repelling + Agonising Blast, in wich cast you will probably be using your concentration on Hex anyway), a cantrip that has a 60 feet range, and needs concentration to maintain to deal fire damage is by any means worse than firebolt, which has 120 feet range and also deals fire damage.

Second of all, since you have to start with 4 cantrips, let's be all arounders. You say you definitelly want Chill Touch and Shoucking Grasp, right? Then, we have two more slots.

Let's focus those slots to utility.
My personal suggestion would be:
Chill Touch
Shocking Grasp
Mage Hand
Minor Illusion

Then, when you get your two other cantrips, in this order:
Firebolt
Ray of Frost

[Zanthy1]

Mage Hand is great, I always recommend it.

[Aaron Underhand]

... good comments...
My personal suggestion would be:
Chill Touch
Shocking Grasp
Mage Hand
Minor Illusion

Then, when you get your two other cantrips, in this order:
Firebolt
Ray of Frost

I'd certainly go with those four, given your preferences, though I personally rate Acid Splash as the only "AoE" cantrip.

First level goes by really quickly, and to advise on spells we really need to know the rest of the party, and the style of the universe, however some quick comments related to what I would select:

Shield - this remains useful all your career, and it will save your life....

One of

Magic Missile - guaranteed hit, very useful at low level
Sleep - can end encounters, but you'll need to retrain pretty quickly
Fog Cloud - if avoiding missile fire and running away is the best option (Combat as War style)
Charm Person - if the universe is all about social interactions

[Citan]

I'm building a Yuan-Ti Pureblood Wild Magic sorcerer with the following stats:

Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 20

The setting is West Marches (Sandbox style)
We currently are NOT using SCAG.

The Yuan-Ti gives me Poison Spray and Animal Friendship (Snakes Only)

I'm looking at taking 4 of the following

Chill Touch
Create Bonfire
Fire Bolt
Mage Hand
Minor Illusion
Ray of Frost
Shocking Grasp

I'm leaning towards definitely taking Chill Touch and Shocking Grasp.

I think CT edges out Ray of Frost for me - unless you can say why RoF would be better?

Everyone likes Fire Bolt - But I have Poison Spray, so could be better going utility.

Of the Utility Spells, I'm leaning more towards the Mage Hand/Minor Illusion.

MH thematically sits nicely with Chill Touch and Shocking Grasp, but is it useful enough?

And I really haven't got a clue on which 2 1st level spells to take.

Help?
Since you are not using SCAG, would your DM allow Elemental Evil spells? I suppose so since you quote Create Bonfire... There is a bunch of great utility cantrips there (Mold Earth and Shape Water).

If, asking your DM about Minor Illusion, you find him a bit too restrictive to your taste, Mold Earth may be a good alternate choice. Sure, it's not as versatile situations-wise, but at least there won't be arguing on how the enemy perceives it. ;)

Chill Touch is a nice spell, but maybe not good enough, unless you face many undead in which case it's a great one. Otherwise I'd rather pick Firebolt (classic long range) or Ray of Frost (lesser range but less resisted and always useful rider).

Shocking Grasp is a must-have, no doubt about it, unless you rolled pretty great DEX to boast 17-18 start AC or plan on taking Quickened Metamagic later for some Dodge/Disengage + quickened spell trick.

Create Bonfire is actually a great cantrip to have at lower levels, since a) you can stack it with usual cantrip on your turn, or allies grappling/pushing into it and b) it's not like you have that many things to do with concentration until you get at least level 5 or so (especially if you pick Mage Armor -which you should-, Shield -which you should-, Magic Missile or Sleep -which you should until level 3 or so, Blindness, Misty Step etc).
Beyond that first tier, it will lose interest unless you have allies to make combos with (Grapplers martials, Spirit Guardians Cleric, Stunning Monk etc) but can still be situationally useful.

Since you already have Poison Spray, in your place, I'd pick Shocking Grasp and another ranged attack cantrip, and two utilities. That way you should have something useful to do in all situations. ;)

[samcifer]

My choices:

Fire Bolt (farthest range available to a sorc cantrip and can be used outside of combat)

Ray of Frost (good range, damage and slows target by reducing their movement by a third)

Chill Touch (fire bolt only within combat, but a handy effect if the npcs have a healing ability within their group)

Acid Splash (can hit more than a single target, but looses effectiveness at higher levels once acid resistance comes into play)

Create Bonfire can be useful with the right combos and can even be used to pen enemies in with hazardous terrain if you place them just right while allies are engaging them.

[samcifer]

Also note that Shocking Grasp Is a TOUCH-range attack, and with lower defenses than most characters, it can be risky to use as you need to be within melee range to use it unless you use the metamagic to add some range to the spell.

[Citan]

Also note that Shocking Grasp Is a TOUCH-range attack, and with lower defenses than most characters, it can be risky to use as you need to be within melee range to use it unless you use the metamagic to add some range to the spell.
Very true, but I'd daresay Shocking Grasp is most usually used as a "defensive" option (maybe even designed towards that goal).

Like, you never try and run towards the enemy, you're a Wild Magic, squishy Sorcerer after all (unless you expect a Fireball Surge XD), but if an enemy is already threatening you in melee range, and you know you have a decent chance to hit (because he has low AC, or he has metal armor), it's a good chance to "free Disengage" and deal damage instead of just using your whole action (and most of the time whole turn) using the Disengage action.

[Asmotherion]

Since you are not using SCAG, would your DM allow Elemental Evil spells? I suppose so since you quote Create Bonfire... There is a bunch of great utility cantrips there (Mold Earth and Shape Water).

If, asking your DM about Minor Illusion, you find him a bit too restrictive to your taste, Mold Earth may be a good alternate choice. Sure, it's not as versatile situations-wise, but at least there won't be arguing on how the enemy perceives it. ;)

Chill Touch is a nice spell, but maybe not good enough, unless you face many undead in which case it's a great one. Otherwise I'd rather pick Firebolt (classic long range) or Ray of Frost (lesser range but less resisted and always useful rider).

Shocking Grasp is a must-have, no doubt about it, unless you rolled pretty great DEX to boast 17-18 start AC or plan on taking Quickened Metamagic later for some Dodge/Disengage + quickened spell trick.

Create Bonfire is actually a great cantrip to have at lower levels, since a) you can stack it with usual cantrip on your turn, or allies grappling/pushing into it and b) it's not like you have that many things to do with concentration until you get at least level 5 or so (especially if you pick Mage Armor -which you should-, Shield -which you should-, Magic Missile or Sleep -which you should until level 3 or so, Blindness, Misty Step etc).
Beyond that first tier, it will lose interest unless you have allies to make combos with (Grapplers martials, Spirit Guardians Cleric, Stunning Monk etc) but can still be situationally useful.

Since you already have Poison Spray, in your place, I'd pick Shocking Grasp and another ranged attack cantrip, and two utilities. That way you should have something useful to do in all situations. ;)

Truth is, all cantrips are awesome, if used with the right combination (yes, even True Strike, at least in the hands of an Arcane Trickster XD). I was just going through an elimination process, and Create Bonefire seemed like the only obvious choice given it's range, being already elementally covered by fire bolt and needing concentration (it's greatest flaw). That said, it's still a great cantrip.

[Joe the Rat]

Very true, but I'd daresay Shocking Grasp is most usually used as a "defensive" option (maybe even designed towards that goal).

Like, you never try and run towards the enemy, you're a Wild Magic, squishy Sorcerer after all (unless you expect a Fireball Surge XD), but if an enemy is already threatening you in melee range, and you know you have a decent chance to hit (because he has low AC, or he has metal armor), it's a good chance to "free Disengage" and deal damage instead of just using your whole action (and most of the time whole turn) using the Disengage action. Denying reactions is the big feature for defense. The damage is a bonus. Your other option would be Frostbite (CON, 1d8* cold, disad on next attack) - it has 60' range, but as a save spell, there is no penalty in using it on/ with adjacent enemies.

I like to have it on hand to deal with small skirmishers - creatures hard to hit (higher AC) but not super-tough (low-to-middlin' CON).

[Escribblings]

I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, but the difference between FB and CB is that FB will only create a lasting fire if there are flammable things to ignite. Whereas CB creates a magical bonfire.

And we used that to great effect against some Perytons as none of us had magic weapons, my Brab dropped his greatsword, grappled 2 of the foe and dragged them through the bonfire repeatedly.

[Gignere]

Shocking grasp is a gamble and as one of the squishiest you should disengage to guarantee to not take the AoO.

Anyway after you get quicken and/or Misty Step there is absolutely no reason to even risk shocking grasp to deny reaction when you can disengage and then cast with bonus action or bonus action teleport follow by another cantrip.

However if you manage to get a Familiar then shocking grasp is worth it, ritual caster or magic initiate.

Chill touch is amaze balls, the number of times I denied enemy clerics from healing is so satisfying and as long as your DM doesn't metagame you, Chill Touch can easily turn a battle when your adversaries have healing.

I have used it to deny trolls, slaad hell basically anything that heals.

I also recommend Minor Illusion, you may also want to consider friends and message unless your DM allows meta table talk.

[Vogonjeltz]

I'm building a Yuan-Ti Pureblood Wild Magic sorcerer with the following stats:

Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 20

The setting is West Marches (Sandbox style)
We currently are NOT using SCAG.

The Yuan-Ti gives me Poison Spray and Animal Friendship (Snakes Only)

I'm looking at taking 4 of the following

Chill Touch
Create Bonfire
Fire Bolt
Mage Hand
Minor Illusion
Ray of Frost
Shocking Grasp

I'm leaning towards definitely taking Chill Touch and Shocking Grasp.

I think CT edges out Ray of Frost for me - unless you can say why RoF would be better?

Everyone likes Fire Bolt - But I have Poison Spray, so could be better going utility.

Of the Utility Spells, I'm leaning more towards the Mage Hand/Minor Illusion.

MH thematically sits nicely with Chill Touch and Shocking Grasp, but is it useful enough?

And I really haven't got a clue on which 2 1st level spells to take.

Help?

Check the range on poison spray, isn't it only 10 ft? Taking Ray of Frost grants both a reasonably ranged attack and small measure of control for slowing opponents to either escape or chase them down.

Be cautious about minor illusion, under a strict reading it can't do much (a boiling pot is impossible, for example because liquids fall within phenomena, not objects... also that would be two things: the pot object and the water/steam natural phenomena).