Paladin with magic initiate. Take guidance... And what else.

[strangebloke]

So I'm doing a hexblade 1/ paladin x build with the prodigy feat.

I get magic initiate as a free feat from the DM. I'm considering cleric for guidance so I can play up the skill monkey angle.

What should I get as my first level spell to go with that? Already have bless.

I read through a bit of Spectre's guide but I didn't see this specific question.

[Davrix]

Find familiar = win like you will not find a more useful spell to help aid the party and youself.

Want help leaping a chasm, your familiar grants you help.

Want to make sure a caster hits, familiar grants help

So on and so on.

[strangebloke]

Find familiar = win like you will not find a more useful spell to help aid the party and youself.

Want help leaping a chasm, your familiar grants you help.

Want to make sure a caster hits, familiar grants help

So on and so on.
You know, for some reason I thought that was a level one warlock spell, and not just a pact of the chain thing.

So that makes magic initiate: wizard a lot more sexy than it previously was to me.

But I'm still interested in seeing the answer to my question. The best cleric spell to pick up normally for first level is bless... But I'll already get that. Healing word for a panic button?

[DarkKnightJin]

Guidance, Thaumaturgy, and Bless for the 1st level.
Even a single cast of Bless that doesn't take a spell slot.. is another Divine Smite you can toss in there.

[Arkhios]

Whatever you choose, just remember that the spellcasting ability for the cantrips and the spell from Magic Initiate are the same as for the class which spell list you chose for the feat:
Int for Wizard
Wis for Cleric and Druid
Cha for Bard, Sorcerer, and Warlock

Just in case you weren't aware of that - or had forgotten.

[strangebloke]

Guidance, Thaumaturgy, and Bless for the 1st level.
Even a single cast of Bless that doesn't take a spell slot.. is another Divine Smite you can toss in there.
Hmm, interesting. It is better for levels one and two where I won't have bless to begin with, but in the long run I think having an extra trick is better. Like healing word, for instance.


Whatever you choose, just remember that the spellcasting ability for the cantrips and the spell from Magic Initiate are the same as for the class which spell list you chose for the feat:
Int for Wizard
Wis for Cleric and Druid
Cha for Bard, Sorcerer, and Warlock

Just in case you weren't aware of that - or had forgotten.

No, I knew that. thanks for the reminder.

Is druid maybe a better list to pick from?

[JellyPooga]

If you're set on Cleric, then neither Inflict Wounds or Guiding Bolt appear on your Paladin list. Probably not your best picks, though.

If I might suggest, though; the Druid list also features Guidance, but also has some nice spells that your Paladin list doesn't have; Fog Cloud and Entangle are both great AoE area control/denial spells, Faerie Fire is an excellent debuff, Goodberry means never having to worry about rations again, Longstrider doesn't seem like much, but you'd be surprised how beneficial that extra 10ft of speed really is. The Druid list also offers the Cantrip Thorn Whip; a pretty reasonable "get over here" spell for a melee-centric character.

[Asmotherion]

So I'm doing a hexblade 1/ paladin x build with the prodigy feat.

I get magic initiate as a free feat from the DM. I'm considering cleric for guidance so I can play up the skill monkey angle.

What should I get as my first level spell to go with that? Already have bless.

I read through a bit of Spectre's guide but I didn't see this specific question.

Go Hexblade 2 and grab Agonising Blast >_> You are a Warlock, man, act like one!

Sorry, I just feel uneasy when people play warlocks and ignore Eldritch Blast! Especially on high Cha Characters.

[Cespenar]

Healing Word is an incredible tide turner. I'd say definitely get it.

[Specter]

If you don't have a range cantrip, then definitely take Sacred Flame. Otherwise, find something you couldn't do normally and use your cantrip for that.

[DarkKnightJin]

Healing Word is an incredible tide turner. I'd say definitely get it.

This would only work if you didn't get it through Magic Initiate. You can cast the spell once per long rest, but it is not added to your spell list. Since neither Paladin nor Hexblade naturally learn Healing Word, he'd be stuck with the 1 casting per in-game day of it.
At which point something like Bless, which doesn't rely on his Wisdom stat, starts looking a lot better.

Which is why I suggested that instead of Healing Word.

Of course, if your DM rules that since you know the spell through the feat and can now also cast it with your own spell slots.. that'd make it more worthwhile to pick up.

[Cespenar]

This would only work if you didn't get it through Magic Initiate. You can cast the spell once per long rest, but it is not added to your spell list. Since neither Paladin nor Hexblade naturally learn Healing Word, he'd be stuck with the 1 casting per in-game day of it.
At which point something like Bless, which doesn't rely on his Wisdom stat, starts looking a lot better.

Which is why I suggested that instead of Healing Word.

Of course, if your DM rules that since you know the spell through the feat and can now also cast it with your own spell slots.. that'd make it more worthwhile to pick up.

Even once is pretty good. And he did say that he already had bless at the original post.

[strangebloke]

Go Hexblade 2 and grab Agonising Blast >_> You are a Warlock, man, act like one!

Sorry, I just feel uneasy when people play warlocks and ignore Eldritch Blast! Especially on high Cha Characters.
EB will be my backup, but I'm not really planning on using it that much. Can't smite on a ranged spell attack, and if I'm in melee, why am I not swording?

My character dabbled in forbidden knowledge, came to some important realizations, and the got the heck out. Well, at least as much as she could.

Healing Word is an incredible tide turner. I'd say definitely get it.


This would only work if you didn't get it through Magic Initiate. You can cast the spell once per long rest, but it is not added to your spell list. Since neither Paladin nor Hexblade naturally learn Healing Word, he'd be stuck with the 1 casting per in-game day of it.
At which point something like Bless, which doesn't rely on his Wisdom stat, starts looking a lot better.

Which is why I suggested that instead of Healing Word.

Of course, if your DM rules that since you know the spell through the feat and can now also cast it with your own spell slots.. that'd make it more worthwhile to pick up.
Perhaps I'm being naive here, but isn't the amount that healing word grants kind of unimportant? Like, if it's one, you get the guy back into the fight and wipe out his death saves.

Either way, I hope to not need to bring someone back from the brink more than once a day.

If you don't have a range cantrip, then definitely take Sacred Flame. Otherwise, find something you couldn't do normally and use your cantrip for that.
I'll have decent ranged options via warlock, so I'm not focusing on that.

Eh, anyway, I guess the thread has kinda run it's course already. I'm probably not going cleric, since there aren't great first level spell options there, but if I did it seems like healing word is the clear choice, along with guidance and thaumaturgy, or sacred flame if I didn't get a level in hexblade. I would really have preferred to just ask a simple question in Spectre's guide, but I didn't want to contribute to the recent trend of thread necromancy.

[Citan]

Hey ;)
I'm with others recommending Druid here, since you want Magic Initiate for Guidance...
Since we are talking about 1/day spell anyways, I feel Longstrider is your best shot: whether it's simply to be a tad more mobile in a big fight or increase movement for scouting/running away, a 1-hour, non-concentration 10 feet increase seems one of the best options you could hope for. ;)

[Joe the Rat]

When looking at the 1st level spell, I take a few different approaches:

1) Something you'd only want once a day (at most) - Spells with long duration, supply basic needs, or maintain long-term effects. Goodberry from the Druid List would be a parallel.
2) Something you expect to cast at least once a day - If you're going to Bless or Shield of Faith on a regular basis, this gives you a 1/day "slot-free" casting. Otherwise unavailable effects that you would use regularly, like Faerie Fire fit in here.
3) Something you don't expect to cast, but if you need it, you need it - This is an Emergency Spell. Feather Fall is my main example. From the Wisdom Lists, Healing Word would qualify. You have other ways of healing (without using spells, even), but if you need to save someone, can't reach them, and also want to beat the tar out of something this round, being able to use a bonus action to go "Word" is invaluable.

On cantrips: Light is pretty darn useful. Turn your shield (or weapon, or holy symbol) into a torch for hands-free illumination. Cast it on a rock or arrow to light up places not where you are. Remove that disadvantage to visual perception rolls that apply whenever your all-darkvision party is otherwise operating in the dark. Cast it on your breastplate to be a literal knight in shining armor.