Cantrips for Tempest Cleric

[Laserlight]

We're starting Curse of Strahd tonight, and I'll be bringing a DEX based tempest cleric. High stats (either DEX 18, CON 16, WIS 18 or DEX 16, CON 18, WIS 18), using shield and rapier. Campaign will top out at L10 or so. Other players: divine soul sorc, paladin, arcane trickster, and probably a rogue/battlemaster

She's a half elf, moon variant, which means I get a wizard cantrip in addition to the clerical ones. I reflexively put down Booming Blade, but it doesn't do extra damage until L5 (unless the target moves, which I can't force); and from I've read, by L5 Tempest is usually doing less melee and more casting. So I'm wondering if there's a more effective choice.

For RP reasons I'd prefer air / cold / lightning / thunder, which means Frostbite, Gust, Lightning Lure, Ray of Frost, Shocking Grasp (and Thunderclap, but it's not party friendly and Word of Radiance is).

Any recommendations? Or is Booming Blade better than I think?

[KorvinStarmast]

The nice thing about thunderclap is that if mooks swarm you, you can use your Temptest cleric to max damage on a crowd, which at 5th level is a nice little spike. I used thunderclap now and again with a tempest cleric (my DM let me import that cantrip once EE player companion came out) and we also used it as a signaling device at such times that we, gasp, split the party.

That said, I'd probably go for ray of frost, lightning lure, or firebolt.
RoF to vary your damage
Lightning Lure because it is so perfect for Tempest Cleric.

[Willie the Duck]

I reflexively put down Booming Blade, but it doesn't do extra damage until L5 (unless the target moves, which I can't force); and from I've read, by L5 Tempest is usually doing less melee and more casting. So I'm wondering if there's a more effective choice.

Well, when you hit level 5, one of the most internet-loved cleric strategy is to turn on the Spirit Guardians, hit someone with a Booming Blade-enhanced melee attack and play 'do you retreat and take you lumps (BB) now, or sit in the middle of my maelstrom (SG)?'

I tend to find that this is overblown compared to how the game usually plays out, but there is no denying that it is a decent strategy.

As to less melee and more casting... This seems to be another case of whether or not your groups do or do not find that the 6-8 encounter recommendation per Long Rest is realistic, ridiculous, or somewhere in between. I personally, have never had any LR-recharging class that plays out like people say they will, simply because I would run out of (non-cantrip) spells.

That said, I never dismiss someone choosing not to go with yet another combat cantrip and instead something like Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Minor Illusion, or Move Earth. The possibilities for these are literally only bounded by your creativity.

[Vogie]

I would pick up Lightning Lure to give you easy access to a Lightning Cantrip.

If you're interested in Booming blade, you could also pick it up with at a higher level with the Spell Sniper feat, and apply it at range with a whip. It'd also double your Lightning Lure range, allowing you to use it as a Grasp effect later on

[Laserlight]

If you're interested in Booming blade, you could also pick it up with at a higher level with the Spell Sniper feat, and apply it at range with a whip. It'd also double your Lightning Lure range, allowing you to use it as a Grasp effect later on

I think my feats will need to be Warcaster and WIS+2 and then the campaign ends, so Spell Sniper seems unlikely. :-\

[Honest Tiefling]

Lightning Lure because thematics. Through I'd ask the DM about being able to retrain the racial cantrip? It isn't a bloodline thing, just a thing about having a lot of mages and picking up a bit of magic. Admittedly, I haven't payed CoS and there might not be a lot of opportunity for this, but no harm in asking, right?

[Galadhrim]

Booming blade is fun and thematic. I don't think you will regret the choice. It simply gives you a better melee option any time you decide melee attack is what you should do.

If you don't want to do booming blade, I would go with shape water. All the other attack options, while thematic, will use int (unless the half elf variant is different?) And make them much less useful with a direct save or attack role. In addition to general utility, being able too make water run can be very useful in Cos.

[Laserlight]

All the other attack options, while thematic, will use int

Ah, yes. I knew there was something I was forgetting.

[CTurbo]

I'd go with Booming Blade for sure. Tempest Clerics really work best down in the thick of things IMO and you'll have the AC to back it up. Your one attack per round will be really good at level 5 and even better at level 8. You'll deal a lot of d8s with your attack, Spirit Guardians, and Spiritual Weapon.

Shocking Grasp is strong if you want to stay AWAY from melee. You can damage them, knock them back 10ft, AND take away their reaction.

Lightning Lure is fun because you can pull them in 10ft, damage them, and then push them back 10ft all at once.

[bronzemountain]

We're starting Curse of Strahd tonight, and I'll be bringing a DEX based tempest cleric. High stats (either DEX 18, CON 16, WIS 18 or DEX 16, CON 18, WIS 18), using shield and rapier. Campaign will top out at L10 or so. Other players: divine soul sorc, paladin, arcane trickster, and probably a rogue/battlemaster

She's a half elf, moon variant, which means I get a wizard cantrip in addition to the clerical ones. I reflexively put down Booming Blade, but it doesn't do extra damage until L5 (unless the target moves, which I can't force); and from I've read, by L5 Tempest is usually doing less melee and more casting. So I'm wondering if there's a more effective choice.

For RP reasons I'd prefer air / cold / lightning / thunder, which means Frostbite, Gust, Lightning Lure, Ray of Frost, Shocking Grasp (and Thunderclap, but it's not party friendly and Word of Radiance is).

Any recommendations? Or is Booming Blade better than I think?

Booming Blade is excellent, and never a bad choice.

That said, those other cantrips are also fine.

Tempest Clerics do start to transition out of melee and into spellcasting, but not at level 5, in my experience. Clerics, in general, don't chain-cast (ie. cast spells one round after another after another). Because, as always, Clerics' best spells are concentration. So, you kind of pick your foundation/conc spell for the encounter, maybe throw a bit of healing if needed, or a spiritual weapon. And then you have to hit things (or use damaging cantrips).

I have had encounters that made hilarious and enjoyable use out of Call Lightning, and thus not so much with the bashing. But those are unusual and specific (Call Lightning does embarrassing damage but does it at utterly hilarious range).