To make Captain Cantrip.

[Misterwhisper]

Short version:

Looking to make a caster who specializes in cantrips.

Essentially it is a caster who instead of learning spells of level 1 and up he learns a new cantrip every time they would learn a new spell.

So the question is, what Classes to combine and what stats.

Normal point buy and any official or UA material.

[JackPhoenix]

Doesn't work. You only learn cantrip when the class tables say you do, you can't get it instead of a leveled spell.

[sophontteks]

Just play a sorcerer. They get the most cantrips.

[Mellack]

Are you looking to multiclass to get more cantrips? If so, you might try reading this.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?562738-Most-number-of-cantrips-by-level-5&highlight=most+cantrips

[Misterwhisper]

Doesn't work. You only learn cantrip when the class tables say you do, you can't get it instead of a leveled spell.

It is a custom rule for the character.

I can play any class but instead of learning new spells I get more cantrips.

Looking for ways to get the most out of it.

[Puh Laden]

It is a custom rule for the character.

I can play any class but instead of learning new spells I get more cantrips.

Looking for ways to get the most out of it.

Use a Warlock base probably then. You already get the best attack cantrip. Plus you get invocations to help mitigate your self-made under-poweredness. And some invocations are kind like "super cantrips."

[RedMage125]

Or go High Elf, multi class Sorc/Warlock, pick Tome Pact, and take Magic Initiate when you get a feat. Probably the most cantrips one can get without house rules even entering the picture.

[Bjarkmundur]

Take a look at the Mystic, and maybe steal some of his options, for more variety?

[Dr. Cliché]

Use a Warlock base probably then. You already get the best attack cantrip. Plus you get invocations to help mitigate your self-made under-poweredness. And some invocations are kind like "super cantrips."

The thing is though, being a Warlock makes so many other cantrips redundant. What's the point in Fire Bolt, Poison Spray, Acid Splash etc. when you have Eldritch Blast?

[SpanielBear]

The thing is though, being a Warlock makes so many other cantrips redundant. What's the point in Fire Bolt, Poison Spray, Acid Splash etc. when you have Eldritch Blast?

Fire-bolt- damage type?

Poison spray- war-caster shenanigans?

Acid splash- AoE potential?

I admit these are minor distinctions though. Eldritch Blast is still top-pick.

[Dr. Cliché]

Fire-bolt- damage type?

More likely to be a hindrance then a benefit.



Poison spray- war-caster shenanigans?

That's not a shenanigan it's a cry for help.



Acid splash- AoE potential?

Except that the damage is still awful. You'd be better off using Eldritch Blast and just splitting the bolts between 2+ targets. That way you do more damage and aren't restricted to creatures within 5ft of one another.

[JackPhoenix]

More likely to be a hindrance then a benefit.

Well, you can target objects and set things on fire, so there's that at least. Agreed on the other two.

[Haydensan]

The rare(?) occasion you go against a Helmed Horror and experience something immune to force damage.

[SpanielBear]

Yeah, I wasn’t really sold on my own argument to be honest.

However, I will go to bat for Vicious Mockery and possibly Chill Touch as being cantrips that Eldritch Blast doesn’t render obsolete. Imposing at will disadvantage is great, especially if you are playing support, and it’s nice to have the “no healing” option.

[Bjarkmundur]

Agreed. I put my group against a single troll once, they will never forget.

[Chronos]

Back in the day when it was just the PHB and Elemental Evil for sources, I put together a character who got all but two of the cantrips in existence (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?406843-Silly-idea-The-cantripper). Now, of course, there are more cantrips, but there are also ways to get more (make the warlock celestial and the cleric arcana), and some of them are redundant (for instance, Blade Storm is the same as Thunderclap, and Word of Radiance is better than both). And the build even got slots up to 6th level (but only 1st and 2nd level spells to use in those slots) and a lot of rituals. The main drawback is that with all of the multiclassing, the highest you can get your primary casting stat is 16.

[MikeRoxTheBoat]

Go Cleric, start with 14 cantrips instead of your prepared spell list.

In more seriousness, though, a shillelagh Bladesinger could be interesting. Or literally any Warlock. Hexblade would give you Cha attacks on top of your cantrips, any other could do shillelagh booming/greenflame blades.

[Aaron Underhand]

Tome warlock 3, lore bard x

Remember bard can take cantrips as magical secrets.

It's enough cantrips, and they're great, and you are SAD. Add one level of sorcerer if you need more, or three levels to replace all your spell slots with sorcery points for quicken....wlk 3/sorc 3/bard 14 gets you what 18 cantrips with all bar 6 keyed off charisma... And probably two cantrips a round for most of the day...

.

[Misterwhisper]

Tome warlock 3, lore bard x

Remember bard can take cantrips as magical secrets.

It's enough cantrips, and they're great, and you are SAD. Add one level of sorcerer if you need more, or three levels to replace all your spell slots with sorcery points for quicken....wlk 3/sorc 3/bard 14 gets you what 18 cantrips with all bar 6 keyed off charisma... And probably two cantrips a round for most of the day...

.

That is not bad.

I don’t think I explained the character well:

I can pick any class that is a full caster and use all their abilities but instead of learning a new spell as I progress, I can learn a cantrip from any class and cast it as a spell of my class.

Ex if I played a sorcerer I would cast all spells based on charisma even if I picked like thorn whip.
All class abilities stay the same I just will be all cantrips.

[Lunali]

If you want to use mostly cantrips, existing classes give enough for combat uses. The main reason to add more would be for the wide variety of non-combat uses you can get out of them.

[OverLordOcelot]

You could just take a celestial warlock with a 13 wis to level 3 for pact of the tome, then drop in a level each of sorc, bard, and cleric and you'll have all the cantrips you want without gimping your main class casting. You'll get 4/2 regular spell slots and your pact magic slots with a plethora of first level spells, select your warlock spells from the warlock or cleric list, then eventually will get up to 9th level warlock spells if you play that long. Giving up all of your proper spell casting is going to really weaken your character, this 'captain cantrip' would be much more effective overall.

You're looking at choosing 3 warlock, 4 sorcerer, 3 cleric, 2 bard, and 3 any (using CHA) cantrips, plus light and sacred flame (also using CHA). 17 cantrips will cover pretty much anything actually useful you expect to do.

[Galithar]

Okay will people actually read the thread?? Please??

He does NOT, I repeat, does NOT need a way to get more cantrips. He's ALREADY GETTING THEM. He needs a way to make this worth it... And honestly? It's not.

Unless you are saying you STILL get your full spell progression? At which point it doesn't really matter what class you take. There are only so many good cantrips and you should have all of them by level 6 or so. But you said you learn cantrips INSTEAD of leveled spells not in addition to.

No full casters abilities make cantrips good enough to not have leveled spells. If you are insistent on this make a Warlock. Agonizing Blast is the only modification to a cantrips that is good enough to pick a class for.

Edit: I also notice you said classes to combine. The best cantrip based class is a quickening Sorlock. Maximum damage potential without any leveled spells for cantrips is actually Twinned Firebolt + Quickened Agonizing Blast. (Depending on the level and stats. 8d10+40 at max level Quicken only versus 12d10+20 Twinned and Quickened)

[Griswold]

In addition to Galithar's comment (Sorlock based on metamagic), there's one more character I'd consider using with cantrips only: Paladin.


Get shillelagh to be Charisma SAD, maybe add booming blade.
Make the rest of your cantrips utility and fun cantrips like minor illusion and mold earth.
Don't feel bad about using all of your now useless spell slots for smites all day.

It's not quite as good as a straight paladin, but it's certainly playable.

[Misterwhisper]

In addition to Galithar's comment (Sorlock based on metamagic), there's one more character I'd consider using with cantrips only: Paladin.


Get shillelagh to be Charisma SAD, maybe add booming blade.
Make the rest of your cantrips utility and fun cantrips like minor illusion and mold earth.
Don't feel bad about using all of your now useless spell slots for smites all day.

It's not quite as good as a straight paladin, but it's certainly playable.

He actually will not have any spell slots, no casting ability but cantrips.

Long story short:

He will start the game with illusionist bracers, but they are cursed and can't be removed and stop him from learning anything but cantrips.
So multiple classes will not really hurt because I do not have spell levels to deal with.
I do not want to cheese it up and take like 2 levels of warlock and then just go like fighter for the rest.
I want to run with it on a full caster, or a combination of them.
Whatever class/classes I put together can cast from the same stat.
Ex. I will probably choose Wisdom as my casting stat for everything and take Warlock 2/Wizard 2/something...

[Griswold]

He actually will not have any spell slots, no casting ability but cantrips.

Long story short:

He will start the game with illusionist bracers, but they are cursed and can't be removed and stop him from learning anything but cantrips.
So multiple classes will not really hurt because I do not have spell levels to deal with.
I do not want to cheese it up and take like 2 levels of warlock and then just go like fighter for the rest.
I want to run with it on a full caster, or a combination of them.
Whatever class/classes I put together can cast from the same stat.
Ex. I will probably choose Wisdom as my casting stat for everything and take Warlock 2/Wizard 2/something...

Oh! Well then. My recommendation would be Hunter Ranger 3 / Celestial Tomelock X.


Illusionist bracers, you can Booming Blade + "Quicken" Booming Blade all day long.
Hordebreaker from Hunter Ranger gets you an extra attack, even if you're using booming blade (since its on any attack on your turn).
Ranger is also giving you medium armor + shield proficiency, and either duelling style for damage or defensive for extra AC.
Revised Ranger (since you've got access to UA) also gets you advantage on initiative checks and +2 damage against all humanoids. Sweet!
Use Spell-Less Ranger, too, if you can! Then you've got a couple of maneuvers and some other options that aren't spells. Warlock will give you more than enough cantrips.
You don't need Hexblade since you already have all the proficiencies and three attacks per round AND Shillelagh lets you use Charisma to attack, so pick one with some cool powers (like healing).
I'd recommend Tomelock if the ritual book. That'll really fill out your magical ability. If not, go with Pact of the Chain.
Celestial adds Charisma to fire/radiant damage on cantrips, so Green-Flame Blade might be a good alternative as well. You've certainly got enough cantrips to take them all!

[Rukelnikov]

I assume the idea is to take casting classes, and double down on using cantrips, under that assumption:

Celestial Lock 2 -> Agonizing
Grave Cleric 8 -> Potent SC
Celestial Lock 6 -> Radiant Soul
Draconic Sorc 6 -> Elemental Affinity

Clerics potent SC is the only "universal" buff to cantrips, it doesn't care for damage type, or wether its save or attack, and it doesn't say to only one roll. Normally applies to Cleric trips only, but in your case you could pick the relevant ones as a Cleric and sidestep that.

Once you get it, your EBs would be dealing 1d10+Cha+Wis, its already a solid spell, this makes it even more powerfull, problem is, from lvl 2 to 10, you will get almost nothing, sides HP, and that's what I think will happen with most casting classes save for Lock, many levels of nothing, and then something nice, but likely not worth the hassle of all those levels of nothing.

[MikeRoxTheBoat]

Theurgy could be an interesting UA option. You're a Wizard, but you get native access to Cleric cantrips as well as domain features at certain levels. Pick a Domain that has potent cantrips as a feature and you should be good for all of your cantrips needs without specifically having to be a Cleric.

[Potato_Priest]

Poison spray- war-caster shenanigans?


That's not a shenanigan it's a cry for help.


Would you fellows mind if I put that in my signature? For some reason I found it terribly amusing.

Also, I would advise you to pursue options that increase cantrip action efficiency: I would personally look at Valor bards (for the bonus action cantrip/attack option), Eldritch knight (for the same), and of course sorcerer for (quickened spell) after completing your compulsory 2 levels of warlock.

[Talderas]

Short version:

Looking to make a caster who specializes in cantrips.

Essentially it is a caster who instead of learning spells of level 1 and up he learns a new cantrip every time they would learn a new spell.

So the question is, what Classes to combine and what stats.

Normal point buy and any official or UA material.

First point is that Agonizing Blast is the cantrip when it comes to damage. That's just a fact from having the bonus damage apply to each attack roll and it being the only multi-attack roll cantrip.

The second point is what abilities apply to that class's cantrips and what abilities will apply to cross-class cantrips. Meta-magic can be applied to any spell which makes twin spell very helpful.

These two points indicate that the core of any cantrip using class is almost certainly going to be Warlock 2/Sorcerer 3. Anything else you add on besides Sorcerer classes then reduces the number of available Sorcery Points.

The only ability I can think of which might improve this a little more would be Artillerist 6 for Wand Prototype but that would be dependent on the cantrip infused into the wand being subjected to both Agonizing Blast and Metamagic.

[Rukelnikov]

Would you fellows mind if I put that in my signature? For some reason I found it terribly amusing.

Also, I would advise you to pursue options that increase cantrip action efficiency: I would personally look at Valor bards (for the bonus action cantrip/attack option), Eldritch knight (for the same), and of course sorcerer for (quickened spell) after completing your compulsory 2 levels of warlock.

He's starting the game with Illusionists Bracer's, those allow you to cast a trip as a BA is you spend your action to cast a trip, basically free quicken for trips.