The Cantrip Blaster: d4 #125

Can we build a D&D character who does respectable damage using *only* Cantrips? What if we exclude Eldritch Blast and Booming Blade?

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Intro/Character Concept:(0:00)
dScryb (Sponsor):(8:42)
Level 1:(10:59)
Levels 2-6:(16:58)
Levels 7-9:(29:48)
Levels 10-13:(35:30)
Levels 14-17:(43:50)
Final Thoughts:(51:47)
Outtakes:(56:03)

Math/Graph for this episode:

Master Nova Damage Comparison (4 tabs):

Music Credits:

[GamerTreeProductions]

I cast suggestion on a bandit leader when we were 5th level. We could have beaten the bandits easily, but we suggested that the leader “Go turn his life around and be a better person.” We were an hour outside of town, so he spent 7 hours applying to be a guard and helping people with random tasks along the way. We saw the bandit several levels later outside the town gate having stuck to being a better person.

[ElManReborn]

Colby: because as casters, the best use of our action and concentration would be to cast wall of force
Colby, as well: *proceeds to stay as far away as possible from 5th level spells

[izitest]

Me: Okay now that he's nailed Four Elements monk I've seen about everything
Colby: CANTRIP BUILD

[tjrooger]

I consider my self more of a "debuffer" play style. Death is a great and often overlooked debuff option IMO.

[VenzyntRoleplay]

True story: When I was first getting into dnd, I wanted to play cleric and I literally practiced quotes for my character to say when casting Toll the Dead lol
"The bell tolls for you, creature."
"The grave is calling."
"This ring is the herald of death."
"Hear me and despair."
"Your time has come."

[antoniomromo]

I envisioned this character as a single parent that went back to wizard college after taking years off. All they learned were the cantrips and some control spells that they use primarily to corall rowdy children.

[steel]

Something I was thinking about the other day. I find it funny that Wizards don't select their Subclass until second level bc they're in like Wizard College and the first year they haven't selected a major yet. I always imagine someone asking them "So what kinda Wizard are you"
The Wizard:" Oh I'm a general studies Wizard I havent selected my major yet"
Idk makes me laugh lol

[tjrooger]

Colby: "This build does 24d12+30 Damage for 177 damage with cantrips."

Also Colby: "This is my lowest multi target damage build."

Meteor Swarm: **Runs away and cries with it's 156 average damage roll**

[gaidencastro]

Colby: "I've yet to see a monster this build can't rip through."

[gaidencastro]

Instead of a linear tier list, maybe you could rank your builds on a graph in terms of how specific a situation needs to be to make them work vs how well they excell at nova/sustained/tanking in those situations.

[wandrilleturle]

To whomever it may concern : join the channel it's great 😄🥰 the sheets are clear and very useful tools if you play often 🙂 and when playing with new players who need a character to discover dnd with it's a great databank of fun premade character 🙂

[danielbeshers]

So pleased to have a character able to put serious hurt on two enemies at once. One Toll for WotC, one Toll for Hasbro.

[michabentoby]

I read this as "catnip" at first and got very confused but was totally here for the Tabaxi build ^_^

[nessesaryschoolthing]

33:20 "For those casting spells that require a spell attack roll, if you miss, the target takes zero damage"

Objection! The attack-roll based spell Acid Arrow (also known by the alias "Melf's Acid Arrow) clearly states that it deals half of it's initial damage when it misses its target.

[BLynn]

The Cantrip Blaster: d4 #125
Level 1:(see above) [cleric 1, sub-class & race]
Level 2:(see above) [wizard 1]
Level 7:(see above) [wizard 4 & ASI]
Level 10:(see above) [artificer 1]
Level 14:(see above) [artificer 5]

[joshuadefriese]

I had no idea this build was going to be saving throw or burst damage focused! What a cool build, Colby! Keep it up!

[Leighzer]

48:23 fireball doesn't really target multiple enemies they're just caught in its AoE, so you roll only once for all of them. Eldritch blast targets multiple enemies and you will roll separately for each of them. Since Reaper allows you to target 2 enemies, I would rule that you CAN roll for each of them and add Int modifier for both targets.

[ivanfranebijelic]

I've been having such a blast recently playing around with Wild Shape and a Monk build, mostly revolving around Astral Self or Ascendant Dragon. There's something about a draft horse sprouting spectral arms or breathing lightning that's really funny to experiment with.
From an optimization perspective, keeping high AC and movement is massive for most wild shapes, extra attack is a big boost for wild shapes without multiattack, and Astral Self keeps its Wisdom stat for the flurry of blows bonus action (that combined with Shillelagh outside of Wild Shape makes Monks much less MAD). The trick is that you actually DON'T want Circle of the Moon, because that prevents you from setting up Astral Arms and wild shape in the first turn, Shepherd seems like a good choice. Fey Touched can be used for Hex (disadvantage on strength checks + Astral Arms for decent grappling) or Bane if you're an Ascendant Dragon.
I'm sure Colby can work with this base much better than me :)

[pkstarstorm]

The bard in my party cast suggestion and told an enemy to go learn to play the piano and she ran off. Later while meeting an NPC in a tavern, we found that enemy playing piano. I think about that all the time

[Pinstar]

I set up a really nasty suggestion trap. The cult base was being guarded by two flaming skulls which we dispatched but didn't have the means to prevent them from eventually reforming. I had the idea of putting the pieces in one of the cult member's horse's saddle bags, unhooking it and using prestidigitation to make a thunderclap to startle the horse and make it run far down the road.

Fast forward to combat with the cultists, I used Suggestion to say "Your horse got loose and ran down the road! Go and catch it!" which caused the cultist to run out of the room to go chase their horse, removing them from combat.

Off screen, once the cultist had found and secured the horse and was riding it back, the flaming skulls in its saddle bags reformed.