Cantrips in 5e: How They Scale

What is a cantrip in 5e?

A cantrip is a level 0 spell. You cast it at will, as often as you want, without using a spell slot. Every full spellcaster learns a few at level 1, and some species, feats and subclasses grant them too. Cantrips cover utility (Light, Mage Hand, Guidance) and damage (Fire Bolt, Eldritch Blast, Sacred Flame).

Damage cantrips are the backbone of a caster's turn when they don't want to burn a slot. Most of them roll a single type of die, so you can roll them on the d10 roller or the d8 roller with the number of dice set to your tier.

How do cantrips scale with level?

Damage cantrips gain an extra die at character levels 5, 11 and 17. This is the same in the 2014 and 2024 rules.

The important detail is character level, not class level. A Fighter 6 / Wizard 1 is a level 7 character, so their Fire Bolt deals 2d10. This makes picking up a single caster level, or a feat that grants a cantrip, worthwhile for any character.

Cantrips don't add your ability modifier to damage unless a feature says so. Average damage for any dice is listed in average dice rolls.

What are the best damage cantrips and how much do they deal?

Fire Bolt

The default damage cantrip for Wizards and Sorcerers: a d10 of fire at 120 feet. It averages 5.5 at level 1 and 22 at level 17. Plenty of monsters resist or ignore fire, so it's worth having a second damage type available. Unchanged in 2024.

Eldritch Blast

Instead of adding dice to one attack, Eldritch Blast fires more beams: two at level 5, three at 11 and four at 17. Each beam is a separate attack roll dealing 1d10 force, and you can aim them at the same target or split them. With the Agonizing Blast invocation, each beam also adds your Charisma modifier. A Warlock with +3, then +4, then +5 Charisma averages about 8.5 per turn at level 1, 19 at level 5, 31.5 at level 11 and 42 at level 17 if every beam hits. In the 2024 rules, Agonizing Blast can apply to any Warlock damage cantrip you choose, not only Eldritch Blast.

Sacred Flame and Toll the Dead

Sacred Flame calls for a Dexterity save instead of an attack roll, and the target gains no benefit from cover. It deals d8 radiant damage. Toll the Dead uses a Wisdom save and deals d8 necrotic damage, or d12 if the target is already missing any hit points, which makes it the better choice once a fight is underway. Both deal no damage on a successful save. Toll the Dead first appeared in Xanathar's Guide to Everything and is in the 2024 Player's Handbook.

Chill Touch

Chill Touch changed the most. In the 2014 rules, it is a 120-foot ranged spell attack for 1d8 necrotic, and the target can't regain hit points until the start of your next turn; undead targets also have disadvantage on attacks against you. In the 2024 rules, it is a melee touch attack for 1d10 necrotic, and the target can't regain hit points until the end of your next turn.

Shocking Grasp

Shocking Grasp deals 1d8 lightning on a touch and is mainly an escape tool. In the 2014 rules, the target can't take reactions until the start of its next turn, and you have advantage if it wears metal armor. In the 2024 rules, the metal armor advantage is gone, and the target can't make opportunity attacks until the start of its next turn.

What changed for cantrips in the 2024 rules?

• Same scaling: extra dice still arrive at levels 5, 11 and 17, based on character level.
• Chill Touch: now melee range, with a bigger d10 damage die.
• Shocking Grasp: blocks opportunity attacks instead of all reactions, and no longer rewards hitting metal armor.
• True Strike: no longer grants advantage on your next attack. It is now an attack with a weapon that uses your spellcasting ability, and it adds extra radiant damage starting at level 5.
• New options: the 2024 Player's Handbook adds new damage cantrips, such as Sorcerous Burst for Sorcerers and Starry Wisp for Bards and Druids.

If your table mixes books, check which version of a cantrip each player is using. The spell pages on this site, listed under spells, note the differences.

How can you make cantrips deal more damage?

• Agonizing Blast (Warlock): adds Charisma to each Eldritch Blast beam, and in 2024 to another chosen Warlock damage cantrip instead if you prefer.
• Potent Spellcasting (Cleric): adds Wisdom to Cleric cantrip damage. In the 2014 rules, some domains get it at level 8; in the 2024 rules, it is one of the Blessed Strikes options at level 7.
• Resistances: pick cantrips with different damage types so you aren't stuck when a monster resists fire or necrotic.

Are cantrips worth using at high levels?

Yes, as a fallback. A level 17 Fire Bolt averages 22 damage, about double a level 1 Magic Missile (three darts averaging 10.5 in total), and it costs nothing. Casters with limited slots, like Warlocks, rely on cantrips every round. Even full casters spend many turns casting cantrips while concentrating on a bigger spell they cast earlier.

FAQ

Do cantrips scale with class level or character level?

Character level. A Fighter 4 / Wizard 1 is a level 5 character, so their Fire Bolt already deals 2d10, even though they have only one Wizard level.

At what levels do cantrips get stronger?

At character levels 5, 11 and 17. Each step adds one more damage die, or one more beam for Eldritch Blast, for a maximum of four dice at level 17.

What is the best damage cantrip in 5e?

Eldritch Blast is usually the strongest, because it scales with extra beams and Warlocks can add their Charisma modifier to each beam with Agonizing Blast. Among cantrips any caster can easily get, Fire Bolt has the best damage die.

Do cantrips use spell slots?

No. Cantrips never use spell slots, so you can cast them as often as you like, once per action.

Did cantrips change in the 2024 rules?

The scaling levels stayed the same, but some cantrips changed. Chill Touch became a melee touch attack dealing 1d10, Shocking Grasp lost its bonus against metal armor, and True Strike became a weapon attack.

Related

• Roll a d10
• Eldritch Blast 5e
• Sacred Flame 5e
• Average Dice Rolls: d4 to d100 Cheat Sheet