The Cantripist
A high elf hurls a mote of deadly flame before burning the phalanx poised in front of her to a crisp.
A halfling pours a drink across the bar with a pair of spectral hands, a wide smile on his face.
A dwarf stuns his opponent with an electric shock and blows him away with a powerful blast of wind.
All of these heroes are cantripists, masters of the overlooked art of the humble cantrip.
Exception to the rule
While most other mages might focus on achieving higher-power spells, these specialized magicians focus on the finer use of cantrips. While some might choose this path, many others are forced down it, either by missing capability to find higher-level magic, to comprehend it, or just being physically unable to cast the more complex spells. For most of these people, however, they wouldn't have it any other way. Once one tastes the convenience and power of cantripism, it is difficult to turn to any traditional form of spellcasting.
Weapon and Tool
For many spellcasters, magic itself is a goal, with every step they take being another step towards greater magic. For a cantripist, however, magic is but a tool and a weapon, with which to reach their more personal goals. This reflects on the use of their cantrips, with a cast of a firebolt being as natural to a cantripist as the swing of a sword is to a fighter, and as such, many cantripists consider their spells almost as an extension of their being.
What is a Cantrip?
To many, this is a simple question: a low-level spell that you can cast at-will. But beyond that, a cantrip is a spell that the caster knows so well as to have it committed to memory and have the innate magical power to cast the spell as much as one can desire. The amount of practice or talent to reach that point is immense, and any good cantripist has a good combination of both.
Making a Cantripist
As you are making your cantripist, consider the following: Why did your character become a cantripist? Were they cursed by the god of magic, forced to never cast a spell greater than a cantrip? Or perhaps they were once a wizard, but lost their spellbook and gave up on regaining the knowledge within? Or maybe they were just too lazy to find, learn, and scribe the complex incantations of higher magic? Whatever the reason, your character is a cantripist. Consider also how your cantripist views their specialty. Do they wish they did not have to resort to cantripism? Or do they fully embrace it, claiming it as a superior form of magic?
Cantripist
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | 1st-level Spells Known | Spellcraft Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Cantripcasting | 5 | — | ─ |
| 2nd | +2 | Dual Casting | 5 | — | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | Simple Approach | 5 | ─ | 3 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | ─ | 4 |
| 5th | +3 | Empowered Cantrip | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 6th | +3 | Cantrip Boost | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 7th | +3 | Simple Approach Feature | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 1 | 8 |
| 9th | +4 | Split Cantrip | 6 | 2 | 9 |
| 10th | +4 | Cantrip Secrets | 6 | 2 | 10 |
| 11th | +4 | Simple Approach Feature | 6 | 2 | 11 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| 13th | +5 | ─ | 7 | 2 | 13 |
| 14th | +5 | ─ | 7 | 3 | 14 |
| 15th | +5 | Simple Approach Feature | 7 | 3 | 15 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 7 | 3 | 16 |
| 17th | +6 | ─ | 7 | 3 | 17 |
| 18th | +6 | ─ | 8 | 3 | 18 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement, Triple Casting | 8 | 3 | 19 |
| 20th | +6 | Second Level Spells | 8 | 3 | 20 |
Class Features
As a cantripist, you gain the following class features:
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per cantripist level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: You gain an additional 1d8 + Constitution modifier health for every level above 1st.
Proficiencies
- Armor: light armor
- Weapons: simple weapons
- Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
- Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Medicine, Animal Handling, or Persuasion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a sling and 20 stones or (b) a quarterstaff
- (a) an arcane focus or (b) a component pouch
- (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- leather armor and a dagger
Cantripcasting
Different from regular spellcasting, cantripcasting allows all spells known to be prepared at all times, and spell slots are not required, even with spells of 1st level or higher.
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability as a cantripist, as your spells are cast using your memorization and knowledge.
Spell Save DC
Spell attack modifier
Cantrips
You learn 5 cantrips of your choice from the cantripist spell list at 1st level. You learn additional cantrips as you gain level, as shown on the Cantripist table.
Spells of 1st level or Higher
At 5th level, you learn a 1st-level spell. This spell is cast by you as a cantrip, meaning that it costs you no spell slots and can be cast at-will. This is the case for all of your 1st-level cantripist spells.
Spellcraft
Starting at 2nd level, you gain "spellcraft points", special points used for a variety of cantripist features. You have a number of spellcraft points equal to your cantripist level, and you regain them after you complete a short or long rest.
Dual Casting
You become so good at casting spells, you can cast two of them at once. Starting at 2nd level, you can use an action and expend two spellcraft points to cast two spells with a casting time of no longer than 1 round. You cannot cast more than one spell of 1st level or higher using this ability, and if both spells require concentration, you maintain and break concentration as if they were the same spell, but only if they have the same duration (it is impossible for you to concentrate on two spells with different durations). If both spells have extra effects if you use an action after you cast them, you can activate both effects within the same action. For example, if you were to dual cast Mage Hand, you could move both hands 30 feet using the same action.
Simple Approach
Every cantripist has a different approach to magic, but there are a few traditional approaches that many cantripists end up adhering to. Starting at 3rd level, you choose an Approach, which grants you features at 3rd, 7th, 11th, and 15th level. These approaches are described later in the class description.
Ability Score Improvement
Starting at 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th level, you gain either +2 to one ability score, or +1 to two ability scores. If your DM allows for the optional feats rule, you can also get a feat instead.
Empowered Cantrip
After casting so many cantrips, you learn how to make them more powerful. Starting at 5th level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to your spell damage.
Cantrip Boost
You become such a natural with cantrips, they become even stronger for you. Starting at 6th level, you have a bonus to cantrip attack rolls, save DC, and damage rolls equal to half your proficiency bonus rounded down.
Split Cantrip
Starting at 9th level, when you cast a cantrip that deals damage, the damage die are split. For example, if you were to cast the Firebolt cantrip, which deals 2d10 damage at 9th level, you would instead cast two individual 1d10 damage bolts. You can choose to attack separate targets with the separate attacks, or the same target with both attacks. The amount of separate attacks increases with level along with how damage would normally increase. For example, at 11th level, your damaging cantrips have three separate attacks, and at 17th level, they have four separate attacks.
Cantrip Secrets
Using simple magic so much, you find that many different magical disciplines have spells you can cast. Starting at 10th level, you can choose two cantrips from any class' spell list (they need not be from the same list). You now know them, and they count as cantripist spells for you, using your spellcasting ability modifier and your level.
Triple Casting
You gain the ability to bring dual casting to the next level, and are now able to cast three spells at once. Starting at 19th level, you can use an action and expend 5 spellcraft points to Triple Cast, allowing you to cast three spells at once. Like dual casting, you can only cast one spell of 1st level or higher with this feature, and if the spells have the same duration, you can concentrate on them at once. Also like dual casting, you can activate additional effects for all of the spells cast in this fashion using the same action or bonus action, assuming they all use either actions or bonus actions to activate their effects. You cannot use an action to activate 2 action features and one bonus action feature, for example, but you can use a bonus action to activate 3 bonus action features.
Second Level Spells
Starting at 20th level, you become so effective at using 1st-level spells, you now cast them as if they were cast with a 2nd-level spell slot. Additionally, you learn one 2nd-level spell, which you can cast at-will.
Simple Approaches
The approaches you have as a cantripist often determine your specialty, your spell preferences, as well as your methods of casting. Below are a set of approaches which grant you special features.
Warmage
Often as much warriors as they are mages, warmages use cantrips as a fighter would use a sword or shield. A warmage focuses on increasing the destructive power and protective ability of their spells.
War Cantrips
You learn to make your cantrips more flexible in close quarters. Starting at 3rd level when you take this approach, hostile creatures within 5 feet of you no longer impose disadvantage on your ranged spell attacks.
Mage Armor Adept
After training in effective use of mage armor, you become exceedingly effective at protecting yourself with it. Starting at 7th level, you learn the mage armor spell if you don't know it already, and if you didn't, it doesn't count against your number of spells known, and when you cast it on yourself, it grants an AC of 10 + your Intelligence modifier + your Dexterity modifier, or 13 + your Dexterity or Intelligence modifier, depending on whichever grants a higher AC.
Warrior Mage
You learn how to use your simple weaponry in tandem with your cantrips. Starting at 11th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you may use your bonus action to make a weapon attack.
Protective Measures
You gain the ability to activate further protective magic to keep you alive. Starting at 15th level, you can use an action to give yourself a number of temporary hit points equal to your cantripist level. You cannot use this feature again until you complete a short or long rest.
Flexivist
While a warmage does focus somewhat on increasing the flexibility of their cantrips for combat, a flexivist takes that to the next level. With the ability to fundamentally change their spells in order to increase their flexibility and power, you never know entirely what to expect when facing a flexivist.
Flexible Cantrips
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this approach, youy learn one modification, a change to your spell's abilities that uses a d6. You gain 1 additional modification at 7th level, 11th level, and 15th level. Here are the modifications available:
Forceful Spell. When you hit a target with a damaging spell, you can expend 3 spellcraft points and roll a d6, adding it to the damage for that target. Additionally, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be moved 10 feet in a direction of your choice.
Fearful Spell. When you hit a target with a damaging spell, you can expend 3 spellcraft points and roll a d6, adding it to the damage for that target. Additionally, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Reaper's Spell. When you target a creature with a damaging spell, you can expend 3 spellcraft points and roll a d6, adding it to the damage if it hits. If the damage from that spell reduces the target to 0 hit points or below, the target dies if they wouldn't already, and you regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled on your flex die.
Blasting Spell. When you target a creature with a ranged spell attack, you can expend 3 spellcraft points and roll a d6, adding it to the damage if it hits. Additionally, creatures within 5 feet of the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take the full damage, minus the flex die, of the ranged spell attack.
Empowered Spell. When you cast a damaging spell, you can expend 3 spellcraft points, roll a d6, and add twice the result to the damage for all targets of the spell.
Can Trip. When you hit a target with a cantrip, you can expend 3 spellcraft points and roll a d6, adding it to the damage for that target. Additionally, the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
Change of Damage
Starting at 7th level, when you cast a spell that deals cold, fire, lightning, thunder, or poison damage, you can, as a reaction, change the damage type it deals to cold, fire, lightning, thunder, or poison damage for that cast. For example, you could change Poison Spray to deal fire damage instead of poison damage, or change Fire Bolt to deal thunder damage instead of fire damage.
Subtle Cantrip
Cantrips become so easy for you, you can sometimes entirely forgo their components. Starting at 11th level, when you cast a cantrip, you can choose to expend 1 spellcraft point to not complete its verbal and somatic components and still cast the spell.
Unknown Spell
Starting at 15th level, you can expend 5 spellcraft points to cast a cantripist spell you do not know.
Cantrips (0 Level)
- Acid Splash
- Blade Ward
- Chill Touch
- Dancing Lights
- Druidcraft
- Fire Bolt
- Friends
- Light
- Mage Hand
- Mending
- Message
- Minor Illusion
- Poison Spray
- Produce Flame
- Prestidigitation
- Ray of Frost
- Sacred Flame
- Shocking Grasp
- Shillelagh
- Thaumaturgy
- Thorn Whip
- True Strike
1st Level
- Animal Friendship
- Alarm
- Burning Hands
- Charm Person
- Chromatic Orb
- Color Spray
- Comprehend Languages
- Command
- Create or Destroy Water
- Detect Evil and Good
- Detect Magic
- Detect Poison and Disease
- Disguise Self
- Entangle
- Expeditious Retreat
- Faerie Fire
- False Life
- Feather Fall
- Fog Cloud
- Grease
- Guiding bolt
- Identify
- Inflict Wounds
- Illusory Script
- Jump
- Longstrider
- Mage Armor
- Magic Missile
- Protection from Evil and Good
- Purify Food and Drink
- Ray of Sickness
- Shield
- Silent Image
- Sleep
- Speak with Animals
- Tasha's Hideous Laughter
- Tenser's Floating Disk
- Thunderwave
- Unseen Servant
- Witch Bolt
2nd Level
- Alter Self
- Arcane Lock
- Blindness/Deafness
- Blur
- Cloud of Daggers
- Continual Flame
- Crown of MAdness
- Darkness
- Darkvision
- Detect Thoughts
- Enlarge/Reduce
- Flaming Sphere
- Gentle Repose
- Gust of Wind
- Hold Person
- Invisibility
- Knock
- Levitate
- Locate Object
- Magic Mouth
- Magic Weapon
- Melf's Acid Arrow
- Mirror Image
- Misty Step
- Nystul's Magic Aura
- Phantasmal Force
- Ray of Enfeeblement
- Rope Trick
- Scorching Ray
- See Invisibility
- Shatter
- Spider Climb
- Suggestion
- Web