Sorcerers in Dungeons & Dragons are masters of raw magical power, wielding the innate energy coursing through their veins. They have a limited selection of spells known and rely on their spell slots to cast them. Selecting the right spells is crucial for a Sorcerer, as they lack the flexibility of other spellcasting classes. Sorcerers must choose spells that maximize their potential and adapt to their innate magical abilities.
1 Booming Blade
As one of the most potent arcane classes in the game, it feels almost silly to waste valuable brain space on a melee cantrip. Perhaps not as squishy as a Wizard, Sorcerers still only have d6 hit dice, which is not outstanding for recovery after a battle. Their spellcasting ability also relies on Charisma, meaning most players will focus less on abilities that would aid melee combat, like Strength or Dexterity.
2 Control Flames
Control Flames allows the caster to manipulate or extinguish a non-magical flame in specific ways. While it may have a handful of niche applications, it may be more practical to carry flint and tinder or explore other, more versatile spells for most situations.
3 Gust
As a cantrip, Gust lacks scalability as characters progress in levels, which diminishes its effectiveness in higher-level encounters. Its limited range and modest effects limit its flexibility, making it a less optimal choice among the Ranger’s cantrip options.
4 Mold Earth
Mold Earth essentially replicates the function of a standard shovel, and the time investment required to use a cantrip for tasks best suited for mundane tools raises questions about its value. While it can create difficult terrain, it proves nearly as ineffective as its physical counterpart in combat scenarios.
5 Poison Spray
Poison Spray’s constrained range confines its practicality to close-quarters combat, where Warlocks may be less effective. Furthermore, the prevalence of poison resistance and immunity among adversaries, coupled with most opponents’ typically high Constitution scores, undermines its effectiveness.
6 Thunderclap
This spell closely resembles Sword Burst, another Warlock cantrip, but without the drawback of alerting everything within 100 feet to your spellcasting. Additionally, it requires a Constitution saving throw from the target, a commonly boosted attribute among enemies.
7 True Strike
In most cases, characters find performing two attacks in a single turn more advantageous than dedicating one turn to use True Strike and the subsequent turn for a single attack. This choice often reduces damage output and can impede the character’s overall combat effectiveness.
8 Expeditious Retreat
Despite its intriguing name, Expeditious Retreat proves to be situational in its usefulness. It excels in chases and scenarios involving long-distance running, which are infrequent in many adventures. Moreover, this transmutation spell requires concentration, making it less appealing than other buff spells in most situations.
9 Grease
While Grease has the potential to knock creatures prone, it only consumes half of the target’s movement to stand up. In a world where most beings have a standard movement speed of 30 feet or more, halving that speed still provides ample movement to escape the spell’s 10-foot radius quickly.
10 Nathair’s Mischief
While Nathair’s Mischief can provide moments of amusement, its unpredictability and inconsistency can erode its reliability. The continuously shifting effects and save conditions, combined with the limited impact of the outcomes, may create doubts about its dependability. Even when targets fail their saves, there’s a chance they can continue to participate in combat unaffected. The requirement for targets to make saves each round underscores the spell’s limitations, potentially resulting in effects that fall short of the desired impact.
Sorcerers are masters of innate magical power, and selecting the right spells is essential to maximize their limited spellcasting capabilities. While not inherently useless, the ten spells mentioned above may not be the most optimal for Sorcerers. Sorcerers must choose spells that align with their strengths and role in the party, emphasizing their ability to deal damage, control the battlefield, and provide utility. When creating a Sorcerer character, it’s wise to carefully consider the spell selection to ensure they can harness their raw magical energy to its fullest potential and adapt to their challenges in their adventures.
