D&D 5e: Start Walking The Path Of The Mage With The Magic Initiate Feat

Rating the Benefits of Magic Initiate

Benefit #1 –

Choose two cantrips and one first level spell from the Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock or Wizard spell lists

Cantrips can be cast at will. The first level spell can be cast once per day

Access to the cantrips and first level spell lists of all of the main casters 5e is an incredible effect, with more than 100 available options.

Casting classes can grab cantrips and spells they otherwise don’t have access to, and martial classes can pick up key buffs for themselves and the party, or out-of-combat utility that’s generally not available to their archetype.

Mechanics and Requirements

Understanding How It Functions

Mechanically, the Magic Initiate feat is surprisingly simple.

Start by choosing a spell list, from the Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard list. All of the spells granted by this feat must be chosen from the same list.

Your spell list also dictates the casting stat of your spells, which is the same as the stat the main class would use.

From this spell list, you choose two cantrips and one 1st level spell.

Cantrips can be cast at will, an infinite amount of times per day, as per any other cantrip in 5e.

The 1st level spell can be cast once, and only once. (Barring a very specific set of circumstances, detailed below.)

That’s the whole feat. The complications come when you consider the sheer range of spells the feat allows access to:

Spell Ratings for Magic Initiate

Bard

Cantrips

Blade Ward: Spend an action for resistance against weapon damage. Dodging is an action, and this is less efficient than just killing the enemy

Dancing Lights: Create up to 4 hovering lanterns you can move. Cute, but only lasts a minute and requires Concentration, and Light lasts for an hour

Friends: Advantage on Charisma checks for a minute, as long as you don’t mind the target hating you afterward. Might be useful to interrogate enemies

Light: If you don’t have Darkvision, you want this

Mage Hand: Manipulate items up to 10lb in weight within 30ft. Can affect a surprising list of things. Decent as a second, utility choice

Mending: Repair items. Situational, but flavorful

Message: It’s telepathic speech with a 120ft range. Requires you recast the spell every turn. Specific and hard to use

Minor Illusion: Create a sound or image within 30ft. Big range of effects, constrained by creativity and GM permission, but great fun

Prestidigitation: A long list of utility effects, most of which are useful. Won’t win fights, but you’ll probably cast this more than you think you might

Thunderclap: Low damage, targets CON, will probably only hit 2 enemies max, and is very loud. Pretty bad

True Strike: Spend a turn to gain Advantage on your attack next turn. Mathematically worse than just attacking for two turns. Don’t take this

Vicious Mockery: Tiny damage, but a failed save means Disadvantage on the next attack roll. Bonus points for style

1st Level Spells

Animal Friendship: Situation spells that let you convince creatures to do things are the bard’s jam. This is exactly the type of spell a single cast per day choice was built for

Bane: Powerful if it sticks, but hampered by target choices and the single cast

Charm Person: Short duration, and makes the target hate you after it wears off. Just talk to them instead

Color Spray: Great at low levels, but falls off fast. Not a good choice for this feat

Command: Powerful if it sticks. A good spell, but much better when upcast as a main caster

Comprehend Languages: A spell that many casters otherwise won’t have, dealing with situations that come up surprisingly often, makes this a decent pick

Cure Wounds: Healing Word is far better

Detect Magic: Take ritual caster if you want this, seriously

Disguise Self: One cast of Disguise Self is often enough, especially combined with the Bardic cantrips you also gain

Dissonant Whispers: Deals reasonable damage, and forces the enemy to move away on a failed save. This movement can trigger reaction attacks, as well. A dependable choice

Distort Value: Double or half an object’s “perceived value”. Why? When are you going to need this?

Earth Tremor: Low damage, but prone in a large AOE is a reasonable effect as a panic button

Faerie Fire: A large AOE that reveals invisible and, more importantly, gives Advantage on attack rolls against enemies in the area. Powerful and usable in almost every encounter

Feather Fall: Switch off fall damage for up to five creatures. Niche, but when you need this, you really need it

Healing Word: Healing on a bonus action makes this the best in-combat HP restoral in the game

Heroism: Immunity to fear, plus up to 5 temporary HP that refresh every turn. At low levels, Heroism is very powerful, and it’s still fine later

Identify: Learn the properties of a magic item, or of the spells affecting a creature. Leave this to the main spellcasters

Illusory Script: Magic mystery words. This is Dungeons and Dragons, not Learners in Libraries.

Longstrider: Adding 10ft to every type of speed a single party member has (yes, this works with swim, flight, etc.) for an hour without concentration is good

Silent Image: You can do a lot with a 15ft cube illusion. Silent Image is a fantastic 1st level spell

Silvery Barbs: Reroll an enemy attack roll, ability check, or save as a reaction, after they’ve succeeded, plus grant Advantage to an ally. Absurdly powerful

Sleep: Incredibly strong until around level 3, but falls off hard. A bad choice for this feat

Speak with Animals: Situational, and not guaranteed to work, but there are always animals around to talk to. Diplomatic characters and Firbolg might appreciate this

Tasha’s Hideous Laughter: If this spell lands, it can disable an enemy for an entire encounter. Better on full casters, but not a bad choice

Thunderwave: AOE damage and pushback aren’t terrible for your single cast

Unseen Servant: Fun, and can do things like pull levels or trigger traps, (or pour the tea) but isn’t worth spending your single slot on unless you have a specific plan in mind

Cleric

Cantrips

Guidance: Boost ability and skill checks for the party. Incredible. One party member should always have this

Light: For non-darkvision parties, this is essential

Mending: Repair items. Situational, but flavorful

Resistance: +D4 to one saving throw. Held back by having to know the save is coming

Sacred Flame: DEX save or take damage. Radiant is a decent damage type, but Toll the Dead is better

Spare the Dying: Stabilise an ally on 0HP. If you’re casting this, the party is in trouble

Thaumaturgy: A mostly disappointing list of party tricks

Toll the Dead: Solid damage on a WIS save, and deals huge damage for a cantrip if the target has lost any of their HP. The best Cleric damage cantrip

Word of Radiance: AOE radiant damage. Unfortunately relies on CON saves, but might see use on melee characters

1st Level Spells

Bane: A powerful effect. If it lands. But Bless is generally more effective.

Bless: Boost attack rolls and saves for up to three party members. Absurdly powerful from level 1 to level 20

Ceremony: A long list of ceremonies that cost 25 gold each, but have surprisingly powerful effects (+2AC for a week…) Plus bonus points for actually leading religious ceremonies, which is awesome fluff.

Command: Not terrible, but far better when cast by an actual Cleric.

Create or Destroy Water: If you have the Shape Water cantrip from somewhere, this is excellent. Otherwise, it’s mediocre unless your party lives in a desert

Cure Wounds: Healing word is significantly more effective

Detect Evil and Good: Increase the rating appropriately if your campaign is based around fiends or angels.

Detect Magic: Find a way to ritual cast this instead

Detect Poison and Disease: Most campaigns won’t ever see this cast

Guiding Bolt: Decent damage for a level 1 spell, plus Advantage for whoever follows your turn. Reliant on landing your initial hit, but effective

Healing Word: Healing on a bonus action makes this the best in-combat HP restoral in the game

Inflict Wounds: High damage for its level, but requires being in melee range. Not worth spending the slot on

Protection from Evil and Good: Defensive buffs against a big list of creatures is decent

Purify Food and Drink: If you’re not running through the desert pursued by angry raiders, this probably isn’t useful

Sanctuary: This can potentially protect someone from an entire encounter. Great for support characters

Shield of Faith: +2 AC is a very powerful effect, especially applied to the party tank

Druid

Cantrips

Control Flames: You can do most of what this cantrip does with a mundane torch

Create Bonfire: Solid damage, blocks a square, but requires concentration. Decent

Druidcraft: A disappointing list of effects, especially compared to other utility cantrips

Frostbite: Targets CON saves, which are strong on many creatures, but if it sticks, Disadvantage on an attack is powerful for a cantrip, plus the damage

Guidance: Boost ability and skill checks for the party. Incredible. One party member should always have this

Gust: Push a creature or an object. With little to no control. And cause no damage. Why?

Infestation: Low damage, targets CON saves, and random movement is, well, random. Thorn Whip does this better

Magic Stone: You make magical stones for yourself or other characters to hurl. If you’re arming villagers to fight enemies with resistances, this might be useful. Other damage cantrips are better

Mending: Repair items. Situational, but flavorful

Most Earth: Most of this can be done with a shovel and a minute’s work. Not great

Poison Spray: High damage, but targets CON and has a tiny range.

Primal Savagery: Good damage of a great type, and is a melee attack that can be done with both hands full. Solid for ranged attackers and casters

Produce Flame: Decent ranged attacking cantrip that also works as a small torch in dark conditions.

Resistance: +D4 to one saving throw. Held back by having to know the save is coming

Shape Water: Incredibly flexible list of abilities, far more powerful than the other shape element spells

Shillelagh: Turn a club or staff into a martial weapon that hits using your WIS modifier. Casts on a bonus action, and also makes the weapon magical. Entire builds function off this cantrip alone

Thorn Whip: Low damage, but a 30ft range melee attack that also moves enemies 10ft just from landing a hit is a good utility

Thunderclap: Low damage, targets CON, will probably only hit 2 enemies max, and is very loud. Pretty bad

1st Level Spells

Absorb Elements: Powerful, effective defense against elemental damage

Animal Friendship: Charm an animal for 24 hours. A permissive GM makes this surprisingly useful, letting rats scout dungeons or birds report on what they see. As long as you can also have a way to communicate with them

Beast Bond: The characters that want this already have it

Charm Person: Awful. Ridiculously short duration. Ruins your relationship with the target after it expires

Create or Destroy Water: If you’ve taken the Shape Water cantrip, this is amazing. Otherwise, it doesn’t do anything you want

Cure Wounds: Aggressively fine. Healing Word is better

Detect Magic: Not worth casting as a non-ritual

Detect Poison and Disease: You probably won’t ever use this. No

Earth Tremor: A small AOE of low damage, but the prone effect is solid and targets DEX saves. Decent for WIS spellcasters like Rangers and Clerics who don’t otherwise get this

Entangle: Create difficult terrain and possibly restrain every creature in a big radius. This is a powerful effect even at later levels

Faerie Fire: Good for all characters, even non-spellcasters. Great for Rangers and Clerics

Fog Cloud: Not terrible, but too situational to waste your one spell choice on

Goodberry: Reasonable healing before level 5. Much better if your GM rules you can give one to a character on 0 HP, like administering a potion

Healing Word: Remains the most efficient healing spell in the game

Ice Knife: Low damage, with two possible ways for it to miss. Not worth it

Jump: Tripling your jump distance is likely never going to matter, especially past level 5 when characters can fly

Longstrider: Adding 10ft to every type of speed a single party member has (yes, this works with swim, flight, etc.) for an hour without concentration is good

Protection from Evil and Good: A wide list of benefits, against a lot of creature types. Make sure to keep holy water on hand

Purify Food and Drink: Unless you’re playing some wasteland scavenger game, you’ll never cast this

Snare: A 1 minute casting time and really specific effect make this terrible

Speak with Animals: Situational, and not guaranteed to work, but there are always animals around to talk to. Diplomatic characters and Firbolg might appreciate this

Thunderwave: AOE damage and a pushback effect can save squishy casters

Sorcerer

Cantrips

Acid Splash: Can potentially target two characters, but the low damage kills this

Blade Ward: Spend an action for resistance against weapon damage. Dodging is an action, and this is less efficient than just killing the enemy

Booming Blade: A powerful scaling melee attack that’s key to spellsword builds

Chill Touch: Medium damage at range, a healing debuff, and a situation undead debuff, but the Sorcerer list has better options for damage

Control Flames: This is about as effective as putting a torch on a stick

Dancing Lights: Create four floating, moving lanterns. For one minute. Which also requires your concentration. No thanks

Firebolt: The highest ranged damage cantrip the Sorcerer gets. Held back by bad typing, as many enemies resist fire

Friends: Awful. Find a way to get the Persuasion skill instead. You probably already have the Charisma for it, if you’re choosing Sorcerer spells

Frostbite: Low damage, but forces Disadvantage on the enemy’s next attack. Unfortunately, this targets Con saves, which melee enemies tend to be good at. Vicious mockery from the Bard list is so much better

Green-Flame Blade: The other melee cantrip. Not terrible, but splits damage across multiple targets, which makes it less effective than Booming Blade

Gust: Did you want a terrible, poorly controlled Mage Hand as a cantrip? Didn’t think so

Infestation: Low damage, random movement, targets a strong save, adds up to a bad cantrip

Light: Creates a magical torch that lasts for an hour, without needing concentration. A non-darkvision party makes this near essential

Lightning Lure: Short range, with a conditional pull effect and low damage, neither of which activate if the target passes a Str save. Comparing this to Thorn Whip makes me sad

Mage Hand: 30ft, 10lb weight telekinesis is a “handy” effect (I’m sorry) with a lot of uses. Pull levers, pick up items in unsafe locations, create distractions, and more

Mending: Probably won’t be useful, unless your GM really loves to damage your items

Message: Short-range telepathy that requires your action every turn to keep active. Far too situational to be good

Mind Sliver: Targets INT saves, which many enemies are terrible at. It deals tiny damage, but minuses from the enemy’s next saving throw. Combo with a powerful save-or-suck from an ally to win fights instantly

Minor Illusion: One of the most flexible cantrips in 5e

Mold Earth: Give the Barbarian a shovel and tell him there’s buried treasure instead

Poison Spray: High damage, but short range and targets a strong save. Characters who could make use of this are better with a weapon, and squishy casters want to keep their distance instead

Prestidigitation: A long list of utility effects, most of which are useful. Won’t win fights, but you’ll probably cast this more than you think you might

Ray of Frost: Decent range, medium damage, and a movement debuff that doesn’t require a save are all reasonable things, but the best debuff for your enemies is always dead

Shape Water: A flexible utility cantrip that’s almost always useful. Water is everywhere, and if it isn’t, bring a waterskin

Shocking Grasp: Useful for casters, but anyone who wants this already has it.

Sword Burst: Low damage, but targets DEX saves and can hit multiple enemies. Might have some utility for melee characters

Thunderclap: Low damage, targets CON, will probably only hit 2 enemies max, and is very loud. Pretty bad, plus Sword Burst is better, and it’s right above this one

True Strike: This spell is a trap. Attacking twice is strictly better than attacking once with Advantage.

1st Level Spells

Absorb Elements: Resistance to elemental damage as a reaction can and will save your life. Bonus damage after the fact is a cute bonus

Burning Hands: Past around level 3, the damage this spell causes is basically tickling your enemies

Catapult: Not worth spending your one spell choice on

Chaos Bolt: This isn’t an amazing spell. But it is Sorcerer unique, and it’s very fun to cast

Charm Person: The fact the target knows this was cast on them kills it. Use Persuasion instead. Chromatic Orb: Reasonable damage in the type of your choice at level 1, but falls off hard

Color Spray: Zero scaling. By level 4, when most characters get this, it does nothing

Comprehend Languages: A utility pick that comes up surprisingly often

Detect Magic: Not terrible, but the ritual caster feat is better if this is what you want

Disguise Self: Niche, but you probably have the Charisma to make this work, and one cast is often enough

Distort Value: Change how valuable something looks. If you can find a use for this, more power to you

Earth Tremor: If low damage in a small AOE, plus potential prone and difficult terrain is something you need urgently once per day, something has gone wrong

Expeditious Retreat: Dashing as a bonus action isn’t something I’d trade concentration for, let alone a once-per-day spell

False Life: Temp HP is nice. But feats do this far better, for you and your friends

Feather Fall: Switch off fall damage for up to five creatures. Niche, but when you need this, you really need it

Fog Cloud: A large AOE of obscured terrain is a good use of a first-level spell slot. Not of this feat

Grease: Difficult terrain that forces saves or prone every turn might be okay if your party works around it

Ice Knife: Low damage, tiny AOE. Already a bad spell, let alone once-per-day

Jump: Just … no

Mage Armor: 8-hour duration and a general boost in AC for casters make this a decent, if uninspired, choice

Magic Missile: Zero damage scaling, once per day, falls off hard. By level 5, does less damage than swinging a sword

Ray of Sickness: Requires an attack roll AND a saving throw to succeed, with low damage into the bargain

Shield: +5 AC for a round can and will save your life. Everyone can use this, from spellcasters to the warrior in full plate

Silent Image: A large, flexible, multi-use illusion.

Silvery Barbs: Reactively force Disadvantage on an enemy’s roll, then give an ally Advantage on theirs. Incredibly powerful, even single-use

Sleep: Monstrously powerful. At level 1. Useless concerning this feat

Tasha’s Caustic Brew: Targets Dex, and deals ongoing damage in a reasonable AOE. Certain enemies and GMs may rule that targets spend an action to remove the effect, in which case this is better, but that’s not guaranteed

Thunderwave: AOE damage and a pushing effect at a reasonable scale for a level 1 spell, but feels uninspired

Witch Bolt: The purpose of this spell has always eluded me. Requires a successful hit roll to do anything at all, then eats your action every single turn to deal barely more damage than a cantrip. Awful.

Warlock

Cantrips

Blade Ward: Use your action to gain resistance against weapon damage for a turn. Or just kill them. A dead enemy deals 0 damage

Booming Blade: Strong for melee builds. Bonus damage and extra damage if the enemy moves. Mathematically as effective as Extra Attack

Chill Touch: Medium damage for a cantrip, but good range and two perks: No healing for a turn, and disadvantage on attacks if you hit an undead creature. Plus it’s spooooky!

Create Bonfire: Solid damage, blocks a square, but requires concentration. Decent

Eldritch Blast: The single best damage cantrip in the game. High damage in a type that almost nothing resists, good range, multiple attack rolls that scale better with damage boosts. Bards, Sorcerers, and Paladins should all take this cantrip, no questions asked

Friends: Explicitly makes the target hate you after the 1-minute duration ends.

Frostbite: Low damage, but Disadvantage if the enemy fails the save. Unfortunately, the save is Con, which kind of kills this.

Green-Flame Blade: Not a bad melee cantrip for GISH characters. It is worse than Booming Blade, as it spreads the damage across multiple targets

Infestation: Low damage, random movement, targets a strong save, adds up to a bad cantrip

Lightning Lure: Short range, with a conditional pull effect and low damage, neither of which activate if the target passes a Str save. Comparing this to Thorn Whip makes me sad

Mage Hand: 30ft, 10lb weight telekinesis is a “handy” effect (I’m sorry) with a lot of uses. Pull levers, pick up items in unsafe locations, create distractions, and more

Magic Stone: You have Eldritch Blast. Why do you need this?

Minor Illusion: Flexible utility of two different types. Fantastic

Poison Spray: Short range, targets a strong save. Eldritch Blast is a thing, you know?

Prestidigitation:

Sword Burst: Low damage, but targets DEX saves and can hit multiple enemies. Might have some utility for melee characters

Thunderclap: Low damage, targets CON, will probably only hit 2 enemies max, and is very loud. Pretty bad, plus Sword Burst is better, and it’s right above this one

Toll the Dead: Excellent damage on a good save. Only green because this list has better options.

True Strike: Explicitly worse than attacking twice. Plus, why would you ever cast this instead of Eldritch Blast?

1st Level Spells

Armor of Agathys: A great spell, if cast using leveled slots. Not for you

Arms of Hadar: Low damage in a circular AOE, plus enemies can’t take reactions if they fail a save. Clear intent is so you can get out of melee without taking AOOs, but spending an action to Disengage is both more reliable, and doesn’t require resources

Cause Fear: If this lands, it can utterly disable certain encounters, as the permanent Disadvantage on almost everything, plus not being able to move closer to you. Better for pure spellcasters

Charm Person: Awful. Ridiculously short duration. Ruins your relationship with the target after it expires

Comprehend Languages: A utility pick that can come up surprisingly often. Not a bad choice, especially if you came to Warlock to grab cantrips

Distort Value: Why? When are you going to cast this?

Expeditious Retreat: Dashing as a bonus action isn’t something I’d trade concentration for, let alone a once-per-day spell

Hellish Rebuke: Free damage on a reaction once per day isn’t awful, especially for melee characters

Hex: +1D6 damage on every hit is already incredibly powerful. Choosing an ability check for the target to take with disadvantage can lead to hilarity with, for example, a grapple-focused ally

Illusory Script: Hide some writing with magic. When will this ever be useful?

Protection from Evil and Good: A wide list of benefits, against a lot of creature types. Make sure to keep holy water on hand

Unseen Servant: Fun, and can do things like pull levels or trigger traps, (or pour the tea) but isn’t worth spending your single slot on unless you have a specific plan in mind

Witch Bolt: The purpose of this spell has always eluded me. Requires a successful hit roll to do anything at all, then eats your action every single turn to deal barely more damage than a cantrip. Literally awful.

Wizard

Cantrips

Acid Splash: Can potentially target two characters, but the low damage kills this

Blade Ward: Spend an action for resistance against weapon damage. Dodging is an action, and this is less efficient than just killing the enemy

Booming Blade: A powerful scaling melee attack that’s key to spellsword builds

Chill Touch: Medium damage at range, a healing debuff, and a situation undead debuff, but the Sorcerer list has better options for damage

Control Flames: This is about as effective as putting a torch on a stick

Create Bonfire: Solid damage, blocks a square, but requires concentration. Decent

Dancing Lights: Create four floating, moving lanterns. For one minute. Which also requires your concentration. No thanks

Encode Thoughts: Turn memories into actual objects that can be handed to and seen by other people. Would be fantastic if they didn’t disintegrate after only 8 hours. As is, hard pass