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As a DM, I enjoy [metaphorically] playing with fire.

For no particular reason, I am considering introducing the following Rite to my campaign:

Rites of Destruction. When the world was created, the Gods left in a secret power that could be used to completely destroy the universe instantaneously, and remake it with new parameters at the whim of whomever used this power (after which the power then leaves them).

Although intended only for use by the gods, this power can be attained and used by any mortal that, within a span of one week, casts every single Cantrip in existence using their own spellcasting abilities (i.e. no Magic Items) in a specific, secret ordering.

Setting aside the improbability of a player correctly guessing the exact order of Cantrips to cast with no assistance from me, the DM, is it even possible for a single correctly-built character to cast all 44 Cantrips (27 from the Player's Handbook, 12 from Xanathar's Guide to Everything, 4 from Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, and 1 from Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica) at all, within the span of a seven day week?

In my campaign, I permit the 2019 revision of the Artificer Unearthed Arcana, so for the purposes of this question, it is a valid class a character can take to try to obtain all the cantrips they need. Also, any Cantrips a Warlock is able to cast are valid unless they are acquired through the Pact of the Tome feature.

Furthermore, while using the Spell Duplication features of Wish is perfectly fine, using Wish to wish for "I want to know how to cast all cantrips" would definitely be twisted with so as to render this Rite inoperable by the person making that wish, so it's not a solution to this particular issue.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ What is a rite for the purpose of this question? \$\endgroup\$
    – Q Paul
    Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 20:36
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ @QPaul A keyword that, to my knowledge, doesn't have preexisting convention in 5th Edition D&D. \$\endgroup\$
    – Xirema
    Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 20:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ @DavidCoffron Polymorph is allowed, although to my knowledge, Polymorph does not permit a character access to the creature's spellcasting abilities. \$\endgroup\$
    – Xirema
    Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 20:42
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    \$\begingroup\$ This might help. \$\endgroup\$
    – Q Paul
    Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 20:45
  • \$\begingroup\$ Are magic items created with character abilities valid? Are all official books available? \$\endgroup\$
    – Szega
    Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 21:03

3 Answers 3

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Disclaimer

This answer was written assuming Encode Thoughts was on the Wizard Spell List. While DNDBeyond lists the spell as a Wizard Spell, the Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica book doesn't actually specify that the spell has an associated class. If your table accepts DNDBeyond's wisdom that the spell is indeed a Wizard spell, then this answer is valid, but if not, you'll need to see my revised answer which I've posted separately.

We can get there without Wish, without Epic Boons

The Character

  • Race: Tiefling (Or High Elf if GGR backgrounds aren't permitted at the table)
  • Background: Simic Scientist
  • Feats
    • Magic Initiate [Druid]
    • Spell Sniper [Druid]
  • Classes: 18 Levels
    • Artificer [Any Archetype]: Level 10
    • Bard: Level 1
    • Cleric [Arcana]: Level 1
    • Druid [Land]: Level 2
    • Sorcerer [Any Archetype]: Level 1
    • Warlock [Celestial]: Level 1
    • Wizard [Illusionist]: Level 2

Key Points

There's a few critical things we're gaining:

The Artificer's Right Cantrip for the Job feature

At level 10, an Artificer gains the ability to swap out their Cantrips, one cantrip at a time, per short or long rest. In order to cycle through all 19 Cantrips that an Artificer may prepare, they would need to rest 19 times in 7 days, averaging to about 3 rests per day. That.... is very easily attainable, given 1 long rest and 2 short rests each day.

So far: 19/44 Cantrips

Bard/Cleric/Druid/Sorcerer/Warlock/Wizard

The base Cantrips provided by each of these classes will add up:

  • Bard: 2
  • Cleric: 3
  • Druid: 2
  • Sorcerer: 4
  • Warlock: 2
  • Wizard: 3

Total from this group: 16 Cantrips

So far: 35/44 Cantrips

Archetypes

Some Archetypes of each of these classes will give us some additional Cantrips.

  • Arcana Cleric: 2 Cantrips (from the Wizard Spell List)
  • Land Druid: 1 Cantrip
  • Celestial Warlock: 1 Cantrip—Sacred Flame
  • Technically this also gives us Light, but since that's on the Artificer list already, it's not adding a new cantrip, and can be discarded
  • Illusionist Wizard: 1 Cantrip—Minor Illusion

From this group: 5 Cantrips

So far: 40/44 Cantrips

Feats

Two feats give us some extra Cantrips

  • Magic Initiate: 2 Extra Cantrips. We pick Druid because Druids have the most class-exclusive Cantrips of any class in the game, making it easier to pick up all the cantrips we need.
  • Spell Sniper: 1 Extra Cantrip (but only Attack-Roll Cantrips). We pick Druid again for the same reason.

From this group: 3 Cantrips

So far: 43/44 Cantrips

Racial Feature

Many Races offer a Cantrip as a level 1 spellcasting feature. We could have gone with many different races (and see later for why we might have needed to) but Tiefling was my preference, so I went with it.

From this group: 1 Cantrip

So far: 44/44 Cantrips

Background

Each of the Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica Backgrounds add spells to all of the spell lists that a character has, including 2 or 3 Cantrips.

This doesn't actually increase the number of cantrips we can learn, but it offers us some flexibility in how we allocate the cantrips to each class/feature.

Spell List (And Sources)

Cantrip Source Feature
Acid Splash Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Create Bonfire Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Dancing Lights Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Fire Bolt Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Frostbite Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Guidance Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Light Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Mage Hand Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Magic Stone Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Mending Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Message Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Poison Spray Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Prestidigitation Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Ray of Frost Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Resistance Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Shocking Grasp Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Spare the Dying Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Thorn Whip Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Thunderclap Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Blade Ward Bard
Vicious Mockery Bard
Gust Cleric Arcana
Infestation Cleric Arcana
Toll the Dead Cleric
Word of Radiance Cleric
Druidcraft Cleric Simic Scientist
Control Flames Druid Circle of Land (Level 2)
Primal Savagery Druid
Produce Flame Druid Spell Sniper
Shape Water Druid
Shillelagh Druid Magic Initiate
Mold Earth Druid Magic Initiate
Booming Blade Sorcerer
Chill Touch Sorcerer
Friends Sorcerer
True Strike Sorcerer
Thaumaturgy Tiefling
Eldritch Blast Warlock
Green-Flame Blade Warlock
Sacred Flame Warlock Celestial
Encode Thoughts Wizard
Lightning Lure Wizard
Minor Illusion Wizard Illusionist (Level 2)
Sword Burst Wizard

"But what if the GGR Backgrounds aren't allowed?"

There's an easy fix. Go with a High Elf instead, and pick Mold Earth as your Wizard Cantrip. The Druid then replaces Mold Earth with Druidcraft, and the Cleric picks up Thaumaturgy. Personally, I just like the Tiefling better, so that's what I went with.

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Yes, this can be done.

The Character

One character, called Celine from here on, who can accomplish this is a level 20 character with the following classes:

  • Bard (College of Lore) 18 ---------------- (for Additional Magical Secrets, Magical Secrets, Magic Initiate feat, Spell Sniper feat, and spells)
  • Cleric (Nature Domain) 1 -------------------------- (for Acolyte of Nature and spells)
  • Warlock (Divine Soul) 1 ------------------ (for Bonus Cantrips and spells)

... and the following Epic Boons:

  • Boon of High Magic
  • Boon of Spell Recall

The Cantrips

To start with, Celine knows 22 cantrips from class features and feats:

  • 4 from bard's Spellcasting
  • 2 from Additional Magical Secrets
  • 5 from Magical Secrets (the other Magical Secret spell is used for wish)
  • 3 from cleric's Spellcasting
  • 1 from Acolyte of Nature
  • 2 from warlock's Spellcasting
  • 2 from Bonus Cantrips
  • 2 from Magic Initiate
  • 1 from Spell Sniper

Since Celine also knows wish as a Magical Secret, she can replicate the effect of other cantrips 21 times in one week:

  • 7 times using the level 9 spell slot from her Multiclass Spellcasting
  • 7 times using the level 9 spell slot from her Boon of High Magic
  • 7 times using her Boon of Spell Recall

and the last cantrip comes from any racial trait that grants a cantrip.

That covers all 44 cantrips without even needing to worry about using simulacrum and reincarnate to rotate through the races that get other cantrips.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Way to think outside the box with epic boons. I forget those even exist. I tip my hat to you! \$\endgroup\$
    – Rykara
    Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 23:29
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yes, I wonder if there is a limited use to those epic boons ;) \$\endgroup\$
    – Akixkisu
    Commented Jul 6, 2019 at 0:04
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Akixkisu I did notice your comment, but had already written the answer, so I figured I'd post it. I will delete if the epic boons are banned. I'm very close to getting it without by using simulacrum, reincarnate, and shapechange, but not quite (although I can get all 44 with no epic boons if order doesn't matter) \$\endgroup\$
    – David Coffron
    Commented Jul 6, 2019 at 0:08
  • \$\begingroup\$ I think the shifting planes one is also a good route. \$\endgroup\$
    – Akixkisu
    Commented Jul 6, 2019 at 0:19
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    \$\begingroup\$ I'm not planning to outright ban Boons, but it should be noted that they're pretty rare to issue, so there's definitely a potential issue with applicability. Nonetheless, this is a pretty good answer! \$\endgroup\$
    – Xirema
    Commented Jul 6, 2019 at 0:43
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Because the spell Encode Thoughts isn't associated with a specific class, and instead only comes from the Dimir Operative background found in Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, it is only possible to learn the spell by taking that background. I've provided the following table as a replacement for the answer I originally provided, which goes into more detail explaining how to get the total number of cantrips we're using.

DNDBeyond incorrectly lists the spell as a Wizard cantrip. If your table insists that DNDBeyond is correct, then you can defer to the original answer I posted. Otherwise, this answer is more correct.

The Character

  • Race: High Elf
  • Background: Dimir Operative
  • Feats
    • Magic Initiate [Druid]
    • Spell Sniper [Druid]
  • Classes: 18 Levels
    • Artificer [Any Archetype]: Level 10
    • Bard: Level 1
    • Cleric [Arcana]: Level 1
    • Druid [Land]: Level 2
    • Sorcerer [Any Archetype]: Level 1
    • Warlock [Celestial]: Level 1
    • Wizard [Illusionist]: Level 2

Spell List (And Sources)

Cantrip Source Feature
Acid Splash Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Create Bonfire Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Dancing Lights Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Encode Thoughts Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job; Dimir Operative
Fire Bolt Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Frostbite Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Guidance Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Light Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Mage Hand Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Magic Stone Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Mending Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Message Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Poison Spray Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Prestidigitation Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Ray of Frost Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Resistance Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Shocking Grasp Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Spare the Dying Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Thorn Whip Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Thunderclap Artificer Right Cantrip for the Job
Blade Ward Bard
Vicious Mockery Bard
Gust Cleric Arcana
Infestation Cleric Arcana
Thaumaturgy Cleric
Toll the Dead Cleric
Word of Radiance Cleric
Control Flames Druid Circle of Land (Level 2)
Primal Savagery Druid
Produce Flame Druid Spell Sniper
Shape Water Druid
Shillelagh Druid Magic Initiate
Druidcraft Druid Magic Initiate
Mold Earth High Elf
Booming Blade Sorcerer
Chill Touch Sorcerer
Friends Sorcerer
True Strike Sorcerer
Eldritch Blast Warlock
Green-Flame Blade Warlock
Sacred Flame Warlock Celestial
Lightning Lure Wizard
Minor Illusion Wizard Illusionist (Level 2)
Sword Burst Wizard
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    \$\begingroup\$ The final version of the Artificer no longer has the Right Cantrip for the Job feature, which I think might invalidate this answer \$\endgroup\$
    – Someone_Evil ♦
    Commented Jan 20, 2020 at 14:48
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Someone_Evil That is true, although my original question did explicitly specify that use of that class was permitted. \$\endgroup\$
    – Xirema
    Commented Jan 20, 2020 at 14:52

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