What is Guidance 5E?
Guidance 5E is a divination cantrip only natively available to Clerics and Druids. It takes an action to cast with vocal and somatic components, targeting one creature the caster touches. Once in the next minute, or until the caster loses concentration, the creature can add a d4 to the result of an ability score of its choice. The spell ends once the d4 has been used and the creature can decide to roll it before or after making the ability check.
Is Guidance 5E a good spell?
It is an excellent spell, adding a d4 to an ability check is a significant boost in 5E’s bounded accuracy system. This will mostly be used for checks such as Investigation or Survival, checks where the party has the time and leeway to take an action to cast this before attempting something. However, should a creature be under the effect of this spell when combat starts, they could also use the d4 on the initiative roll or on a roll to grapple or shove a monster. The main downside to this spell is the need to concentrate on it for a single use of the d4, which can shut down some possibilities if you are already concentrating on a spell, such as Detect Magic.
The only real ways to improve this spell are to increase your likelihood of maintaining concentration, such as the Warcaster feat, or through metamagic. For example, the Twinned Spell metamagic would allow you to target two creatures at once with one casting, which can be useful in some instances, such as a group check being made.
How can you get Guidance 5E spell?
This is a pretty exclusive cantrip, but fear not! Here is a list of how you can grab this helpful spell:
- Artificer, Cleric, and Druid – All of these classes get access to Guidance on their spell lists.
- Circle of Stars (Druid Subclass) – This Druid gets this spell from their Star Map feature, in addition to Guiding Bolt.
- College of Spirits (Bard Subclass) – These clairvoyant Bards gain Guidance through their Guiding Whispers feature.
- Divine Soul (Sorcerer Subclass) – Thanks to their Divine Magic feature, these Sorcerers can choose spells from the Cleric spell list.
- Blessed Warrior (Fighting Style) – A fighting style introduced in TCoE and exclusive to Paladins, this allows them to learn two cantrips from the Cleric spell list.
- Druidic Warrior (Fighting Style) – Similar to the above but exclusive to Rangers, this style allows them to choose two cantrips from the Druid spell list.
- Pact of the Tome (Warlock feature) – This pact allows you to choose three cantrips from any spell list and make them Warlock spells for you.
- Artificer Initiate (Feat) – Apprentice Artificers can grab a cantrip, artisan tool proficiency, and a 1st level spell from the Artificer spell list with this feat.
- Divinely Favored (Feat) – PCs in Dragonlance campaigns can grab Guidance with this feat along with Augury and a 1st level spell from one of three different spell lists.
- Magic Initiate (Feat) – By choosing Cleric or Druid as the class you can choose Guidance as one of your two cantrips, in addition to a 1st level spell.
- Strixhaven Initiate (Feat) – By choosing Quandrix as the college, you can grab Guidance as well as either Druidcraft or Mage Hand, and a 1st level spell from either the Druid or Wizard spell list.
- Wood Elf Magic (Feat) – Exclusive to wood elves, this feat allows them to choose one Druid cantrip of their choice, as well as granting once per long rest castings of Longstrider and Pass without Trace.
How to roleplay the Guidance 5E spell
Need some help roleplaying the Guidance spell? Here are some examples to help you out:
- As the party stands before a complicated lock guarding the treasure, the Cleric lays his hand on the Rogue’s shoulder, muttering a prayer of assistance. A gentle, warm glow suffuses her, and she feels a divine inspiration guiding her hands as she works to pick the lock.
- During a perilous climb up a sheer cliff face, the Druid utters a soft chant towards the Fighter. The spell’s magic instills him with a sudden clarity and intuition, his hand finding the best holds and his foot landing on the sturdiest footholds as they ascend.
- In a high-stakes negotiation with a powerful duke, the Sorcerer leric subtly casts Guidance on the Bard. Infused with divine knowledge, his silver tongue becomes even more persuasive, each word chosen with divine precision to sway the duke in their favor.
We hope you’ve found this article informative and have given you the Paladin the helping hand they needed to pass that Stealth roll. If you found this guide planning your next Divine Soul Sorcerer, check out our Sorcerer 5E guide, or if you just like learning about 5E spells, check out our DnD 5E spells section. Good luck out there adventurers, and until next time, remember to cast it before saying you investigate the thing!
