Toll of the Dead

Cantrip Necromancy spell available to Clerics, Warlocks, and Wizards. It deals 1d12 Necrotic against a wounded target, or 1d8 if the target is at full health. That 1d12 is the biggest damage die any cantrip rolls.

Spell description: Ring the bell of impending doom. If the target is at full health, you deal 1d8 Necrotic damage instead of 1d12.

Spell properties

• Damage: 1d12 Necrotic, or 1d8 if the target is at full Hit Points
• Damage type: Necrotic
• Range: 18m (60ft)
• Save: WIS save
• Cost: Action
• Recharge: Per action

Spell upcasting

At character level 5, damage increases to 2d12 Necrotic (2d8 if the target is undamaged). At character level 10, it increases to 3d12 Necrotic (3d8 if undamaged).

How to obtain Toll of the Dead

• Cleric, Warlock, Wizard at Class level 1
• Death Domain (Cleric) at Class level 1, as a Domain Spell
• Eldritch Knight (Fighter) and Arcane Trickster (Rogue) at Class level 3
• High Elf and High Half-Elf at Character level 1
• Granted by features: Magic Initiate: Cleric, Warlock, or Wizard

When to cast Toll of the Dead

This is the hardest-hitting damage cantrip in the game, as long as the target has already taken a scratch. Use it as your follow-up: someone chips the enemy, then you ring the bell for a full 1d12, scaling all the way to 3d12.

It is a Wisdom save with no attack roll, so it ignores Armour Class but whiffs entirely against high-Wisdom enemies. Against the average wounded target it is the best cantrip a Cleric or Wizard can throw.