Guidance 5e D&D Guide

Guidance is a cantrip spell belonging to the Artificer, Cleric, and Druid spell lists.

Guidance is a supportive spell used to enhance an ability check of anyone in your party.

The Player’s Handbook states the following:

Guidance 5e

Divination Cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

The caster touches one willing target they choose. Only once before Guidance ends, the target may roll a d4, adding the rolled number to the ability check of their choice.

Note: Players can roll the d4 die before or after making the ability check.

The spell comes to an end.

Classes Able To Use Guidance

Traditionally the Artificer, Cleric, and Druid classes have Guidance in their spell lists.

Subclasses like the Arcane Trickster (Rogue), College of Lore (Bard), Eldritch Knight (Fighter), and Divine Soul (Sorcerer) are all able to unlock and use Guidance.

Is Guidance Good?

Guidance is a straightforward spell that has some great benefits when used at the correct time. Even when used casually, it can still be advantageous to the one it was directed at.

Advantages of Guidance

Ease of Use

Guidance is a straightforward spell to pick up and use. It has no Material component, which requires no additional cost or searches for the intended material.

Guidance can also be picked up and used from the beginning of the game due to its low level (Cantrip).

Low Level

Guidance is a Cantrip spell, meaning it is the first spell that can be chosen by a spellcaster when they start the game. Even so, this spell can be solid if used correctly.

Drawbacks of Guidance

Low Range

Guidance is a touch spell, meaning if the caster wishes to enhance their party members, they will have to risk being attacked while in the heat of battle.

Note: If the party doesn’t want to put the healer at risk, they can have the wounded member either run to them or have the healer meet them halfway.

Concentration Spell

If a spellcaster’s Concentration is broken, the spell using it will also end.

The most common way players usually have their Concentration broken is by accidentally casting another spell that uses Concentration or, if attacked and taking damage (in other words failing a Constitution saving roll).

Another way that Concentration can be canceled is: by becoming incapacitated, failing a Concentration check, choosing to end the spell, or dying.

Doesn’t Scale

Guidance has no advantage when cast using higher-level spell slots.

It cannot be twinned due to its touch range, and it quickly falls off as players discover better ways of increasing their ability checks.

Optimizing Guidance

Since Guidance has no scaling and can easily be stopped in combat, using it out of battle is the best option.

Never Fail Stealth Checks

Most parties in D&D have their stealthy character who specializes in creeping without anyone hearing them.

However, when using Guidance, the ability checks they might have failed previously will be much easier to succeed (especially in the early game).

Before sending out your Rogue or Ranger to do something sneaky shenanigans, contemplate sending your Artificer, Cleric, or Druid with them.

It will not only provide them with some support, but it will provide them with a temporary increase in the stealth checks.

Scout Perfectly

In most cases, when scouting an area, the party member with the highest Perception wins the honor of rolling an ability check.

However, if Guidance is cast on this scout, the chances of rolling successfully and getting an excellent scouting view go up significantly.

So, before mindlessly scouting the path ahead, make a calculated decision and scout efficiently rather than quickly.

Haggle Successfully

Haggling is challenging to pull off, especially in the early game, due to many DM not wanting to give the players a headstart.

So, if the DM is more lenient and allows players to haggle relatively easily, players can use Guidance to get even higher discounts.

It will smoothen the party’s road to the late game and make their early game a little more bearable. Most parties wouldn’t want to go broke from buying decent armor to stop them from dying in the DMs ruthless world.

Interrogate Intensely

Interrogation is the most efficient way to retrieve information from an enemy, especially from lower challenge-level creatures, without too much loyalty to their masters. With interrogation being so helpful, don’t expect it to be easy.

DMs will usually make it as difficult as it can be when players start interrogating lower-level enemies.

However, by enhancing the player with the highest Intimidation, a party can successfully intimidate most early-game creatures, getting some great information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Guidance Affect Attacks?

Unfortunately, it does not; the Guidance description does not mention that it also works on attacks. It only says ability checks; attacks or saving rolls aren’t affected.

Does Guidance Affect Initiative Rolls?

Yes, since initiative rolls are a sub-category to ability checks, players can use Guidance to improve initiatives.

Can Players Cast Guidance on Themselves?

Yes, if players can touch themselves, they can successfully cast Guidance on themselves.

Players can even be blinded while casting Guidance as long as they can feel their target and clearly chant the incantation.

Can Two Spellcasters Cast Guidance on One Person?

In theory, yes; however, the bonuses won’t stack, meaning the targetted player must choose one bonus or forfeit both.

Can Guidance Be Twinned?

To twin a spell, it must not have the range of touch which Guidance has. Therefore, Guidance cannot be twinned.

Is Guidance a Concentration Spell?

As stated in the Guidance description, the caster will need to stay concentrated for up to one minute or until the bonus is used.

Final Thoughts

Even though Guidance is a straightforward spell, its usefulness doesn’t go unnoticed in the early game.

It can even drive a DM mad if players were to cast Guidance and narrowly escape what he had planned for them.

Even though there are better options that quickly become available to players, using Guidance for a short while would do a party any harm. It might even haggle them out of early crippling debt if done correctly!