Magic Initiate 5e (Updated for the 2024 Rules)

Which 5e Classes Make the Most of Magic Initiate?

The color code below has been implemented to help you identify, at a glance, how good the Magic Initiate 5e feat is for a specific class/subclass.

• Red: Weak, unlikely to contribute to your build
• Orange: Situationally good, but below average
• Green: A solid choice
• Blue: A great option worth considering
• Sky Blue: One of the best choices for optimization

Artificer: This feat is stellar and opens up a ton of utility. Artificers that pick up Wizard spells will find the most use out of this. Whether it’s Absorb Elements or Minor Illusion, it's an incredible feat to pick up for an Artificer.

Barbarian: Barbarians are probably the only class where this feat has a negligible impact, mainly because most Barbarians want to be raging and smashing every turn (you can’t cast spells while in a Rage).

Bard: Magic Initiate a solid pick, no matter what you choose. There are a ton of great Wizard spells to add to a Bard’s setlist. Bards don’t get a lot of damage spells so taking something like Firebolt would also be a great choice here.

Cleric: This feat is a good choice if you pick Wizard as the class that you can draw spells from. The tried and tested Find Familiar as your level 1 spell lets you deliver touch spells and give Help actions to players. Minor Illusion and Mage Hand for the cantrips nicely fill out your other needs.

Druid: This feat is a good choice if you pick Wizard as the class from which you draw spells. The tried and tested Find Familiar as your level 1 spell lets you deliver touch spells and give Help actions to players. The version of Find Familiar you can get through Magic Initiate is much better than the one you get through Wild Companion because it sticks around indefinitely and doesn't take a precious Wild Shape. Firebolt or Chill Touch for the cantrips nicely fill out your damage. If you are going to be a ranged caster Druid, this is certainly a worthwhile pickup once you max your Wisdom to make sure you can still do reasonable damage even if you start to run out of spell slots.

Fighter: Utility spells for free? Yes, please! Any Fighter will be happy with this feat. Eldritch Knights will almost always want to pick this up and pick the Wizard spell list, as they can cast the level 1 spell as if they already knew it since they use Wizard spell slots.

Monk: In a similar vein to Barbarians, Monks don’t benefit as much from this feat, but that doesn’t make it useless. The most significant benefit is picking up Find Familiar to help get Advantage on your attacks or Shillelagh for those focusing on Wisdom but also wanting to use weapons.

Paladin: Magic Initiate is a stellar choice for Paladins, as it opens up for more utility and some impactful spells. Wizard offers the most here, as it can give you Booming Blade for damage and one of many utility spells afterward.

Ranger: Most Rangers will appreciate the utility offered here, as Rangers don’t get a lot of offensive spellcasting or access to cantrips unless they choose the Druidic Warrior Fighting Style. This can let you choose Druid to grab the Shillelagh cantrip for a Wisdom-based Ranger or you can choose Wizard and grab Find Familiar.

Rogue: Utility reigns supreme with Rogues, and there are a plethora of great spells that fit into any type of playstyle. Like Eldritch Knights, Arcane Tricksters will probably want to stick to the Wizard spell list for Find Familiar and other versatile spells.

Sorcerer: Sorcerers don't get access to quite as many spells as the rest of the full caster classes, so this is a great opportunity to grab some spells that mesh with your Metamagic choices (or just grab Find Familiar).

Warlock: Warlocks don't get access to as many spells as the rest of the full caster classes and they have way less spell slots, so this is a great opportunity to mitigate both of those disadvantages.

Wizard: All around a good option if you want to maximize spells known. Most of the cantrips are stellar, and the free utility is fantastic. Even doubling down on Wizard allows you to learn a free new spell that you can cast as a normal spell with spell slots for better scaling.