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I originally read this related question as wanting to find out how to have a party with access to every spell during an adventuring day with as few members as possible. It turned out that the linked question was asking something different, but I am also curious about my original interpretation.

How few characters are needed so that at the end of a long rest those characters will be able to prepare their spells so that any spell may be cast at least once?

  • Use only the rules in the Player's Handbook
  • PCs may be of any level
  • Multiclassing and feats are permitted
  • The party must be able to cast any spell on a given day (but not necessarily every spell) from either a class feature, racial trait, or feat.
David Coffron
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3 Answers3

48

The minimum number of character is six

The Party

Our party consists of:

  • Onus the wizard 17
  • Twofa the bard (College of Lore) 18
  • Threen the cleric (Tempest Domain) 17
  • Fourp the bard 18/warlock 2
  • Fivet the bard 10/druid (Circle of the Land) 9
  • Sixka the ranger 9/paladin 9

The Spells

To start off, the wizard feature Spellbook makes any wizard spells attainable during the wizard's preparation. We also have a level 17 cleric who can prepare any cleric spell. From here, we will work backwards through the levels to show that all spells are accounted for:

Level 9

There are two 9th level spells that clerics and wizards together don't get access to:

  • Storm of Vengeance (covered by Twofa's first level 18 Magical Secrets)
  • Power Word: Heal (covered by Twofa's bard Spells Known)

Level 8

There are three 8th level spells that clerics and wizards together don't get access to:

  • Tsunami (covered by Twofa's second level 18 Magical Secrets)
  • Glibness (covered by Twofa's bard Spells Known)
  • Animal Shapes (covered by Fourp's first level 18 Magical Secrets)

There are zero 7th level spells that clerics and wizards don't get access to, so on to:

Level 6

There are four 6th level spells that clerics and wizards together don't get access to:

  • Wind Walk (covered by Fourp's second level 18 Magical Secrets)
  • Wall of Thorns (covered by Twofa's first level 14 Magical Secrets)
  • Transport Via Plants (covered by Twofa's second level 14 Magical Secrets)
  • Conjure Fey (covered by Fourp's first level 14 Magical Secrets)

For spells lower than level 6, Fivet can cover any druid spell through preparation, so:

Level 5

There are six 5th level spells that clerics, druids, and wizards together don't get access to:

  • Swift Quiver (covered by Fourp's second level 14 Magical Secrets)
  • Destructive Wave (covered as one of Threen's domain spells)
  • Conjure Volley (covered by Twofa's first level 10 Magical Secrets)
  • Circle of Power (covered by Twofa's second level 10 Magical Secrets)
  • Banishing Smite (covered by Fourp's first level 10 Magical Secrets)
  • Antilife Shell (covered by Twofa's bard Spells Known)

Level 4

There are four 4th level spells that clerics, druids, and wizards together don't get access to:

  • Staggering Smite (covered by Fourp's second level 10 Magical Secrets)
  • Aura of Purity (covered by Fivet's first level 10 Magical Secrets)
  • Aura of Life (covered by Fivet's second level 10 Magical Secrets)
  • Compulsion (covered by Twofa's bard Spells Known)

For spells lower than level 3, Sixka can cover any paladin spell through preparation, so:

Level 3

There are three 3rd level spells that only bards, rangers, sorcerers, and warlocks together get access to:

  • Lightning Arrow (covered by Sixka's ranger Spells Known)
  • Hunger of Hadar (covered by Twofa's Additional Magical Secrets)
  • Conjure Barrage (covered by Sixka's ranger Spells Known)

Level 2

There are two 2nd level spells that only bards, rangers sorcerers, and warlocks together get access to:

  • Enthrall (covered by Twofa's bard Spells Known)
  • Cordon of Arrows (covered by Sixka's ranger Spells Known)

Level 1

There are eight 1st level spells that only bards, rangers, sorcerers, and warlocks together get access to:

  • Hex (covered by Twofa's Additional Magical Secrets)
  • Hellish Rebuke (covered by Fourp's warlock Spells Known)
  • Hail of Thorns (covered by Sixka's ranger Spells Known)
  • Hunter's Mark (covered by Sixka's ranger Spells Known)
  • Ensnaring Strike (covered by Sixka's ranger Spells Known)
  • Dissonant Whispers (covered by Twofa's Spells Known)
  • Arms of Hadar (covered by Fourp's warlock Spells Known)
  • Armor of Agathys (covered by Fourp's warlock Spells Known)

Cantrips

For cantrips, I will go through each character's cantrips to show they are all covered

  • Onus (5 wizard cantrips)
    • Acid Splash
    • Chill Touch
    • Fire Bolt
    • Shocking Grasp
    • Ray of Frost
  • Twofa (4 bard cantrips)
    • Blade Ward
    • Dancing Lights
    • Friends
    • Vicious Mockery
  • Threen (5 cleric cantrips)
    • Guidance
    • Resistance
    • Sacred Flame
    • Spare the Dying
    • Thaumaturgy
  • Fourp (4 bard cantrips, 2 warlock cantrips)
    • Light
    • Mage Hand
    • Mending
    • Message
    • Eldritch Blast
    • Poison Spray
  • Fivet (4 bard cantrips, 4 druid cantrips)
    • Minor Illusion
    • Prestidigitation
    • True Strike
    • (any bard cantrip)
    • Druidcraft
    • Produce Flame
    • Shillelagh
    • Thorn Whip
David Coffron
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  • @Miniman I could've sworn rangers were prepared casters too. I'll adjust – David Coffron Mar 10 '19 at 22:36
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    Nah, it's one more subtle way in which they made rangers suck. As another example, they are the only spellcaster in the game without access to Dispel Magic. – Miniman Mar 10 '19 at 22:38
  • @Miniman it actually required all of Sixka's Spells Known... (i wouldve had to train Onus or Twofa to level 2 ranger otherwise) but fixed – David Coffron Mar 10 '19 at 22:47
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    Would this still work if Onus or Threen took the warlock levels instead of Fourp? Then all the characters would be level 19 or lower. – Joseph Sible-Reinstate Monica Mar 11 '19 at 00:42
  • This would be easier to skim if you used names that reflected the class, like Lore (Star Trek reference) for the lore bard, Locky (or whatever spelling) for the bard with 2 levels of warlock, etc. Although it's clear from context e.g. Magical Secrets, and for multiclass characters you are listing which class's spell list is relevant. – Peter Cordes Mar 12 '19 at 05:31
  • Can you make any of the characters an Arcane Trickster or Eldritch Knight to get some more class-diversity, and melee in the group besides the paladin, and still cover everything? I guess probably not, unless maybe you make everyone higher level. – Peter Cordes Mar 12 '19 at 05:37
30

You need three casters: A wizard 17, a bard 18 and either a druid 17, a cleric 17 or another bard 18 (your choice). First, the wizard can get all the spells on his list. This leaves 4 9th level spells out. The first bard handles three of these: Power Word Heal (The Bard Takes as a Bard Spell Known at 17), Storm of Vengeance (the first 18th level Magic Secret) and Mass Heal (the second 18th level Magic Secret). That leaves True Resurrection, which can be supplied by a druid 17, a cleric 17 or a bard 18 (with his 18th level Magic Secret).

Why did I only focus on 9th level spells? Because the wizard can supply Wish, and Wish can supply any 8th level or lower spell desired.

Jesse
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    Technically, wish doesn't let a wizard cast any spell of 8th level or lower; it duplicates the effect of such a spell. – Marq Mar 11 '19 at 09:58
  • @marq but then the question asks about preparing spells, and most spells do not belong to any class that prepares spells (spontaneous casters with a spells known* list. Given that the other answer also assumes that just having the spells available at the beginning of the day is enough, this one stands. +1 – Mindwin Remember Monica Mar 11 '19 at 13:57
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    This is the best answer, all of the spells are available (as requested in the original question). – Alastair Campbell Mar 11 '19 at 15:17
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    @Mindwin to be fair, I did not say that every spell must be prepared (that would be impossible). I said that the party, while preparing their spells, must be able to set it up in a way that any spell can be cast in the following day. Nowhere do I say those spells must be prepared, nor do I say that having the spellls available is enough. This answer still gets a +1 from me since it is a frame challenge of sorts, but technically it doesn't satisfy the OP. (also, the title is just an attempt to summarize the question; it's not demonstrative of the intent) – David Coffron Mar 12 '19 at 03:09
  • @davidcoffron when using game terms, one must be careful. "preparing spells" is one such term. The stack is different from most online forums where we require a certain level of precision. Ambiguity is what we try to avoid. I would even suggest you edit the question to clarify this and avoid touching the term "prepare". Kinda like a reserved word in programming. – Mindwin Remember Monica Mar 12 '19 at 12:03
  • @Mindwin it's not ambiguous. Prepare is important because some of the caster's must prepare their spells to gain access to certain spells. – David Coffron Mar 12 '19 at 12:09
  • If I leave out the ability to prepare spells, the question changes, and it becomes more ambiguous as it's unclear whether the intent is for them to be able to have any spell throughout the day. – David Coffron Mar 12 '19 at 12:11
  • Say there are only 3 spells. Player 1 knows spell A. Player 2 can prepare 1 spell of B or C. This party can prepare their spells (in game term), so they can cast either A and B or A and C that day. They therefore satisfy casting any spell on consideration of preparation. – David Coffron Mar 12 '19 at 12:12
12

Here's a party that has access to all spells with 5 characters:

  • Onus the wizard 17/ranger 3 (3 1st level ranger spells)
  • Twofa the Tiefling cleric (Tempest Domain) 17/warlock 3 (4 1st/2nd level warlock spells)
  • Threen the Forest gnome druid 17
  • Fourp the High elf paladin 13/wizard 4
  • Fivet the bard 18 (College of Lore)

The Spells

To start off, the wizard feature Spellbook makes any wizard spells attainable during the wizard's preparation. We also have a level 17 cleric who can prepare any cleric spell and a level 17 druid. From here, we will work backwards through the levels to show that all spells are accounted for:

Level 9

There is only one 9th level spell that clerics, druids, and wizards together don't get access to:

  • Power Word: Heal (covered by Fivet's bard Spells Known)

Level 8

There is only one 8th level spells that clerics, druids, and wizards together don't get access to:

  • Glibness (covered by Fivet's bard Spells Known)

There are zero 6th or 7th level spells that clerics, druids, and wizards don't get access to, so on to:

Level 5

There are six 5th level spells that clerics, druids, and wizards together don't get access to:

  • Destructive Wave (covered as one of Twofa's domain spells)
  • Swift Quiver (covered by Fivet's first level 18 Magical Secrets)
  • Conjure Volley (covered by Fivet's second level 18 Magical Secrets)
  • Circle of Power (covered by Fivet's first level 14 Magical Secrets)
  • Banishing Smite (covered by Fivet's second level 14 Magical Secrets)
  • Antilife Shell (covered by Fivet's bard Spells Known)

Level 4

Fourp can prepare any 4th level or lower paladin spell.

There is only one 4th level spells that clerics, druids, paladins, and wizards together don't get access to:

  • Compulsion (covered by Fivet's bard Spells Known)

Level 3

There are three 3rd level spells that only bards, rangers, sorcerers, and warlocks together get access to:

  • Lightning Arrow (covered by Fivet's first level 10 Magical Secrets)
  • Hunger of Hadar (covered by Fivet's second level 10 Magical Secrets)
  • Conjure Barrage (covered by Fivet's first level 6 Additional Magical Secrets)

Level 2

There are two 2nd level spells that only bards, rangers sorcerers, and warlocks together get access to:

  • Enthrall (covered by Fivet's bard Spells Known)
  • Cordon of Arrows (covered by Fivet's second level 6 Additional Magical Secrets)

Level 1

There are eight 1st level spells that only bards, rangers, sorcerers, and warlocks together get access to:

  • Hail of Thorns (covered by Onus's ranger Spells Known)
  • Hunter's Mark (covered by Onus's ranger Spells Known)
  • Ensnaring Strike (covered by Onus's ranger Spells Known)
  • Arms of Hadar (covered by Twofa's warlock Spells Known)
  • Armor of Agathys (covered by Twofa's warlock Spells Known)
  • Hex (covered by Twofa's warlock Spells Known)
  • Hellish Rebuke (covered by Twofa's warlock Spells Known, or Tiefling feature)
  • Dissonant Whispers (covered by Fivet's Spells Known)

Cantrips

For cantrips, I will go through each character's cantrips to show they are all covered

Onus (5 wizard cantrips)

  • Acid Splash
  • Chill Touch
  • Fire Bolt
  • Shocking Grasp
  • Ray of Frost

Twofa (5 cleric cantrips, 2 warlock cantrips)

  • Guidance
  • Resistance
  • Sacred Flame
  • Spare the Dying
  • Light
  • Thaumaturgy - Tiefling Feature
  • Eldritch Blast
  • Poison Spray

Threena (4 druid cantrips)

  • Druidcraft
  • Produce Flame
  • Shillelagh
  • Thorn Whip
  • Minor Illusion - Forest Gnome feature

Fourp (5 wizard cantrips (4 from wizard levels, 1 from High Elf feature))

  • Blade Ward
  • Dancing Lights
  • Mage Hand
  • Mending
  • Message - High Elf feature

Fivet (4 bard cantrips)

  • Prestidigitation
  • True Strike
  • Friends
  • Vicious Mockery

More High Elves could have accessed more Wizard cantrips, or as an alternate to using racial features, 10 cantrips could have been accessed using the Magic Initiate feat, but I don't see a way to eliminate the fifth party member.

I pretty obviously cribbed off of David Coffron's original answer, so I hope I haven't missed anything.

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  • Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the [tour] if you haven't already, and check out the [help] for more guidance. – V2Blast Apr 27 '19 at 07:15
  • Very well done. I don't know why I didn't consider just using a high level druid as well. Now I have to try to find 4 (which may be impossible just because of cantrips but we'll see) – David Coffron Apr 27 '19 at 12:00