Good Morning Game Fans, we’re back to continue our deeper investigation into the mysteries of Dungeons and Dragons, and how it shaped the larger roleplaying game community. We’ve put a temporary hold on our discussion about races in fantasy roleplaying (We’ll pick back up with the races from Volo’s Guide to Monsters and the Elemental Evil Player’s Companion after this interlude). We’re going to discuss the role of Classes in fantasy roleplaying games, and then we’ll take a look in turn at each of the character classes in the Player’s Handbook for Dungeons and Dragons, 5th Edition.
So what is a Character Class? In Dungeons and Dragons (and many other roleplaying games) A Character Class represents a combination of special abilities, options and skills that make up a character’s occupation. Your Character Class helps define what options you have to interact with the larger game world, and determines whether you’re a sneaky expert, or a bold warrior, or a crafty arcane magician.
It also serves to indicate to other players what they can expect your character to be capable of doing. In other words, it can serve as a keyword for you to identify a variety of factors. It’s also the second most common descriptor used to identify a character after race. For example, “He’s a human ranger, or she’s an elven wizard.” in the same way that people can identify as a lawyer, or a doctor or a soldier, the fantasy adventurer identifies as a barbarian, or a ranger, or a wizard.
Cleric:
In most fantasy worlds, the Gods and Goddesses are very real forces that can directly influence the mortal world. Most of the time, however, the divine beings move through subtler means. They empower agents to work on their behalf and grant them amazing powers to work towards their goals and fulfill their beliefs. In dungeons and dragons, these divine agents are called Clerics.
Clerics channel the power of their divine patron (or in a setting without deities, the overall conceptual domain they serve) in a myriad of ways. Clerics can heal the sick, call down divine retribution, or a host of other useful abilities by channeling the divine energy they work for. Being a Cleric in a fantasy setting is to understand that Gods and Goddesses are real, and that their divine power can reshape the world.
Creating a Cleric:
Why did you pick Cleric for this character? An equally important question to ask is what God or what Domain does your character follow. Are you a Cleric of Life, or Nature, or War, or Thunder? How does your character see their relationship with their divine patron? Figuring out these answers can help you figure out why you want to be a Cleric, and how you can select a background that works with the class and your concept.
Clerics have the potential to do a lot of different things. The versatility in a Cleric comes from their spell access. Clerics have access to the entire cleric spell list, which is something that only their nature worshipping cousins the Druid can claim. A Cleric has to select a specific number of spells that they have prepared for a day, but they can change these from day to day, depending on the specific needs of that day. Layered on top of this spellcasting ability is set of other abilities and martial competencies that give a Cleric options to fill in several roles in a party.
The Cleric runs on Wisdom. It powers their divine spells and other abilities. Other attributes depend on the type of cleric you want to play. Constitution makes for a healthy cleric, and Charisma allows for a persuasive cleric. Take a look at the specific domain/god you want your Cleric to follow for some ideas on how to build your character.
Class Features
This section contains all of the mechanically and statistically relevant information that you will need as a player to build your character.
Hit Points:
Hit points represent the amount of damage a character can take before being incapacitated and potentially dead. Every class has a specific range of potential hit point totals, modified by the character’s Constitution modifier.
Hit Dice: Clerics use a D8 for their hit dice. This is a middle of the road hit die, the dedicated arcane spell casters are rolling D6s, while the Rogue, the Druid, and the Monk are also rolling D8s. Compared to more martially capable characters, Clerics can’t take as much of a punch without succumbing to their injuries
Hit Points at 1st level: A 1st level Cleric will have 8 hit points plus an additional number of hit points equal to their constitution bonus.
Hit Points at higher levels: Every level after first, a Cleric gains an additional D8 hit die, which they can roll for hit point, or take the average value of 5. They also get to add their Constitution modifier to whatever they roll. The new Hit Die plus Con mod is added to their existing Maximum hit points, and they are off to the races.
For example, a level 4 Cleric has just gained enough experience points to achieve level 5. They roll a D8, and come up with a 7. The player adds their Constitution bonus of +3, and this comes to an 10. Added to the existing maximum Hit Point total of 27, the new 5th level Cleric has 37 hit points.
Proficiencies:
Proficiencies represent specific training and competency levels with a variety of weapons, armor, saving throws, tools, and skills. When using weapons and skills your character is proficient in, as well as making saving throws of types your character is proficient with, you get to add your proficiency bonus to the die roll.
Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Shields
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from History, Insight, Medicine, Persuasion, or Religion
Note: There are other ways to acquire certain proficiencies beyond the character class. Certain races, backgrounds, and other options allow a character to pick up proficiencies outside their normal range, so if you see something you’re looking for, you might just find it in another section.
Equipment:
Every character class has a recommended starting package of weapons and equipment. This is an excellent way to save yourself time by grabbing a gear package and being ready to go. All of the suggestions are laid out in a menu, and you as a player get to make one choice per bullet point for your character’s equipment.
- (a) mace or (b) warhammer (if proficient)
- (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor or (c) chain mail (if proficient)
- (a) light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
- (a) priest’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
- A shield and a holy symbol
Class Abilities:
The majority of the remaining class description will feature a combination of special abilities and tricks that only members of this specific class have access to. These are the other professional capabilities that define this class and separate it from the remaining ones. They give the flavoring that make the bard play differently from the sorcerer. They have a specific format that they’ll likely follow:
1st Level
Spellcasting
Channeling divine power, a Cleric can create a variety of awesome magical effects with their spells.. Spellcasting is an incredibly dense topic that is covered in Chapter 10 of the PHB (Spellcasting) and Chapter 11 (The Spell Lists). I’m going to cover the basics of how Spellcasting is affected by being all that is Bard, but you should definitely check out both of those chapters before slinging spells.
Cantrips
The Cleric knows three cantrips from the Cleric Spell list. As the Cleric gains more experience, they learn more cantrips.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Cleric has a limited number of slots that they can use to cast magical spells. There’s a big table on page 57 that will tell you how many spell slots of each level you have available. In order to cast a spell, you need to have a spell slot of the appropriate level or higher available. Casting the spell expends the spell slot. All expended spell slots recover with a long rest.
Note 1: Some spells work better when cast with higher level spell slots.
Select a list of spells from the cleric list that you wish to cast for the day. The two restrictions on this are that the spells must be of a level that you can cast, and you can prepare a maximum of your Cleric’s Wisdom Modifier + their Cleric Level spells. You have to prepare at least one. You can change the spells your Cleric has prepared after finishing a long rest, this takes 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Example: Friar Bob is a 3rd level Cleric with Wisdom of 15. This means he has a Wisdom Modifier of +2. Since Friar Bob is a 3rd level Cleric. He can prepare five spells per day. He chooses to prepare 3 1st level spells, and 2 2nd level spells on Tuesday. Wednesday morning comes and he needs to prepare different spells, so he chooses to prepare 2 1st level spells and 3 2nd level spells. The change takes him 8 minutes (1 minute per first level spell, 2 minutes per second level spell).
Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is the spellcasting attribute a Cleric uses. The Cleric’s devotion and contemplation of the divine realm fuel his or her spells and give them the potency to change the world.. What this means in game terms is as follows:
- Spell Save DC = 8 + Cleric’s Proficiency Bonus + Cleric’s Wisdom Modifier
- Spell Attack Modifier= Cleric’s Proficiency Bonus + Cleric’s Wisdom Modifier
Ritual Casting
The Cleric can cast any Cleric spell as a ritual, if the spell has the ritual tag
Spellcasting Focus
The Cleric can use his or her holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for Cleric Spells.
Divine Domain
The Cleric selects a Divine Domain (that matches the god/goddess they worship). The Divine Domains are broad concepts like War, Trickery, Storms, etc. Selecting the Domain provides a couple of tangible benefits at level 1, and additional abilities at Levels 2, 6, 8, and 17. (These are the Cleric Archetypes, and I’ll go into depth on them at the end of the section) The immediate benefits include:
- Domain Spells: Each Domain has spells that are specifically associated with it, from levels 1-5. These don’t necessarily have to be on the Cleric Spell list. Once your Cleric acquires the Domain spells for a specific level, (mostly by gaining the ability to cast spells of that level) they always count as prepared, and don’t count against the limit of spells a Cleric can prepare.
- An additional benefit such as additional proficiencies in languages, skills, weapons, tools or armor.
- An additional benefit dependent on the Domain, (not all Domains have these, but they will be covered when they show up).
2nd level
Channel Divinity
The Cleric can channel the pure power of their divine patron to accomplish a variety of things. The most basic function of this is to Turn Undead. The Channel Divinity ability refreshes on a short or long rest. For any effect that requires a saving throw, the Cleric uses their Cleric Spell Save for setting the saving throw DC. At 6th level, the Cleric can utilize this ability twice between rests, and at 18th level, they can utilize it 3 times between rests.
Channel Divinity: Turn Undead
Brandishing their Holy symbol and channeling the power of the divine, the Cleric can weaken and scare away the undead. As an action, the Cleric can force every undead creature that can see or hear the Cleric within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw. Undead that fail this save are turned for 1 minute, or until they take any damage.
Undead that are turned must spend their turns moving away from the Cleric, and can’t voluntarily move to a space within 30 feet of the Cleric. It can’t take reactions, and it must spend its actions taking the Dash action to get away from the cleric, or try to escape any effect preventing it from leaving. If it can’t escape, it spends its turns taking the Dodge action.
Divine Domain Ability: Channel Divinity Options
Each Domain has new uses for Channel Divinity. These will be covered in each Domain discussion below.
3rd Level
The Cleric gains no new Abilities
4th Level
Ability Score Increase
You can increase one ability score of your choice by two points or you can increase two different ability scores by one point. You can’t increase an ability score over 20 using this ability. Some games allow feats, and you can substitute a feat for an Ability Score Increase.
5th Level
Destroy Undead
When using Channel Divinity to Turn Undead, the Cleric can channel divine energy to destroy the Undead rather than merely turning them. A Cleric of 5th level can Destroy Undead of CR 1/2 or less. This ability improves as the Cleric levels up.
6th Level
Divine Domain Ability 2
Depending on which Divine Domain you select, you’ll get one new ability. I’ll cover these below when I cover the archetypes in greater detail.
Channel Divinity
The Cleric can use this ability twice before needing to refresh it with a short or long rest.
7th Level
No New Abilities gained
8th Level
Ability Score Increase
You can increase one ability score of your choice by two points or you can increase two different ability scores by one point. You can’t increase an ability score over 20 using this ability. Some games allow feats, and you can substitute a feat for an Ability Score Increase.
Destroy Undead
This ability improves, and a Cleric can now destroy CR 1 or below undead when using Channel Divinity to Turn Undead.
Divine Domain Ability 3
Depending on which Divine Domain you select, you’ll get one new ability. I’ll cover these below when I cover the archetypes in greater detail.
9th Level
No New Abilities gained
10th Level
Divine Intervention
Beginning at this level, the Cleric has become enough of an agent of divine providence that on occasion their patron looks down on them favorably. As an Action, the Cleric can implore their patron for assistance. The Cleric describes the assistance requested, and rolls percentile dice. If they roll below their cleric level, their deity intercedes and provides assistance. The DM chooses the nature of this assistance, though the effects of a cleric spell or a cleric domain spell would be appropriate manifestations of this power. If the Deity intervenes, the Cleric can’t use this ability for 7 days.
At Level 20, the Cleric’s request for add requires no roll, it succeeds automatically.
11th Level
Destroy Undead
This ability improves, and a Cleric can now destroy CR 2 or below undead when using Channel Divinity to Turn Undead.
12th Level
Ability Score Increase
You can increase one ability score of your choice by two points or you can increase two different ability scores by one point. You can’t increase an ability score over 20 using this ability. Some games allow feats, and you can substitute a feat for an Ability Score Increase.
13th Level
No New Abilities gained
14th Level
Destroy Undead
This ability improves, and a Cleric can now destroy CR 3 or below undead when using Channel Divinity to Turn Undead.
15th Level
No New Abilities Gained
16th Level
Ability Score Increase
You can increase one ability score of your choice by two points or you can increase two different ability scores by one point. You can’t increase an ability score over 20 using this ability. Some games allow feats, and you can substitute a feat for an Ability Score Increase.
17th Level
Destroy Undead
This ability improves, and a Cleric can now destroy CR 3 or below undead when using Channel Divinity to Turn Undead.
Divine Domain Ability 4
Depending on which Divine Domain you select, you’ll get one new ability. I’ll cover these below when I cover the archetypes in greater detail.
18th Level
Channel Divinity 3
The Cleric can Channel Divinity a 3rd time before needing to rest.
19th Level
Ability Score Increase
You can increase one ability score of your choice by two points or you can increase two different ability scores by one point. You can’t increase an ability score over 20 using this ability. Some games allow feats, and you can substitute a feat for an Ability Score Increase.
20th Level
Divine Intervention Upgrade
The Cleric no longer needs to roll to determine if Divine Intervention occurs. All other aspects of this ability still apply
Thoughts and Ideas:
So what does all of this mean? Clerics are one of the few character classes that have access to healing spells. The other spells in their arsenal give them a variety of potent options for dealing with threats. Deciding which God/Domain your cleric is associated with can radically change the character of your Cleric, as you can end up building a sneaky roguish type Cleric who follows the Trickery Domain, or end up with a bulldog of a warrior Cleric who follows the War Domain. Ultimately Domains become very critical for sussing out the flavor you want for your character. The core divine spellcasting abilities are present in all versions of the Cleric.
Archetypes:
A character class is built to be as broadly encompassing as it can be. There are many types of wizards in the world, and different types of fighters as well. Each class has access to a selection of Archetypes that allow a player to further tighten up their concept and build the type of character they are specifically looking for. Rogues have access to both thief and assassin, for example, and while they are both Rogues at heart, the abilities that each Archetype uses definitely change the way the class feels to play.
The Divine Domains of the Cleric are essential to helping shape what kind of a Cleric you want to make. Each represents a core concept about the universe and the place the gods have within it. The Divine Domains, Knowledge, Life, Light, Nature, Tempest, Trickery, and War each represent different ways of looking at the Universe and what prioritizations a Cleric may make in pursuit of their God’s domain.
Knowledge Domain
The pursuit of Knowledge and Learning is the driving force behind the Knowledge Domain. Whether secreted in ancient temples or shared in universities, Knowledge is the destination and the road for Clerics who follow this path. Let’s take a look at the Domain Spells and then the Domain Abilities
Domain Spells
1st Level: command, identify
3rd Level: augury, suggestion
5th Level: nondetection, speak with dead
7th Level: arcane eye, confusion
9th Level: legend lore, scrying
1st Level
Blessings of Knowledge
The Cleric gains proficiency in 2 languages. Further, they gain proficiency in two of the following skills: Arcana, History, Nature, Religion. The Cleric’s proficiency bonus for these specific skills is doubled when making an ability check for either of the skills selected.
2nd Level
Channel Divinity: Knowledge of the Ages
Knowledge Clerics can tap a spring of ancient knowledge. As an action, the Cleric can choose one skill or tool. For 10 minutes the Cleric has proficiency with the selected skill or tool.
6th Level
Channel Divinity: Read Thoughts
The Knowledge Domain Cleric can read the minds of others in an attempt to influence their actions. As an action, the Cleric can force a creature within 60 feet that it can see to make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails, the Cleric can read its surface thoughts, so long as it stays within 60 feet for a duration of 1 minute. During that minute, the Cleric can choose to use a suggestion spell on the creature. Doing so ends the thought reading portion of the effect, and the creature automatically fails its saving throw against the suggestion.
8th Level
Potent Spellcasting
The Cleric adds his or her Wisdom modifier to their damage rolls when casting Cleric cantrips
17th Level
Visions of the Past
The Cleric can meditate on the well of information that comes from the Knowledge Domain. By spending at least one minute concentrating, they can study either an area or an object and glean information about either. The Cleric can maintain this meditation for a number of minutes equal to their Wisdom Score.
- Objects: The Cleric learns how the most recent owner of the object found and lost the item, and the most recent significant event involving the object and owner. If the object was owned by another creature within a number of days equal to the Cleric’s wisdom score, they can spend an additional minute meditating to learn this information about that owner as well.
- Places: When meditating, the Cleric can focus on their immediate surroundings (to roughly a 50 foot square area) and looking back in time a number of days equal to their Wisdom score. For every minute the Cleric spends concentrating, they can see a vision of the most significant recent event that happened within that span of time. Every additional minute spent concentrating reveals the next most recent event.
Thoughts and Ideas:
The Knowledge Domain Cleric is wonderfully suited for investigation work. Not as capable of quietly stealthing their way through a dungeon like a Rogue, the Knowledge Cleric has a host of abilities and spells to show them the way to the thing they are currently looking for. Not as militant as say a Tempest or War Domain Cleric, the Knowledge Cleric is more likely to be found near the middle of the party rather than the front line. It’s a neat expression of the theme in both rules and ideas.
Life Domain
Life is the vital energy that moves all things and promotes vitality and strength. Positive energy is the power that moves all living creatures and gives them the power to do great things. Life flourishes in its presence and grows stronger with positive energy. Let’s take a look at the Domain Spells and then the Domain Abilities
Domain Spells
1st Level: bless, cure wounds
3rd Level: lesser restoration, spiritual weapon
5th Level: beacon of hope, revivify
7th Level: death ward, guardian of faith
9th Level: mass cure wounds, raise dead
1st Level
Bonus Proficiency
The Cleric gains proficiency in heavy armor
Disciple of Life
When the Cleric of Life casts a spell of 1st level or higher to restore hit points to a creature, the creature heals an additional amount equal to 2 + the spell’s level.
2nd Level
Channel Divinity: Preserve Life
Life Clerics can Channel Divinity to restore hit points to a number of their allies. As an action, the Cleric presents their holy symbol and evokes the power of healing. The Cleric gets a pool of 5 times their Cleric level in potential healing, and can spread this to any creatures within 30 feet they want to. They can spread the healing out on a creature by creature basis, but can’t heal a creature above half its starting hit point total. This feature does not work on Constructs or Undead.
6th Level
Blessed Healer
The Life Domain Cleric heals himself or herself when they heal others. Whenever they cast a 1st level or higher spell that restores hit points to another creature, they personally heal a number of hit points equal to 2 + the spell’s level.
8th Level
Divine Strike
The Cleric channels radiant energy into his or her weapons. Once on each of the Cleric’s turns, it can channel radiant energy into a creature it’s just hit. This deals an additional 1D8 points of radiant damage. This damage increases to 2D8 points of damage at 14th level.
17th Level
Supreme Healing
When the Life Cleric would normally roll dice to restore hit points as part of a spell, they no longer need to roll. The Life Cleric restores the maximum amount of hit points possible without needing to roll any dice.
Thoughts and Ideas:
The Life Domain Cleric is very much the typical battlefield healer. Heavy armor puts them on the front line where they can support more martially inclined characters (who probably get smacked around a lot), and their upper level abilities allow them to heal themselves while healing allies. Remember you still have the entirety of the Cleric spell list to prepare from, and you can find some devastating spells to flatten foes or buff their allies.
Light Domain
Light is the energy of beauty and life. It brings the truth into the open, banishes falsehoods, and is a revealing agent for beauty, honesty, and the forces that renew. Lightbringers banish the darkness and show the truth in all things. Let’s take a look at the Domain Spells and then the Domain Abilities
Domain Spells
1st Level: burning hands, faerie fire
3rd Level: flaming sphere, scorching ray
5th Level: daylight, fireball
7th Level: guardian of faith, wall of fire
9th Level: flame strike, scrying
1st Level
Bonus Cantrip
The Cleric gains the light cantrip if they don’t already know it
Warding Flare
When the Cleric of Light is attacked by a creature within 30 feet that they can see, they can use their reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. Creatures that can’t be blinded can’t be affected by this. The Cleric of Light can use this ability a number of times equal to their Wisdom modifier. It refreshes after a long rest.
2nd Level
Channel Divinity: Radiance of the Dawn
Light Clerics can Channel Divinity to banish darkness and melt their enemies. As an action, the Cleric presents their holy symbol and evokes the power of light. This has two effects. First, it dispels magical darkness effects within 30 feet. Second, hostile creatures within 30 feet have to make a Constitution Saving Throw. On a failed save they take 2D10 + Cleric Level. On a successful save, they take half this amount. A creature with total cover is immune to this effect.
6th Level
Improved Flare
The Light Domain Cleric can use their warding flare ability to protect friendly creatures within 30 feet, not just themselves.
8th Level
Potent Spellcasting
The Cleric adds his or her Wisdom modifier to their damage rolls when casting Cleric cantrips
17th Level
Corona of Light
The Light Cleric can burn with the brightness of the sun. As an action, the Cleric can emit sunlight as an aura for a duration of 1 minute, or until dismissed as an action. Everything within 60 feet of the cleric is treated as being in bright light, and an additional 30 feet beyond that is treated as dim light. Enemies within this area suffer disadvantage on saving throws against spells that cause fire or radiant damage.
Thoughts and Ideas:
The Light Domain Cleric is a much more offensively minded cleric than either of the two entries before. With an assortment of fire based magics and abilities that can crank damage, this is a Cleric that is perfectly happy to set the countryside on fire. Play to your strengths in the fields of burninating, and you are going to have a lot of fun with a Light Domain Cleric.
Nature Domain
The Nature Domain encompasses the whole of the wilderness, from the tiniest blades of grass to the mightiest of oaks. It is land, sea, air, animal and plant. Some gods of Nature represent all of it, while others are patrons of specific things, like forests or mountains, or animals or even the bugs beneath our feet. Let’s take a look at the Domain Spells and then the Domain Abilities
Domain Spells
1st Level: animal friendship, speak with animals
3rd Level: barkskin, spike growth
5th Level: plant growth, wind wall
7th Level: dominate beast, grasping vine
9th Level: insect plague, tree stride
1st Level
Bonus Proficiency
The Cleric gains proficiency in heavy armor
Acolyte of Nature
The Cleric of Nature learns one druid cantrip of choice. They also learn one of the following skills: Animal Handling, Nature, or Survival.
2nd Level
Channel Divinity: Charm Animals and Plants
Nature Clerics can Channel Divinity to make allies of the most wild creatures. As an action, the Cleric presents their holy symbol and evokes the power of nature. Each beast or plant creature within 30 feet of the Cleric must make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails that saving throw, it’s charmed for the next minute, or until it takes damage. While charmed, it is friendly towards the Cleric and any other creatures the Cleric indicates.
6th Level
Dampen Elements
The Nature Cleric can use his reactions to turn aside elemental energies. As a reaction, when the Cleric or a creature within 30 feet takes acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder damage, the Cleric can use his or her reaction to grant the creature resistance to the specified energy type.
8th Level
Divine Strike
The Cleric channels elemental energy into his or her weapons. Once on each of the Cleric’s turns, it can channel cold, fire, or lightning (Cleric’s Choice) energy into a creature it’s just hit. This deals an additional 1D8 points of the chosen damage. This damage increases to 2D8 points of damage at 14th level.
17th Level
Master of Nature
The Nature Cleric can take a bonus action to verbally command creatures under the influence of its charm animals and plants ability.
Thoughts and Ideas:
The Nature Domain Cleric can fill a couple of interesting spots in an adventuring party. With their wildlife communication abilities and potential skill masteries, they can track and survive in wilderness areas like rangers, and they also bring the heavily armored potential of a front line cleric. With Divine strike, this cleric isn’t afraid of mixing it up in hand to hand combat, and they form an excellent front line companion to another martial character. Finally, they’re still Clerics, and have the full capabilities of a Cleric of their level when it comes to spell casting capacity.
Tempest Domain
The Tempest Domain harnesses the pure power of the storm. It is the destructive impulses of natural energy that send lesser folk into hiding, praying for either the storms to end, or for the fury be directed at more deserving targets. The Clerics of the Tempest Domain are divine harbingers of nature’s rage made manifest. Let’s take a look at the Domain Spells and then the Domain Abilities
Domain Spells
1st Level: fog cloud, thunderwave
3rd Level: gust of wind, shatter
5th Level: call lightning, sleet storm
7th Level: control water, ice storm
9th Level: destructive wave, insect plague
1st Level
Bonus Proficiencies
The Cleric gains proficiency in heavy armor and martial weapons
Wrath of the Storm
The Cleric of Tempest can thunderously rebuke attackers. When a creature within 5 feet of the Cleric hits the Cleric with an attack, the Cleric can spend its reaction to cause the creature to make a dexterity saving throw. Creatures that fail the save take 2D8 Lightning or Thunder damage (Dealer’s Choice), creatures that succeed take half. The Cleric can use this ability a number of times equal to their Wisdom modifier before needing to refresh the ability with a long rest.
2nd Level
Channel Divinity: Destructive Wrath
Tempest Clerics can Channel Divinity to empower the storm. When rolling damage for a lightning or a thunder effect, the Tempest Cleric Channel divinity to roll maximum damage.
6th Level
Thunderbolt Strike
When a Tempest Cleric does lightning damage to a Large or smaller creature, the Tempest Cleric can also push that creature up to 10 feet away from the Cleric.
8th Level
Divine Strike
The Cleric channels elemental energy into his or her weapons. Once on each of the Cleric’s turns, it can channel lightning or thunder(Cleric’s Choice) energy into a creature it’s just hit. This deals an additional 1D8 points of the chosen damage. This damage increases to 2D8 points of damage at 14th level.
17th Level
Stormborn
The Tempest Cleric can fly at the same rate as their normal walking speed when not indoors or underground.
Thoughts and Ideas:
The Tempest Cleric is a more militant version of the caster cleric idea we see in the Light Cleric. Heavy armor plus martial weapon proficiency means that this cleric can stand on the front line of a party and either smash things with a thematically appropriate sized hammer or blast them with the power of the storm. This Cleric really likes being able to control the area around it with lightning based abilities, and once Thunderbolt strike kicks on, the Cleric is perfectly able to push enemies into precarious positions.
Trickery Domain
The Trickery Domain thumbs it's nose at the idea of authority, ownership, and rules. The patrons of thieves, con artists and anyone else who lives by the seat of their pants and the capability of their wit, Trickery Deities love chaos, subterfuge, and general levels of mischief. Let’s take a look at the Domain Spells and then the Domain Abilities
Domain Spells
1st Level: charm person, disguise self
3rd Level: mirror image, pass without trace
5th Level: blink, dispel magic
7th Level: dimension door, polymorph
9th Level: dominate person, modify memory
1st Level
Blessing of the Trickster
The Cleric use an action to touch a willing creature (other than Cleric) to bestow advantage on Stealth (Dexterity) Checks to. This lasts for 1 hour, or until the Cleric activates this ability again.
2nd Level
Channel Divinity: Invoke Duplicity
Trickery Clerics are experts at making the improbable seem probable. They can Channel Divinity to make an illusory duplicate of themselves appear. The double must appear within 30 feet of the Cleric in an unoccupied space. As a bonus action, the Cleric can move the image up to 30 feet, but it has to stay within 120 feet. The Image lasts for up to 1 minute, or until the Cleric stops concentrating on it. While the image is active, the Cleric can cast spells through it, using its space as a point of origin. Further, when the illusion and the Cleric are within 5 feet of a creature at the same time, the Cleric has advantage on attack rolls against it.
6th Level
Channel Divinity: Cloak of Shadows
The Trickery Cleric can Channel Divinity to disappear from sight. As an action, the Cleric can become invisible until the end of their next turn. This effect ends if the Cleric attacks or casts a spell.
8th Level
Divine Strike
The Cleric channels venom into his or her weapons. Once on each of the Cleric’s turns, it can channel poison energy into a creature it’s just hit. This deals an additional 1D8 points of the chosen damage. This damage increases to 2D8 points of damage at 14th level.
17th Level
Improved Duplicity
When using the Invoke Duplicity ability, the Cleric can create up to four duplicates instead of 1, and can use 1 bonus action to move all four of them. They still have to stay within 120 feet.
Thoughts and Ideas:
The Trickery Domain Cleric is all about creating confusion and mischief in the opposition. With spells that weaken the mind and abilities that let them sneak around, the Trickery Cleric is often where he or she is least expected, but most needed. This cleric probably isn’t a front line combatant, but they’re capable of contributing in a variety of creative and unexpected ways.
War Domain
The War Domain draws its power from the conflict between sentient creatures. From the lowliest fist fight to the grandest war, this Domain exemplifies martial prowess. These are gods and goddesses of warriors noble and foul. Let’s take a look at the Domain Spells and then the Domain Abilities
Domain Spells
1st Level: divine favor, shield of faith
3rd Level: magic weapon, spiritual weapon
5th Level: crusader’s mantle, spirit guardians
7th Level: freedom of movement, stoneskin
9th Level: flame strike, hold monster
1st Level
Bonus Proficiencies
The Cleric gains proficiency in heavy armor and martial weapons
War Priest
The Cleric of War can use a bonus action to take an additional weapon attack when using the Attack action. They can use this ability a number of times equal to their Wisdom Modifier. This refreshes after a long rest.
2nd Level
Channel Divinity: Guided Strike
When a War Cleric makes an attack roll, they can Channel Divinity to give themselves a +10 bonus to the roll. They can do this after making the roll, but have to before the DM announces success or failure.
6th Level
Channel Divinity: War God’s Blessing
When a creature within 30 feet makes an attack roll, the War Cleric can Channel Divinity to give themselves a +10 bonus to the roll. They can do this after making the roll, but have to before the DM announces success or failure.
8th Level
Divine Strike
The Cleric channels energy into his or her weapons. Once on each of the Cleric’s turns, it can channel energy into a creature it’s just hit. This deals an additional 1D8 points of the weapon’s damage type. This damage increases to 2D8 points of damage at 14th level.
17th Level
Avatar of Battle
The War Cleric gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from non magical weapons.
Thoughts and Ideas:
In keeping with the martial ethos of the War Domain, War Clerics are front line combatants who are more than willing to step into combat and smash someone’s face in. This Cleric is much more focused on offensively handling problems than the other heavy armor clerics, but relies on brutal smashing power instead of say thunder and/or lightning. It’s still a fun alternative to the Cleric, and i think they can fit into any party.
Conclusions:
Clerics wear an awful lot of hats in a Dungeons and Dragons game. They are divine agents, empowered by the gods to act as their emissaries and messengers among other mortal races. Depending on the temperament and domain of that god, the method of that service can be very different between followers of two otherwise similar deities. The key thing that most adventuring groups are going to look for out of their party Cleric is healing, as they have one of the easiest access routes to divine healing powers.
When building your Cleric, you have a variety of options to customize and tailor your Cleric to whatever other pursuits you may have. Domains especially help to define a Cleric’s role on and off the battlefield, and just because you picked a specific Domain doesn’t mean you can’t have interests in other areas. The Cleric provides excellent opportunities to role play a character who is a part of a larger body of worship, or belongs to a higher calling.
No comments:
Post a Comment