More Cleric & Paladin Class Features
Presented here are optional class features for clerics and paladins, modifying or outright replacing other class features to help set your character apart from a typical adventurer. See Tasha's Cauldron of Everything for more details on how optional class features work.
Cleric
Presented here are the Fiendish Cleric Spells and Unarmored Defense features. Fiendish Cleric Spells is designed for clerics that serve a dark deity that celestials wouldn't typically obey, such as Asmodeus or Tiamat. Unarmored Defense is meant for players who prefer a more gentle take on a cleric, specifically the archetypical healer present in most roleplaying video games.
Fiendish Cleric Spells
1st-level cleric feature
Due to your servitude to a fiendish or dark power, your spell list is different from that of a typical cleric. The conjure celestial spell from the Player's Handbook is replaced by the summon lesser demons spell from the Xanathar's Guide to Everything on the cleric spell list for you.
This means that the conjure celestial spell no longer counts as a cleric spell for you, but the summon lesser demons spell does.
If you have the Additional Cleric Spells feature from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, the summon celestial spell is replaced by the summon fiend spell in the same way.
Unarmored Defense
1st-level cleric feature, which replaces armor proficiencies, and modifies the Divine Domain feature
As a chosen emissary of the divine, you receive blessings of protection from on high. You don't gain any armor or shield proficiencies from this class, and you don't gain armor proficiencies from your Divine Domain. While you are wearing no armor and aren't wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
If you wear armor or don a shield, you can't use your Channel Divinity feature until you doff the armor or shield.
Credits
Written by u/drmario_eats_faces on Reddit.
Special thanks to u/SaburrTooth and u/cellescent on Reddit for the inspiration behind Unarmored Defense and Hellfire Orb respectively, and to all of r/unearthedarcana for reviewing and refining this homebrew.
Version 1.3
Paladin
These optional class features meant for villainous paladins, or paladins who simply follow a darker path. With the DM's permission, a paladin that becomes an Oathbreaker (detailed on page 97 of the Dungeon Master's Guide) can replace their Divine Smite, Improved Divine Smite, and Lay on Hands features with these optional class features immediately.
Hellfire Orb
1st-level paladin feature, which replaces the Lay on Hands feature
You can use your action to hurl a magical ball of fire that explodes at a point you can see within 120 feet of you. Each creature within a 5-foot radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw, the DC of which is equal to 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. The sphere spreads around corners. A creature takes 1d6 fire and 1d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
You can use this feature once, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. This feature deals more damage and has a greater area of effect when you reach certain Paladin levels, as described in the Hellfire Orb table below.
Hellfire Orb
| Paladin Level | Damage | Radius |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1d6 fire and 1d6 necrotic | 5 feet |
| 3rd | 2d6 fire and 2d6 necrotic | 5 feet |
| 5th | 3d6 fire and 3d6 necrotic | 10 feet |
| 7th | 4d6 fire and 4d6 necrotic | 10 feet |
| 9th | 5d6 fire and 5d6 necrotic | 10 feet |
| 11th | 6d6 fire and 6d6 necrotic | 15 feet |
| 13th | 7d6 fire and 7d6 necrotic | 15 feet |
| 15th | 8d6 fire and 8d6 necrotic | 15 feet |
| 17th | 9d6 fire and 9d6 necrotic | 20 feet |
| 19th | 10d6 fire and 10d6 necrotic | 20 feet |
Profane Smite
2nd-level paladin feature, which replaces the Divine Smite and Improved Divine Smite features
When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal necrotic damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases
by 1d8 if the target is a celestial or fey, to a maximum of 6d8.
By 11th level, you are so suffused with wicked might that all your melee weapon strikes carry unholy power with them. Whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon, the creature takes an extra 1d8 necrotic damage.