Cleric

Arms and eyes upraised toward the sun and a prayer on his lips, an elf begins to glow with an inner light that spills out to heal his battle-worn companions.

Chanting a song of glory, a dwarf swings his axe in wide swaths to cut through the ranks of orcs arrayed against him, shouting praise to the gods with every foe's fall.

Calling down a curse upon the forces of undeath, a human lifts her holy symbol as light pours from it to drive back the zombies crowding in on her companions.

Clerics are intermediaries between the mortal world and the distant planes of the gods. As varied as the gods they serve, clerics strive to embody the handiwork of their deities. No ordinary priest, a cleric is imbued with divine magic.

Quick Build

You can make a cleric quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength or Constitution. Second, choose the acolyte background.

Class Features

As a cleric, you gain the following class features.

Starting Equipment

You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background.

• (a) a mace or (b) a warhammer (if proficient)
• (a) scale mail, (b) leather armor, or (c) chain mail (if proficient)
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a priest's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• A shield and a holy symbol

Alternatively, you may start with 5d4 × 10 gp to buy your own equipment.

Spellcasting

As a conduit for divine power, you can cast cleric spells. See chapter 10 of the PHB for the general rules of spellcasting, and "Cleric Spells" at the end of the class description for the cleric spell list.

Divine Intervention

Beginning at 10th level, you can call on your deity to intervene on your behalf when your need is great.

Imploring your deity's aid requires you to use your action. Describe the assistance you seek, and roll percentile dice. If you roll a number equal to or lower than your cleric level, your deity intervenes. The DM chooses the nature of the intervention; the effect of any cleric spell or cleric domain spell would be appropriate. If your deity intervenes, you can't use this feature again for 7 days. Otherwise, you can use it again after you finish a long rest.

At 20th level, your call for intervention succeeds automatically, with no roll required.

Arcana Domain Spells

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency in the Arcana skill.

Arcane Initiate

At 1st level, you gain two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. For you, these cantrips count as cleric cantrips, and they don't count against the number of cleric cantrips you know.

Channel Divinity: Arcana Domain

At 2nd level, your choice of domain grants you access to additional ways to use your Channel Divinity. You learn one divine orison of your choice, which must either be one available to every domain (see "Divine Orisons" at the end of the class description) or one of the following orisons:

• Arcane Abjuration. You can use your Channel Divinity to abjure otherworldly creatures.
• Invoke Duplicity. You can use your Channel Divinity to create an illusory duplicate of yourself.
• Read Thoughts. You can use your Channel Divinity to read a creature's thoughts, and then use your access to the creature's mind to command it.
• Severance of Mind. You can use your Channel Divinity to disrupt the mind of a creature, momentarily splitting its psyche.

Spell Breaker

Starting at 6th level, when you restore hit points to an ally with a spell of 1st level or higher, you can also end one spell of your choice on that creature. The level of the spell you end must be equal to or lower than the level of the spell slot you use to cast the healing spell.

Potent Spellcasting

Starting at 11th level, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the damage roll of any cleric spell you cast. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until the start of your next turn.

Arcane Mastery

At 18th level, you choose four spells from the wizard spell list, one from each of the following levels: 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th. You add them to your list of domain spells. Like your other domain spells, they are always prepared and count as cleric spells for you.

Death Domain

The Death domain is concerned with the forces that cause death, as well as the negative energy that gives rise to undead creatures. Deities such as Chemosh, Myrkul, and Wee Jas are patrons of necromancers, death knights, liches, mummy lords, and vampires. Gods of the Death domain also embody murder (Anubis, Bhaal, and Pyremius), pain (Iuz or Loviatar), disease or poison (Incabulos, Talona, or Morgion), and the underworld (Hades and Hel).

Blessed Strikes

Starting at 11th level, you gain the ability to infuse your strikes with divine energy. Once per turn when you hit a creature with an attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage.

Improved Reaper

Starting at 18th level, when you cast a necromancy spell of 1st through 5th level that targets only one creature, the spell can instead target two creatures within range and within 5 feet of each other. If the spell consumes its material components, you must provide them for each target.

Forge Domain

The gods of the forge are patrons of artisans who work with metal, from a humble blacksmith who keeps a village in horseshoes and plow blades to the mighty elf artisan whose diamond-tipped arrows of mithral have felled demon lords. The gods of the forge teach that, with patience and hard work, even the most intractable metal can be transformed from a lump of ore to a beautifully wrought object. Clerics of these deities search for objects lost to the forces of darkness, liberate mines overrun by orcs, and uncover rare and wondrous materials necessary to create potent magic items. Followers of these gods take great pride in their work, and they are willing to craft and use heavy armor and powerful weapons to protect them. Deities of this domain include Gond, Reorx, Onatar, Moradin, Hephaestus, and Goibhniu.

Grave Domain

Gods of the grave watch over the line between life and death. To these deities, death and the afterlife are a foundational part of the multiverse. To desecrate the peace of the dead is an abomination. Deities of the grave include Kelemvor, Wee Jas, the ancestral spirits of the Undying Court, Hades, Anubis, and Osiris. Followers of these deities seek to put wandering spirits to rest, destroy the undead, and ease the suffering of the dying. Their magic also allows them to stave off death for a time, particularly for a person who still has some great work to accomplish in the world. This is a delay of death, not a denial of it, for death will eventually get its due.

Knowledge Domain

The gods of knowledge — including Oghma, Boccob, Gilean, Aureon, and Thoth — value learning and understanding above all. Some teach that knowledge is to be gathered and shared in libraries and universities, or promote the practical knowledge of craft and invention. Some deities hoard knowledge and keep its secrets to themselves. And some promise their followers that they will gain tremendous power if they unlock the secrets of the multiverse. Followers of these gods study esoteric lore, collect old tomes, delve into the secret places of the earth, and learn all they can. Some gods of knowledge promote the practical knowledge of craft and invention, including smith deities like Gond, Reorx, Onatar, Moradin, Hephaestus, and Goibhniu.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency in two of the following skills of your choice: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of those skills.

You also learn two languages of your choice.

Blessings of Knowledge

At 1st level, you gain the ability to tap into a divine wellspring of knowledge. At the end of a long rest, you can choose one skill or tool. You become magically proficient with that skill or tool until the end of your next long rest.

Channel Divinity: Knowledge Domain

At 2nd level, your choice of domain grants you access to additional ways to use your Channel Divinity. You learn one divine orison of your choice, which must either be one available to every domain (see "Divine Orisons" at the end of the class description) or one of the following orisons:

• Arcane Abjuration. You can use your Channel Divinity to abjure otherworldly creatures.
• Read Thoughts. You can use your Channel Divinity to read a creature's thoughts, and then use your access to the creature's mind to command it.
• Scholary Insight. You can use your Channel Divinity to analyze a creature's form and deduce its strengths and weaknesses.
• Severance of Mind. You can use your Channel Divinity to disrupt the mind of a creature, momentarily splitting its psyche.

Inquisitive Blessings

Starting at 6th level, your intellect and insights are divinely guided. Whenever you make an ability check that uses Intelligence or Wisdom and lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Potent Spellcasting

Starting at 11th level, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the damage roll of any cleric spell you cast. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until the start of your next turn.

Visions of the Past

Starting at 18th level, you can call up visions of the past that relate to an object you hold or your immediate surroundings. You spend at least 1 minute in meditation and prayer, then receive dreamlike, shadowy glimpses of recent events. You can meditate in this way for a number of minutes equal to your Wisdom score and must maintain concentration during that time, as if you were casting a spell.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Object Reading. Holding an object as you meditate, you can see visions of the object's previous owner. After meditating for 1 minute, you learn how the owner acquired and lost the object, as well as the most recent significant event involving the object and that owner. If the object was owned by another creature in the recent past (within a number of days equal to your Wisdom score), you can spend 1 additional minute for each owner to learn the same information about that creature.

Area Reading. As you meditate, you see visions of recent events in your immediate vicinity (a room, street, tunnel, clearing, or the like, up to a 50-foot cube), going back a number of days equal to your Wisdom score. For each minute you meditate, you learn about one significant event, beginning with the most recent. Significant events typically involve powerful emotions, such as battles and betrayals, marriages and murders, births and funerals. However, they might also include more mundane events that are nevertheless important in your current situation.

Life Domain

The Life domain focuses on the vibrant positive energy — one of the fundamental forces of the universe — that sustains all life. The gods of life promote vitality and health through healing the sick and wounded, caring for those in need, and driving away the forces of death and undeath. Almost any non-evil deity can claim influence over this domain, particularly agricultural deities (such as Chauntea, Arawai, and Demeter), sun gods (such as Lathander, Pelor, and Re-Horakhty), gods of healing or endurance (such as Ilmater, Mishakal, Apollo, and Diancecht), and gods of home and community (such as Hestia, Hathor, and Boldrei).

Blessed Healer

Beginning at 6th level, the healing spells you cast on others heal you as well. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that restores hit points to a creature other than you, you regain hit points equal to 2 + the spell's level.

Blessed Strikes

Starting at 11th level, you gain the ability to infuse your strikes with divine energy. Once per turn when you hit a creature with an attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage.

Supreme Healing

Starting at 18th level, when you would normally roll one or more dice to restore hit points with a spell, you instead use the highest number possible for each die. For example, instead of restoring 2d6 hit points to a creature, you restore 12.

Light Domain

Gods of light — including Helm, Lathander, Pholtus, Branchala, the Silver Flame, Belenus, Apollo, and Re-Horakhty — promote the ideals of rebirth and renewal, truth, vigilance, and beauty, often using the symbol of the sun. Some of these gods are portrayed as the sun itself or as a charioteer who guides the sun across the sky. Others are tireless sentinels whose eyes pierce every shadow and see through every deception. Some are deities of beauty and artistry, who teach that art is a vehicle for the soul's improvement. Clerics of a god of light are enlightened souls infused with radiance and the power of their gods' discerning vision, charged with chasing away lies and burning away darkness.

Channel Divinity: Light Domain

At 2nd level, your choice of domain grants you access to additional ways to use your Channel Divinity. You learn one divine orison of your choice, which must either be one available to every domain (see "Divine Orisons" at the end of the class description) or one of the following orisons:

• Artisan's Blessing. You can use your Channel Divinity to create simple items.
• Consuming Fervor. You can use your Channel Divinity to channel your deity's power with unchecked ferocity.
• Radiance of the Dawn. You can use your Channel Divinity to harness sunlight, banishing darkness and dealing radiant damage to your foes.
• Twilight Sanctuary. You can use your Channel Divinity to refresh your allies with soothing twilight.

Improved Flare

Starting at 6th level, you can also use your Warding Flare feature when a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you attacks a creature other than you.

Potent Spellcasting

Starting at 11th level, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the damage roll of any cleric spell you cast. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until the start of your next turn.

Corona of Light

Starting at 18th level, you can use your action to activate an aura of sunlight that lasts for 1 minute or until you dismiss it using another action. You emit bright light in a 60-foot radius and dim light 30 feet beyond that. Your enemies in the bright light have disadvantage on saving throws against any spell that deals fire or radiant damage.

Nature Domain

Gods of nature are as varied as the natural world itself, from inscrutable gods of the deep forests (such as Silvanus, Obad-Hai, Chislev, Balinor, and Pan) to friendly deities associated with particular springs and groves (such as Eldath). Druids revere nature as a whole and might serve one of these deities, practicing mysterious rites and reciting all-but-forgotten prayers in their own secret tongue. But many of these gods have clerics as well, champions who take a more active role in advancing the interests of a particular nature god. These clerics might hunt the evil monstrosities that despoil the woodlands, bless the harvest of the faithful, or wither the crops of those who anger their gods.

Order Domain

The Order Domain represents discipline, as well as devotion to a society or an institution and strict obedience to the laws governing it. On Ravnica, the domain is favored by clerics of the Azorius Senate, who use it to maintain and enforce the law, and of the Orzhov Syndicate, who exploit law and order for their personal gain. On other worlds, gods who grant access to this domain include Bane, Tyr, Majere, Erathis, Pholtus, Wee Jas, Aureon, Maglubiyet, Nuada, Athena, Anubis, Forseti, and Asmodeus.

The ideal of order is obedience to the law above all else, rather than to a specific individual or the passing influence of emotion or popular rule. Clerics of order are typically concerned with how things are done, rather than whether an action's results are just. Following the law and obeying its edicts is critical, especially when it benefits these clerics and their guilds or deities.

Domain Spells

You gain domain spells at the cleric levels listed in the Order Domain Spells table.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor. You also gain proficiency in the Intimidation or Persuasion skill (your choice).

Voice of Authority

Starting at 1st level, you can invoke the power of law to drive an ally to attack. If you cast a spell with a spell slot of 1st level or higher and target an ally with the spell, that ally can use their reaction immediately after the spell to make one weapon attack against a creature of your choice that you can see.

If the spell targets more than one ally, you choose the ally who can make the attack.

Channel Divinity: Order Domain

At 2nd level, your choice of domain grants you access to additional ways to use your Channel Divinity. You learn one divine orison of your choice, which must either be one available to every domain (see "Divine Orisons" at the end of the class description) or one of the following orisons:

• Battle Hymn. You can use your Channel Divinity to deliver a bolt of inspiration to a warrior engaged in battle.
• Emissary's Blessing. You can use your Channel Divinity to inspire diplomatic solutions.
• Orderly Demand. You can use your Channel Divinity to exert an intimidating presence over others.
• Severance of Mind. You can use your Channel Divinity to disrupt the mind of a creature, momentarily splitting its psyche.

Embodiment of the Law

At 6th level, you become remarkably adept at channeling magical energy to compel others.

If you cast a spell of the enchantment school using a spell slot of 1st level or higher, you can change the spell's casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting, provided the spell's casting time is normally 1 action.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Blessed Strikes

Starting at 11th level, you gain the ability to infuse your strikes with divine energy. Once per turn when you hit a creature with an attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 psychic damage.

Order's Wrath

Starting at 18th level, enemies you designate for destruction wilt under the combined efforts of you and your allies. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack on your turn, you can curse that creature until the start of your next turn. The first time on a turn that one of your allies hits the cursed creature with an attack, the target also takes 1d8 psychic damage.

Peace Domain

The balm of peace thrives at the heart of healthy communities, between friendly nations, and in the souls of the kindhearted. The gods of peace — including Angharradh, Boldrei, Gaerdal Ironhand, and gods such as Rao of Greyhawk or Paladine of Dragonlance — inspire people of all sorts to resolve conflict and to stand up against those forces that try to prevent peace from flourishing.

Clerics of the Peace Domain preside over the signing of treaties, and they are often asked to arbitrate in disputes. These clerics' blessings draw people together and help them shoulder one another's burdens, and the clerics' magic aids those who are driven to fight for the way of peace.

Channel Divinity: Tempest Domain

At 2nd level, your choice of domain grants you access to additional ways to use your Channel Divinity. You learn one divine orison of your choice, which must either be one available to every domain (see "Divine Orisons" at the end of the class description) or one of the following orisons:

• Destructive Wrath. You can use your Channel Divinity to wield the power of the storm with unchecked ferocity.
• Frenzied Assault. You can use your Channel Divinity to strike with savage desperation.
• Tailwind. You can use your Channel Divinity to bless your allies with favorable winds.
• Violent Blessing. You can bestow your deity's blessing upon an ally to guide its strikes.

Thunderbolt Strike

Starting at 6th level, when you deal lightning damage to a Large or smaller creature, you can also push it up to 10 feet in any direction horizontally.

Empowered Attack

Starting at 11th level, you learn to channel your divine power into a frenzy of weapon strikes. Once on each of your turns when you take the Attack action, you can make an additional weapon attack as part of the same action. If you hit with this additional attack, you can cause all of the attack's damage to become lightning or thunder damage (your choice each time you deal this damage).

Stormborn

At 18th level, you have a flying speed equal to your current walking speed, and you can hover.

Trickery Domain

Gods of trickery — such as Tymora, Beshaba, Olidammara, the Traveler, Garl Glittergold, and Loki — are mischief-makers and instigators who stand as a constant challenge to the accepted order among both gods and mortals. They're patrons of thieves, scoundrels, gamblers, rebels, and liberators. Their clerics are a disruptive force in the world, puncturing pride, mocking tyrants, stealing from the rich, freeing captives, and flouting hollow traditions. They prefer subterfuge, pranks, deception, and theft rather than direct confrontation.

Twilight Domain

The twilit transition from light into darkness often brings calm and even joy, as the day's labors end and the hours of rest begin. The darkness can also bring terrors, but the gods of twilight guard against the horrors of the night.

Clerics who serve these deities — such as Boldrei and Dol Arrah of Eberron; Helm, Ilmater, and Selûne of the Forgotten Realms; Celestian of Greyhawk; Mishakal of Dragonlance; and Yondalla of the halfling pantheon — bring comfort to those who seek rest and protect them by venturing into the encroaching darkness to ensure that the dark is a comfort, not a terror.

Twilight Domain Spells

Eyes of Night

Starting at 1st level, you can see through the deepest gloom. You have darkvision out to a range of 300 feet. In that radius, you can see in dim light as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light.

As an action, you can magically share the darkvision of this feature with willing creatures you can see within 10 feet of you, up to a number of creatures equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one creature). The shared darkvision lasts for 1 hour. Once you share this darkvision, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to share it again.

Vigilant Blessing

At 1st level, the night has taught you to be vigilant. As an action, you give one creature you touch (including possibly yourself) advantage on the next initiative roll the creature makes. This benefit ends immediately after the roll or if you use this feature again.

Channel Divinity: Twilight Domain

At 2nd level, your choice of domain grants you access to additional ways to use your Channel Divinity. You learn one divine orison of your choice, which must either be one available to every domain (see "Divine Orisons" at the end of the class description) or one of the following orisons:

• Arcane Abjuration. You can use your Channel Divinity to abjure otherworldly creatures.
• Cloak of Shadows. You can use your Channel Divinity to vanish.
• Radiance of the Dawn. You can use your Channel Divinity to harness sunlight, banishing darkness and dealing radiant damage to your foes.
• Twilight Sanctuary. You can use your Channel Divinity to refresh your allies with soothing twilight.

Steps of Night

At 6th level, you can draw on the mystical power of night to rise into the air. As a bonus action when you are in dim light or darkness, you can magically give yourself a flying speed equal to your walking speed for 1 minute. You can use this bonus action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Potent Spellcasting

Starting at 11th level, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the damage roll of any cleric spell you cast. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until the start of your next turn.

Twilight Shroud

At 18th level, your twilight magic offers a protective embrace. Whenever you expend a use of your Channel Divinity, each creature of your choice within 10 feet of you gains advantage on all saving throws until the start of your next turn.

Unity Domain

A sense of oneness shines at the heart of healthy communities, whether bound together by friendship, blood, faith, or some other uniting force. The gods of unity deepen such bonds and delight in their strength, justified in the belief that many hands working together accomplish more than one could ever hope to achieve alone. Clerics of these gods preside over marriages and other familial bonding customs, but they also nurture the emotional bonds of friendship and camaraderie.

Gestalt Anchor

Starting at 6th level, you can lend providence to your allies when they falter against foes. When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you fails a saving throw, you can use your reaction to add your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1) to the roll, potentially turning it into a success.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Blessed Strikes

Starting at 11th level, you gain the ability to infuse your strikes with divine energy. Once per turn when you hit a creature with an attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage.

Indomitable Defense

At 18th level, you gain resistance to two damage types of your choice. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can replace one of your chosen damage types with another from the same list.

As an action, you can temporarily forgo one of your damage resistances and transfer it to a willing creature you touch. That creature retains this damage resistance until the end of your next short or long rest, until you use this ability again, or until you reclaim it for yourself as a bonus action.

War Domain

War has many manifestations. It can make heroes of ordinary people. It can be desperate and horrific, with acts of cruelty and cowardice eclipsing instances of excellence and courage. In either case, the gods of war watch over warriors and reward them for their great deeds. The clerics of such gods excel in battle, inspiring others to fight the good fight or offering acts of violence as prayers. Gods of war include champions of honor and chivalry (such as Torm, Heironeous, and Kiri-Jolith) as well as gods of destruction and pillage (such as Erythnul, the Fury, Gruumsh, and Ares) and gods of conquest and domination (such as Bane, Hextor, and Maglubiyet). Other war gods (such as Tempus, Nike, and Nuada) take a more neutral stance, promoting war in all its manifestations and supporting warriors in any circumstance.

War God's Magic

Starting at 6th level, divine magic fuels your attacks. When you cast a cleric cantrip using your action, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.

Empowered Attack

Starting at 11th level, you learn to channel your divine power into a frenzy of weapon strikes. Once on each of your turns when you take the Attack action, you can make an additional weapon attack as part of the same action. If you hit with this additional attack, you can cause all of the attack's damage to become radiant damage.

Avatar of Battle

At 18th level, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Zeal Domain

Zealotry of faith is an intrinsic sibling to the ceremonial worship of a god. Followers clamor for the attention and approval of their chosen deity, the desire to be praised for their devotion overwhelming, and they spread word of their religion through dedication to scripture and demonstrations of dutiful belief.

Gods of zeal, most often those with a close association to personifications of passion and fury, are those who take the greatest pleasure in the fervent actions of the worshipful. They cultivate and nurture a following that at times blurs the line between an established path to the afterlife and a cult of personality, the teachings of which drive many to reckless acts.

Arcane Abjuration

Divine Domains: Arcana, Knowledge, and Twilight

You can use your Channel Divinity to abjure otherworldly creatures. As an action, you present your holy symbol, and one celestial, elemental, fey, or fiend of your choice that is within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw, provided that the creature can see or hear you. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage.

A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly end its move in a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there's nowhere to move, then the creature can use the Dodge action.

After you reach 5th level, when a creature fails its saving throw against your Arcane Abjuration feature, the creature is banished for 1 minute (as in the banishment spell, no concentration required) if it isn't on its plane of origin, and its challenge rating is at or below a certain threshold, as shown on the Arcane Banishment table below.

Artisan's Blessing

Divine Domains: Forge and Light

You can use your Channel Divinity to create simple items. You conduct an hour-long ritual that crafts a nonmagical item that must include some metal: a simple or martial weapon, a suit of armor, ten pieces of ammunition, a set of tools, or another metal object (see chapter 5, "Equipment," of the PHB for examples of these items). The creation is completed at the end of the hour, coalescing in an unoccupied space of your choice on a surface within 5 feet of you.

The thing you create can be something that is worth no more than 100 gp. As part of this ritual, you must lay out metal, which can include coins, with a value equal to the creation. The metal irretrievably coalesces and transforms into the creation at the ritual's end, magically forming even nonmetal parts of the creation. The ritual can create a duplicate of a nonmagical item that contains metal, such as a key, if you possess the original during the ritual.

Balm of Repose

Divine Domains: Grave, Life, and Peace

You can use your Channel Divinity to make your very presence a soothing balm. As an action, you can move up to your speed, without provoking opportunity attacks, and when you move within 5 feet of any other creature during this action, you can restore a number of hit points to that creature equal to 2d6 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). A creature can receive this healing only once whenever you take this action.

Battle Hymn

Divine Domains: Order, War, and Zeal

You can use your Channel Divinity to deliver a bolt of inspiration to a warrior engaged in battle. As a bonus action, you touch your holy symbol and choose one willing creature you can see within 30 feet of you, other than yourself. Once before the end of the creature's next turn when it takes the Attack action, it can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action.

Channel Negative Energy

Divine Domains: Every domain
Prerequisite: A cleric of neutral or evil alignment

You can use your Channel Divinity to release a wave of annihilative energy. As an action on your turn during combat, you cause every creature within 30 feet of you, other than constructs and undead, to make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. A creature takes necrotic damage equal to 2d6 + half your cleric level on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. An undead within this range instead regains hit points equal to the total.

Channel Positive Energy

Divine Domains: Every domain
Prerequisite: A cleric of neutral or good alignment

You can use your Channel Divinity to release a wave of life-giving energy. As an action on your turn during combat, you cause every creature within 30 feet of you, other than constructs and undead, to regain hit points equal to 2d6 + half your cleric level. An undead within this range must instead make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC, taking radiant damage equal to the total on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Cloak of Shadows

Divine Domains: Grave, Trickery, and Twilight

You can use your Channel Divinity to vanish. As an action, you become invisible until the end of your next turn. You become visible if you attack or cast a spell.

Consuming Fervor

Divine Domains: Light and Zeal

You can use your Channel Divinity to channel your deity's power with unchecked ferocity. When you deal fire or radiant damage, you can use your Channel Divinity to have that damage ignore all resistances to fire and radiant damage.

Destructive Wrath

Divine Domains: Tempest

You can use your Channel Divinity to wield the power of the storm with unchecked ferocity. When you roll lightning or thunder damage, you can use your Channel Divinity to deal maximum damage, instead of rolling.

Diligent Requital

Divine Domains: Forge, Life, and Unity

You can use your Channel Divinity to ameliorate fatigue and reinvigorate your allies. As an action, you present your holy symbol, and choose any number of willing creatures you can see within 30 feet of you. Each chosen recipient regains a number of spent Hit Dice equal to or less than half your proficiency bonus (rounded up). Once a creature gains the benefit of this orison, it can't gain that benefit again until it finishes a long rest.

Emissary's Blessing

Divine Domains: Order, Peace, and Unity

You can use your Channel Divinity to inspire diplomatic solutions. As an action, you touch your holy symbol and another willing creature, granting them a holy blessing which lasts for 10 minutes. Once before the blessing ends, the creature can gain a +10 bonus on a Charisma (Persuasion) check it makes, and the blessing then ends. The creature makes this choice after seeing the roll, but before learning of the result.

The number of times you can use this orison is based on the level you've reached in this class: at 2nd level, once; from 6th level, twice; and from 14th level, thrice. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Frenzied Assault

Divine Domains: Forge, Tempest, War, and Zeal

You can use your Channel Divinity to strike with savage desperation. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can grant yourself advantage on all attack rolls you make until the end of the turn.

Harness Divine Power

Divine Domains: Every domain

You can use your Channel Divinity to fuel your spells. As a bonus action, you touch your holy symbol, utter a prayer, and regain one expended spell slot, the level of which can be no higher than half your proficiency bonus (rounded up).

The number of times you can use this orison is based on the level you've reached in this class: at 2nd level, once; from 6th level, twice; and from 14th level, thrice. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Invoke Duplicity

Divine Domains: Arcana and Trickery

You can use your Channel Divinity to create an illusory duplicate of yourself. As an action, you create a perfect illusion of yourself that lasts for 1 minute, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The illusion appears in an unoccupied space that you can see within 30 feet of you. As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the illusion up to 30 feet to a space you can see, but it must remain within 120 feet of you.

For the duration, you can cast spells as though you were in the illusion's space, but you must use your own senses. Additionally, when both you and your illusion are within 5 feet of a creature that can see the illusion, you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature, given how distracting the illusion is to the target.

After you reach 18th level, you can create up to four duplicates of yourself, instead of one, when you use Invoke Duplicity. As a bonus action on your turn, you can move any number of them up to 30 feet, to a maximum range of 120 feet.

Nature's Bounty

Divine Domains: Life and Nature

You can use your Channel Divinity to bestow blessings of the wild upon your allies. As an action, you present your holy symbol and invoke the name of your deity, selecting up to five friendly creatures you can see within 30 feet of you. You and the chosen creatures all gain one of the following benefits of your choice for 1 hour:

• The creature gains a swimming speed of 30 feet, and it can breathe underwater.
• The creature gains a climbing speed of 30 feet, and it can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
• The creature gains resistance to poison damage, and has advantage on saving throws against poison.

After you reach 18th level, you can choose two benefits to grant to every chosen recipient, instead of one.

Noxious Offering

Divine Domains: Death, Nature, and Trickery

You can use your Channel Divinity to envenom a weapon, making it deadlier. As a bonus action, you touch one weapon or piece of ammunition, infusing it with a special poison which lasts for 1 minute. Immediately after a creature is hit with an attack using that weapon or ammunition, the target takes poison damage equal to 2d8 + your cleric level, and the poison vanishes from the weapon or ammunition.

After you reach 18th level, a creature that takes the poison damage of your Noxious Offering is poisoned until the end of its next turn.

Severance of Mind

Divine Domains: Arcana, Knowledge, and Order

You can use your Channel Divinity to disrupt the mind of a creature, momentarily splitting its psyche. As an action, choose one creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. If the creature is concentrating on a spell or other effect, its concentration ends; otherwise, the creature must make an Intelligence saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature is incapacitated until the end of its next turn.

Shared Burden

Divine Domains: Peace and Unity

You can use your Channel Divinity to protect your allies using the strength of your shared bonds. When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to choose a number of other willing creatures you can see (which can include yourself), up to a number equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one creature). Distribute the damage dealt between the original target and the chosen creatures however you like. This feature doesn't transfer any other effects that might accompany the damage, the damage can't be reduced in any way, and each creature involved must take at least 1 damage.

Tailwind

Divine Domains: Nature and Tempest

You can use your Channel Divinity to bless your allies with favorable winds. As an action, you present your holy symbol and choose a number of willing creatures you can see within 30 feet of you (which can include yourself), up to a number equal to your proficiency bonus. A chosen recipient gains the following benefits for 1 minute or until it is incapacitated or dies:

• The creature's speed increases by 10 feet.
• The creature can use a bonus action to gain advantage on ability checks made to avoid or escape a grapple until the end of the turn.

Touch of Death

Divine Domains: Death and Grave

You can use your Channel Divinity to destroy another creature's life force by touch. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can deal extra necrotic damage to the target. The damage equals 5 + twice your cleric level.

Turn Undead

Divine Domains: Every domain

You can use your Channel Divinity to reject the presence of undead creatures or destroy them. As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer censuring the undead. Each undead within 30 feet of you that can see or hear you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage.

A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there's nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.

After you reach 5th level, when an undead fails its saving throw against your Turn Undead feature, the undead instantly destroyed if its challenge rating is equal to or below a certain threshold, as shown in the Destroy Undead table below.

Twilight Sanctuary

Divine Domains: Light and Twilight

You can use your Channel Divinity to refresh your allies with soothing twilight. As an action, you present your holy symbol, and a sphere of twilight emanates from you. The sphere is centered on you, has a 30-foot radius, and is filled with dim light. The sphere moves with you, and it lasts for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated or die.

When the sphere appears and as an action on each of your subsequent turns while it lasts, you can grant the following benefits to any number of creatures of your choice (including you) within the sphere's area:

• The creature gains temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your cleric level.
• You end one effect on the creature causing it to be charmed or frightened.

After you reach 18th level, you and your allies also have half cover while in the sphere created by your Twilight Sanctuary.

Violent Blessing

Divine Domains: Tempest and War

You can bestow your deity's blessing upon an ally to guide its strikes. When an ally within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, you can use your reaction to grant that ally a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.

Class Changes

As an elementary archetype of roleplaying games and a mainstay of all editions of D&D, the cleric represents a theoretically complete and role-appropriate class with little need for additional features, as opposed to other classes such as the fighter or rogue. Changes to the class's basic features are therefore based upon achieving greater flexibility with the divine powers granted to each cleric in the form of their Channel Divinity options. Slight alterations to the feature progression of the class have also been made to ensure that more cleric levels provide new tools relating to the cleric's chosen Divine Domain, which forms a cornerstone of each cleric's individual character identity.

Divine Domain. The cleric's choice of subclass now provides features at 1st, 2nd, 6th, 11th, and 18th level, rather than at 1st, 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 17th level. The nature of each domain's affinity to certain Channel Divinity effects has been changed significantly (see below). The 8th-level features Potent Spellcasting and Divine Strike have also been rebalanced, as detailed below. Finally, a new subclass, the Unity Domain, has been added.

Divine Domain: Channel Divinity. This feature has been changed significantly, in order to incorporate the changes made to the Channel Divinity feature of the base cleric class (see below). The cleric only gains this feature in its description at 2nd level, although the benefits it provides are increased at 6th, 10th, and 18th level.

Divine Domain: Potent Spellcasting. A cleric that gains this feature through its domain gains it at 11th level, instead of 8th level. The feature's bonus to damage applies to any cleric spell, but no more than once between the start of each of the cleric's turns.

Divine Domain: Blessed Strikes. This feature replaces the Divine Strike feature of some cleric domains, and a cleric that gains this feature through its domain gains it at 11th level, instead of 8th level. The feature now grants a bonus to the damage of any attack, once per turn (previously, it applied only to weapon attacks); in exchange, the extra damage is set to 1d8, and does not increase to 2d8 at 14th level.

Arcana Domain

The changes to the Arcana Domain are listed below.

Bonus Proficiencies. This feature includes the skill proficiency formerly gained from Arcane Initiate (see below).

Arcane Initiate. The aspect of this feature that granted a skill proficiency has been moved to Bonus Proficiencies, in order to standardize the list of features gained by each domain at 1st level.

Forge Domain

The changes to the Forge Domain are listed below.

Domain Spells. At 1st level, the cleric gains access to the spell catapult, instead of searing smite. At 5th level, they gain access to the spell tiny servant, instead of protection from energy.

Blessings of the Forge. This feature can now be used to augment a shield.

Grave Domain

The changes to the Grave Domain are listed below.

Sentinel at Death's Door. This feature can now be used between long rests a number of times equal to the cleric's proficiency bonus, instead of the cleric's Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once).

Knowledge Domain

The changes to the Knowledge Domain are listed below.

Domain Spells. At 3rd level, the cleric gains access to the spell mind spike, instead of suggestion. At 5th level, they gain access to the spell intellect fortress, instead of nondetection.

Bonus Proficiencies. Renamed from Blessings of Knowledge (see below), this feature is otherwise unchanged.

Blessings of Knowledge. Renamed from Knowledge of the Ages (formerly a Channel Divinity option), this feature now grants the cleric one skill or tool proficiency of their choice between long rests, instead of having a duration of 10 minutes.

Inquisitive Blessings. This is a new feature, which replaces the former 6th-level feature Channel Divinity: Read Thoughts.

Light Domain

The changes to the Light Domain are listed below.

Domain Spells. At 7th level, the cleric gains access to the spell sickening radiance, instead of guardian of faith. At 9th level, they gain access to wall of light, instead of scrying.

Nature Domain

The changes to the Nature Domain are listed below.

Domain Spells. At 1st level, the cleric gains access to the spell beast bond, instead of animal friendship. At 7th level, they gain access to guardian of nature, instead of grasping vine.

Bonus Proficiencies. This feature adopts some of the benefits of Acolyte of Nature (see below).

Acolyte of Nature. This feature no longer grants the cleric a skill proficiency from an available list, which has been moved to Bonus Proficiencies in order to standardize the list of features gained by each domain at 1st level.

Dampen Elements. This feature now specifies how its effect is resolved when multiple damage types are present.

Master of Nature. This feature grants the cleric a druid spell each of 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th level. Previously, the feature augmented the functions of Channel Divinity: Charm Animals and Plants (which has been removed entirely).

Order Domain

The changes to the Order Domain are listed below.

Order's Wrath. The cleric can curse a creature with this feature's effect when they hit with any weapon attack. Previously, the curse could only be laid when the cleric used their Divine Strike (which has been replaced).

Peace Domain

The changes to the Peace Domain are listed below.

Emboldening Bond. This feature's range limit is now 10 feet, instead of 30 feet, and cleric can use the feature a number of times equal to their Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once), instead of their proficiency bonus.

Protective Bond. The second bonded creature must now be within 10 feet to use its reaction, and it no longer teleports as part of that reaction.

Expansive Bond. This feature's range limit is now 30 feet, instead of 60 feet.

Tempest Domain

The changes to the Tempest Domain are listed below.

Domain Spells. At 9th level, the cleric gains access to the spell maelstrom, instead of insect plague.

Stormborn. This feature grants a flying speed regardless of environment, and the cleric can hover.

Trickery Domain

The changes to the Trickery Domain are listed below.

Bonus Proficiencies. This is a new feature, added to the subclass in order to standardize the list of features gained by each domain at 1st level.

Disciple of Deceit. This is a new feature, which replaces the former 6th-level feature Channel Divinity: Cloak of Shadows.

Soul of Deceit. This feature, which is identical to the Mastermind roguish archetype feature of the same name, replaces the former 17th-level feature Improved Duplicity (which is now an inborn effect of the divine orison Invoke Duplicity).

Twilight Domain

The changes to the Twilight Domain are listed below.

(Bonus Proficiencies.) The Bonus Proficiencies feature has been removed; the cleric no longer gains additional proficiencies, in order to standardize the list of features gained by each domain at 1st level.

Twilight Shroud. This feature now grants benefits to certain creatures after the cleric expends a use of their Channel Divinity. Its former effect, which improved Channel Divinity: Twilight Sanctuary, is now an inborn effect of that divine orison.

War Domain

The changes to the War Domain are listed below.

Guided Strike. The cleric gains this feature, formerly a Channel Divinity option, at 1st level, instead of 2nd level, and it can now be used a number of times between long rests equal to the cleric's Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once).

War God's Magic. This is a new feature, which replaces the former 6th-level feature Channel Divinity: War God's Blessing.

Zeal Domain

The changes to the Zeal Domain are listed below.

Domain Spells. At 1st level, the cleric gains access to the spell command, instead of thunderous smite. At 3rd level, they gain access to branding smite, instead of shatter. At 7th level, they gain access to compulsion and wall of fire, instead of fire shield and freedom of movement. At 9th level, they gain access to immolation, instead of flame strike.

Relentless Advance. This feature is intended to assimilate some aspects of both Priest of Zeal and Resounding Strike, which have otherwise been removed entirely.

Fanatical Focus. This feature, which is nearly identical to the Zealot barbarian path feature of the same name, replaces the former 6th-level feature Resounding Strike.

Blaze of Glory. This feature's extra damage rolls are both 4d10, instead of 5d10.

Channel Divinity

The changes to individual Channel Divinity effects (also known as "divine orisons") are listed below.

Balm of Repose. Renamed from Balm of Peace, this orison is otherwise unchanged.

Battle Hymn. Renamed from War Priest, this orison was formerly unique to the War Domain. It now allows the recipient creature to make an additional attack as part of the Attack action; previously, it allowed the cleric to follow the Attack action with a weapon attack as a bonus action.

Consuming Fervor. Formerly unique to the Zeal Domain, this orison is now used for fire or radiant damage (previously fire or thunder damage).

Invoke Duplicity. This orison now also improves at 18th level, as per the previous effect of Improved Duplicity.

Nature's Bounty. This is a new orison, which replaces the Charm Animals and Plants orison formerly unique to the Nature Domain (widely considered an underwhelming feature).

Turn Undead. This orison automatically includes the benefits of the "Destroy Undead" feature once the cleric reaches 5th level.

Twilight Sanctuary. Formerly unique to the Twilight Domain, this orison's benefits are granted once when the sanctuary appears, and can be reactivated as an action on the cleric's turn. Previously, the orison's benefits could be applied automatically at the end of each recipient creature's turns, repeatedly and without cost (widely considered to be overwhelmingly powerful in its utility). This orison now also improves at 18th level, as per the previous effect of Twilight Shroud.

Art Credits

The artists below are credited in alphabetical order. Where possible, an art credit includes the website where the artist's work can be found, and the pages on which their illustrations appear.

• Bob Kehl (© Art of Bob Kehl; pg 7)
• Elisa Serio / "ESerioArt" (@ ArtStation; cover)
• Ilmari Kumpunen (@ ArtStation; pg 20)
• Michael Blackesley (@ Pinterest; pg 18)
• Vasyling (@ DeviantArt; pg 13)
• Wizards of the Coast (© Wizards; pg 2, 5, 10, 16, 23)

Thank You ...

... for taking the time to read this reimagining of the Cleric class! If you have any feedback or suggestions, please contact the author ─ /u/Ozzifer on Reddit ─ or consider joining their Patreon.

Open Game License

Version 1.0a

END OF LICENSE