Cleric

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Overview & Creation

Clerics combine the helpful magic of healing and inspiring their allies with spells that harm and hinder foes. They can provoke awe and dread, lay curses of plague or poison, and even call down flames from heaven to consume their enemies. For those evildoers who will benefit most from a mace to the head, clerics depend on their combat training to let them wade into melee with the power of the gods on their side.  

Divine Agents

Not every acolyte or officiant at a temple or shrine is a cleric. Some priests are called to a simple life of temple service, carrying out their gods’ will through prayer and sacrifice, not by magic and strength of arms. In some cities, priesthood amounts to a political office, viewed as a stepping stone to higher positions of authority and involving no communion with a god at all. True clerics are rare in most hierarchies.   When a cleric takes up an adventuring life, it is usually because his or her god demands it. Pursuing the goals of the gods often involves braving dangers beyond the walls of civilization, smiting evil or seeking holy relics in ancient tombs. Many clerics are also expected to protect their deities’ worshipers, which can mean fighting rampaging orcs, negotiating peace between warring nations, or sealing a portal that would allow a demon prince to enter the world.   Most adventuring clerics maintain some connection to established temples and orders of their faiths. A temple might ask for a cleric’s aid, or a high priest might be in a position to demand it.   The Cleric

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	Spellcasting, Divine Domain	3	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	+2	Channel Divinity(1/rest), Divine Domain Feature	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3rd	+2	-	3	4	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5th	+3	Destroy Undead (CR 1/2)	4	4	3	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
6th	+3	Channel Divinity (2/rest), Divine Domain Feature	4	4	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
7th	+3	-	4	4	3	3	1	-	-	-	-	-
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Destroy Undead (CR 1), Divine Domain Feature	4	4	3	3	2	-	-	-	-	-
9th	+4	-	4	4	3	3	3	1	-	-	-	-
10th	+4	Divine Intervention	5	4	3	3	3	2	-	-	-	-
11th	+4	Destroy Undead (CR 2)	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	-	-	-
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	-	-	-
13th	+5	-	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	-	-
14th	+5	Destroy Undead (CR 3)	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	-	-
15th	+5	-	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	-
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	-
17th	+6	Destroy Undead (CR 4), Divine Domain Feature	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	Channel Divinity (3/rest)	5	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	Divine Intervention Improvement	5	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

 

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Class Features

Divine Domain

Choose one domain related to your deity: Arcana, Forge, Grave, Knowledge, Life, Light, Nature, Tempest, Time, Trickery, or War. The Life domain is detailed at the end of the class description and provides examples of gods associated with it. See the Player’s Handbook for details on all the domains.Your choice grants you domain spells and other features when you choose it at 1st level. It also grants you additional ways to use Channel Divinity when you gain that feature at 2nd level, and additional benefits at 6th, 8th, and 17th levels.  

Domain Spells

Each domain has a list of spells — its domain spells — that you gain at the cleric levels noted in the domain description. Once you gain a domain spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.   If you have a domain spell that doesn’t appear on the cleric spell list, the spell is nonetheless a cleric spell for you.  

Channel Divinity

At 2nd level, you gain the ability to channel divine energy directly from your deity, using that energy to fuel magical effects. You start with two such effects: Turn Undead and an effect determined by your domain. Some domains grant you additional effects as you advance in levels, as noted in the domain description.   When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which effect to create. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Divinity again.   Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your cleric spell save DC.   Beginning at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity twice between rests, and beginning at 18th level, you can use it three times between rests. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.  

Channel Divinity: Turn Undead

As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer censuring the undead. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of 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.  

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.   Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.  

Destroy Undead

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

Cleric Level	Destroys Undead of CR...
5th	1/2 or lower
8th	1 or lower
11th	2 or lower
14th	3 or lower
17th	4 or lower

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, no roll required.

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Starting Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted 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

 

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Spellcasting

As a conduit for divine power, you can cast cleric spells. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the cleric spell list.  

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list. You learn additional cleric cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Cleric table.  

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Cleric table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your cleric spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.   You prepare the list of cleric spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the cleric spell list. When you do so, choose a number of cleric spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your cleric level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.   For example, if you are a 3rd-level cleric, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.   You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of cleric spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.  

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your cleric spells. The power of your spells comes from your devotion to your deity. You use your Wisdom whenever a cleric spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a cleric spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.   Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier   Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier  

Ritual Casting

You can cast a cleric spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.  

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a holy symbol (see the Adventuring Gear section) as a spellcasting focus for your cleric spells.

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Subclass Options

Divine Domains

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In a pantheon, every deity has influence over different aspects of mortal life and civilization, called a deity’s domain. All the domains over which a deity has influence are called the deity’s portfolio. For example, the portfolio of the Greek god Apollo includes the domains of Knowledge, Life, and Light. As a cleric, you choose one aspect of your deity’s portfolio to emphasize, and you are granted powers related to that domain.   Your choice might correspond to a particular sect dedicated to your deity. Apollo, for example, could be worshiped in one region as Phoebus (“radiant”) Apollo, emphasizing his influence over the Light domain, and in a different place as Apollo Acesius (“healing”), emphasizing his association with the Life domain. Alternatively, your choice of domain could simply be a matter of personal preference, the aspect of the deity that appeals to you most.  

Tempest Domain

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Gods whose portfolios include the Tempest domain govern storms, sea, and sky. They include gods of lightning and thunder, gods of earthquakes, some fire gods, and certain gods of violence, physical strength, and courage. In some pantheons, a god of this domain rules over other deities and is known for swift justice delivered by thunderbolts. In the pantheons of seafaring people, gods of this domain are ocean deities and the patrons of sailors. Tempest gods send their clerics to inspire fear in the common folk, either to keep those folk on the path of righteousness or to encourage them to offer sacrifices of propitiation to ward off divine wrath.   Tempest Domain Spells

Cleric Level	Spells
1st	Fog Cloud, Thunderwave
3rd	Gust of Wind, Shatter
5th	Call Lightning, Sleet Storm
7th	Control Water, Ice Storm
9th	Destructive Wave, Insect Plague

Bonus Proficiencies

At 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor.  

Wrath of the Storm

Also at 1st level, you can thunderously rebuke attackers. When a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to cause the creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 2d8 lightning or thunder damage (your choice) on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful one.   You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.  

Channel Divinity: Destructive Wrath

Starting at 2nd level, 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.  

Thunderbolt Strike

At 6th level, when you deal lightning damage to a Large or smaller creature, you can also push it up to 10 feet away from you.  

Divine Strike

At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 thunder damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.  

Stormborn

At 17th level, you have a flying speed equal to your current walking speed whenever you are not underground or indoors.