Cleric Domain Handbook (Dungeons and Dragons) By Joshua Joseph Kochuthelliyil

 Cleric Domain Handbook

By Joshua Joseph Kochuthelliyil

Hello! I am Joshua Joseph Kochuthelliyil, and this is the Cleric Domain Handbook. This is intended for use with the Dungeons and Dragons 5e tabletop role-playing game. Here, I shall present a quick synopsis of what each Cleric Domain  is all about, but before we get into that, let’s answer some questions . . .

What is a Cleric?

A Cleric is one of the many classes that a player can choose for their player character. They are magical, holy speakers of their LORD’s good word. With a Cleric’s spellcasting prayer, a divine miracle is manifested through the Cleric’s belief in a higher power, and their iron-clad faith in their God or Pantheon shields them from the assaults of the unholy and the heretical. Whereas Wizards painstakingly study to learn how to warp magic, Sorcerers innately wield their magic without needing to submit to anyone or anything, and Warlocks gain their magic through the striking of a deal with a powerful entity, Clerics are blessed with divine magic from their higher power by virtue of their faith. This class embodies the classic trope of a wise, goodhearted sage curing the sick and the afflicted, and exorcizing undead and demons, but the Cleric class has a lot of flexibility and as such can be used to cover a wide variety of concepts. A Cleric’s spellcasting over all is more straightforward than a Wizards, consisting of powerful healing and harming magic, but this also means it lacks the variety that a Wizard’s spellbook bears. A Cleric’s main ability is Wisdom.

What is a Divine Domain?

A Divine Domain is the God or Gods that the Cleric dedicates their worship to. Something to note is that a Cleric does not necessarily have to worship only one God, but can instead worship a Pantheon of related Gods. There are many different types of Gods and Pantheons, and so each Divine Domain blesses Clerics with different powers.  Functionally, the Divine Domain you choose for your Cleric is your subclass. 

Alright, without further ado, let’s begin with the Cleric Domain Handbook! Just as a forewarning, although I use religious quotes, they are there simply to sell the theme of the subclass, and I am not an expert interpreter of holy texts. Furthermore, any example Gods for each divine domain are wholly fictional. 

Arcana

“But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.” - Exodus 8:7, The Torah 

This Domain is for a Cleric that worships a God of arcane magic! There are Gods for everything, even gods of Arcane magic, used by non-Cleric spellcasters, like Bards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards! As such, an Arcana Cleric is blessed with the ability to learn powerful spells typically reserved for Wizards, and is bestowed with features that allow them to instantly break magical effects afflicting their allies! A key distinction between an Arcana Cleric and a Wizard is that although both are capable of arcane magic, a Wizard still casts by drawing upon his knowledge of how to manipulate magic, whereas an Arcana Cleric casts similar spells through worship of the Gods that breathed the Wizard’s very magic into existence. The Arcana Domain expands the otherwise effective but limited spellcasting of most Clerics, and helps a Cleric function similar to a Wizard in an adventuring party.  Examples of Gods that an Arcana Cleric might worship include Solinari, Mystra, or Vecna ( Vecna gains godhood at one point ).

Death

“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” - Lord Krishna, The Bhagavad Gita, by Maharishi Veda Vyasa*

This Domain is for a Cleric that worships the cultish religions of the Gods of pain, murder, and Death! Just as there are Gods of good, there are equally powerful Gods of evil, that have their own black churches, where worshipers make human sacrifices in their honor. To the Gods of Death, life is not beautiful, but rather it is the lack of it that is pleasing to the heart and eye.  The Death Domain is an explicitly evil domain, and so Death Clerics are granted cursed magics that allow them to reap life from their opponents and reanimate their foe’s decrepit remains as loyal skeletons of the Underworld! The Death Domain is a good offensive option for Clerics who want to dabble in necromancy. Examples of Gods that a Death Cleric might follow include Hades, Bhaal, Anubis, and Talona! 

Forge

“Then sought Wotan's son | his worm-friend's grave,

Mighty in strength | the giant to slay;

Aid he prayed | of the Æsir's race,

That he alone | the avenger might be.” - The Prose Edda, by Sturluson Snorri 

This Domain is for a Cleric that follows the Gods of craft, creation, and Forge! Throughout history, smithing and metallurgy has been highly valued, as it was and continues to be one of the most essential and difficult skills in all of the medieval world of Dungeons and Dragons. A king needs armor for his men to wage war, and yet platemail that can withstand the storms of battle can only be created by a master smith. The Gods of Forge are respectable, formidable lords of craft, revered by blacksmiths and especially dwarven ones, for creating the art of working metal, and for tempering the souls of their followers like hot iron. Forge Clerics gain the ability to magically work steel into any shape that the Cleric desires, enhance metal weapons, create extremely resilient metal armor, and become injured to the scorching cinders of the Forge. The Forge Domain offers a useful blacksmithing utility and amazing defense, to the point where a Forge Cleric can tank to a decent extent. Examples of Gods of Forge include Gond, Reorx, and Moradin.

Grave

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” - Revelation 21:4, The Holy Bible

This Domain is for a Cleric that follows the tradition of warding the gate of the Underworld! The name may seem misleading, but this is not an evil domain. The boundary between the living and dead is considered sacred, for a creature not due to perish yet must not wander the Underworld, and a creature that has had its life must not haunt the earth of the living. Grave Clerics stand as the sentinel at death’s door, by bringing their allies from the brink, and by exorcizing undead. The Grave Domain results in a very well rounded Cleric, as it focuses on boosting both your healing and offensive output when it’s needed most. Examples of Gods that Grave Clerics may follow include Osiris, Kelemvor, and the Ancestral Spirits of the Dying Court!

Knowledge

“Read! Your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know.” - 96:1-5, Al-Qur’an

This Domain is for a Cleric that worships one of the many gods of foresight and Knowledge! Knowledge is holy, for through understanding of the world, one becomes closer with the Gods that forged it. The Gods of Knowledge are wise lords that teach their followers to strive for understanding and to collect and archive information. Knowledge Clerics strive to learn all of the knowledge in the world, and are gifted blessings that allow them to read minds, glimpse into the past or future, instantly gain Skills and Expertise in whatever they need, sense spirits, and learn of the lore of an area at the briefest glance. The Knowledge Domain offers near unrivaled utility and foreknowledge, as you gain Expertise off the bat, which is normally reserved for Bards and Rogues! If there’s a niche that your party needs covered, you’ve got it! Examples of a God that Knowledge Clerics may serve include Onatar, Hephaestus, and Goibhniu.

Life

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” - John 10:10, The Holy Bible

This Domain is for a Cleric that focuses on channeling the pure force of positive energy to heal and aid the sick and afflicted! Life is the most precious thing in this world, and so it must be preserved at all costs. While Clerics already excel at fulfilling the role of a healer, a Life Cleric becomes more effective at this by ten-fold! These Clerics gain several features that allow them to easily heal allies and instantly remove harmful magical effects much more effectively than any other Cleric! By a Life Cleric’s compassionate touch, all wounds cease to exist. This Life Domain is the best for a Cleric that wants to be a dedicated healer first and foremost. Almost any non-evil deity can claim influence over this domain, but notable ones include Demeter, Pelor ( assuming the Cult of Pelor conspiracy is false ) , Apollo, Hestia, and Helm.

Light

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” - Psalm 27:1, The Holy Bible

This Domain is for a Cleric that follows the teachings of Gods of blinding Light! Light is the most holy gift upon this earth, for through it, the saint is given a glimpse of what salvation is like upon Mount Celestia, and the sinner is reminded of the blistering punishment that awaits them in the 9 Hells. Light Clerics worship the zealous power of Gods of Light, and so they gain several blessings that allow them to blind evil with their holy flare, and incinerate foes with wide, flaming radiance! The Light Domain offers amazing offensive blasting ability to the Cleric’s mostly single target damage, as it gives the Cleric spells like Burning Hands, Scorching Ray, and Fireball. Typical Gods of Light include Lathander, Pholtus, and The Silver Flame.

Nature

“The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” - Psalm 24:1, The Holy Bible

This Domain is for a Cleric that is attuned with the mystical teachings of the Gods of harvest and Nature! From the seas, to the sky, to fields and forests, the Gods of Nature created all aspects of this world. These lords of the primordial world have influence over their creations, and as such Nature Clerics gain typically Druid-exclusive spells, multiple ways to influence animals, and ways to resist the elements. A key distinction, however, between a Nature Cleric and a Druid is that a Nature Cleric worships a God or Pantheon can claim some dominion over Nature, whereas Druids are entrusted their power by Mother Nature itself, which is truly neutral, giving allegiance to no one. In fact, Druids are not worshipers of Nature but Nature itself. The Nature Domain is an excellent Druid-lite option, as it allows a Cleric to fill the same roll in an adventuring party as a Druid, while retaining their Divine spellcasting. Examples of gods that a Nature Cleric might follow include Eldath, Obad-Hai, and Silvanus.

Order

“Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and giving to relatives. And He forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.” - 16:90, Al-Qur’an

This Domain is for a Cleric that abides by the statues of divine law, and follows the teachings of the omnipotent Gods of Order. The Gods of Order are the keepers of man’s civilization, and as such they bear divine authority over man, to teach them right from wrong, and punish those who break their commandments. Those that worship them; Order Clerics, gain divine features that allow them to apprehend criminals, command allies, and use the authoritative voice of law to uphold rule. The Order Domain is a great support option for a Cleric, as it allows one to give allies extra attacks whenever the Cleric casts the spell on an ally. Typical Gods of law include Tyr, Aureon, and Mechanus.

Peace

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:16, The Holy Bible

This a Domain for a Cleric that worships the warm gods of mercy and Peace. These Clerics embody the true spirit of pacifists, as they can play a completely effective role as an adventuring party by only casting spells that enhance their party. Peace Clerics are blessed with features that allow them to protect their party from damage that comes toward the group, and enhance their party’s power without needing to attack monsters themselves. Typical gods of peace include Rao, Berronar Truesilver, and Paladine.

This is an extremely powerful Cleric subclass, and so one should ask their Dungeon Master before playing one. In particular, two of the Peace Domain’s features are really potent; Emboldening Bond and Protective Bond. 

Emboldening Bond allows you to give the entire party +1d4 to any attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, once per turn. This can easily be combined with the Bless spell, which gives the whole party another +1d4 bonus. That means you’re giving the party +2d4 to their attacks, which is about a +5 bonus on average ( the average of any die is half its size +0.5 ). This is extremely powerful! 

The other problem feature is Protective Bond, which allows allies to use their reaction to magically swap places with each other to take an attack meant for another person. Through this, damage is distributed round-robin style, making it difficult to drop anyone. 

That being said, this is your game, and everyone’s players and Dungeon Master are different. The Peace Domain is banned in my games, but if you want to use it, and your Dungeon Master sees no problems, don't let me stop you. And Dungeon Masters, feel free to slightly nerf things that you consider too powerful.

Tempest

“Father Zeus, throned in the dark storm clouds, I pray you, if ever I have served you well in word or deed among the immortals, fulfill this request: grant me the power to wreak vengeance” - The Iliad, by Homer

This Domain  is for a Cleric that carries out the vindictive will of the storm! Ever since the dawn of time, brewing, dark clouds, and streaking lighting in the sky have been synonymous with the anger of the Gods. Yellow light descends from the celestial heavens to punish those who have insulted the Gods of Tempest with their arrogance. Tempest Clerics worship the Gods of thunder and lighting, and as such gain powers that allow them to embody the storm’s wrath and strike their enemies down with divine lightning! The Tempest Domain is another extremely powerful offensive option for the Cleric, this time specializing in lighting and thunder damage! Examples of Gods that a Tempest Cleric may follow include Talos, Zeboim, and Umberlee.

Trickery

“Loki surpassed other men in that wisdom which is called cunning, and many were his tricks and wiles.” - Gylfaginning, The Prose Edda, by Sturluson Snorri

This Domain is for a Cleric that practices mischief to entertain the Gods of Trickery! After all, when the Gods are watching down upon the mortal world as an audience, why not put on a show? All of life and death is a stage; that’s what the Gods of Trickery believe! So then, what’s wrong with having some fun? Trickery Clerics can be considered the opposite of Order Clerics, as they gain mysterious blessings that allow them to disappear with ease, and project illusions of themselves to mislead opponents. The Trickery Domain is an excellent choice for a Cleric who wants to lean more into the roleplay side of Dungeons and Dragons over the combat side, as they get amazing spells like Disguise Self and Pass Without Trace! Examples of Gods of Trickery include Loki, The Traveler, and Olidammara.

Twilight

“It is time and eternity

As for time, it is day

As for eternity, it is night” - The Book of the Dead

This Domain is for a Cleric that worships the soothing gods of rest, moon, and Twilight. These Clerics are bestowed abilities that allow them to ease away the pains of their allies and shroud themselves in a protective aura of Twilight. Twilight Clerics can best be described as a grandmother; they both only want to make you feel better after a hard day’s labor, and they ward you from any dangers of the night. Twilight Clerics ensure that the darkness is a comfort, not a horror. Typical Gods of twilight include Selune, Yondalla, and Celestian.

This is another extremely powerful Cleric subclass, like Peace Domain. This time, the main offending feature is Twilight Cleric’s Twilight Sanctuary.

Twilight Sanctuary allows you to use your Channel Divinity to create a 30ft radius aura of gloom around you. Any allies who end their turn in the gloom may either gain 1d6+your Cleric level in Temporary HP, or have either the Charmed or Frightened Condition on them. Ending charms and fears is already good, but the THP is just too much. Assuming 3 rounds of combat, and that the Twilight Cleric is level 6, Twilight Sanctuary gives a single ally a total of 28.5 THP, and a total of 114 THP to the whole team, assuming 4 party members. By 6th level, you can use this feature 6 times in an adventuring day, assuming 2 short rests ( as per the Dungeon Master’s Guide ), which results in 171 THP to a single person or 684 THP to the group! This is really powerful!

That being said, the same thing I said concerning Peace Domain applies here. If your table is fine with this, don’t let me stop you. After all, since THP can’t stack, these numbers only represent the maximum possible ability of Twilight Sanctuary.

War

“Permission to fight has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory.” - 22:39, Al-Qur’an

This Domain is for a Cleric that carries out the violent will of the Gods of War! War is just as much a part of the world as peace, and as such, some warriors are chosen by the Gods themselves to do battle.  This is essentially the gish option for a Cleric, as it gives one the ability to fight in the frey with heavy armor and weapons! A player operating a War Cleric will feel like a true war priest, violently subduing their enemies as the divine have commanded them! This is the best choice for a Cleric that wants to get right up into the fight, and dominate within it! Typical War Cleric Gods include Hextor, Bane, and The Fury!

Citations:

Book of the Dead Chapter 17, www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/literature/religious/bd17.html. Accessed 28 June 2023. 

Holy Bible. American Standard Version, Bible Domain Publishing, 2013.

The Qur'an. Translated by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, Oxford UP, 2005.

The Torah. Easton Press, 1996. 

Homerus, et al. Iliad. Harvard University Press, 2001. 

Eknath, Easwaran. The Bhagavad Gita. Nilgiri Press, 2019. 

Sturlusonar, Edda Snorra. The Prose Edda. American-Scandinavian Foundation, 1929