The Cleric, Revised

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With a staff raised to the heavens and a hand stretched to the armies before him, an elder pronounces one final warning. A storm brews overhead, ready to strike at the moment the priest's staff meets the ground.

Baubles fly through the air and a child writhes in his sleep as unseen forces throw their tantrums. An exorcist roars his rebukes, and at once the room falls still and silent. Both spirit and child are left at rest.

Repeating words none but her can hear, a woman reveals things past and present, near and far. The breathless masses creak to the edges of their seats as the prophet begins to describe things to come.

Clerics are intermediaries between he 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.

People of Cloth

Divine magic, as the name suggests, is the power of the gods, flowing from them into the world. Clerics are conduits for that power, manifesting it as miraculous effects. The gods don’t grant this power to everyone who seeks it, but only to those chosen to fulfill a high calling.

Harnessing divine magic doesn’t rely on study or training. A cleric might learn formulaic prayers and ancient rites, but the ability to cast cleric spells relies on devotion and an intuitive sense of a deity’s wishes.

As such, clerics both wield the powers and embody the qualities of their particular deities. While one cleric might strive to embody the charity and patience of the god who affords him healing & inspiring magic, another might wrestle with the ruthlessness of her god, whose judgement she must unleash in the form of plagues, disasters, and smiting blows.

Divine Agents

Not every acolyte or officiant at a temple or shrine is a cleric. Most priests are called to a simple life of temple service, carrying out their gods’ will through prayer and sacrifice, not by working miracles. 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 the world.

Likewise, not every cleric is part of a religious hierarchy. Whether in the privacy of dreams & visions, or miraculously in the sight of the masses, gods are known to call unsung peasants and faithless nobles into their service: to transform their lives and their characters in that moment.

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.

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Above: Dante & Virgil

by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Creating a Cleric

As you create a cleric, the most important question to answer is which deity to serve, which of their powers to wield, and which principles to embody. Check with your DM to learn which deities are in your campaign.

Once you’ve chosen a deity, consider your relationship with that god. Did you enter this service willingly? Or did the god choose you, impelling you into service with no regard for your wishes? How do the temple priests of your faith regard you: as a champion or a troublemaker? What are your ultimate goals? Does your deity have a special task in mind for you? Or are you striving to prove yourself worthy of a great quest?

Quick Build

You can make a cleric quickly by following these suggestions:

First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity or Constitution. Second, choose the acolyte background.

Class Features

Hit Points

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• Hit Dice: 1d6 per cleric level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per cleric level after 1st

Proficiencies

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• Armor: None
• Weapons: Simple weapons
• Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
• Skills: Choose from Arcana, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Performance, Persuasion, and Religion

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a priest's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• (a) a simple weapon or (b) five darts
• A holy symbol

Spellcasting

As a agent of the divine, you can borrow divine power to cast cleric spells.

Cantrips

You know three cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list list. You learn more cantrips from that list 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 spells of 1st level and higher. To cast such a spell, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

When you finish a long rest, you prepare a list of spells that are available for you to cast until the end of your next long rest. When you do so, choose a number of spells from the cleric spell list equal to your Cleric level + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one spell).

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your cleric spells. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. You also use your Wisdom modifier to set the saving throw DC for a cleric spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Ritual Casting

You can cast any cleric spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Divine Domain

Some faiths worship many different gods, each with power over a specific domain. If you belong to such a faith, choose a domain that reflects the god that you serve the most directly.

Other faiths worship only one god with power over many domains. If you belong to such a faith choose a domain that reflects the mission your god has given you.

You may choose any of the official domains, or you may choose from the following homebrew domains: Crusade, Disaster, Exorcism, Life, Prophecy, or Trickery.

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

Starting at 2nd level, you gain the power to channel divine energy to fuel magical effects no spellcaster can replicate. You start with two such effects: Harness Divine Power and an effect determined by your domain.

Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your cleric spell save DC.

Once you have used your Channel Divinity, you must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Divinity again. 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.

Channel Divinity: Harness Divine Power

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your bonus action to 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).

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 by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Divine Intervention

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

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 always succeeds, no roll required.

Cleansing Touch

Starting at 14th level, you can use your action to end one spell on yourself or on one willing creature that you touch.

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

David and Goliath

  by Osmar Schindler

Crusade Domain Spells

Cleric Level	Spells
1st	Heroism, Thunderous Smite
3rd	Branding Smite, Magic Weapon
5th	Blinding Smite, Elemental Weapon
7th	Staggering Smite, Stoneskin
9th	Banishing Smite, Destructive Wave

Armor of God

As a crusader, faith guides you through the heat of battle.

You can use Wisdom in the place of Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls of your weapon attacks, and when you are not wearing armor, your AC = 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Divine Smite

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can spend a spell slot to deal extra damage of the weapon's damage type to the target. The extra damage is 1d8 for each spell slot level, plus an additional 1d8 if your attack is a melee attack.

In addition, you can use ranged weapon attacks to deliver "Smite" spells. When you do so, the initial damage dealt by the spell is reduced by one die. For example, if sling attack to deliver a 1st level Thunderous Smite, the spell deals 1d6 thunder damage rather than 2d6 thunder damage.

Channel Divinity: Feat of Strength

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to momentarily enhance your body beyond mortal limits.

When you make an attack roll, Strength check, or Strength saving throw, you can use your Channel Divinity to gain a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether you have succeeded or failed.

Zealous Focus

Starting at 6th level, when you cast a domain spell on yourself or your weapon, you ignore its concentration requirement. In addition, you can cast "Smite" spells the moment that you hit with a weapon attack, no action or concentration required.

Divine Strike

Starting at 8th level, 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 damage. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Wrath of God

Starting at 17th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, when you damage a creature of CR 1 or less with a weapon attack, you can instantly reduce it to 0 hit points.

Disaster Domain Spells

Cleric Level	Spells
1st	Armor of Agathys, Hellish Rebuke
3rd	Darkness, Wither & Bloom
5th	Call Lightning, Sleet Storm
7th	Blight, Control Water
9th	Destructive Wave, Insect Plague

Disaster Brewing

When you cast a damage-dealing cantrip, you can extend its casting time to 1 round. In exchange, the cantrip deals 1 additional die of damage.

When you cast a damage-dealing spell of 1st level or higher, you can extend its casting time to 1 round, such that it is cast at the start of your next turn. In exchange, you reduce the spell slot cost by 1 (to a minimum of 1st level).

Channel Divinity: Crisis

Starting at 2nd level, when you cast a damage-dealing spell with a casting time of an action, you can use your Channel Divinity to reduce its casting time to a bonus action.

Saving Grace

Starting at 6th level, you can create pockets of relative safety within the effects of your spells.

When you cast a spell that affects other creatures that you can see, you can choose a number of them equal to 1 + the spell's level. The chosen creatures automatically succeed on their saves against the spell, and they take no damage if they would normally take half damage on a successful save.

Potent Spellcasting

Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.

Disaster of Ages

Starting at 17th level, you add the following spells to your list of domain spells. Like your other domain spells, they are always prepared and count as cleric spells for you.

Spell Level	Spells
6th	Chain Lightning, Wall of Thorns
7th	Fire Storm, Whirlwind
8th	Earthquake, Tsunami
9th	Meteor Swarm, Storm of Vengeance

Elijah Destroys the Messengers of Ahaziah

  by Gustave Dore

Exorcism Domain Spells

Cleric Level	Spells
1st	Detect Evil and Good, Identify
3rd	Gift of Gab, See Invisibility
5th	Counterspell, Magic Circle
7th	Charm Monster, Private Sanctum
9th	Banishing Smite, Planar Binding

Words of Rebuke

You learn the Vicious Mockery and Mind Sliver cantrips, both of which count as Cleric spells for you, and neither of which counts against the number of Cleric cantrips you can know.

In addition, when you cast a spell with a verbal component, you do not need to be able to see your target, as long as you can address your target by name.

Channel Divinity: Arcane Abjuration

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your action to present your holy symbol, say a prayer, and force one aberration, celestial, elemental, fey, fiend or undead of your choice within 30 feet of you to 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 only use 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 a creature fails its saving throw against this feature, it is banished to its home plane if its challenge rating is at or below the threshold shown on the Arcane Banishment table.

Seal Away

Starting at 6th level, whenever you would banish a creature to its home plane, you can choose to banish it to a harmless demiplane instead. You can store up to six creatures on such demiplanes. Once you have six stored, you can't store another until you have released at least one.

Arcane Banishment

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

Let Loose

Starting at 6th level, you can use your action to say a prayer, raise your holy symbol, to summon a creature that you sealed away. The creature appears in an unoccupied space of your choice within 30 feet of you.

If a sealed creature's challenge rating is at or below the threshold shown on the Arcane Banishment table, you can summon it by expending your Channel Divinity. Otherwise, letting a creature loose costs a spell slot of 4th level or higher.

Potent Spellcasting

Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.

The Great Seals

Starting at 17th level, you add the following spells to your list of domain spells. Like your other domain spells, they are always prepared and count as cleric spells for you.

At any time while an aberration, celestial, elemental, fey, fiend or undead is trapped by your Forcecage, Magnificent Mansion, Demiplane, Maze, or Imprisonment, you can use your action to seal it away.

Spell Level	Spells
6th	Guards and Wards, Globe of Invulnerability
7th	Forcecage, Magnificent Mansion
8th	Demiplane, Maze
9th	Gate, Imprisonment

Witches' Sabbath

  by Francisco Goya

Life Domain Spells

Cleric Level	Spells
1st	Bless, Cure Wounds
3rd	Healing Spirit, Lesser Restoration
5th	Beacon of Hope, Revivify
7th	Death Ward, Guardian of Faith
9th	Mass Cure Wounds, Raise Dead

Bystander

Starting at 1st level, any creature that targets you with an attack or a harmful effect must first make a Wisdom save against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or lose the attack or effect.

Any creature that sees you wearing armor, wielding a weapon, making an attack, or using a harmful effect can ignore this feature until it completes a long rest.

To the Rescue

When you cast a life domain spell, you can Dash, Disengage, Help, Search or use an object as a bonus action.

Channel Divinity: Preserve Life

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to heal the badly injured.

As an action, you present your holy symbol and evoke healing energy that can restore a number of hit points equal to five times your cleric level. Choose any creatures within 30 feet of you, and divide those hit points among them. You can restore a creature to no more than half of its maximum hit points. You can't use this feature on an undead or a construct.

From the Dead

Starting at 6th level, when you are incapacitated, unconscious or dead, you can nonetheless target yourself with spells and your Channel Divinity.

For example, if you are reduced to 0 hit points and knocked unconscious, you can cast Cure Wounds on yourself on your turn and regain consciousness. If you are killed, you can cast Revivify on yourself on your turn and return to life.

Disciple of Life

Starting at 8th level, you develop a unique gift for preserving life. When you use a spell of 1st level or higher to restore hit points to a creature, the creature regains additional hit points equal to 2 + the spell's level.

Supreme Healing

Starting at 17th 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 hit points.

The Resurrection of Lazarus

  by Gustave Dore

Prophecy Domain

Prophecy Domain Spells

Cleric Level	Spells
1st	Forewarning, Premonition
3rd	Detect Thoughts, See Invisibility
5th	Size Up, Visions of the Past
7th	Arcane Eye, Detect Lies
9th	Contact Other Pla ne, Dream

Ready for Anything

As a prophet, you do not prepare a list of cleric spells when you finish a long rest. Instead, you can spontaneouly cast any cleric spell of a level for which you have spell slots.

Only after you cast a spell in this way do you retroactively add it to your list of prepared spells. Once you have prepared a number of cleric spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your cleric level (minimum of one spell), your list is full.

Your spell list resets when you finish a long rest.

Channel Divinity: Portent

Starting at 2nd level, when you finish a short or long rest, roll a d20 and record the result. Before you or a creature that you can see rolls a d20, you can expend one use of your Channel Divinity to replace their roll with your foretelling roll.

Starting when you reach 6th level in this class, you roll two d20s when you finish a short or long rest. And starting when you reach 18th level, you roll three d20s. You can use each foretelling roll only one time, and any unused foretelling rolls are lost when you finish a short or long rest.

Channel Divinity: Fated Discovery

Starting 6th level, immediately before you enter an area or open a vessel, you can use your action to foretell that an inanimate object of your choice lies waiting therein.

The object can be no larger than 3 feet on a side and weigh no more than 10 pounds. It can be either a generic and non-magical object (e.g. a longsword, a chest, a rope) or a specific object that you have seen before (e.g. the jailer's keys, your stolen pack, a winning lottery ticket).

If the object could plausibly find itself where you foretell it to be, you discover it there Otherwise, you discover a super-ficially similar creature or object of the DM's choice.

Divine Strike

Starting at 8th level, 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 damage . When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Channel Divinity: Fated Encounter

Starting at 17th level, immediately before you enter an area or open a vessel, you can use your action to foretell that a creature of your choice awaits therein.

The creature can be either a generic creature (e.g. a doctor, a dog, a pixie) or a specific creature that you have seen before (e.g. the captain of the guard, the mayor's wife, your lost cat).

If the creature could plausibly find itself where you foretell it to be, you encounter it there. Otherwise, you encounter a superficially similar creature or object of the DM's choice.

The Oracle

  by Camillo Miola

Trickery Domain

Trickery Domain Spells

Cleric Level	Spells
1st	Grease, Sleep
3rd	Misty Step, Pass Without Trace
5th	Blink, Gaseous Form
7th	Dimension Door, Polymorph
9th	Far Step, Modify Memory

Bag of Tricks

As a trickster, you treat all illusion spells as cleric spells. You can prepare illusion spells whenever you would prepare cleric spells, and you can learn illusion cantrips whenever you would learn a cleric cantrip (including now at 1st level).

Channel Divinity: Secret Identity

Starting at 2nd level, when you cast Disguise on yourself, you can expend your Channel Divinity to make your appearance real. Your shape and weight change to match the appearance, and if you appear to have non-magical weapons or armor, they gain appropriate properties.

If you have access to Glamour, Seeming or another spell which disguises your appearance, you can use this feature to render those disguises real as well.

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Above: Hermes Accompanies the Dead.

by Geiger Richárd

Channel Divinity: Invoke Duplicity

Starting at 6th level, when you use Silent Image or Major Image create an illusory copy of yourself, you can expend your Channel Divinity to render the copy tangible. You can then move the copy without using your acton, you can use your actions, bonus actions and reactions to make the copy take any such actions you are capable of on your behalf.

The copy's AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier, and it is destroyed if it takes any damage.

Divine Strike

At 8th level, once on each of your turns when you hit a target with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 damage . When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Channel Divinity: Subjective Reality

Starrting at 17th level, when you cast an illusion spell, or at any time on your turn while the spell is ongoing, you can use your Channel Divinity to make one inanimate, non-magical object that is part of the illusion real. On each of your turns until the illusion is dispelled, you can use your bonus action to toggle whether the object is real or illusory

For example, if you use Silent Image to create an illusory bridge, you can use this feature to make it real and cross it. After you've crossed, you could use your bonus action to make it illusory once more, and to prevent others from crossing.

The object can't deal damage or otherwise directly harm anyone, unless it was capable of doing so as an illusion.