Clerics in Dungeons & Dragons are often just seen as healers, but many of their subclasses offer much more. Known as domains, they are chosen at first level and tie in with which deity the character follows. While all clerics offer healing and buffs, some of the best cleric domains in DnD also have some surprising perks and strengths players might not be aware of.
With 14 cleric domains to choose from, players might not know the best place to start on their journey with these divine spellcasters. From being the best Dungeons & Dragons healers to dealing out incredible damage, there are more options than just hanging back in battle and offering . Here are the best cleric domains currently available for Dungeons & Dragons 5e.
D&D Tempest Clerics Pack A Punch With AOE Spells
The Tempest domain clerics offer both healing and offensive capabilities in Dungeons & Dragons. With their proficiency in heavy armor, they make great early tanks for a low-level team which can be shifted to DPS and later as the party levels up. As the Tempest domain focuses on gods such as Thor, Zeus, or Kord, a lot of their magic is weather based, giving them some great crowd control and powerful AOE spells.
At first level, Tempest clerics get fog cloud which is a brilliant defensive spell perfect for handy escapes or crowd control. Also, at level one, Tempest clerics get the ability Wrath of the Storm, a reaction similar in DnD to a spell or Hellish Rebuke, which lets the cleric deal 2d8 lightning or thunder damage to any enemy that hit them with an attack within five feet. As Tempest clerics level up, their offensive capabilities increase, enhanced by features like their Channel Divinity, Destructive Wrath, which allows them to do max damage when using spells or abilities that deal lightning or thunder damage.
All the Tempest cleric's permanent spells are offensive, however, making it great if the player is planning on being one of the party's damage dealers but not very useful for . There are more suitable classes as well as better cleric domains to choose if damage is the primary goal, so the Tempest cleric does fall short in that area. However, if the party has more interesting combinations and needs a more flexible approach to the traditional cleric role, then the Tempest domain is a great place to start.
Order Domain Clerics Are Natural D&D Leaders
Found in both Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica and Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, the Order domain for a perfect choice for players looking to be the party's leader. These clerics work well on the front line or as , with spells and abilities to take charge of most situations. With some DnD spells that can break the game a little at their disposal, like hold person, command, and dominate person, Order clerics excel at enchanting those around them.
Capable of leading the party from the front due to their proficiency in heavy armor, Order clerics have abilities to allow allies extra attacks, charm targets, and deal out psychic damage. This domain's Channel Divinity is Order's Demand which is a much more potent version of charm person, a spell great for DnD heists and affects all creatures that the cleric chooses within 30 feet. Overall the Order domain offers a good mixture of , damage, and out-of-combat utility that other domains lack.
D&D’s Grave Clerics Provide Powerful Buffs Alongside Healing
Introduced in Xanathar's Guide to Everything, the Grave domain cleric is one who watches over the line between life and death. Not to be confused with the undead and necromancy-focused Death domain, one of the strangest cleric domains in Dungeons & Dragons, the Grave domain looks more to the afterlife and the peaceful rest the dead deserve. As such, one of the things Grave clerics do best is keeping the party alive through a mixture of healing and excellent buffs, crucial for when a DnD monster combo wrecks the party.
Grave clerics have some of the best healing for when a party member hits 0, with their level one ability Circle of Mortality. With this, instead of rolling dice when healing an unconscious party member, the spell does max healing. On top of this, Grave clerics can also cast the incredibly useful DnD cantrip, spare the dying as a bonus action, and at range instead of having to touch their target.
To top it off, Grave domain clerics also have some great combat abilities. Their Channel Divinity ability, Path to the Grave, lets them curse a target giving them vulnerability to a chosen damage type found in the Player's Handbook until the next of the cleric's next turn. While Sentinel at Death's Door, the cleric's sixth level feature lets them cancel critical hits, potentially saving their allies from fatal blows.
Craft Magical Weapons & Armor With D&D’s Forge Clerics
Found in Xanathar's Guide to Everything, Forge domain clerics are built for the front lines of DnD combat. With a well-balanced mix of and offensive capabilities, they make great tanks thanks to their proficiency in heavy armor. These clerics are artisans of armor, and some of their best features focus on their AC and making them as durable as possible.
Blessing of the Forge at level one allows the Forge cleric to magically imbue either a weapon or set of Dungeons & Dragons armor. Until the end of their next long rest, this object is considered magical and has a +1 to either AC or attack, depending on the item chosen. While their Channel Divinity ability, Artisan's Blessing, lets them create weapons, armor, ammunition, tools, or even keys during a one-hour ritual.
Soul of the Forge at level six and Saint of Forge and Fire at level 17 further boost the Forge clerics' AC and give resistance and later immunity to fire damage. While the Forge cleric wears heavy armor, they will benefit from a +1 to AC and later resistance to piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage from nonmagical attacks. All of this adds up to let the Forge cleric soak up damage similarly to DnD barbarian characters.
Peace Domain Clerics In D&D Have Powerful Subclass Features
Introduced in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, Peace domain clerics are supposed to be similar to diplomats, with their focus being, as their name suggests, peace. As such, they don't offer a lot in of DnD combat abilities; however, they more than make up for it in the buffs to their allies. In fact, some of the Peace domain's features are a little overpowered, as a lot of their more potent abilities don't use spell slots.
The most powerful features of the Peace domain center around forming bonds with allies. By using their first-level ability, Emboldening Bond, Peace clerics can let party add 1d4 to any attack roll, skill check, or a DnD saving throw that matters for life and death. Then at sixth level, Protective Bond lets the cleric use their reaction to teleport allies affected by Emboldening Bond within another ally also affected, letting them take the damage their friend would have.
At level 17, these bonds get even more powerful as Expansive Bond lets them work within 60 feet instead of 30 and gives the ally taking the damage from Protective Bond resistance to that damage type. Considering that a Peace cleric would also always have spells like sending, Otiluke's resilient sphere, and greater restoration prepared, they are more than capable of keeping their party on their feet, and that's without using any of Dungeons & Dragons’ best healing spells. Just imagine being able to just teleport the party’s raging barbarian 60 feet over to the enemy to take the blow instead of the squishy wizard.
Life Domain Clerics Are D&D’s Best Healers
Life domain clerics are easily the best healers in Dungeons & Dragons. If a player wants to focus entirely on healing their party, then this is the best possible choice. Life clerics have a fantastic array of features and spells to keep their teammates up or revive them quickly if they go down, and with their proficiency in heavy armor, they are able to do that in relative safety.
Key healer spells like cure wounds, revivify and raise dead are all mainstays of the Life domain and are permanently prepared. However, it's the Life cleric's features that really make this domain shine as their Channel Divinity, Preserve Life, lets them restore hit points equal to five times their Dungeons & Dragons cleric level to allies within 30 feet, and that healing can be spread out between multiple characters. Healing spells heal an additional two plus the spell's level and, at later levels, also heal the cleric as well as the target. Finally, at level 17, Life clerics get Supreme Healing, meaning they don't roll any dice when healing others, instead healing for the max roll possible.
D&D’s Twilight Clerics Make An All Round Best Choice
Described as guardians against the horrors of the night, the Twilight domain first appeared in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Twilight clerics are a really well-rounded choice, as they are capable of defending themselves in battle with their heavy armor proficiency while still buffing and healing the rest of the party. Twilight clerics over level 6 can even fly with the ability Steps of Night which gives them a flying speed equal to their walking speed while in dim light or darkness, making them great for fighting flying enemies in DnD.
Twilight clerics have a whopping 300 feet of darkvision and can use Eyes of the Night to magically share this with another willing creature for one hour. Vigilant Blessing lets the cleric buff an ally to give them advantage on their next initiative roll, meaning the party will never be caught off guard. However, the Twilight domain's most powerful DnD feature comes from its Channel Divinity.
Called Twilight Sanctuary, it creates a 30-foot radius sphere of twilight centered on the cleric that moves with them. Whenever a creature ends its turn within the sphere, the cleric can choose to grant them one of two benefits: temporary hit points of 1d6 plus the cleric's level or end an effect that causes the charmed or frightened DnD 5e status condition. At level 17, this ability becomes even more powerful, granting half cover using the feature Twilight Shroud. All of this means Twilight clerics can handle anything a Dungeons & Dragons campaign throws at them.
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