A new iteration of the D&D's rules will be revised in 2024 as part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the game, which means that new versions of the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual will be released. Until then, the content that will be appearing in these books is being playtested via One D&D Unearthed Arcana articles.
One of the changes that One D&D has already made involves breaking spells into three categories: Arcane, Divine, and Primal. The clerics and paladins of the D&D multiverse use Divine spells, as these are provided by worshiping deities, or through sheer zealous dedication to a cause. The Divine spells in D&D often contain healing and buffing magic, but they also have some powerful offensive spells, giving casters the chance to inflict the wrath of the gods upon their enemies.
D&D 5e has yet to include some spells that appeared in older editions. The revised Player's Handbook can let D&D bring back cut Arcane spells, but there are Divine spells that should also return. The clerics of D&D are often forced to spend their spell slots on healing magic, so they should be given more options for how they can spend their slots.
D&D's Wyvern Watch Guards The Party While They Sleep
One of the times when a D&D party is at its most vulnerable is when the group is camping. When a D&D group sets up camp, they often need to keep watch, which means that if an enemy sneaks up on them in the middle of the night, then they only have a brief span of time to prepare for battle, assuming the person on watch manages to spot the foe in time. Luckily, there are some spells that can aid the party, helping to protect the group when they're resting.
In AD&D, there was a level 2 cleric spell called wyvern watch, which shielded the group for eight hours. This is helpful for D&D groups taking a long rest. The spell was named because it created a spirit that resembled a wyvern and it had an ability that could paralyze a foe. If an enemy entered the area where wyvern watch was cast, then they had to make a save or be paralyzed, potentially taking out a foe that was planning on attacking the party in their sleep.
D&D's Imbue With Spell Ability Is A Great Insurance Policy
Healing is an important resource that all D&D parties need, which is why a cleric, a druid, or a paladin are such incredible assets to have, as their powers are tailored to keeping the rest of the group alive. This often puts the party in an awkward situation when the healers are incapacitated, as there is no one around to heal the healers. The party can have options, in the form of healing potions (which are easier to acquire in D&D 5e than in previous editions), D&D's useful spell scrolls, or a Healer's Kit. If the party doesn't have any of these to hand, then there are some dicy Death Saves coming up.
In AD&D and D&D 3e, there was a cleric spell called imbue with spell ability, which was a level 4 spell that let the cleric give spells to an ally. The number of spells was equal to their hit dice, though a D&D 5e version would likely use levels for simplicity's sake. The most spells that could be given to an ally (one with 5 hit dice or more) is two level 1 spells and one level 2 spells, which were restricted to specific schools. The catch is that the cleric doesn't get the level 4 spell slot back until their ally has cast the spells. The imbue with spell ability spell could let the cleric pump spells like cure wounds, healing word, prayer of healing, or lesser restoration into an ally (assuming the school restriction is lifted), which acts as a great insurance policy for instances when the cleric is either injured, incapacitated, or separated from the party.
D&D's Implosion Is One Of The Deadliest Divine Spells That Could Return In 5.5
Throughout the history of D&D, the D&D clerics magical spells and special abilities have been designed for destroying undead and banishing fiends with their magic. Their other combat spells have usually been restricted to their Domain or their deity's sphere of influence, such as clerics of a fire god gaining fire magic spells. The ultimate representation of a cleric's divine fury existed in AD&D and D&D 3e, in the form of the mighty implosion spell, which does exactly what it says.
Only D&D's most powerful clerics have access to implosion, as it's a 9th level spell in D&D 3e. Once the cleric casts implosion on a creature, then they must a saving throw or die, unless they are shielded by spell resistance. They literally implode upon themselves, resulting in gruesome and unpleasant death that might prevent a D&D character's magical resurrection. This spell was likely cut due to D&D 5e taking out many of the instant death spells that affect the party (like wail of the banshee), but it's the kind of thing that should be saved for high-levels of play, when all bets are off and the DM can cut loose on the party.
D&D's Miracle Is The Ultimate Divine Spell
D&D's most powerful spell is easily wish, as it lets the character wish for anything they want. This isn't to say that they'll get what they want or that the wish won't backfire on them, which is something most DMs relish doing whenever they get the chance. It's more the fact that the option exists, and it's possible for the character to receive anything they want, all through a single spell.
In the D&D 3e era, clerics had their own equivalent to the wish spell, which was called miracle. They were similar in many ways, as the cleric could ask for a miracle that could save the day. The way the spell differed is that D&D's cut miracle spell is more likely to succeed than a wish spell if the request is something that the cleric's deity would want. If the request isn't in the deity's interest, then it doesn't work. If a battle is raging, then a cleric of a life god could use miracle to stop the conflict and prevent anyone from harming each other, whereas a cleric of a battle god would refuse to grant the miracle request. It's a shame that the clerics in the current version of Dungeons & Dragons have had this spell taken away from them, and it should return in the 5.5e Player's Handbook.
