Cleric
Divine magic flows through clerics as a conduit of the gods, bending the fabric of reality to heal the wounded, smite the wicked, and reveal hidden truths. Whether called through years of devoted prayer or claimed in a moment of desperate need, this power marks those who carry it as something more than ordinary mortals.
Clerics are shaped as much by the deity they serve as by any personal conviction. A cleric of the sun god burns with righteous radiance, while a cleric of the death god walks calmly through shadow. The domain a cleric chooses—or is chosen by—defines the character of their divine gifts and the duties they carry.
Beyond the battlefield, clerics serve as pillars of their communities: counselors, healers, and spiritual guides. Their presence can turn the tide of a siege or offer comfort to the dying, and many find that the adventuring life grants them a breadth of experience that no temple alone could provide.
Building a Cleric
Hit Dice. \(1d8\) per cleric level.
Proficiencies
Armor. You gain proficiency with light armor, medium armor, shields.
Weapons. You gain proficiency with simple weapons.
Tools. None.
Skills. Choose two from History, Insight, Medicine, Persuasion, and Religion.
Saving Throws. Wisdom and Charisma are your saving throw proficiencies.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment:
- A mace or a warhammer (if proficient),
- scale mail, leather armor, or chain mail (if proficient),
- a light crossbow and 20 bolts or any simple weapon,
- a priest's pack or an explorer's pack,
- a shield and a holy symbol.
Cleric Table:
| Level | Class Features Gained | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Spellcasting, Divine Domain | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | Channel Divinity (1/rest), Subclass Feature | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4th | Obtain Feat | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | Destroy Undead (CR 1/2) | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | Channel Divinity (2/rest), Subclass Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 8th | Obtain Feat, Subclass Feature, Destroy Undead (CR 1) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
| 10th | Divine Intervention | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | Destroy Undead (CR 2) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | Obtain Feat | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| 14th | Destroy Undead (CR 3) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 15th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | |
| 16th | Obtain Feat | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 17th | Destroy Undead (CR 4), Subclass Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 18th | Channel Divinity (3/rest) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19th | Obtain Feat | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20th | Divine Intervention Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Subclasses
At 1st level, you choose a divine domain that reflects your deity's portfolio and your calling: Community Domain, Death Domain, Knowledge Domain, Life Domain, Moon Domain, Nature Domain, Peace Domain, Sun Domain, Trickery Domain, and War Domain. Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 17th levels.
Class Features
Spellcasting
As a conduit for divine power, you can cast cleric spells. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your cleric spells.
Cantrips. You know three cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list. You learn additional cleric cantrips of your choice at higher levels.
Preparing Spells. You prepare the list of cleric spells available to cast by 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.
Spell Slots. The Cleric Table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your cleric spells of 1st level and higher.
Spellcasting Focus. You can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for your cleric spells.
Divine Domain
Choose one domain related to your deity. Your choice grants you domain spells and other features at 1st level, 2nd level, 6th level, 8th level, and 17th level. See the Subclasses section for the full list of available domains.
Domain Spells. Each domain has a list of spells—its domain spells—that you gain at the cleric levels listed in the domain's 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.
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. 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.
Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your cleric spell save DC.
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.
Destroy Undead
Starting at 5th level, when an undead of CR 1/2 or lower fails its saving throw against your Turn Undead feature, the creature is instantly destroyed. The CR threshold rises as you gain cleric levels, as noted in the Cleric Table.
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.