Cleric 5e DND Guide

Clerics stand as pillars of faith in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, channeling divine power to heal allies, smite foes, and shape the course of destiny. These holy warriors walk a unique path, balancing martial prowess with magical might, all while serving as the mortal avatars of their chosen deities.

In this guide, we’ll explore the intricacies of the Cleric class, from their core abilities to the diverse Divine Domains that shape their powers. Whether you’re a newcomer to D&D or a seasoned player looking to delve deeper into the ways of faith and magic, this comprehensive look at Clerics will equip you with the knowledge to bring these divine champions to life at your gaming table.

Prepare to embark on a journey through sacred rites, miraculous spells, and the unwavering conviction that defines the Cleric’s role in any adventuring party. Let’s begin our exploration of this versatile and powerful class that has been a cornerstone of D&D since its earliest editions.

The Foundation of Faith: Core Cleric Features

At the heart of every Cleric lies an unshakeable faith that fuels their abilities and shapes their worldview. This faith manifests in a variety of ways, granting Clerics a unique set of skills and powers that set them apart from other spellcasters and martial classes alike.

Divine Conduits: Spellcasting Ability

Clerics are inherently magical beings, drawing their power directly from their deity or divine domain. Unlike Wizards who study arcane tomes or Sorcerers born with innate magic, Clerics receive their spells through prayer and devotion.

A Cleric’s spellcasting ability is Wisdom, reflecting their intuitive connection to the divine. This means that Wisdom is crucial for determining the saving throw DC for their spells and their spell attack bonus. It’s not uncommon to see Clerics with high Wisdom scores, as this not only enhances their magical abilities but also improves skills like Insight and Perception.

Clerics have access to a wide array of spells, from healing and protective magic to offensive and utility spells. They prepare a set number of spells each day after a long rest, choosing from the entire Cleric spell list. This flexibility allows Clerics to adapt their spell selection to the challenges they expect to face.

Channel Divinity: Tapping into Divine Power

One of the most iconic abilities of a Cleric is Channel Divinity. This feature allows Clerics to directly tap into the power of their deity or domain to produce magical effects. All Clerics gain the Turn Undead ability, which can force undead creatures to flee in terror.

As Clerics progress in levels, they gain additional uses of Channel Divinity and often unlock new ways to use this ability based on their chosen Divine Domain. These domain-specific Channel Divinity options can range from boosting healing powers to enhancing weapon attacks or even controlling the elements.

Divine Intervention: Calling Upon the Gods

At higher levels, Clerics gain the ability to call directly upon their deity for aid through the Divine Intervention feature. This powerful ability allows a Cleric to potentially change the course of events by beseeching their god for direct assistance.

While the chances of success are initially low, increasing as the Cleric gains levels, a successful Divine Intervention can be a game-changing moment. The exact nature of the intervention is up to the DM, but it often manifests as a miracle appropriate to the deity’s nature and the situation at hand.

Paths of Devotion: Divine Domains

One of the most defining aspects of a Cleric is their choice of Divine Domain. This selection, made at 1st level, represents the particular aspect of their deity or cosmic force that the Cleric is most attuned to. Each domain grants a unique set of abilities and spells that shape how the Cleric approaches their role in the party and the world.

Life Domain: Masters of Healing

The Life Domain is perhaps the most archetypal Cleric path, focusing on the preservation and restoration of life. Clerics of this domain excel at healing magic, making them invaluable allies in any adventuring party.

Life Domain Clerics gain bonus spells centered around healing and protection. Their Domain Spells include classics like bless, cure wounds, and spiritual weapon. As they level up, they gain access to powerful restoration spells and even the ability to bring the dead back to life.

One of the key features of the Life Domain is the Disciple of Life ability, which enhances all healing spells cast by the Cleric. This bonus healing can make a significant difference in keeping party members alive during tough battles.

At higher levels, Life Domain Clerics gain the ability to maximize healing spells and even channel positive energy to damage undead creatures while healing allies. These Clerics often serve as the backbone of their parties, ensuring that their companions can face any challenge with renewed vigor.

Light Domain: Bearers of Radiance

Clerics of the Light Domain embody the principles of illumination, both literal and metaphorical. They stand as beacons of hope against the encroaching darkness, wielding the power of radiant energy to vanquish evil and light the way for others.

Light Domain Clerics gain an array of spells that harness the power of light and fire. Their Domain Spells include burning hands, faerie fire, and flaming sphere, allowing these Clerics to deal significant damage to their foes.

One of the most potent abilities granted by this domain is the Warding Flare feature. This defensive power allows the Cleric to impose disadvantage on an attack roll made against them, representing a sudden burst of blinding light that protects the Cleric from harm.

As they progress, Light Domain Clerics gain the ability to create auras of light that protect allies and harm enemies. They also become adept at banishing darkness, both magical and natural, cementing their role as champions of illumination in a world often shrouded in shadow.

Tempest Domain: Fury of the Storm

For those Clerics who embody the raw power of nature’s wrath, the Tempest Domain offers a path of thunder, lightning, and stormy seas. These Clerics are often associated with deities of storms, sea gods, or even certain air and fire deities.

Tempest Domain Clerics gain access to spells that control the weather and harness electrical energy. Their Domain Spells include thunderwave, gust of wind, and call lightning, allowing them to manipulate the elements and deal devastating damage to their foes.

One of the most exciting features of this domain is the Wrath of the Storm ability. This reactive power allows the Cleric to lash out with thunder or lightning damage when struck by an attack, representing the storm’s fury protecting its champion.

As they level up, Tempest Clerics gain the ability to maximize lightning and thunder damage with their Channel Divinity, as well as the power to fly and control the winds. These Clerics often serve as the party’s elemental specialist, bringing the fury of the storm to bear against their enemies.

Weapons of Faith: Combat Abilities

While Clerics are primarily known for their divine magic, they are far from helpless in physical combat. In fact, many Clerics are quite formidable warriors, capable of holding their own on the front lines alongside Fighters and Paladins.

Divine Strike and Potent Spellcasting

Depending on their Divine Domain, Clerics gain either the Divine Strike or Potent Spellcasting feature at 8th level. Divine Strike allows the Cleric to infuse their weapon attacks with additional damage, often of a type thematically linked to their domain. This feature encourages Clerics to engage in melee combat, swinging maces or wielding war hammers with divine fury.

Potent Spellcasting, on the other hand, enhances the Cleric’s cantrips, adding their Wisdom modifier to the damage dealt. This feature is typically granted to domains that focus more on spellcasting than martial combat, allowing these Clerics to rely on their cantrips as a consistent source of damage.

Armor and Weapon Proficiencies

Clerics start with proficiency in light and medium armor, as well as shields. This allows them to have a respectable Armor Class without investing heavily in Dexterity. Some domains, like the War Domain, even grant heavy armor proficiency, allowing these Clerics to wade into battle with the same protection as a Fighter.

When it comes to weapons, Clerics are proficient with all simple weapons. While this might seem limiting at first, many classic Cleric weapons like maces, warhammers, and light crossbows fall into this category. Certain domains grant martial weapon proficiencies, further expanding the Cleric’s combat options.

• Simple weapons: Mace, warhammer, light crossbow
• Potential martial weapons (domain-dependent): Longsword, battleaxe, warhammer

Blending Magic and Might

One of the unique aspects of Cleric combat is the ability to seamlessly blend spellcasting with martial prowess. A Cleric might open combat with a powerful spell like spirit guardians, summoning spectral protectors to harry their foes. On subsequent turns, they could wade into melee, swinging their mace while the spirits continue to damage nearby enemies.

This versatility allows Clerics to adapt to various combat situations. They can hang back and support the party with spells when needed, or step up to the front lines to deal and take damage when the situation calls for it.

The Power of Prayer: Cleric Spellcasting

At the heart of a Cleric’s abilities lies their spellcasting. Unlike arcane casters who manipulate the weave of magic through study or innate talent, Clerics channel divine power through prayer and devotion. This unique approach to magic gives Clerics access to a diverse array of spells that can turn the tide of battle, mend grievous wounds, and even alter the fabric of reality.

Prepared Spellcasting

Clerics are prepared spellcasters, meaning they choose which spells they have access to each day after completing a long rest. This flexibility allows Clerics to adapt their spell selection to the challenges they expect to face.

The number of spells a Cleric can prepare each day is equal to their Wisdom modifier plus their Cleric level. This means that as Clerics grow in power, they have an increasingly large repertoire of spells at their disposal each day.

Domain Spells

In addition to their prepared spells, Clerics always have access to their Domain Spells. These spells are always prepared and don’t count against the number of spells the Cleric can prepare each day. Domain Spells often define the Cleric’s magical focus, granting them consistent access to thematically appropriate magic.

Ritual Casting

Clerics have the ability to cast any spell they have prepared as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag. This allows Clerics to cast certain utility spells without expending a spell slot, provided they have the time to perform the ritual. Spells like detect magic, water walk, and commune are common choices for ritual casting.

Cleric Spell Highlights

While Clerics have access to a wide array of spells, some stand out as particularly iconic or useful:

• Cure Wounds: The classic healing spell, restoring hit points to an injured creature.
• Guiding Bolt: A powerful ranged attack that also grants advantage on the next attack against the target.
• Spiritual Weapon: Summons a floating spectral weapon that can attack independently of the Cleric.
• Spirit Guardians: Creates a zone of spiritual protectors that damage enemies and slow their movement.
• Revivify: Brings a recently deceased creature back to life, a crucial spell for any adventuring party.

As Clerics gain levels, they gain access to increasingly powerful spells, culminating in the ability to cast world-shaking magic like planar ally, true resurrection, and even the mighty miracle spell gate.

The combination of prepared spellcasting, domain spells, and ritual casting makes Clerics one of the most versatile spellcasters in D&D. Their ability to switch out spells daily allows them to always have the right tool for the job, whether that’s healing, damage, utility, or support magic.

Vessels of Faith: Roleplaying a Cleric

While the mechanical aspects of playing a Cleric are important, equally crucial is the roleplaying element. Clerics are defined by their faith, and this should be reflected in how they are portrayed at the gaming table.

Serving a Higher Power

A Cleric’s relationship with their deity is central to their character. This connection can manifest in various ways:

• Regular prayer or meditation
• Performing rituals or ceremonies
• Spreading the teachings of their faith
• Acting as an intermediary between the mortal world and the divine

Players should consider how their Cleric views their role as a servant of their deity. Are they a humble vessel for divine power, or do they see themselves as a chosen champion? How do they reconcile their personal desires with the dictates of their faith?

Moral Compass

Many Clerics serve as the moral compass for their adventuring party. Their divine connection often gives them a clear sense of right and wrong, which can lead to interesting roleplaying moments when faced with ethical dilemmas.

However, not all Clerics are paragons of virtue. Depending on their deity and alignment, a Cleric might have a very different view of morality. A Cleric of a trickster god might value cunning over honesty, while a Cleric of a war deity might see violence as a valid solution to many problems.

Cultural Role

In many D&D settings, Clerics play important roles in society beyond just adventuring. They might serve as:

• Healers in local communities
• Advisors to nobles or rulers
• Keepers of ancient lore
• Exorcists or monster hunters
• Mediators in disputes

Consider how your Cleric’s role in society might influence their behavior and relationships with others.

Crisis of Faith

One interesting aspect to explore in Cleric roleplaying is the concept of a crisis of faith. What happens when a Cleric’s beliefs are challenged, or when they feel abandoned by their deity? This can lead to compelling character development and dramatic storytelling moments.

Divine Domains Continued: More Paths of Faith

While we’ve explored some of the most common Divine Domains, there are several others that offer unique playstyles and thematic elements for Clerics. Let’s delve into a few more of these divine paths.

Knowledge Domain: Seekers of Truth

Clerics of the Knowledge Domain are the sages and scholars of the divine world. They believe that knowledge is power, and that understanding the mysteries of the multiverse is a path to enlightenment.

Knowledge Domain Clerics gain proficiency in additional languages and skills related to knowledge and investigation. Their Domain Spells include identify, suggestion, and arcane eye, reflecting their focus on uncovering hidden truths.

One of the most interesting features of this domain is the Knowledge of the Ages Channel Divinity option. This ability allows the Cleric to gain proficiency in any skill or tool for a short time, representing their ability to tap into a wellspring of divine knowledge.

As they progress, Knowledge Clerics gain the ability to read thoughts and even change memories, cementing their role as masters of information and the mind.

Nature Domain: Guardians of the Wild

For those Clerics who feel a deep connection to the natural world, the Nature Domain offers a path that blends divine magic with druidic sensibilities. These Clerics often serve deities of nature, agriculture, or the changing seasons.

Nature Domain Clerics gain proficiency with heavy armor, reflecting the unyielding strength of the natural world. Their Domain Spells include animal friendship, plant growth, and dominate beast, allowing them to connect with and control the forces of nature.

A key feature of this domain is the Acolyte of Nature ability, which grants the Cleric proficiency in one of several nature-related skills and a druid cantrip of their choice. This expands the Cleric’s utility and connects them more deeply to the natural world.

At higher levels, Nature Clerics gain the ability to charm plants and animals, as well as command elementals. These abilities make them formidable allies in wilderness settings and allow them to serve as a bridge between civilization and the untamed wild.

Trickery Domain: Masters of Deception

Not all divine paths are straightforward or benevolent. The Trickery Domain caters to those Clerics who serve deities of deception, trickery, and mischief. These Clerics often walk a morally ambiguous path, using cunning and subterfuge to achieve their goals.
Trickery Domain Clerics gain an array of spells focused on illusion and deception. Their Domain Spells include disguise self, mirror image, and polymorph, allowing them to manipulate perceptions and change forms with ease.

One of the most unique features of this domain is the Blessing of the Trickster. This ability allows the Cleric to grant an ally advantage on Stealth checks, making the Trickery Cleric an unexpected boon in situations requiring subtlety.

As they level up, Trickery Clerics gain the ability to create illusory duplicates of themselves and even become invisible. These abilities, combined with their deceptive spells, make Trickery Clerics masters of misdirection and subterfuge.

War Domain: Divine Battle Masters

For those who see conflict as a crucible for faith, the War Domain offers a path of martial prowess enhanced by divine favor. These Clerics often serve deities of war, conquest, or victory, channeling their god’s militant aspect into their own combat abilities.

War Domain Clerics are among the most martial of their class, gaining proficiency with heavy armor and all martial weapons. Their Domain Spells include divine favor, spiritual weapon, and crusader’s mantle, enhancing their combat capabilities and those of their allies.

A key feature of this domain is the War Priest ability, which allows the Cleric to make a weapon attack as a bonus action a limited number of times per day. This significantly increases their combat output, especially at lower levels.

As they progress, War Clerics gain the ability to grant allies bonus attacks and even add a +10 bonus to an attack roll after seeing the initial roll. These abilities make War Clerics formidable combatants and invaluable supports on the battlefield.

Forge Domain: Masters of Creation

Introduced in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, the Forge Domain caters to Clerics who serve deities of craft, creation, and artisanship. These Clerics blend divine magic with the art of metalworking and item creation.

Forge Domain Clerics gain proficiency with heavy armor and smith’s tools, reflecting their connection to the craft of metalworking. Their Domain Spells include identify, heat metal, and fabricate, allowing them to manipulate metal and create objects with ease.

One of the most useful features of this domain is the Blessing of the Forge. This ability allows the Cleric to temporarily enhance a weapon or armor, granting a +1 bonus to the item’s attack and damage rolls or AC, respectively.

As they level up, Forge Clerics gain resistance to fire damage, the ability to craft nonmagical objects with astounding speed, and even immunity to fire damage while wearing heavy armor. These abilities make Forge Clerics incredibly durable and useful in both combat and non-combat situations.

Grave Domain: Guardians of the Boundary

Also introduced in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, the Grave Domain is for Clerics who serve deities of death, but specifically those who guard the boundary between life and death. Unlike Clerics of the Death Domain (which is typically reserved for villainous NPCs), Grave Clerics seek to ensure that the dead rest easily and the living do not artificially extend their lifespan.

Grave Domain Clerics gain an array of spells focused on manipulating the forces of life and death. Their Domain Spells include bane, gentle repose, and speak with dead, allowing them to weaken enemies, preserve corpses, and communicate with the deceased.

A key feature of this domain is the Circle of Mortality, which maximizes healing spells used on creatures at 0 hit points. This makes Grave Clerics particularly effective at bringing allies back from the brink of death.

As they progress, Grave Clerics gain the ability to negate critical hits against allies, sense the presence of undead, and even mark an enemy for death, causing them to be vulnerable to the next attack that hits them. These abilities make Grave Clerics potent defenders against undead and crucial allies in dangerous situations.

Divine Implements: Cleric Equipment and Magic Items

While a Cleric’s power comes primarily from their faith, the right equipment can significantly enhance their abilities. Let’s explore some key items that every Cleric should consider.

Holy Symbols

A holy symbol is a Cleric’s most important possession, serving as the focus for their divine magic. This can take many forms:

• Amulet: A symbol of the deity worn around the neck
• Emblem: A representation of the deity or a sacred symbol etched onto a shield
• Reliquary: A small box containing sacred relics

The choice of holy symbol can be a great opportunity for character customization and storytelling. What does your Cleric’s holy symbol look like? Does it have a personal history or special significance?

Armor

Most Clerics are proficient with medium armor and shields, providing a good balance of protection and mobility. Some common choices include:

• Chain shirt: Lightweight and flexible, good for Clerics who need to move quickly
• Scale mail: Offers more protection at the cost of stealth
• Half plate: The best AC available to most Clerics, but expensive and noisy
• Shield: An extra +2 to AC that can be emblazoned with holy symbols

Clerics of certain domains (like Life, Tempest, War, Forge) also gain proficiency with heavy armor, allowing them to wear full plate for maximum protection.

Weapons

While Clerics are spellcasters, many are quite capable in melee combat. Some popular weapon choices include:

• Mace: A classic Cleric weapon, simple yet effective
• Warhammer: For those with martial weapon proficiency, a powerful bludgeoning option
• Crossbow: For Clerics who prefer to attack from range

Remember, your choice of weapon can reflect your Cleric’s personality and the nature of their deity.

Magic Items

As Clerics advance in their adventures, they might acquire magic items to enhance their abilities. Some particularly useful items for Clerics include:

• Pearl of Power: Allows recovery of an expended spell slot once per day
• Ring of Spell Storing: Can store spells for later use, great for emergency healing or buffs
• Mace of Disruption: Deals extra damage to undead and fiends
• Cloak of Protection: Boosts AC and saving throws
• Staff of Healing: Enhances healing spells and provides additional healing abilities

Clerics in the World: Faith and Society

Clerics don’t exist in a vacuum. Their role as divine intermediaries often places them in unique positions within their societies. Let’s explore how Clerics might interact with the wider world of a typical D&D setting.

Religious Institutions

Many Clerics are part of organized religious institutions. These can range from sprawling temple complexes in major cities to small shrines in rural villages. Within these institutions, Clerics might serve various roles:

• Priest/Priestess: Leading religious ceremonies and providing spiritual guidance
• Healer: Using divine magic to cure the sick and injured
• Inquisitor: Rooting out heresy and defending the faith
• Missionary: Spreading the word of their deity to new lands

Consider how your Cleric relates to their religious hierarchy. Are they a respected leader, a rebellious outsider, or somewhere in between?

Interaction with Other Classes

Clerics often find themselves working alongside other adventurers, each relationship bringing its own dynamics:

• Paladins: Natural allies in faith, though sometimes with differing approaches
• Druids: Kindred spirits in divine magic, especially for Nature Domain Clerics
• Wizards: Potential for fascinating discussions on the nature of divine vs. arcane magic
• Rogues: An interesting contrast, especially for Trickery Domain Clerics

How does your Cleric view other classes? Do they see divine magic as superior to other forms of power, or do they respect the diverse abilities of their companions?

Clerics and Politics

Given their connection to influential religious institutions, Clerics often find themselves involved in politics, whether they seek it or not:

• Advisors to rulers, providing divine guidance on matters of state
• Mediators in conflicts, using their respected position to broker peace
• Leaders in their own right, especially in theocratic societies

Consider how your Cleric navigates the complex web of political relationships. Do they embrace a political role, or do they prefer to focus solely on matters of faith?

The Path Ahead: Cleric Character Development

As Clerics progress in their adventures, they face unique opportunities for growth and character development. Let’s explore some ways to evolve your Cleric character over the course of a campaign.

Deepening Faith

A Cleric’s journey is often one of deepening faith and understanding of their deity:

• Seek out holy sites or artifacts related to your deity
• Undertake quests or missions in your deity’s name
• Engage in theological debates or study to deepen your understanding

How does your Cleric’s relationship with their deity change as they gain power and experience?

Crisis of Faith

Not all spiritual journeys are smooth. Many Clerics face moments of doubt or crisis:

• Witnessing great tragedy that seems at odds with your deity’s teachings
• Encountering other faiths that challenge your beliefs
• Feeling abandoned or unanswered in moments of great need

How would your Cleric handle a crisis of faith? Would it strengthen their resolve, or lead them to question everything they believe?

Multiclassing Options

While many Clerics remain devoted solely to their divine path, some find that multiclassing enhances their ability to serve their deity:

• Paladin: For Clerics who want to become more martial, blending divine magic with combat prowess
• Druid: A natural fit for Nature Domain Clerics, expanding their connection to the natural world
• Wizard: For Knowledge Domain Clerics seeking to blend divine and arcane knowledge
• Rogue: An intriguing option for Trickery Domain Clerics, enhancing their deceptive abilities

Consider if multiclassing fits your Cleric’s character development and how it might be explained in-character.

The Eternal Flame of Faith

Clerics stand as beacons of divine power in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, their faith illuminating the path forward for themselves and their allies. From the healing hands of Life Domain Clerics to the thunderous smites of Tempest Clerics, from the subtle manipulations of Trickery Clerics to the steadfast protection of Forge Clerics, this class offers a wealth of playstyles and roleplaying opportunities.

Whether you’re drawn to the Cleric class for its powerful spellcasting, its martial capabilities, or its rich roleplaying potential, remember that at the heart of every Cleric is an unshakeable faith. It’s this faith that sets Clerics apart, driving them to great deeds and allowing them to shape the world through the power of their beliefs.

As you embark on your own journey as a Cleric, may your faith be strong, your purpose clear, and your adventures legendary. The path of a Cleric may not always be easy, but it is always meaningful. In the words often attributed to Clerics in many D&D worlds: “May your god’s light guide your way.”