The Cleric 5E has been added into the game as part of the DnD 5e classes. It’s a unique character in the Player’s Handbook. Also, the players of the DND game can select from the 7 different divine domains available when creating the cleric character.
These 7 Traits or Divine Domains Include:
- Knowledge
- Life
- Nature
- Light
- Trickery
- Tempest
- War
Table of Contents
What is a Cleric in the Dungeons and Dragons game?
Before we know more about the Cleric 5E, let us first understand the basics of a Cleric in the game. A cleric is actually one among the standard players in the DND game. Moreover, these are actually versatile figures that are both capable with regards to combat & skilled for the use of the divine magic or thaumaturgy.
Clerics are generally regarded as powerful healers given the fact that they possess a good number of curative as well as healing magic. They also have divinely-granted capabilities over life as well as death. They can also control or repel the undead creatures. Furthermore, clerics have specific domains that generally align with different characters or the god to which the cleric serves. Now, whether your game’s cleric controls or repels the undead is largely dependent upon the alignment of the cleric.
Not just that, it is a class type that is found in various versions of the Dungeons & Dragons game with no name change. However, the peculiar characteristics of clerics unique to them shouldn’t be confused with those of DnD monk fifth edition, even though they are quite similar.
Cleric Guide 5E: Abilities, Skills, Feats
Abilities
Clerics mostly function on wisdom, but you might have to shuffle it during the game, based on your build and the armour your character is using. Some more abilities are as follows:
- Str: Lightly armoured clerics can dump the strength while heavily equipped ones may require some more of this ability as they dropped dexterity, and are better armed for the combat. Moreover, medium armoured clerics can also dump strength and keep on functioning with spellcasting until they have gain proficiency at using Rapiers.
- Dex: Heavily armoured clerics might want to dump dexterity while the lightly equipped ones might need this ability for AC and their weapons. Moreover, medium armoured clerics must try to boost it to 14 to increase their AC.
- Con: For clerics, hit points are always very crucial, and if they go down, they are taking everybody with them.
- Int: It is a dump stat for clerics, but a small amount of it could come handy when you want to use your knowledge skills.
- Wis: The clerics function on wisdom, and hence it’s very crucial for them.
- Cha: This is a dump stat for clerics unless they want to use their face skills. In case you use your Charisma as a face skill, make sure you choose a background that helps you with more of them like deception and intimidation.
Skills
- History: It is useful during the situations that depend upon the style of your character’s campaign and its playstyle.
- Insight: It helps you basically for your character’s Face, and on top of it you have the wisdom to back you, but since many of the clerics’ Face sustains with low wis, this skill is better for them.
- Medicine: It is better obtained with magical infusions.
- Persuasion: It’s more crucial for the face skills, but you can skip it, in case someone else has more Charisma than your character.
- Religion: Religion is the utmost knowledge skill for clerics and suits the class’ theme.
Feats
This particular section has only beneficial and crucial feats of Clerics, and they are as follows:
- Alert: Going up to the battlegrounds first may help them control certain spells or buffs, especially Bless.
- Actor: The deceitful clerics might love this feat.
- Charger: It is used in the times when you are too far from the battleground, and hence you cast a spell.
- Crossbow experts: Helps you in spellcasting.
- Defensive Duelist: As most clerics don’t use finesse weapons and are undoubtedly great at boosting their ACs.
- Elemental Adept: Clerics mostly deal in causing damage with their spells, which are very rarely resisted but if there are light domains, then they would take advantage of Elemental Adept to access damage types.
- Heavy Armor Master: Heavily armoured clerics would love this feat, but they can’t max it out as they lack in Constitution.
- Inspiring Leader: Only if you have considerable Charisma then it may fuel your healing abilities, and you don’t need to heal your allies in the combat.
- Lucky: Clerics are one of the most fortunate characters to play in, and it works for everyone in the class.
5E Cleric Guide: The Class Details
With the arms & eyes raised up towards the sun, the elf starts a prayer muttering on his lips. In addition, his body glows with the inner light spilling out and healing the companions that are worn in the Dungeons and Dragons battle. In simple terms, the clerics are actually intermediaries that link between the existing mortal world in the DND game & the distant godly planes. Also, they are not ordinary priests, rather an imbued work that represents divine magic.
So, if you are looking for a Cleric 5E guide, here is your chance to know more with our DND cleric guide.
DND 5E Cleric: Spontaneous Casting
Clerics tend to differ from most of the spell casters in the game as they can easily use any unprepared spell for healing or harming the clerics that are evil-aligned. However, the good-aligned DND cleric can easily transform the prepared spell in the non-domain genre to be turned into a great healing spell at the very same level.
On the other hand, the evil-aligned D&D 5E cleric can perform similar feats by converting the already prepared spells to the inflicting spells known to cause a similar level of damage. Lastly, the neutral clerics might select a single spell type for conversion in the initial level that tends to be subsequently permanent.
Not just that, this particular choice might also affect the cleric’s ability for turning, destroying, rebuking, or even commanding the undead.
- A cleric that spontaneously casts the healing spells is known to channel positive energy & hence turns undead
- On the other hand, the cleric that spontaneously casts or inflicts the spells is known to channel the negative energy & hence rebukes the undead
Spontaneous casting might also encourage the clerics to work in a way that is adventurous and often requires the 3.5 cleric DND to be a steady healing source. However, it allows them a chance to mix up a complete spell variety when no direct power source is required.
Weapons: Clerics 5E Dungeons & Dragons
Clerics in the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition game aren’t restricted to the blunt weapons anymore. In fact, they tend to be proficient with most of the simple weapons & might also be proficiently depending on the chosen feats or domains. Let’s be honest, they aren’t gunslingers guide 5e armed with numerous weaponry after all.
More than often, when talking about the DND 5E cleric domains, clerics tend to wield the signature weapon of the deity as the tangible symbol representing dedication and faith. Apart from this, the clerics might use any shield or armor with the exception of a tower shield.
Cleric Staring Equipment
If you are wondering about the cleric optimization for starting equipment, you need to begin with the items listed below. Additionally, you can add anything that has been provided within your background.
Here are some equipment lists that you need to start with:
- War Hammer
- Mace
- Scale Mail
- Chain Mail
- Leather Armor
- Light Crossbow with 20 Bolt Power
- Priest Pack
- Simple Weapon
- Explorer’s Pack
- Shield
- Holy Symbol
What is the best Cleric Build 5E?
If you are looking for the best Cleric build 5E, we will list down some of the best clerics spells 5E to be used in the cleric subclasses. Clerics are an essential class or type in the DnD game. This is due to the fact that the previous Dungeons and Dragons game edition made it tough to recover the HPs without actually using the healing magic. So, if there was no scope for cleric optimization, your DnD party might get screwed post a vigorous encounter.
Now, if you were wondering what subclass to pick in the game, it isn’t as important as you might assume. However, the magic you pick as part of the 5E life cleric needs to be the one that adheres to the situation.
- Guidance: Best for Cantrip
- Sanctuary: Keeps the Cleric alive
- Bless: This early level buff is generic and helps the party
- Hope Beacon: This particular cleric handbook magic allows you to opt for heavy healing without the need for concentrating
- Healing Word: A critical spell for death prevention
- Dispel Magic: Its an equally important spell for anti-debuff within the game
- Calm Emotions: The magic spell helps with control over fear
- Lesser Restoration: Spell allows for easy and smooth anti-buff
- Hold Person: If you need a spell that allows crowd control, this is what you should opt for
- Greater Restoration: It is an essential anti-debuff that can be used later on
- Revivify: This is among the best death saving cleric handbook spells
- Remove Curse: Another critical anti-debuff
- Raise Dead: It’s required for raising people from dead
- Death Ward: This helps save someone without the need for concentration
- Heroes’ Feast: It is a powerful spell with no concentration required
How many spells can a cleric prepare?
The number of spells a cleric can prepare depends on the level he/she is at. The higher the level, the higher goes the number, as can be seen in the table listed above in the article. Say, for example, you are a cleric of 3rd level, you have access to 4 1st level as well as 2 of the 2nd level spell slots.
- DND 5E Spell Save DC:- This particular spell specifies an ability that is used by the target to save & see what happens when there is failure or success. Thus, for the DC resisting any of the spells, it is equal to 8+proficiency bonus+special modifiers.
- Divine Intervention 5E:- Starting at the 10th Cleric level, the Divine intervention 5E allows you to call any deity and intervene to take charge as your help.
- 5E Channel Divinity:- When you reach the 2nd level of being a cleric, you acquired the ability that ensures that you can channel your divine energy in a direct manner from the deity with the use of energy that fuels your magical effects.
- Turn Undead 5E:- This particular type also comes under channel divinity. Here, you can present the holy symbol & chant and prayer that censure the undead.
- Destroy Undead 5E:- The destroy undead in the channel divinity 5E begins at the 5th level. This is when the undead fails to optimize the saving throw with a response to the turn undead option. The creature hence is destroyed instantly.
Domains List: Destroy Undead Levels
- Cleric Level 5: Can destroy undead ½ or less
- Cleric Level 8: It can destruct undead 1 or less
- Cleric Level 11: Eligibility for 2 or less
- Cleric Level 14: Qualification for 3 or less
- Cleric Level 17: Criterion for 4 or less
Cleric Class Table
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Cantrips known |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Spellcasting, Divine Domain | 3 |
| 2nd | +2 | Channel Divinity (x1), Divine Domain Feature | 3 |
| 3rd | +2 | – | 3 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 |
| 5th | +3 | Destroy undead (CR ½) | 4 |
| 6th | +3 | Channel Divinity (x2), Divine Domain feature | 4 |
| 7th | +3 | – | 4 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Destroy Undead (CR 1), Divine Domain Feature | 4 |
| 9th | +4 | – | 4 |
| 10th | +4 | Divine Intervention | 5 |
| 11th | +4 | Destroy Undead (CR 2) | 5 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 |
| 13th | +5 | – | 5 |
| 14th | +5 | Destroy Undead (CR 3) | 5 |
| 15th | +5 | – | 5 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 |
| 17th | +6 | Destroy Undead (CR 4), Divine Domain Feature | 5 |
| 18th | +6 | Channel Divinity (x3) | 5 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 |
| 20th | +6 | Divine Intervention Improvement | 5 |
Spell Slots
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |