Cleric
Scholars, missionaries, and preachers. Clerics use magic learned through deep devotion and study of a faith. They are commonly, but not always, skilled healers.
This version of the cleric class is designed to be simple. It emphasizes the choice of divine domain and grants powerful late-game domain features earlier. Existing 5e subclasses will all work mechanically with this form of the cleric class. Click here for a summary of changes.
Level 1 Clerics
When you create a level 1 cleric, follow these steps to add the following to your character:
Ability Scores
You can take one of these recommended ability score arrays, or you can roll or assign them yourself. You can switch any two ability scores, but you do not add any further bonuses (they're already included).
Strength: 14 Dexterity: 10 Constitution: 16 Intelligence: 8 Wisdom: 16 Charisma: 10
Strength: 8 Dexterity: 14 Constitution: 14 Intelligence: 12 Wisdom: 16 Charisma: 12
Feat
You gain a level 1 feat of your choice. You can choose from the feats available to all classes or choose a level 1 class-specific feat, if there is one available.
Hit Points
At First Level: 8 + Constitution Modifier
At Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution Modifier
Hit Dice: 1d8 per cleric level
Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skill Proficiencies: two of: History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Persuasion, and Religion
Items
a mace -OR- one Martial Melee Weapon (if proficient)
chain mail -OR- scale mail -OR- padded armor
a light crossbow and 20 bolts -OR- any Simple Weapon
a holy symbol
a backpack containing: 1 bedroll, 1 bottle of holy water, 5 rations, 1 rope, 1 tinderbox, 5 torches, 1 waterskin containing 5 pints of water
Multiclass Characters
Instead of leveling up in your original class, you can take a cleric level when you level up. When you do, you gain only a portion of what first level clerics gain.
Class Features
Class features here are sorted by level. When you reach a level as indicated by the icons on the left, you gain all feature or feature improvements listed between the red lines. For example, at first level clerics gain the Cleric Spellcasting and Divine Domain abilities.
Cleric Spellcasting
As a cleric, you draw your power from sacred rituals. Most clerics directly worship a single deity and draw power directly from that deity, but some clerics worship multiple gods, or keep faiths that do not have a central figure of worship. Some clerics follow rituals created by faiths they don't agree with. The essential part of drawing power is that each cleric follows the tenets and rituals of a faith. A cleric with the life domain might worship a god of healing, or a pantheon of gods, or merely follow poorly translated rituals from a defunct cult. You use wisdom as your spellcasting ability for cleric spells, since your magic requires an intuitive understanding of your dogma and its applications to the world around you.
Clerics are prepared spellcasters. The Cleric Progression Table shows how many spell slots you have, as well as how many cantrips and spells you have prepared. You can search the list of cleric spells here or see full spell descriptions here.
Holy Symbols as Spellcasting Focuses
You can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus. To do so, you can choose to hold your holy symbol during spellcasting or you can choose to display your holy symbol on your weapon, shield, or armor.
A holy symbol isn't always a symbol of a deity, but a cleric's holy symbol is always symbolic of their beliefs.
Divine Domain
Every cleric's religion has at least one associated Domain. Your choice of Domain represents the tenets of your organized faith. While most faiths in 5e settings revolve around a a single deity, your domain could represent a pantheon, a faith that lacks a deity, or even a religious-like devotion to an ideal or organization. Your domain grants you features at level 3, 6, 10, and 14, also listed below.
Divine Domains published elsewhere are compatible with this version of the cleric class.
Channel Divinity
Action Cost Varies - 1/Short Rest*
Your connection to your faith allows you to channel divine energy to fuel magical effects. You can use your Channel Divinity to cast one of your prepared domain spells of up to 3rd level without expending a spell slot. When you use Channel Divinity this way, you can cast the spell as if using a 2nd or 3rd level spell slot, provided you are high enough level to cast 2nd or 3rd level spells.
Your chosen Divine Domain will give you more options at higher levels . When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which option to use. Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your cleric spell save DC.
*At levels 6 and 18, you gain an additional use of Channel Divinity between each short rest.
Domain Feature
Your chosen Divine Domain grants you a new feature.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Cleric Progression Table to see new spell slots.
Channel Divinity Improvement
You can now use Channel Divinity twice between short or long rests, instead of once.
Domain Feature
Your chosen Divine Domain grants you a new feature.
You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Cleric Progression Table to see new spell slots.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Cleric Progression Table to see new spell slots.
Domain Feature
Your chosen Divine Domain grants you a new feature.
You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Cleric Progression Table to see new spell slots.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Cleric Progression Table to see new spell slots.
Domain Feature
Your chosen Divine Domain grants you a new feature.
You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Cleric Progression Table to see new spell slots.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Cleric Progression Table to see new spell slots.
Channel Divinity Improvement
You can now use Channel Divinity three times between short or long rests, instead of twice.
Superior Ability
You increase one ability score of your choice by 2, to a maximum of 22.
You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Cleric Progression Table to see new spell slots.
