Cleric is likely one of the 12 courses you possibly can select from in 2024’s revised Dungeons & Dragon’s Participant’s Handbook (also referred to as One D&D, 5.5e, and some different names). Clerics are divine spellcasters, and their main Means is Knowledge.
Earlier than we get began, a fast disclaimer: There’s no “greatest” something in D&D. Lessons are typically well-balanced in terms of injury output. Extra importantly, although, D&D is a roleplaying sport in addition to a fight sport, so there’s extra to it than stabbing monsters. And that range of conditions — from selecting locks to punting kobolds to seducing dragons — means “greatest” is completely subjective.
Our Participant’s Handbook (2024) D&D Cleric information will stroll you thru the category and speak about a number of the adjustments from D&D 5e.
Is Cleric one of the best class for you in D&D?
It’s straightforward to pigeonhole Clerics as simply healers, however the class is usually a lot greater than that. But in addition, let’s be trustworthy, you’re going to be anticipated to be the celebration healer in the event you’re taking part in a Cleric. Clerics are versatile casters who channel divine powers, however may deal out respectable melee injury.
Inspiration to your Cleric
As a result of Clerics so usually get boiled right down to this “group healer” identification, it may be actually tough to provide you with distinctive inspiration to your character. However there are many fascinating fictional heroes that may actually heart your Cleric in a singular manner:
- The spiritual zealot is all the time a enjoyable solution to take a Cleric. For this one, take into consideration Van Helsing, the Catholic monster slayer, or Thoros of Myr from Sport of Thrones. These are characters whose stalwart perception of their faith not solely compels them to assist their allies, however it propels them ahead into battle in opposition to the forces of evil.
- The spiritual skeptic is likely one of the most fascinating angles to take your Cleric. When your energy is a present from a god, what does that appear like while you don’t like that god and even barely consider in it? Jesse Custer from Preacher is a superb instance of a robust Cleric that doesn’t precisely stay as much as their spiritual origins.
- The peaceable warrior is a extra generic Cleric concept, however it’s additionally an important one. Take into consideration Luke Skywalker or your favourite Jedi right here from Star Wars — however of their ideally suited type. These are characters who’re right here to assist others with their magical powers of religion, however are in a position to wield weapons of conflict to guard the harmless.
- The physician archetype actually allows you to lean absolutely into the “healer” identification to your celebration, however you are able to do it in some fascinating and unconventional methods. Take the EMH (Emergency Medical Hologram) from Star Trek: Voyager, for instance. He’s not even a “actual” particular person, however continues to be an necessary member of the crew who makes use of superior expertise (and sarcasm) to heal his teammates. Attempting to make one thing like that work in a D&D setting would take your Life Cleric to an entire new degree.
What’s new for Cleric in One D&D?
It doesn’t matter what Class you find yourself selecting, One D&D adjustments the way in which characters are created. Particularly, the Background you select now comes with an Means Rating enchancment (one level every in three Talents, or two factors in a single Means and one level in one other). As well as, each character will get an Origin Feat. We’ll take care of each of these adjustments beneath.
D&D’s Cleric class now has a Divine Order that they select at Degree 1. It is a solution to solidify your function within the celebration both as a holy brawler or a divine spellcaster. 5e’s Clerics selected their Area at Degree 1, so this type of replaces that and strikes your selection of subclass (area) to Degree 3.
Cleric class options overview
- Major Means: Knowledge
- Hit Level Die: d8 per degree
- Saving Throw Proficiencies: Knowledge and Charisma
- Talent proficiencies: 2 of: Historical past, Perception, Medication, Persuasion, Faith
- Weapon Proficiencies: Easy
- Armor Coaching: Mild, Medium, Shields
Regardless of being an armored warrior, one in every of your foremost class options as a Cleric is spellcasting — that stuff all of the nerd courses normally do. Like them, you’ll progressively acquire increasingly spell slots as you degree up, which can in-turn mean you can forged extra highly effective spells.
As a Cleric, you’re in a position to decide on between two “roles” to observe: Protector or Thaumaturge.
As a protector, you’ll be higher outfitted to take care of up-close and private fight, wielding heavy armor and martial weapons.
Thaumaturges lean extra into spellcasting, as you’ll acquire an additional Cantrip and acquire a bonus to any Intelligence-based checks.
Tips on how to construct an efficient Cleric
Whenever you first make your character, you’ll have to assign your attribute factors. For Clerics, you’re seeking to make a robust battle caster and healer shoe able to taking hits to your group, so right here’s your precedence listing:
- Knowledge
- Structure
- Energy
- Dexterity
- Charisma
- Intelligence
Finest Cleric Backgrounds and Origin Feats
Backgrounds in One D&D are a solution to codify your character’s private historical past into their stats. Backgrounds offer you a bump to your stats, a few abilities, software proficiencies, and an Origin Feat.
For a Cleric, let’s begin with something that allows you to bump Knowledge — Acolyte, Farmer, Guard, Information, Hermit, Sage, Sailor, Scribe, or Wayfarer.
Of these, Acolyte will get you the Magic Provoke (Cleric) Origin Feat that provides you a pair additional spells, and Hermit will get you the Healer Origin Feat that makes you a more practical healer (in the event you’ve resigned your self to that function).
You don’t choose a Cleric subclass till Degree 3, however you’ll wish to take into consideration the place you’re heading fairly early on — particularly when it comes to Background and Origin Feat (above).
Clerics can do much more than heal, OK? However they’re additionally one of the best healers within the sport, and if that’s the function you wish to lean into, Life Area is the plain selection.
At degree 3 you’ll develop into a Disciple of Life, which lets you trigger characters to realize further HP everytime you heal them. You’ll additionally acquire entry to highly effective Life Area spells like Bless and Remedy Wounds early on.
At degree 17, you don’t even need to roll for therapeutic anymore, as anybody you heal will simply get the utmost HP attainable from that spell restored.
Mild Area Cleric allows you to lean into your internal Paladin — your fellow holy class brethren — to be a literal beacon of sunshine to your celebration. Along with gaining some holy spells from the Mild Area, you’ll additionally be capable to gentle your holy image like a flashlight in darkish locations at degree 3, making you an excellent associate for dungeon delves.
At degree 17, you’ll be capable to shine with the ability of the solar itself, inflicting enemies inside a sure vary to have Drawback in opposition to chunk of your spells.
Trickery Area Clerics are stealthy magic customers which might be in a position to make use of highly effective utility spells to present their allies a leg up in battle.
Whenever you first choose up Trickery, you’ll be capable to forged Trickery Area spells and acquire Invoke Duplicity, which lets you make a visible phantasm of your self. At degree 6, you possibly can even swap locations together with your phantasm utilizing a Bonus Motion.
At degree 17, you can provide your allies Benefit on a goal by having your phantasm stand inside 5 ft of the enemy.
Struggle Area Cleric is what you assume it’s, and means that you can focus extra on beating down enemies utilizing bodily violence along with your spells.
At degree 3, you’ll be capable to forged highly effective Struggle Area spells and empower your allies to have a greater likelihood to hit with their assaults.
The extent 17 improve provides you resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing injury. That may not sound very horny in comparison with the opposite capstones, however that may massively lower the injury you’re taking from all martial enemies, permitting you to be the final beacon of hope in a tricky battle.
