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View Full Version : [4E] Domains and Divinity Feats (Divine Power Preview)



RTGoodman
2009-04-11, 11:57 AM
I just happened to see this Divine Power preview tucked away in this month's Ampersand article (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dramp/2009April), and I wondered if anyone else has taken a look at it.

Basically, Domains are an optional system that's being introduced wherein (assuming the DM okays it) a divine character can select a domain from his deity (Erathis offers Civilization, Creation, and Justice, for instance) and then qualify for special Divinity and Domain feats and such. Apparently there are over 30 domains in DP, and each god gets a few.

The Power of Justice [Domain] feat, for instance, gives you a bonus on Insight checks, plus the following:



Benefit: When you use a power associated with this feat and hit an enemy with it, each bloodied ally within 10 squares of you gains a +1 power bonus to attack rolls until the start of your next turn.
Powers: bond of censure (avenger DP), mantle of the infidel (invoker DP), righteous brand (cleric PH), virtuous strike (paladin DP)

The associated Justice Divinity feat, Immediate Justice, gives you a further Channel Divinity ability, this one allowing you to auto-damage an enemy as an immediate reaction whenever that enemy knocks an ally down to 0 hp or less or damages an unconscious ally. Seems pretty cool to me - even if I wasn't planning on using domains, I might allow it as a Channel Divinity feat for Bahamut or whoever anyway.


Personally, and unlike a lot of new previews I've seen that were very "meh" for me, I really like this one. The only problem I have is that it explicitly says that, if you worship multiple deities with the same domain (Avandra, Ioun, and the Raven Queen for the Destiny domain), you gain access to ALL of their domains. That just sounds like a LOT, though I don't imagine it'd be overpowered or anything.

Any other thoughts?


EDIT: Also, I really look forward to homebrewing some domains and the associated feats.

Oracle_Hunter
2009-04-11, 12:16 PM
Hmm... interesting. So long as Divine Power is the last Divine Class expansion, these hold up well - otherwise you're going to have to keep updating the "associated powers" table.

Personally, I've always hated the idea of the "omnicleric" - someone who just worships... stuff. All the gods, philosophies and what have you. Yes, even in 2E where that was the default Cleric fluff.

I'd use these feats, but with the limitation that each character can only pick one Domain and gain access to the feat from that Domain. Unlike CD Feats, it doesn't look like there's any limitations as to when they'd be active, which is problematic IMHO.

Drakefall
2009-04-11, 12:45 PM
Hurray for more cleric uniqueness! Pretty much the only thing that's ever erked me about 4e is that all clerics are the same despite their god. For instance a cleric of Gruumsh could be healing just as much as my cleric of Pelor bar the channel divinity feat >.<.

This news certainly makes me all warm and fuzzy.:smallbiggrin: