Best Published Deity for Clerics? (3.5)

[LogosDragon]

I'm going to guess most people will say Olidammara, what with having all of Celerity, Trickery, and Luck as domains (I've heard good words for all of those domains, especially Celerity, so having access to all of those probably isn't too shabby).

And yes, I know that Clerics are allowed to "worship concepts" or something like that and enjoy their scrumptious Elf/Time/Spell/Magic/Travel/Celerity/omgwtfbbq domains.

This is more of an experiment with the books available. Which deity would you guys say has access to the best domains for a Cleric? Not counting the Beliefs system in Ravenloft, though I don't know if there's anything good hidden away there anyway.

EDIT: Oh, and try to avoid Dragon Mag. For conciseness of sources and because I really don't count Dragon Mag as official. But if you must mention something from it, ok then.

[tadkins]

Off the top of my head, Boccob (Knowledge, Magic, Trickery) and Fharlanghn (Celerity, Travel, Luck) have pretty solid domain choices. Bahamut seems to have a good variety as well.

[Spherical Time]

I always took one with War and with a common weapon so that I'd have martial weapon proficiency and weapon focus with some nice weapon as a cleric. The whole tanking cleric thing was always a lot of fun.

Corellon Larethian, typically, was what I went with, but there are lots of others.

I can't find my deities and demigods, but I wonder if there's one with Luck and War? That would be awesome.

[Tokuhara]

Depends on what you're doing.

I personally use Ra a lot for my Clerics (War, Sun, Glory, Knowledge) in general, Red Knight in Faerun, the Sovereign in Eberron, and Zoser for my Evil Cleric NPCs (Spiked Chain-wielding Cleric/Walker in the Waste Clericzillas)

[Kajhera]

Aasternian. Chaos, Dragon, Luck, Travel, Trickery, [Charm, Illusion, Trade (Forgotten Realms) ]. Her worship also seems quite relaxed and very amenable to chasing plothooks.

The Forgotten Realms domains of Chronepsis also have their merits ... but he's a rather intimidating entity to be a cleric of, since you don't exactly worship him like normal. And because he's cold and distant and all of that.

[Doc_Maynot]

Well I'm a big fan of The Burning Hate -I mean Pelor. He has the two domains which set a lot of clerics apart from most other classes. Healing, and Sun (Undead turning). Also being the banner holder for the Glory, Nobility, Pride, Purification, and in some sources the Strength and Travel domains.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

One of my favorites is Zarus (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20041203a&page=1): Destiny, Evil, Law, Strength, War (Greatsword). More for a combat focused Cleric starting at a low level, but later on you've got DMM: Persist with Choose Destiny from the Destiny domain.

A similar one is Thrym from Frostburn: Chaos, Cold, Earth, Evil, Strength, War (Greataxe). I'm extremely partial to anyone that grants the Cold domain, though.

The Divine Magician ACF in CM can be substituted for a second domain on any Cleric, regardless of deity.

[ArcturusV]

I kinda like Fierna, even though she isn't a "God" but just an Archdevil (Still grants spells though). Ransuer as a favored weapon? Not bad though lacks the war domain to really make it hum. But I suppose if you could pick up an extra domain with a dip somewhere, there it is and not bad. Knowledge, Trickery, and Evil isn't a bad (If not ultra powerful) array.

I also like Scahrossar, again, lack of war domain, but favored weapon is a whip. A dip to pick up War somehow and get it would be nice, save me an exotic weapon prof. Evil, Pain, and Death isn't a stellar domain selection, but there's some nice stuff in there. Pain is kinda handy to have as an emergency heal when you Clericzilla smacks someone for a few hundred damage and heals up completely at the same time. Good swing for a Boss Fight.

[123456789blaaa]

Sertrous is technically a demon lord/Elder Evil and not a god but clerics worshipping him can choose their domains freely as if they were clerics devoted to an ideal. This is an exception to the general rule that Elder Evils cannot grant divine power. Sertrous also gives Elder Evil bonus Vile feats at the same time. This makes him pretty much the most optimal being to worship for nongood clerics.

[Curmudgeon]

How about Yeenoghu (actually a demon prince rather than a god)? You can pick up the domains Bestial (Book of Vile Darkness, page 80) and Demonic (Fiendish Codex I, pages 88-89); those are both uncommon, interesting, and powerful.

[nedz]

It depends what you are trying to do

Sehanine Moonbow is quite nice for Illusion, Travel, Trickery


Well I'm a big fan of The Burning Hate -I mean Pelor. He has the two domains which set a lot of clerics apart from most other classes. Healing, and Sun (Undead turning). Also being the banner holder for the Glory, Nobility, Pride, Purification, and in some sources the Strength and Travel domains.

Also RSOP.

BTW do you have a source for the Travel domain ?
I've seen the Portal domain quoted, which is similar.

[Alleran]

Mystra has Illusion, Rune and Spell among her domains, all of which have useful spells in them (without getting into the other benefits that having Mystra as a goddess can provide).

[Gwendol]

Mystra and Akadia seem like solid choices.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Mystra is the go-to for powerful choices, for more reasons than just domains. The Initiate of Mystra feat (PGtF) adds additional powerful spells to your general cleric list, and lets you cast spells in antimagic and dead magic areas. You can take the feat Servant of the Fallen (LEoF) for the old LN Mystra who died during the Time of Troubles, and even if your DM kills off the current Mystra you'll still get spells and domain powers as though the old one who you worship is still alive. Note that killing the current Mystra (goddess of magic) will cause the entire setting to become a dead magic area, but you can still cast thanks to Initiate of Mystra. Then there's the Dweomerkeeper (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20040522a) prestige class. It's the ultimate fail-safe tier 1 character for a high level game where you suspect the DM may pull something like that.

Recalling Servant of the Fallen reminded me to check the dead deities list in Lost Empires of Faerun: Amaunator (LN) gives Planning, Sun, and Time among others, and Leira (CN) gives Charm, Illusion, Spell, and Trickery. There's also Moander (CE) who grants the Slime domain along with Corruption, Destruction, and Evil, I think he's the only deity besides Ghaunadaur who gives access to Slime.

[Big Fau]

Sertrous is technically a demon lord/Elder Evil and not a god but clerics worshipping him can choose their domains freely as if they were clerics devoted to an ideal. This is an exception to the general rule that Elder Evils cannot grant divine power. Sertrous also gives Elder Evil bonus Vile feats at the same time. This makes him pretty much the most optimal being to worship for nongood clerics.

Yeah, anyy domain and bonus vile feats for serving an Elder Evil is awesome.

Other than that, I think the Sovereign Host (worshiped as a pantheon) is the best because of the Sovereign Speaker PrC. Hard to go wrong with a bonus domain each level.

[Firechanter]

Barring Sovereign Host, I'd rate anything with the Travel domain in the top tier. Awesome domain power, awesome spells, and even if for some reason you don't want the domain (because maybe you're just dipping), awesome Devotion.

Consequently, Fharlanghn is awesome because you can take your pick petween Travel, Celerity and Luck.

Looking beyond 3.5, in the Golarion Pantheon, Desna has the single best domain selection, hands down - only the favoured weapon sucks. Deities with more interesting weapons tend to have a poorer domain selection.

[Doc_Maynot]

BTW do you have a source for the Travel domain ?
I've seen the Portal domain quoted, which is similar.

Travel Domain, the domain? It's on page 188 in the player's handbook.

And I've seen Pelor attributed with travel online, but i'm not sure from which book. Oh, and he also gains community in Compete Divine so even more in his list of domains.

Yeah, he has a lot of (similar) domains.

Kinda funny really but in 4th he adds time to his list of duties as a god. So, if anyone wanted to pull that over he would offer the time domain too.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Any character who qualifies for Seeker of the Misty Isle can get the Travel domain, regardless of deity.

[Firechanter]

Yeah, but you have to have Elven bood. :6

(Although I guess I'd allow anyone with Ruathar 3 to qualify.)

[nedz]

Travel Domain, the domain? It's on page 188 in the player's handbook.

And I've seen Pelor attributed with travel online, but i'm not sure from which book. Oh, and he also gains community in Compete Divine so even more in his list of domains.

Yeah, he has a lot of (similar) domains.

Kinda funny really but in 4th he adds time to his list of duties as a god. So, if anyone wanted to pull that over he would offer the time domain too.

I meant a source for Pelor having the Travel domain, no matter.

[Psyren]

Other than that, I think the Sovereign Host (worshiped as a pantheon) is the best because of the Sovereign Speaker PrC. Hard to go wrong with a bonus domain each level.

This, and they get bonus domain slots too. Great PrC!

[Feytalist]

Okay, so this isn't quite in the spirit of the OP, but the feat Heretic of the Faith from Power of Faerun allows you, among other things, to choose any new domain in place of an old one (as long as you can support your choice, fluff-wise).

[Fax Celestis]

I'm a big fan of worshipping the Sovereign Host, since it gives you access to an absolutely ludicrous number of domains (and the equally ludicrous Sovereign Speaker PrC).

Worshipping the Sovereign Host gives you access to: Air, Animal, Artifice, Celerity, Chaos, Charm, Commerce, Community, Competition, Creation, Earth, Family, Feast, Fire, Force, Glory, Good, Healing, Knowledge, Law, Liberation, Life, Luck, Magic, Metal, Mind, Oracle, Pact, Plant, Pride, Protection, Retribution, Spell, Strength, Sun, Trade, Travel, War, Warforged, Wealth, and Weather.

[Psyren]

I enjoytheir fluff too. "What's that? You worship a giant mound of beetle-infested dung? Yeah we totally have a deity for that, you're in; sign here."

They're the DriveTime of pantheons.

[Firechanter]

Well, Eberron takes the Powercreep to a new level that even FR never dreamed of, so the Sovereign Host is hardly comparable to other settings' deities.

[Psyren]

Well, Eberron takes the Powercreep to a new level that even FR never dreamed of, so the Sovereign Host is hardly comparable to other settings' deities.

Eberron, more overpowered than FR?

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *breathes* HAHAHAHA

[Fax Celestis]

Sure. It's horizontal power creep rather than vertical, though.

[Big Fau]

Well, Eberron takes the Powercreep to a new level that even FR never dreamed of, so the Sovereign Host is hardly comparable to other settings' deities.


Eberron, more overpowered than FR?

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *breathes* HAHAHAHA


Sure. It's horizontal power creep rather than vertical, though.

With three exceptions (Planar Shepherd, Artificer, and that stupid freaking city in Dragons of Eberron), Fax and Psyren are right. Eberron is lower-powered than FR. FR has Epic-level characters walking around, deities that physically intervene in worldly affairs (including granting obscure benefits to those Epic-level characters), and more artifacts than Magic: the Gathering.

[ZamielVanWeber]

How about Yeenoghu (actually a demon prince rather than a god)? You can pick up the domains Bestial (Book of Vile Darkness, page 80) and Demonic (Fiendish Codex I, pages 88-89); those are both uncommon, interesting, and powerful.

I was going to mention Karaan for the Bestial Domian.

Props to Doresain for the immensely fun (and decently strong) Hunger domain.