Darkness Domain for Clerics

[JamesIntrocaso]

So I'm doing a little worldbuilding for my next campaign world where dwarves and tieflings have been locked underground together for decades. It got me thinking about how they might pray to a deity of darkness for protection and what else a deity like that would have to offer. The darkness domain could be about keeping secrets concealed and surviving the night. I did a write up about it here and posted the mechanical bits below. Let me know what you all think. This forum has been great with helping me tweak ideas so thank you all so much for that.

https://worldbuilderblog.me/2017/01/12/darkness-a-new-cleric-domain/

Darkness DomainThe Darkness domain focuses on what is hidden, both physically and within one's soul. Followers of darkness gods depend on these deities to keep secrets concealed and loved ones safe in the darkness. These are powers many pray to just before they go to sleep so that they might wake again. Subterranean cultures in particular hold this domain in high regard, since they live in darkness. The gods of this domain are often depicted as hooded or concealed figures that sometimes lack form. Some of the gods are referred to as gods of night, dark magic, or secrets.

Darkness Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells
1st sanctuary, sleep
3rd darkness, darkvision
5th fear, nondetection
7th black tentacles, phantasmal killer
9th dream, mislead

Bonus ProficiencyWhen you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor.

Favor in DarknessAlso starting at 1st level, you gain blindsight to a range of 15 feet.

Channel Divinity: Clinging DarknessStarting at 2nd level, you hurl a shadow at one creature you can see within 30 feet of you as an action. That creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become fully bound in the shadow for 1 minute. While bound in the shadow the creature is blinded and restrained. It can repeat the saving throw each time it takes damage, or on its turn as an action, ending the blinded and restrained conditions on a success.

Superior Favor in DarknessStarting at 6th level, your blindsight increases to a range of 30 feet.

Divine StrikeAt 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 cold or necrotic damage (your choice) to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Darkness SavantAt 17th level, your blindsight increases to a range of 60 feet. In addition, targets of your clinging darkness take 4d6 cold damage and 4d6 necrotic damage when they first become bound in the shadow by failing a Constitution saving throw. This damage does not allow them to repeat their saving throws.

[Beechgnome]

For that capstone, are you saying it does both necrotic and cold damage, or just one of your choice?

Looks good, pretty clean and easy to play and nicely themed. I feel like blindsight is an option I'd like to see more available than it has been in the character classes and spells, and I like how you slowly unravel its range.

A couple of thoughts:

Your clinging darkness both blinds and restrains, both of which have overlapping side-effects. I wonder if it would be simpler to just say something like "the opponent is blinded and they have a movement of 0."

2) The spells are good. You could add Hunger of Hadar instead of Fear at 3rd, but maybe you only need so many 'tentacles of darkness spells'. Another possibility at 3rd would be Protection from Energy, to counter the nasty powers of those cursed Light Domain casters. And at 5th level you could swap Mislead with Modify Memory if you want to reinforce this idea of clouding both the mind as well as the senses. But those are all just suggestions. The spells are fine.

[JamesIntrocaso]

For that capstone, are you saying it does both necrotic and cold damage, or just one of your choice?

Looks good, pretty clean and easy to play and nicely themed. I feel like blindsight is an option I'd like to see more available than it has been in the character classes and spells, and I like how you slowly unravel its range.

A couple of thoughts:

Your clinging darkness both blinds and restrains, both of which have overlapping side-effects. I wonder if it would be simpler to just say something like "the opponent is blinded and they have a movement of 0."

2) The spells are good. You could add Hunger of Hadar instead of Fear at 3rd, but maybe you only need so many 'tentacles of darkness spells'. Another possibility at 3rd would be Protection from Energy, to counter the nasty powers of those cursed Light Domain casters. And at 5th level you could swap Mislead with Modify Memory if you want to reinforce this idea of clouding both the mind as well as the senses. But those are all just suggestions. The spells are fine.

Thank you for this feedback!

I do want to add Hunger of Hadar, but it wasn't in the SRD.

I was thinking it would do both types of damage at 17th, but let me know your thoughts on that!

[Gr7mm Bobb]

Overall it looks pretty reasonable. The level 1 blindsight makes me a little wary. I feel that might be abated with some education though. If possible could you provide a summary of what it means for the PC to have blindsight?

I'm aware of the 14th level rogue feature 'blindsense' which just tells you about shenanigens within your radius. I am just uncertain of the difference between the 2. Been following your material quite a bit, been using the heck out of your common item list.

[JamesIntrocaso]

Overall it looks pretty reasonable. The level 1 blindsight makes me a little wary. I feel that might be abated with some education though. If possible could you provide a summary of what it means for the PC to have blindsight?

I'm aware of the 14th level rogue feature 'blindsense' which just tells you about shenanigens within your radius. I am just uncertain of the difference between the 2. Been following your material quite a bit, been using the heck out of your common item list.

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad the common items are work

Here's blindsight. Essentially it means you can see in that radius. So you'd be able to function in the dark, and detect any invisible creatures who aren't using Dexterity (Stealth).

"A creature with blindsight can perceive its surroundings without relying on sight, within a specific radius. Creatures without eyes, such as oozes, and creatures with echolocation or heightened senses, such as bats and true dragons, have this sense."

[Beechgnome]

I had forgotten about the potential for abuse with the blindsight a feature at first level. You'd probably get a lot of people dipping just for that.

Maybe better to make it limited use. Like "as a bonus action on your turn, you can grant blindsight to 15' to yourself or an ally within 30 feet. The enhanced senses last until the end of your next turn. You can use this feature up to your wisdom modifier per long rest (minimum 1)."

That would gimp dippers but give the added ability to share it with allies. Later enhancements can extend range, duration and maybe include multiple beneficiaries.

[Gr7mm Bobb]

I'm with Beechgnome on this. I don't really feel too comfortable with a 1st level feature that is always on as well as completely ignoring the Visual side of Illusion spells and abilities. It makes Fog Cloud pretty ridiculous and completely gimps spells like Mirror Image. Also being able to share with friends lets it sit comfy with the Light Domains 1st level feature and its 6th level upgrade.

[PotatoGolem]

Blindsight actually seems a bit weak, if anything. This gets Divine Strike, so it's a more martial cleric subclass, but no martial weapons and no way to get shillelagh. I think weaker weapons will come up way more often than invisibility or visual-only illusions in most campaigns.

Actually, on second thought, where does it say you can ignore visual illusions? It just says you can see. It's not true sight or tremorsense, so there's nothing that would really imply that you don't see, for instance, all four mirror images

[Gr7mm Bobb]

PotatoGolem brings up a point with the 8th feature that I agree with. Why doesn't the class have either Martial Weapons (specific or general) to go with divine strikes. or just potent spellcasting like the Light domain has?

If an Illusion is purely visual and Blinsigth percieves things without actually seeing it, then it would not percieve things that only exist visually. It's a way of percieving the world without the sense of sight itself. I don't let creature read things like books and scrolls with blindsight. And by that logical things that are designed to fool only sight (mirror image) wouldn't work on blindsight.