Favorite Cleric Domains? Be thorough please!

[magicalmagicman]

Please be as thorough as possible on why you like that domain and what you don't like about it. If you like certain domain spells, please explain why you like that spell on a cleric. I've been searching online for a while, but everyone is very brief for me to make an informed decision. Like one person says Trickery! and that's the end. Several say Time! and no other elaborations. I am overwhelmed by number of domains available to me and I can't really decide which ones I want. Since the game I'm in isn't that high-op, I'm considering both Power and Fun, as in if x domain is stronger, I might still go with y, which is more fun.

[Twurps]

to me: a question this broad is impossible to answer. Favorite for what?
Am I building a DMM cleric: panning domain for extend spell feat, and/or Undeath domain for extra turning.
Am I building a martial, just dipping cleric? For a frontline combatant it might be war domain, for free weapon proficiency and focus. On a 'swift hunter' build: travel domain, to swap for travel devotion.

You don't pick a domain and then make a build. You make a build, and then choose appropriate domains.

[Bucky]

I like the Pathfinder Liberation domain for action economy reasons. The ability to 'nope' a variety of lockdown without even committing any actions or spells lets the cleric break encounters without even trying.

The domain spells are disappointing since they already appear on the cleric spell list, but a couple of them like Freedom of Movement and Greater Dispel are always nice to have in an extra slot.

[magicalmagicman]

to me: a question this broad is impossible to answer. Favorite for what?
Am I building a DMM cleric: panning domain for extend spell feat, and/or Undeath domain for extra turning.
Am I building a martial, just dipping cleric? For a frontline combatant it might be war domain, for free weapon proficiency and focus. On a 'swift hunter' build: travel domain, to swap for travel devotion.

You don't pick a domain and then make a build. You make a build, and then choose appropriate domains.

Whatever domain you enjoyed playing with as a cleric. Doesn't have to be optimized, just what you liked. If you were primarily a necromancer and liked the Undeath Domain a lot because the cap increase helped a lot, then say that. If you didn't like certain domain spells or you loved certain one, say that and also share what made you love it so much.

If you played 10 clerics fully optimized to the brim, all with different optimization focus, and none of the domains were more than a optimization tool and you never really used their domain spells, then I guess you wouldn't reply to the thread because you don't have favorites.

Like, if you loved planning domain because it freed up a feat for DMM because you were cramming something else along with DMM:persist in your build, share that.

I'm not looking for good or best domains, i'm looking for favorite domains.

[flappeercraft]

I like the Domination domain because it is so useful when trying to get lackeys, beatsticks and fireball fodder. This is because the spell Monstrous Thrall is in the domain which makes it so the targetted creature is permanently under your control.

[nolongerchaos]

Personally, I'm a fan of the Deathbound domain from Libris Mortis. It adds some pretty sweet Necromancy spells that clerics otherwise would miss out on, and it's delightful for Dread Necromancer's to pick up with Arcane Disciple. That said, I'm not too big on the only deity to offer it as a domain...

I also like the Darkness domain, but that's mostly because it's the only (simple) way I'm aware of for a non-Archivist to access Armor of Darkness (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/spells/armorOfDarkness.htm).

[Hiro Quester]

Celerity Domain is pretty good, for adding several useful non-cleric spells to your list, including haste and time stop. Plus +10 movement is generally useful.

It may not be the most powerful domain, but it's one I'd want.

[Thurbane]

Luck and Destiny: re-rolls, baby!

Obligatory linkage to Curmudgeon's excellent list: http://ftm3.altervista.org/ASMoNM/domains.html

[NoAnonimo]

Obligatory linkage to Curmudgeon's excellent list: http://ftm3.altervista.org/ASMoNM/domains.html

What an Amazing tool! Be aware that that it doesn't list the planar handbook domains, but amazing indeed.

[denthor]

trickery is great it allows you to turn invisible

war is decent it allows you to carry you deities weapon

travel allows for 1st fast movement 2nd locate object ? who cares 3rd fly 4th d door escape 5th teleport

what do you want to do?

death gives create undead and a touch attack that can kill

[Thurbane]

What an Amazing tool! Be aware that that it doesn't list the planar handbook domains, but amazing indeed.

He has that covered in a separate list: http://ftm3.altervista.org/ASMoNM/PlanarDomains.html

[RoboEmperor]

Luck and Destiny: re-rolls, baby!

Obligatory linkage to Curmudgeon's excellent list: http://ftm3.altervista.org/ASMoNM/domains.html

Does he cite sources? I can't for the life of me find where he got Demonic Domain for Lolth. Also, lolth is weird, is she a FR deity or a Greyhawk deity?

[rel]

Travel
Domain power lets you escape grapples, paralysis and so forth so you can cast freedom of movement properly.
Spell selection features a lot of strong non-cleric spells; longstrider, locate object, fly, DDoor, teleport and greater teleport.

Magic
You can use wands and scrolls like a wizard and you get some good spells you don't normally get; identify, AMF, spell turning, disjunction.

Pride
spells are mediocre but the domain power allows you to reroll any ones rolled for saving throws.

Kobold
domain power grants trapfinding.

spell domain
grants the anyspell spell line and disjunction


protection and trickery domains recieve honorary mentions for providing mind blank and time stop respectively.

[ranagrande]

Does he cite sources? I can't for the life of me find where he got Demonic Domain for Lolth. Also, lolth is weird, is she a FR deity or a Greyhawk deity?
She's both. When they made the Forgotten Realms, they just directly copied all of the non-human deities from Greyhawk.

[xkroku]

I was recently doing a Swift Hunter build, and a 1 level cleric dip was very great, mainly due to domains

By worshipping Ehlonna I got
Elf domain, which is great for archer-clerics. Both for its granted power and spells (at least the 1st and 2nd level ones).
Celerity domain: you get +10 ft. land speed or you can trade it for Travel Devotion. Both are great for a swift hunter. And if playing full cleric: you get Time Stop baby!

(oh and worshipping Ehlonna is also nice for the sweet sweet Raptor Arrows)

[Kaleph]

I especially like:

Travel, because of the domain power (I like mobility), the spells and the devotion feat.
Luck, because re-rolls are gold, and the high-level spells are also good.
Trickery, in case you want a skill-based cloistered cleric. And the spell list is probably the best.

As you see, I'm a fan of Oghma - and, as we speak of it, this deity also offers Knowledge (which is an ok-domain and, when dipping, can be exchanged for Knowledge devotion) and Charme, which offers a lot of spells which aren't on the cleric's list.

Other domains which are good for dipping are Planning (because of extend spell) and Metals (in the forgotten realms version, not one but two feats for free).

In any case, when I choose domain and deity, I primarily try to extend as much as possible my spell list, in the fields I'm interested into.

[RoboEmperor]

Shadow Domain. It's Minor Creation + Major Creation + Eschew Materials combined into one. Shadow Conjuration that is.

Also Contingency.

I also use the Spontaneous Domain Casting ACF with it and you become a lesser Shadowcraft Mage at higher levels. Emphasis on lesser.

Demonic Domain as it lets me skip Malconvoker on my cleric.

Lust Domain as it turns my MAD cleric into a SAD one, but you already know about these two XD

[DRD1812]

I love Pathfinder's Plant (growth) domain. The relevant ability is this:


Enlarge (Su): As a swift action you can enlarge yourself for 1 round, as if you were the target of the enlarge person spell. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.

It enables this weird grow/shrink fighting style with reach weapons. The sequence is:

1. Grow to large size and ready to trip.
2. Enjoy your readied trip attempt and your opportunity attack as the baddie approaches.
3. If you failed on the trip, eat some damage from the now-adjacent enemy.
4. On your turn, you shrink back down. Choose to "shrink away" from your enemy.
5. Grow to large size again. Make sure to "grow away" from your enemy.
6. Full attack.
7. 5' step away to set up the next attack of opportunity.
8. If you succeeded on your previous trip attempt, enjoy your two attacks of opp as the enemy first rises from prone and then tries to close.

It's stupid and gimmicky and I love the crap out of it. And since it's available as a one level dip, you can easily tack it onto whatever reach fighter you might have lying around.

[magicalmagicman]

Awesome inputs everyone!

Monstrous Thrall though. Instantaneous (OMFG AWESOME) -> Permanent (Meh) -> 24hr/level (sucks). It's too bad SpC ruined this awesome spell.

[flappeercraft]

Awesome inputs everyone!

Monstrous Thrall though. Instantaneous (OMFG AWESOME) -> Permanent (Meh) -> 24hr/level (sucks). It's too bad SpC ruined this awesome spell.

Actually on the text on SpC it is Permanent, the duration line does say 24 hours/level although if you read it you can see that it is based on True Domination and it afterwards says it is instead permanent which makes it seem like a typo when copy pasting True Domination and making it into Monstrous thrall.

[Eldariel]

spell domain
grants the anyspell spell line and disjunction

Limited Wish is also big game. A superb choice for Spontaneous Domain Casting [PHBII].


protection and trickery domains recieve honorary mentions for providing mind blank and time stop respectively.

Trickery gives Polymorph Any Object even more importantly. It's an insane spell, and totally changes the game.

[Boblar]

Luck has already been mentioned, but its one of my favourites. Any opportunity to confound the DM by smugly rerolling the dice makes me EXTREMELY hard, regardless of the ultimate result.

The Community domain is the one that surprised me during my last playthrough as a cleric. The Greater Status spell is great and handy for low level remote healing but for me its all about divine access to Telepathic Bond since our DM is fairly strict about us talking amongst ourselves in front of NPCs. Calm Emotions and the bonus to diplomacy was great since we didn't have a bard. I guess if your party has a bard or telepath, and/or you will be taking the Metamagic Reach feat, this Domain isn't so hot.

[Eldariel]

Oh yeah. Animal has Shapechange, which alone is enough to make it worth it. The best spell in the game.

[PeglegJim]

My mainstay is the chaos domain because it's widely available, has some interesting subdomains and some neat powers that involve rerolls and such. Plus I like chaotic deities.

I managed to talk my GM into letting my inquisitor have the whimsy domain which was a ton of fun since he could cast hideous laughter from it.

[Troacctid]

It's not a domain per se, but I like the Arcane Disciple variant class (which gives up domains) a lot. You basically get to cherry-pick whatever spells you want off the Sor/Wiz list. It's great. Also gets 4 skill points per level instead of 2, and sort of gets the Magic domain, kind of.

You can get the "Lite" version with Divine Magician and only trade away one domain, which is cool too, I guess. The school restrictions on it are no fun, though—you can't get any of the good Conjuration, Transmutation, or Evocation spells.

I like the War domain in the context of Ordained Champion. Ordained Champion is one of my favorite prestige classes, and it can make great use of almost all the spells in the domain with the free Quicken effect and spontaneous casting. I love the action economy of it.

Travel domain is another of my favorites, because I really like teleporting! You get Dimension Door and Teleport, plus a great domain ability, and there's a cool initiate feat that can also give you Overland Flight as well, so all in all it's great.

I'm also a fan of the Incarnum domain, AKA "The One You Take if You're a Sapphire Hierarch." Sapphire Hierarch is another of my favorite Cleric prestige classes. I enjoy having the extra "always on" abilities offered by incarnum, and Sapphire Hierarch offers 11th level meldshaping at the cost of a one-level dip, which is a great bargain. The Incarnum domain spells are mostly mediocre, but I do really like Wall of Incarnum, and Incarnum Weapon is decent as well.

I find the planar domains really interesting, especially if they can be combined with the spontaneous domain casting variant. I've never used them, but one of these days I want to try one just to see how it plays.

[King539]

Planning, Celerity, Travel, and Time.

[mabriss lethe]

I love the four elemental domains. They're fun, mostly because they're somewhat forgettable, The spells are all OK, and the granted power is.. meh, at first glance, but unlike a lot of element specific options they give you tools to use against creatures that have your favorite element as a type. In theory, you can even rebuke True dragons (though it's easier said than done due to obnoxiously high hd that even weaker dragons have.) You can add a good bit of versatility to a character by being dragonblooded, grabbing Extra Turning to boost all of your turning pools and then pick up Dragonfire Channeling. Stock damage is half fire/half sacred, though it can be modified. Damage will never be superb, but its really fun at lower levels to have an area effect spell that you can effectively spam when there's nothing undead or elemental to turn or rebuke.