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Rerem115
2017-09-05, 10:05 AM
A friend of mine has an idea for a flagellant cleric of Ilmater with a custom clerical domain. So, we did a little brewing last night and came up with this. We're still not happy with the domain spells or level 17 feature, and we're open to suggestions. Without further ado, here's the Cleric of Pain.

Domain Spells
Cure Wounds, Inflict Wounds
Augury, Warding Bond
Mass Healing Word, Vampiric Touch
Blight, Stoneskin
Contagion, Greater Restoration

Level 1--Bonus Proficiency
At level 1, you gain proficiency with whips

Level 1--Flagellation
You can cast spells with a range of touch and spells requiring a melee spell attack as a melee spell attack with a whip. You can use whips as a spell focus. Additionally, when you cast a healing spell that doesn't target you, you can whip yourself for 1d8 damage to heal another creature the same amount. This amount goes up to 2d8 at 5th level, 3d8 at 11th level, and 4d8 at 17th level.

Level 2--Channel Divinity: Strike of Suffering
As a bonus action, you can empower your whip with pain. For the next minute, the next successful attack you make with your whip deals an extra 2d10 + your Cleric level necrotic damage. The damaged creature must make a Wisdom save against your spell DC. On a fail, the creature experiences tremendous pain, falling prone, becoming incapacitated and unable to stand up for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, and each time it takes damage, the target can make another Wisdom saving throw. The target has advantage on the saving throw if it’s triggered by damage. On a success, the effect ends.

Level 6--Accustomed to Pain
As a reaction, you can gain resistance to all damage until the start of your next turn. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier and regain all expended uses after a long rest.

Level 8--Divine Strike
Once on each of your turns, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack you can deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage. This increases to 2d8 at 14th level.

Level 17--Exemplar of Agony
At 17th level, your suffering sustains you so that you suffer none of the frailty of old age, and you can't be aged magically. You can still die of old age, however. In addition, you no longer need food or water.

Also, you can take on the suffering of your allies. As a reaction, when an ally you can see would be reduced to 0 hit points, you can negate the damage. You can use this ability once per short rest.

JNAProductions
2017-09-05, 10:57 AM
Level 17--Transcendent Mutilation
Whenever you damage yourself with Flagellation, you regain one expended spell slot of 3rd level or lower.

Cure Wounds level 3: Heals for 3d8+5, average of 18.5.

Flagellation at level 17: Deals an average of 18 points of damage.

Nevermind, only works when targeting OTHER people. That being said, two clerics of pain could infinitely heal each other pretty easily with this. Plus, it feels WAY too strong even without that niche abuse.

Other than that, looks good.

Rerem115
2017-09-05, 11:01 AM
Aight, I could lessen that a bit. Changed level 17 to second level or lower.

JNAProductions
2017-09-05, 11:05 AM
While on the one hand, I think spell recovery is too much, it's probably okay at 2nd level or lower. It does allow for a lot of friendly healing (and again, two Clerics of Pain can infini-heal each other) but... I dunno.

What about giving it something like the War Cleric's capstone? Call it "inured to pain" or something. Except that treads on the level 6 feature's toes...

What about this?

"At level 17, you gain the ability to gain power from pain. Whenever you deal damage, you gain half the damage dealt as THP."

Pretty potent, especially with a powerful spell, but it feels less abusable to me.

Rerem115
2017-09-05, 11:10 AM
The problem with an ability like that is that you'd have to put some pretty severe limitations on that; how do you calculate AoEs? How does that interact with Flagellation? I like the idea, but I'm not sure how to properly implement it. I'll admit, this is a lot of why we had so much trouble coming up with the level 17 feature; it's hard to be strong and impactful without being broken or stepping on the life cleric's toes.

JNAProductions
2017-09-05, 11:13 AM
Flagellation does not trigger it-word it as "Damage someone else".

As for AoEs, you take the highest single instance of damage. So let's say you cast Fireball (I know, not on the list, but I'm AFB at the moment) to three enemies-one who resists fire, one who has nothing special, and one who is vulnerable to fire.

You roll 30 damage on your 8d6-dealing 15, 30, and 45 damage. So you'd gain 23 THP-equal to half the highest damage.

Rerem115
2017-09-05, 11:16 AM
That's not what I meant with regards to Flagellation; you cast one spell, and then you have a massive bank of temporary hit points you can draw from to heal your allies.

JNAProductions
2017-09-05, 11:20 AM
That's not what I meant with regards to Flagellation; you cast one spell, and then you have a massive bank of temporary hit points you can draw from to heal your allies.

Bluh, making me take out my book...

Blight, 4th level spell. Does 8d8 damage, so gives you 4d8 THP on a failed save. Good for ONE Flagellation.

Blade Barrier could be good-does 6d10 (save for half) which gives you 3d10 or 15.5 THP each time someone fails their save. That's almost enough to cover a single Flagellation, but could proc several times.

But yeah. Clerics don't have a lot of high-damaging spells. In addition, you'd have to be spending a LOT of time and slots healing to make use of it, which is generally inefficient.

Rerem115
2017-09-05, 11:23 AM
Hmm. I'll talk with the guy who wants to play this and get his input. It would probably work out.

JNAProductions
2017-09-05, 11:24 AM
Hmm. I'll talk with the guy who wants to play this and get his input. It would probably work out.

Let us know how playtesting goes. That's the best measure of balance.

Rerem115
2017-09-05, 11:18 PM
All right, I met up with my buddy, and after talking for a while, we found an alternative to the 17th level feature. We think it meshes pretty well both mechanically and flavorfully with the class.

JBPuffin
2017-09-05, 11:31 PM
Do you mean up to on Flagellation, or does it always have to be the listed number of dice? Can I not flagellate for 1d8 at 5th?

Rerem115
2017-09-06, 12:15 AM
The intention was for the damage to be forcibly scaled; once you hit 5th level, you can no longer use the ability for 1d8, you have to use 2d8.

JNAProductions
2017-09-06, 09:13 AM
Exemplar of Agony feels WAY too weak now.

Rerem115
2017-09-07, 06:15 PM
What would you say about adding some sort of Con or hp boost, ala the barbarian capstone or Tough feat?