Cleric Ideas

[tstewt1921]

So I'm going to be playing a Cleric in a new 5e game, we are starting a level 6, I'm a little unfamiliar with 5e so I'm curious what options or what you think a good build would be?

[lunaticfringe]

Do you want to front line or hang back?

What sources are you permitted?

[Honest Tiefling]

Consider playing a build that suits your party. Not only do you get brownie points for making such a build, you might play something you wouldn't otherwise to see if you like it.

If your party is heavy on frontliners/melee, consider a support or blasty domain to get some ranged damage and buffs. If no one is willing to go to the front line, slap on a domain with heavy armor and wade into battle!

If you are really undecided, perhaps ask your DM what god would make the most sense for the party/campaign. If there's a paladin or holy warrior type, consider the same god or an allied god. The DM might have a church of Pelor or Paladine show up so it might be cool to have an in with them. If your party is a bit on the evil side, a god like Hextor or The Shadow, depending on what other characters are doing. There's also the consideration of the campaign, because if you are going to be on a ship grabbing the Tempest domain is very thematically appropriate.

[tstewt1921]

The party consists of a Goliath Storm of Fury Barbarian, Orc Rogue, and Tiefling Sorcerer with the Phoenix Variant.

[Honest Tiefling]

Suggestions:

1) Tempest: If you can ask the barbarian player some questions, see if you can't hook your backstories together for extra RP goodness. The armor and weapon proficiencies are nice, but you can also do a bit of blasting as needed.

2) Life: Getting armor isn't bad, and lots of healing goodness. Only take this if you want to support/heal and be durable.

3) Nature: Another good choice if you feel that a second frontliner is going to help the sorcerer not get targeted. Having two front liners to protect the squishies isn't bad, but the rogue might be good enough to qualify for this role if they're durable enough.

Not Recommended:

1) Trickery: With backgrounds, everyone can get a hold of stealth if the DM is lenient...But that's a huge 'if'. Also, your rogue friend might be more the stabby type, so investing in this domain should only be considered if everyone else has stealth and the DM has hinted it is going to be important.

2) Light: Too likely to edge in on the tiefling sorcerer thematically. A second blaster might not be bad, but try to do something else.

[tstewt1921]

Suggestions:

1) Tempest:

That's what my DM just suggested for my Domain, a Hobgoblin Tempest Cleric.

[Dudu]

Long time cleric players here.

Here are some tips:

1. Realize you are a caster, first and foremost. If you try to make an optimized melee build, you're bound to be disappointed. You're secondary melee at best. But you are one of the most versatile, reliable casters out there, so capitalize on it.

2. You should NOT be a dedicated healer. If the party expects you to do nothing but cure wounds, tell them they got the wrong idea. Healing is, of course, one of your tools, but you have plenty of others as well.

3. Yes, you can do damage. Plenty of it. Watch out for spells that do it consistently. I will list some spells for you.

4. Be a team player. The cleric class is one of the least selfish built, when you look at class features and spells. Now, I said you should not be a dedicated healer, but that's not meant that you're not supposed to be a support. You can be a wonderful support, but you have to look beyond healing. Your team will look to you for help oftenly.

5. On healing topic. Think of healing as a more emergencial thing to do rather than employ all your resources to keep everyone's HP to maximum at all times.

6. Keep an eye on concentration. You can only concentrate on one spell. Try to grab Con saves or enhance concentration saves as well, as soon as you can.

Those are guidelines to what, I think, makes for a good cleric and fun to play one as well.
Now to some staple spells:

- Bless. Is your most cost efficient level 1 spell and one of the best uses of concentration.
- Healing Word. Best use is to bring an unconscious ally back to battle. One of the best spells in your list as well.
- Cure Wounds. Sometimes you want to use your bonus action for other stuff, like "Spiritual Weapon", for example.
- Spiritual Weapon. Good and reliable source of damage, no concentration.
- Aid. Might help a lot with Temp HP for the team.
- Prayer of Healing. Good source of out-of-combat healing.
- Spirit Guardians. Great source of damage against hordes as well as some light Battlefield Control.
- Revivify. Because **** happens.
- Deathward. Because **** can happen to you as well.

Those are spells I would prepare every day. The rest is up to what you expect in that particular day.

[Slipperychicken]

I like throwing down a Bless spell for my party at the start of each combat. It's a very solid buff which leaves high level slots open for fun stuff. That 1d4 looks small, but don't let that fool you: When people are having trouble hitting, the accuracy buff can boost their expected damage-per-attack by 25% to 75%, or even higher sometimes.

When you see large groups of weak enemies, use Spirit Guardians to wear them down.

I personally love playing life clerics with the healer feat, but most people do not. If you want your existence to be as a walking medkit and buff-dispenser, that's the way to go.

[SaA]

Your party is already kinda Monstrous in a way so

how about going Lizardfolk ?

They have con and wis which is good for a Cleric and decent other features

also this for example

Cunning Artisan
As part of a short rest, you can harvest bone and hide from a slain beast, construct, dragon, monstrosity, or plant creature of size Small or larger to create one of the following items: a shield, a club, a javelin, or 1d4 darts or blowgun needles. To use this trait, you need a blade, such as a dagger, or appropriate artisan's tools, such as the leatherworker's tools.

If you get that and also go Forge Domain Cleric which can also craft Items pretty much for free along as you have material and even buff them with a +1 , but only one once perday

you could have all the Cleric Goodness, be good support by making sure somenoe in yoru party at any given time has a magic item, and craft butt loads of things to sell for gold or use in combat

hell with that combo of crafting abilities you could probably also convince your DM to let you craft many other things aswell aslong as you have material

Also Lizard folk get free natural armor, with a +2 in dex and a shield , you would have 17 ac, and if you use your +1 on your shield you would have 18 AC, and not have to lug around heavy armor

[tstewt1921]

Your party is already kinda Monstrous in a way so

how about going Lizardfolk ?

They have con and wis which is good for a Cleric and decent other features

also this for example

Cunning Artisan
As part of a short rest, you can harvest bone and hide from a slain beast, construct, dragon, monstrosity, or plant creature of size Small or larger to create one of the following items: a shield, a club, a javelin, or 1d4 darts or blowgun needles. To use this trait, you need a blade, such as a dagger, or appropriate artisan's tools, such as the leatherworker's tools.

If you get that and also go Forge Domain Cleric which can also craft Items pretty much for free along as you have material and even buff them with a +1 , but only one once perday

you could have all the Cleric Goodness, be good support by making sure somenoe in yoru party at any given time has a magic item, and craft butt loads of things to sell for gold or use in combat

hell with that combo of crafting abilities you could probably also convince your DM to let you craft many other things aswell aslong as you have material

Also Lizard folk get free natural armor, with a +2 in dex and a shield , you would have 17 ac, and if you use your +1 on your shield you would have 18 AC, and not have to lug around heavy armor


I really really really like this idea and I'm gonna save it for when we do another game. This is a brilliant idea!!!!

[Foxhound438]

Considering how it looks like everyone's going for assorted monster races, I would recommend that you follow suit and go lizardfolk for your race. Bonus con and wisdom, so everything you've ever wanted.

domain is basically up to you. I will say that you can be a functional frontliner even with a less frontline oriented domain, like light or knowledge, since you can cast sacred flame in melee with no penalties. So it's up to you, but my recommendations are light or nature in any case. If you go nature domain, you get a free druid cantrip, so you can take shillelagh at level 1 and have wisdom be your attack stat.

lastly, obligatory advice to any cleric question: take spirit guardians. it's really good.

[BeefGood]

Consider Blindness/Deafness and Silence to (try to) hinder enemy casters

[Specter]

The party consists of a Goliath Storm of Fury Barbarian, Orc Rogue, and Tiefling Sorcerer with the Phoenix Variant.

You probably want a straightforward buffer/healer cleric here. Life and War domains are both great.