Most underrated Cleric Domain with Potent Spellcasting?

[jaappleton]

CLERICS!

No longer the Healbot, but incredibly badasses in their own rights.

You've got your blasters, your quasi-Rogues, your healers, you can do a lot with a Cleric.

For my money, it's the best designed class in the game. Spell list is pretty darn great, the bonus spells granted by Domains are amazing at incorporating the feel of your Domain, etc.

So, for you guys, whats your favorite Domain with Potent Spellcasting? Between features, bonus spells, etc, in your eyes, whats the best? (Keep in mind how often you think the Features will actually come into play)

I personally love Light, but Knowledge is so unique and versatile in what it can do. I think Knowledge is overall better.

[DivisibleByZero]

Arcana is my personal favorite.

[jaappleton]

Arcana is my personal favorite.

Can you elaborate a bit as to why?

I typically like their Domain list. I really like the bonus Cantrips they get, since Clerics typically don't have access to things like Minor Illusion.

My knocks on Arcane is two-fold; One is that I think the lv17 feature should grant the spells as you reach the spell level. So if I'm level 11, I get my 6th level Wizard spell at lv11. My second gripe is that their CD is so situational, but that's likely because my DM hasn't thrown much stuff like that at my party.

[Idkwhatmyscreen]

The Life domain allows the cleric to get everything the party wants from them, freeing them up to choose every bomb on the cleric spell list

[jaappleton]

The Life domain allows the cleric to get everything the party wants from them, freeing them up to choose every bomb on the cleric spell list

Life doesn't get Potent Spellcasting, unfortunately.

[DivisibleByZero]

Can you elaborate a bit as to why?

I typically like their Domain list. I really like the bonus Cantrips they get, since Clerics typically don't have access to things like Minor Illusion.

My knocks on Arcane is two-fold; One is that I think the lv17 feature should grant the spells as you reach the spell level. So if I'm level 11, I get my 6th level Wizard spell at lv11. My second gripe is that their CD is so situational, but that's likely because my DM hasn't thrown much stuff like that at my party.

You nailed it. I like the bonus cantrips and the domain spell list, and I really like their spell breaker feature.

As for your complaints, I disagree with both of them.
Their CD is situational, yes. But so are almost all other CDs from almost all other domains. I don't think that's a legitimate complaint. The domain specific CD is supposed to be situational.
And your second complaint is essentially "I'm not happy that he has to wait to get those spells until a level where other clerics get their last feature. I think he should have domain spells at every level, not just 1-5." That is not a valid complaint in my eye, either.

[Aett_Thorn]

I'm going to second Arcana. Potent Spellcasting combined with their bonus cantrips allows them to choose from the greater pool of offensive options that Wizards get. This means that a Melee-focused Arcana cleric could choose GFB or BB, and apply their Wis modifier to the damage as well. A ranged Arcana cleric could grab something like Fire Bolt or Chill Touch, and apply it to those options. For Melee-ranged AoE cantrips, Word of Radiance is a better damage type, but goes against Con save, which many enemies have great values in. So choosing something like Sword Burst, which is a Dex save, can make it land a bit more often.

[jaappleton]

You nailed it. I like the bonus cantrips and the domain spell list, and I really like their spell breaker feature.

As for your complaints, I disagree with both of them.
Their CD is situational, yes. But so are almost all other CDs from almost all other domains. I don't think that's a legitimate complaint. The domain specific CD is supposed to be situational.
And your second complaint is essentially "I'm not happy that he has to wait to get those spells until a level where other clerics get their last feature. I think he should have domain spells at every level, not just 1-5." That is not a valid complaint in my eye, either.

I fully admit the 'I want my spells when I get that level' is me being finnicky.

Though I disagree about most CDs being situational. Most are combat oriented, such as Light, Tempest, Death, Grave, and Life. Others are utility or exploration based, like Forge, Trickery, and Knowledge. Regardless, those Domains can be used fairly freely throughout the day, on average.

Nature and Arcana are essentially combat based, but so situationally unique.

[DivisibleByZero]

I fully admit the 'I want my spells when I get that level' is me being finnicky.

Though I disagree about most CDs being situational. Most are combat oriented, such as Light, Tempest, Death, Grave, and Life. Others are utility or exploration based, like Forge, Trickery, and Knowledge. Regardless, those Domains can be used fairly freely throughout the day, on average.

Nature and Arcana are essentially combat based, but so situationally unique.

I don't see it as any sort of a problem that it's situational. Every single other thing that they get is fantastic, and their subclass capstone is the best-in-class. So their domain CD is less useful than some others' are. So what? The subclass itself is better than those others are, all in all.
Their one "weakness" as a subclass is their CD. If it had a better CD, it wouldn't just be my personal favorite, it would instead unquestionably be the best subclass clerics have.

[Callin]

Light makes for a great Defensive Cleric
Knowledge makes for a great Skills Cleric
Tempest if you want to deal some decent Damage
Arcana if you want to use BB or GFB on a Med Armor Chassis with a Top Notch Spell list.


All in all I think the Light and Knowledge are tough to beat out. They both provide different things but do it well.

I actually Played a Light Cleric/Veng Paladin once and it was a beast so I might be biased... haha

[jaappleton]

I don't see it as any sort of a problem that it's situational. Every single other thing that they get is fantastic, and their subclass capstone is the best-in-class. So their domain CD is less useful than some others' are. So what? The subclass itself is better than those others are, all in all.
Their one "weakness" as a subclass is their CD. If it had a better CD, it wouldn't just be my personal favorite, it would instead unquestionably be the best subclass clerics have.

You make a good point here, actually.