A Cleric is joining. You’re hoping for _____ Domain?

[jaappleton]

Doesn’t matter if you’re playing official material or home brew.

Doesn’t matter what Module your table is playing.

A new player has joined the table, and mathematically speaking, something has to be at the top of your list for what you’re secretly hoping they’re playing.

You’re hoping this new character is a Cleric of ____ Domain?

Why?

[ZenBear]

Well the stereotype holds true for good reason. Life Domain is the best healer there is. Bonus points if they take Magic Initiate: Druid for some extra Good Berries. Grave is really damn good as well with maximized healing when it matters most (0 HP) and that juicy Vulnerable debuff. It also depends on the team composition of course. If we have sufficient healing by other means, Life becomes redundant.

For fun, sans composition context, I like to see Arcana, Knowledge, and Tempest for uniqueness, utility, and damage respectively.

[Eriol]

Grave. Cancelling crits and better at being able to yo-yo people.

[suplee215]

Arcane Cleric who takes both Green Flame Blade and Booming Blade. This is my type of player.

[micahaphone]

Forge. My friends don't trend towards beefy frontliners, so an off-tank would be great, and having a +1 weapon in the party at the get go is too good to pass up. Still does cleric stuff, has some great damage as needed

[kazaryu]

Doesn’t matter if you’re playing official material or home brew.

Doesn’t matter what Module your table is playing.

A new player has joined the table, and mathematically speaking, something has to be at the top of your list for what you’re secretly hoping they’re playing.


this is an odd assumption...at least from my perspective. is it actually common that DM's hope for specific class/subclass combos from their players? serious question



You’re hoping this new character is a Cleric of ____ Domain?

Why?

keeping in line with my question, none. at least not as a general rule. there may be a moment where i thought of some kind of funny interactiojn to do with a certain subclass ability, and i kinda wanna see it used? but generally not really.

that being said i *do* secretly hope, whenever someone is being a religious character (particularly a cleric), that they follow one or two of the specific gods. Because, theres only 2 or 3 gods that i really have well established in my mind, and i enjoy them (those gods that is).

[Temperjoke]

Whatever domain they want to play that fits with our group dynamic and the module/book we're playing in.

[Spectrulus]

Death. That way I know that our enemies will wilt before the party, only to rise up and defend us in unlife

[KOLE]

Grave. Cancelling crits and better at being able to yo-yo people.

Exactly my thought, but one or more members are running GWM or SS, War cleric's accuracy aid is tops. Tough choice, though honestly biased as those both are at the top of my list if/when I ever play a cleric.

[Man_Over_Game]

Nature or Knowledge.

Nature because it's a well-rounded support character that's good at everything and values contributions as more than just "dealing X damage" or "healing X life". The Nature Cleric is one of the best domains in that it fulfills it's identity in all aspects of play while giving the proper tools to do so. To me, the Nature Cleric player is a veteran that does exactly what is best for the entire party's enjoyment.

Knowledge because of the player that comes with it. This is someone who plans on gathering information and driving the plot. They might be a bit more self-centered than the Nature Cleric, but the tools they provide, and the secrets they uncover, can do just as much good. Sherlock Holmes wasn't always a perfect person, but damn does he make things interesting.

Healing is great and all, but I feel like that's the most boring thing a character could devote themself towards.

I want a Cleric, not a Healer.

[ImproperJustice]

Me?

Arcana: Spellcasters are sometimes rare in my groups and this means we have a problem solver inbound.

The rest of the groups I run in?

Tempest: So they can see someone roll out offensive damage without having to protect another high maintenance squishy guy / gal in robes.

What we actually get:

Another Lore Bard
Who never reads their spell descriptions or class abilities and waits for someone to explain how their class works so the game can move forward. Every round.

[Tanarii]

At this point, I'd hope for one of the lesser played domains, mathematically be damned. Nature or Trickery would be nice. Although in the mathematical front I'd want them to play the Trickery cleric as a cleric. not an attempted rogue-alike.

For power I'd want Tempest. Unless we didn't have a lore master, then I'd want Knowledge.


this is an odd assumption...at least from my perspective. is it actually common that DM's hope for specific class/subclass combos from their players? serious question
I'm fairly sure the question is for players.

[stoutstien]

Order, grave, or light. slight edge for grave because they have one of the few ways to completely cancel out a critical hit.

[Crucius]

Order: The reaction attack when receiving a buff is just so nice. Nice to play and nice to receive. With healing word and shield of faith as very solid bonus action spells, the Order Cleric still has their action available. It's just aces.
Grave: Vulnerability to a damage type without a save. Which comes back on a short rest. With multiple uses per short rest at later levels. With the right party this is amazing.
Light: The reaction to impose disadvantage on attack rolls sounds really solid. Not enough reactions in the game in my opinion so this is a plus for both the cleric and their party.

[Aaron Underhand]

In a sneaky party, or if I'm playing the rogue - Trickery - advantage on stealth all the time, and pass without trace at 3rd... yes please.

[stoutstien]

In a sneaky party, or if I'm playing the rogue - Trickery - advantage on stealth all the time, and pass without trace at 3rd... yes please.

My experience has shown that trickery is awesome in the 'almost' sneaky party. Canceling the disadvantage on Dex (stealth) due to armor has a much bigger impact than advantage does when your lowest dex(stealth) role is already likely to beat most PP. or even active perception checks. Of course you can move around as needed which makes it one of the better non spell buffs in the game.

[Guy Lombard-O]

It honestly depends a bit upon what I'm playing.

If I've got a paladin or rogue, I want a Grave cleric. Path to the Grave is soooo awesome for someone who can deliver a high powered one-punch!

If I'm a tank and we're missing a blaster, Light cleric. Both the Radiance CD and Fireball will be a great addition.

If I'm a squishy in a party of squishies, Forge, Grave, Life, Tempest or War.

[Deathtongue]

If I'm playing in a game with short adventuring days, I love Light Cleric. Their ability to impose disadvantage is good, yes, but their mid-game offense is so good. It patches up the only real weakness of the class, that of damage-dealing. With the right positioning, Spirit Guardians + Fireball/Scorching Ray just does so much damage. And if you're on a resource budget, their CD + a double-shot of Spiritual Weapon allows them to immediately get the damage train going for minimal resource expenditure.

I haven't played with or as a high-level Light cleric much (the highest-level one I played with was L11) but I imagine that being able to concentrate on Holy Aura while still flinging Fireballs and Spiritual Weapon will be good until level 20.

[jas61292]

I'm gonna be a bit different here and say War. I want my clerics to be in heavy armor and in the enemies' face They are not just a supporter, they are a back up front liner. And I personally find War Clerics to be super fun to play, which is something I would want for them as well.

And in terms of how they help me, sure it might not necessarily be the most powerful option, but who doesn't want someone else in your party who can give out a stupid huge bonus to your attack roll? That kinda stuff just feels good.

[JellyPooga]

Nature because it's a well-rounded support character that's good at everything and values contributions as more than just "dealing X damage" or "healing X life". The Nature Cleric is one of the best domains in that it fulfills it's identity in all aspects of play while giving the proper tools to do so. To me, the Nature Cleric player is a veteran that does exactly what is best for the entire party's enjoyment.

You beat me to the punch and for all the same reasons. If ever I get round to playing a Cleric (which is unlikely, but it might happen) it'd be Nature. Really versatile support and while a little niche in its early game focus, very thematic. They're the Cleric I want on my team more than any heal-bot or Paladin wannabe.

[DevilMcam]

Light anyday.

Heal about as well as any cleric.
Blast about as well as your average wizard
Protact about as well as your everyday SnB Fighter
Also faery fire for days

[Deathtongue]

Light anyday.

Heal about as well as any cleric.
Blast about as well as your average wizard
Protact about as well as your everyday SnB Fighter
Also faery fire for daysI'd say that Light Clerics, at least with shorter workdays, are one of the best caster-blasters prior to level 13/14.

Speed means a lot for a blaster, but being gated by bonus actions (and the bonus action + action spell limit) and concentration is a big problem for most of the game. A light cleric being able to immediately open with a Channel Divinity + Spiritual Weapon for the first round, then Spiritual Weapon + Spirit Guardians for the second round, and then Channel Divinity + Spirit Guardians + Spiritual Weapon is a big deal. Not that you always want to do things like that, but the point is that you get some serious ally-safe damage with minimal resource expenditure.

[iTreeby]

Ambition, I like it more than trickery and it works a little bit better, just wish it had pass without trace as a domain spell.

[Zetakya]

Order. A+ Team Player class, so nice for so many other classes.

[MrStabby]

Light.

Light is because of what it says about what a player is likely to want to do. A player who picks this domain probably wants some blasting. A player who wants to do blasting but picks the cleric as the class to do it with probably wants some healing/buffing. I like to play casters but the three things I enjoy least are healing, buffing and blasting. If we have a light cleric in the party it is likely that between their character and mine we can cover most casting bases with no one stepping on another's toes. I am not saying that this is all to either the cleric OR the domain, but if you chose this it is probably because you want to cover these bases - they are the differentiators.

[Jophiel]

Love. Stick it to The Man! :smallbiggrin:

[LordCdrMilitant]

Well...

Whatever domain fits the flavor they want to play. But in the spirit of the question life or grave, for the healing, because that's what the party expects of a cleric.

That said, when I played cleric, I went out of my way to basically not be a healer. I did a little bit, but mostly I just ragdolled people into environmental hazards with knockback, because I am not going to play healbot. To my disappointment, though, the thing I did that went remembered from that game was the one time I cast Mass Healing Word to stand everybody up when 70% of the party was down [and not any of the other cool things I did, and only a little bit of my character's actual character]. Everybody wants the cleric to heal them.

[Fable Wright]

I'mma be a weird one and say Tempest Cleric. Because the player's going to have fun that way, and because sometimes, maximized damage is great. One-shot kill retaliations at level 1-2. Guaranteed 24-damage Shatters at level 3. Giant columns of lightning at level 5. Plenty of room for cleric utility spells with rituals.

In any party, they're perfect. They can go healing when you need healing, blasting when you need blasting, tanking when you go tanking, with full proficiencies. It's a player who enjoys the tabletop aspects of the class and can always have my back.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

Doesn’t matter if you’re playing official material or home brew.

Doesn’t matter what Module your table is playing.

A new player has joined the table, and mathematically speaking, something has to be at the top of your list for what you’re secretly hoping they’re playing.

You’re hoping this new character is a Cleric of ____ Domain?

Why?

Astral Domain

Give me a whole book based around Final Fantasy sub-classes with the Astral Domain Cleric being one of them.

https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Astral


Edit If it's already made stuff... I'll take a knowledge domain cleric because they are awesome to have in the party. Cleric plus weirdly almost psionic vibe? Yes please.

[Wizard_Lizard]

Tempest. Hands down. Coolest domain. Nice combat abilities. Also the best gods. Generally ones who are openly evil and malicious, and yet so absurdly powerful that they have to be worshipped anyway. Sort of like the dark side of nature. Love their fluff.

[CBAnaesthesia]

I'd say that Light Clerics, at least with shorter workdays, are one of the best caster-blasters prior to level 13/14.
My group has a level 18 Light Cleric and he's very effective, he doesn't blast as much as he used to though.

To answer the OP, I would hope that it is Tempest, and I would hope that the new player is me, because the game where I played a Tempest Cleric fizzled out at level 5 and I was having a ton of fun playing him.

[Nifft]

I have several favorite Domains:

Tempest
Order
Forge
Light
Arcana
Nature
Knowledge

... and when you get down to it, their best use for my Rogue is to flank ...

[Zevox]

Doesn’t matter if you’re playing official material or home brew.

Doesn’t matter what Module your table is playing.

A new player has joined the table, and mathematically speaking, something has to be at the top of your list for what you’re secretly hoping they’re playing.
Um, no, no there doesn't. I'm always interested to see what other players have chosen for their character, but there's never a specific subclass I'm hoping for. Maybe if the party could use some major role in particular, like a healer, I'd be hoping for a Cleric or Druid (or at least Paladin) to fill that kind of role, but that's the class, the specific subclass doesn't often matter that much for that. Sure, a Life Cleric will be a better healer than a War Cleric, but the War Cleric can still be a better healer than most other classes anyway. And if the party's reasonably balanced from the get-go, I'm honestly equally interested in anything.

[MaxWilson]

Doesn’t matter if you’re playing official material or home brew.

Doesn’t matter what Module your table is playing.

A new player has joined the table, and mathematically speaking, something has to be at the top of your list for what you’re secretly hoping they’re playing.

You’re hoping this new character is a Cleric of ____ Domain?

Why?

Domain: Lore Bard.

Because awesome healing (via Magical Secrets: Aura of Vitality), Bardic Inspiration for everybody (more hits, more passed saves, more reliable Magic Jar), Cutting Words synergies with grappling/etc., good crowd control potential, and the roleplay is likely to be entertaining. And it's not a cleric so I don't need to hear anything about stupid fantasy polytheism which doesn't fit well into D&D.

(I think personified gods actually fit better with a game like Paranoia than they do with D&D, because in Paranoia you're supposed to be insignificant and at the mercy of nonsensical directives from higher social strata. But in D&D they just invite gameplay problems.)

[WaroftheCrans]

Forge. They bring a lot to the table, and it means one less player that's trying to hog the spotlight. If I have to deal with another trickery cleric trying to be a murderhobo and thief, I will start only playing lawful stupid paladins.

Forge also can tank when necessary, while providing good aoe buffs and debuffs, and the +1 value is great in low magic campaigns.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

I have several favorite Domains:

Tempest
Order
Forge
Light
Arcana
Nature
Knowledge

... and when you get down to it, their best use for my Rogue is to flank ...

One of the best uses of a Cleric's action is the help action.

You can have 18 AC easily, bonus action spells, and really makes the enemy mad.

[Ogre Mage]

None, because I am playing the cleric. :smallwink: And the light domain is my favorite.

[Sindal]

I'd just be glad someone picked a cleric.
They're so cool, all of them

[Agent-KI7KO]

Oh gosh.

Grave because awesome crit cancels

War for our Barbarian with GWM

Tempest for that Destructive Wrath

Most of them are so good.

[Alucard89]

Vuman Arcane Cleric with WarCaster, GFB and BB and is going to town with us. I know he will kick ass hard and on level 18 he will become demi-god.

Second - Grave if I am Paladin. That boy will get me up with maximum healing HP, set me up some nasty combo on boss and turn on crits on my barbarian into normal hits.

Third - Light. That guy can straight up nuke mooks like there is no tomorrow and is simply OP on Tier 1 and 2 with his CD + Burning Hands + Fireball spam.

[KorvinStarmast]

You’re hoping this new character is a Cleric of ____ Domain? Life or Knowledge.
If our party does not have a rogue or a bard: we need a skill monkey. Knowledge Domain gives us that.
Otherwise, Life cleric: their channel divinity ability is very good, and can get people up off the ground and more.

Also, if they take magic initiate ... goodberry ... don't have to buy healing pots very often.

Third choice, and my favorite non Life cleric: Tempest. The style and features are just a good fit for any party.

[Galaxander]

Healing is great and all, but I feel like that's the most boring thing a character could devote themself towards.

I want a Cleric, not a Healer.

This is where I'm at. It's really easy to fall into the mindset of cleric=healer, but there's just so much more the class can offer. Why dedicate yourself to slapping on band aids after the fact, when you could be doing amazing things right at the top of initiative and/or outside combat (and still have plenty band aids to go around, really).

[Deathtongue]

I'm actually trying to think of a cleric domain I don't like. Narratively, I don't care much for the Grave Domain (redundant with Death) and the Nature Domain (redundant with Ranger, Oath of the Ancients, and Druid). Mechanically, the one I like least is the War domain but War domain clerics are so freakishly strong at low levels -- where 95% of campaigns end -- that I have a hard time calling it bad even if it's lackluster in the long run compared to the other domains.

[Alucard89]

This is where I'm at. It's really easy to fall into the mindset of cleric=healer, but there's just so much more the class can offer. Why dedicate yourself to slapping on band aids after the fact, when you could be doing amazing things right at the top of initiative and/or outside combat (and still have plenty band aids to go around, really).

This. Level 8 Arcana Cleric can deal 2d8 + 10 + 2d8 + 5 + 4d8 AOE damage, giving him 51 DPR vs single targer or if there is second target (+ 1d8 + 10 + 4d8) 83,5 DPR.

I hardly consider this a "healer" class.

[nickl_2000]

I'm just happy that there is a cleric, after that you can play whatever you want!

Were I to play one, I would play Arcana or Forge though.


Unless I'm playing a rogue. Then Order. Always Order

[Tanarii]

This. Level 8 Arcana Cleric can deal 2d8 + 10 + 2d8 + 5 + 4d8 AOE damage, giving him 51 DPR vs single targer or if there is second target (+ 1d8 + 10 + 4d8) 83,5 DPR.
That's DPfailedsave, not DPR.

[Fable Wright]

That's DPfailedsave, not DPR.

I believe that's a Greenflame Blade and Spiritual Weapon with Shillelagh and 20 Wis at level 8, with 4d8 from precast Spirit Guardians. Half of that isn't save dependent.

[Amdy_vill]

1. Death: I love necromancy and always want another Necromancer in the party
2. Forge: When i am not a Necromancer i am a Crafter so he/she can help(My new favorite class is artificer)
3. Life/Grave: I am Prone to Die, Often, Very Often, People Say I "Over extend my self" so this guy could help me with that

[MaxWilson]

This. Level 8 Arcana Cleric can deal 2d8 + 10 + 2d8 + 5 + 4d8 AOE damage, giving him 51 DPR vs single targer or if there is second target (+ 1d8 + 10 + 4d8) 83,5 DPR.

I hardly consider this a "healer" class.

Looks like maybe a Greenflame Blade + Spiritual Weapon IV + Spirit Guardians IV + Wis 20, which means this is a one-fight-per-day nova which requires two rounds to set up, and actual damage will be around 60% of this due to misses and successful saves.

But you're right, clerics are relatively bad at healing in 5E, although less so now that Healing Spirit is nerfed.

[Tanarii]

I believe that's a Greenflame Blade and Spiritual Weapon with Shillelagh and 20 Wis at level 8, with 4d8 from precast Spirit Guardians. Half of that isn't save dependent.
DPHit then. Still not DPR. DPR includes chance of success/applying damage.

[GooeyChewie]

Is the player new to our party in particular, or new to D&D?

If the former, then it depends on what else we have in the party. If we've got some heavy-hitting melee characters, I like playing with a good teamwork-focused Order Cleric. If not, and we aren't clearly missing some other role that a Domain could round out, I'd probably say Tempest. Thunderbolts and lighting can be very, very frightening!

If the player is new to D&D, I'd say Life or Light, depending on whether they want to keep the party hale and hearty or see our enemies burn in holy fire. I feel these two are the most straight-forward 'heal' and 'blast' Domains, so they are good for new players.

[firelistener]

Tempest. Hands down. Coolest domain. Nice combat abilities. Also the best gods. Generally ones who are openly evil and malicious, and yet so absurdly powerful that they have to be worshipped anyway. Sort of like the dark side of nature. Love their fluff.

Same here, but I'd want them to be good or neutral alignment. I've always disliked how Tempest gods are almost all evil in standard Forgetten Realms settings. Zeus and Thor are easy picks for alternatives though.

[Evaar]

Just about anything but Life or Death.

Life is good at what it does, but I've played with a lot of Life Clerics because beginning players think "Cleric=Healer" and they look at Life and say "This is what will make me the best healer" and then they just spend their turns healing and standing in the back.

A Death Cleric is the obvious inversion, a player who wants to be the "Evil Cleric" but rarely has a concept of the character beyond that. They flip through the book for an evil death god, write that name down, and then just reference the fact that they worship that evil death god and that's pretty much their sole personality trait. Well, that and never wanting to take prisoners or interrogate anyone.

Obviously, there are good players who will play these domains and play them well, with interesting concepts. But in my personal experience, they seem to be the exception. Almost any other Cleric Domain suggests to me a player with an actual concept they want to explore and a willingness to think outside the box of traditional video game RPG roles.

[LudicSavant]

Just about anything but Life or Death.

Life is good at what it does, but I've played with a lot of Life Clerics because beginning players think "Cleric=Healer" and they look at Life and say "This is what will make me the best healer" and then they just spend their turns healing and standing in the back.

A Death Cleric is the obvious inversion, a player who wants to be the "Evil Cleric" but rarely has a concept of the character beyond that. They flip through the book for an evil death god, write that name down, and then just reference the fact that they worship that evil death god and that's pretty much their sole personality trait.

Obviously, there are good players who will play these domains and play them well, with interesting concepts. But in my personal experience, they seem to be the exception. Almost any other Cleric Domain suggests to me a player with an actual concept they want to explore and a willingness to think outside the box of traditional video game RPG roles.

Vaguely related:
Here's some interesting Life Domain character concepts (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?567353-Unusual-Life-Cleric-Character-Concepts!)

[Evaar]

Vaguely related:
Here's some interesting Life Domain character concepts (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?567353-Unusual-Life-Cleric-Character-Concepts!)

Oh yeah, as I say, it can certainly be done well.

But every one I've played with hasn't done that. Most of the Life Clerics I've played with never actually even pick a god. They're just running "default healer."

[Waterdeep Merch]

If they're a newbie, I hope for Life. It's not just about being effective, it's about being intuitive. A new player is more likely to understand how to slot into a healer role while the veterans show them the other aspects of cleric-dom, making it the ideal choice for a beginner.

If they're a veteran, I hope to be surprised. A strange domain choice is a good sign that they've put some thought into the character. When a tiefling rolls in with the Order domain, you know there's got to be a good story behind it.

[KorvinStarmast]

My most recent Life Domain cleric served the God of Beer and Brewing.
Yes, the joke on Miller, High Life was part of this character concept
The deity himself is Stahnuld: the name is a fusion of ideas between the St Arnold Brewing Company (https://www.saintarnold.com/) in Texas, and of course Ahnuld! (I'll be back, etc)

She took the vHuman Magic Initiate Goodberry/guidance/shillelagh combo platter - because it really fit into her being raised in a monastery / convent kind of place that brewed its own beer and raised its own food. (She was sent there at age 13 after some rather grim stuff took place in the port city where she was living - sent there for her own protection by her mother and her mentor). Toyed with going Monk/Cleric mix, but the DM and I settled on straight Life Cleric for 'reasons' so that the back story fit better.

Her most common blessing is "The only thing that we have to cheer is beer itself."

She has a few confidence problems, but tries to be persuasive sometimes with varying results. (Guidance helps ...) She is dedicated to life and the living; and she'd often try to heal a few of the opponents the party had just slain/reduced to 0 HP (I'd check with the DM on my attempt) if I felt they were going a bit too 'Murder Hobo' at the time.

She retired recently: got pregnant and decided to settle in the city where the party had stopped just before the next leg of the adventure began. (Now an NPC ally). This opened the way for my celestial warlock to join the party.

[LordCdrMilitant]

Oh yeah, as I say, it can certainly be done well.

But every one I've played with hasn't done that. Most of the Life Clerics I've played with never actually even pick a god. They're just running "default healer."

I've only played cleric once, and I didn't pick a god. Well, I actually picked "no god", with the support of the GM. Being bound into servitude was fundamentally in opposition to the ideals she was forwarding an upholding.

I don't think it's necessary for a Cleric to be an itinerant preacher who knocks on the door and says "Hello, do you have time for the word of Jesus Pelor today?" to everyone they meet. Every other cleric I've played with seems to have no real concept of ideology and instead is just a travelling evangelist whose only conversation point is why you should convert to the faith of their god, which is, IMO, worse than saying something concrete about what they believe about people and the world and what motivates them. Not that it's bad to be theological in the class nominally about the divine, but like there should be more to your ideology than "This is my god's name. It is interchangeable with any other god's name in my power set and my function, but you should worship them because I healed you."

[Wizard_Lizard]

Same here, but I'd want them to be good or neutral alignment. I've always disliked how Tempest gods are almost all evil in standard Forgetten Realms settings. Zeus and Thor are easy picks for alternatives though.

Yeah it was a bit of a shame when I was making my tempest cleric, all the gods seemed evil. But I made it work. Evil god =/= evil cleric. I had a sort of "nature's wrath" sort of vibe and it was cool.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

Yeah it was a bit of a shame when I was making my tempest cleric, all the gods seemed evil. But I made it work. Evil god =/= evil cleric. I had a sort of "nature's wrath" sort of vibe and it was cool.

Set your deity to Zeus

You can be anything from LG to CE and fall under his domain.

It's pretty sad when Hades is the closest thing to good in your family.

[CBAnaesthesia]

Yeah it was a bit of a shame when I was making my tempest cleric, all the gods seemed evil. But I made it work. Evil god =/= evil cleric. I had a sort of "nature's wrath" sort of vibe and it was cool.
Same, my Tempest Cleric was a former galley slave who worshipped Umberlee because he credited her with the storm that wrecked his master's ship, and for his survival of that storm.
He was CN but I feel like that background would justify at least NG or CG if I'd been so inclined to play him as more of a do-gooder.

[Wizard_Lizard]

Set your deity to Zeus

You can be anything from LG to CE and fall under his domain.

It's pretty sad when Hades is the closest thing to good in your family.

Lets be honest here.. Zeus is chaotic neutral at best...
Also I tend to shy away from the greek pantheon.. which is weird coz I'm really into classics and whatnot.. just doesn't fit within my dnd worlds very well. Instead I like playing my tempest clerics with evil gods. Because evil gods are FUN. it's nice to try to justify tenets and whatnot that they set. And as I said evil god =/= evil character. I've seen a lawful good cleric of the devourer in one of my games, and the player made it really fun and interesting.

When I really wanted a good god for my tempest cleric I went with Stronmaus.

[Evaar]

Same here, but I'd want them to be good or neutral alignment. I've always disliked how Tempest gods are almost all evil in standard Forgetten Realms settings. Zeus and Thor are easy picks for alternatives though.

For what it's worth, I've had the same issue with Forgotten Realms and landed on Shaundakul as a reasonable pick for a good or neutral aligned Tempest Cleric. His current position in the pantheon seems to be "we forgot he existed," so you can take a lot of ownership over his exact motives and portfolio. But apart from Travel, he's heavily based around Wind, so it's a decent fit.