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DarkMoon250
2022-07-30, 08:36 PM
Been working on a Cleric for a while now. Hoping to build a mystical contemplative devoted to the Wildemount deity of moonlight and shadow. I've had quite a ideas about how I want to build this guy in order to match my vision while still keeping room open for optimization, but I haven't been able to settle on anything. The goal of this post is to figure out a good race and some good feats to take for a Cleric of this homebrewed subclass, made by Matthew Mercer specifically for the setting of this campaign. I figured the folks here might have some good insights.

I'm fond of the aasimar (radiant soul), shifter (wildhunt), changeling, and pallid elf. All of them seem thematic and fun to me, and feel like they might offer something to this build, but I'm willing to hear the benefits of any race. I've also picked out Resilient Con as my first feat at lvl 4, but I've got nothing planned past that.

If anyone has any advice or ideas, please let me know. Thank you!


*House rules: Flanking; 10 over AC equals a critical hit; ASI and feats are taken together, rather than picking one or the other

DarkMoon250
2022-07-30, 08:37 PM
Domain Spells
1st-level Moon Domain feature
You gain domain spells at the cleric levels listed in the Moon Domain Spells table. See the Divine Domain class feature for how domain spells work.
Moon Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells
1st faerie fire, silent image

3rd moonbeam, invisibility

5th hypnotic pattern, major image

7th greater invisibility, hallucinatory terrain

9th dream, passwall

Clarity of Catha
1st-level Moon Domain feature
When you choose this domain at 1st level, you learn to shine light upon the mind's most dire moments, shielding those you protect. When a creature within 30 feet of you that use can see makes a Wisdom Saving Throw, you can use your reaction to grant that creature advantage on the save.
You can use the feature equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended used when you finish a long rest.

Channel Divinity: Blessing of the Full Moon
2nd-level Moon Domain feature
Blessing of the Watchful Moon. For 1 hour, the blessed creature's speed is increased by 10 feet, and it has advantage on Wisdom (Perception or Survival) checks involving smell or made to track a creature.
Blessing of the Blood-Drenched Moon. For 10 minutes, the blessed creature has advantage on attack rolls against a target if at least one of the blessed creature's allies is within 5 feet of the target and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Channel Divinity: Mind of Two Moons
6th-level Moon Domain feature
Starting at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to invoke the twofold arcana of Exandria's moons. By expending one use of Channel Divinity, you can cast a second concentration spell while already concentrating on a first spell, as long as both spells are on your list of Moon Domain spells. If you need to make a Constitution saving throw to maintain your concentration on both spells, you make the save with disadvantage. On a failure, you lose concentration on both spells.

Empowered Cantrips
8th-level Moon Domain feature
Starting at 8th level, your cleric cantrips deal extra damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).

Eclipse of Ill Omen
17th-level Moon Domain feature
At 17th level, you can call upon the vermillion moon Ruidus to flare in the sky above you, eclipsing all other light. Its power surrounds you even where the sky can't be seen, and even on other planes. As a bonus action, you can manifest an area of reddish dim light in a 60-foot radius around you. In addition to the normal effects of dim light, creatures in the area make saving throws with disadvantage. When you create this eclipse, you can choose any number of creatures that are unaffected by it.
This eclipse lasts while you concentrate (as if concentrating on a spell) for up to 1 minute. Concentrating on this feature counts as concentrating on a Moon Domain spell for the purpose of your Mind of Two Moons feature.
Additionally, once per turn when you deal radiant damage to any creatures in this area of dim light, you can curse one of those creatures until the eclipse ends (no action required). A creature cursed in this way has its speed halved and can't regain hit points.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

kazaryu
2022-07-31, 12:51 AM
Been working on a Cleric for a while now. Hoping to build a mystical contemplative devoted to the Wildemount deity of moonlight and shadow. I've had quite a ideas about how I want to build this guy in order to match my vision while still keeping room open for optimization, but I haven't been able to settle on anything. The goal of this post is to figure out a good race and some good feats to take for a Cleric of this homebrewed subclass, made by Matthew Mercer specifically for the setting of this campaign. I figured the folks here might have some good insights.

I'm fond of the aasimar (radiant soul), shifter (wildhunt), changeling, and pallid elf. All of them seem thematic and fun to me, and feel like they might offer something to this build, but I'm willing to hear the benefits of any race. I've also picked out Resilient Con as my first feat at lvl 4, but I've got nothing planned past that.

If anyone has any advice or ideas, please let me know. Thank you!


*House rules: Flanking; 10 over AC equals a critical hit; ASI and feats are taken together, rather than picking one or the other

warcaster is always good on a caster (although clerics benefit very slightly less than other casters due to being able to put their focus on a shield). depending on the character/campaign healer is a nice feat. could be difficult to work into an optimized build, but since you're getting 5 feats without having to sacrifice ASI's then...well, that isn't a problem.

since you mentioned doing things like aasimar or changeling, im assuming that you're either not super concerned with optimization, or Tasha's race changes are in effect? if you are trying to optimize then i'd definitely recommend ensuring you get a race that boosts wisdom. but if you're not worried about optimizing, then it'd help to have an idea for how you see the character behaving.

you mentioned changeling, which means perhaps actor might be up your alley. but without a bit of elaboration its hard to say

DarkMoon250
2022-07-31, 06:05 AM
warcaster is always good on a caster (although clerics benefit very slightly less than other casters due to being able to put their focus on a shield). depending on the character/campaign healer is a nice feat. could be difficult to work into an optimized build, but since you're getting 5 feats without having to sacrifice ASI's then...well, that isn't a problem.

since you mentioned doing things like aasimar or changeling, im assuming that you're either not super concerned with optimization, or Tasha's race changes are in effect? if you are trying to optimize then i'd definitely recommend ensuring you get a race that boosts wisdom. but if you're not worried about optimizing, then it'd help to have an idea for how you see the character behaving.

We're using Tasha's riles and MotM updated races.

I'm relatively concerned with optimization, but I'd also like to pick something that goes along with the theme. I envision this character as, well, moonstruck; sentimental, often lost in imagination and contemplation, and just a little bit unhinged at times (mainly when they see injustice towards the poor or outcast, or blasphemy towards the good-aligned deities, especially the one they serve). My main interest is to pick a race that needs to hide what they are on half of the main continent of the campaign, which all of the races I mentioned do, either due to monstrous ancestry or a connection to outlawed gods.

kazaryu
2022-07-31, 09:27 AM
We're using Tasha's riles and MotM updated races.

I'm relatively concerned with optimization, but I'd also like to pick something that goes along with the theme. I envision this character as, well, moonstruck; sentimental, often lost in imagination and contemplation, and just a little bit unhinged at times (mainly when they see injustice towards the poor or outcast, or blasphemy towards the good-aligned deities, especially the one they serve). My main interest is to pick a race that needs to hide what they are on half of the main continent of the campaign, which all of the races I mentioned do, either due to monstrous ancestry or a connection to outlawed gods.

ok cool. well, as i said above, Healer is a decent option for certain campaigns, or if you jsut wanna save your spell slots for other things. obviously warcaster (which i previously mentioned).

eldritch adept, in particular if you decide not to changeling, can get you at will disguise self. although you'd know your DM better. illusion spells can be a problem if the DM is just...letting people roll vs the illusion all the time.

either shadow touched or fey touched are also solid options. you already get invisibility, but even shadow touched allows you to cast it 1/day for free. so its not a total wash.

things you might like from fey touched include: silvery barbs, charm person, Tasha's hideous laughter, dissonant whispers, gift of alacrity, comprehend languages.

OTOH shadow touoched offers: disguise self, cause fear, false life...

hmm...i actually expected there to be at least some better options on hsadow touched...idk, probably fey tougched.

DarkMoon250
2022-07-31, 12:58 PM
ok cool. well, as i said above, Healer is a decent option for certain campaigns, or if you jsut wanna save your spell slots for other things. obviously warcaster (which i previously mentioned).

eldritch adept, in particular if you decide not to changeling, can get you at will disguise self. although you'd know your DM better. illusion spells can be a problem if the DM is just...letting people roll vs the illusion all the time.

either shadow touched or fey touched are also solid options. you already get invisibility, but even shadow touched allows you to cast it 1/day for free. so its not a total wash.

things you might like from fey touched include: silvery barbs, charm person, Tasha's hideous laughter, dissonant whispers, gift of alacrity, comprehend languages.

OTOH shadow touoched offers: disguise self, cause fear, false life...

hmm...i actually expected there to be at least some better options on hsadow touched...idk, probably fey tougched.

I'll def keep fey-touched in mind, then. I'll look into healer, but I think I'll be able to manage with just my spells.

Now that I think about it, there's going to be an Arcane Trickster Rogue in the party. They'd probably regularly use Disguise Self whenever it's needed... not to mention that I haven't been able to figure out what it is I'd actually want from a changeling character. So, I'd probably pick one of the other 3; maybe aasimar or shifter, since they look relatively human in their base states, and I could wear a cloak and mask to hide other features.

Do you have any particular suggestions for race? Anything I mentioned that stuck out (even changeling)?

kazaryu
2022-07-31, 10:12 PM
I'll def keep fey-touched in mind, then. I'll look into healer, but I think I'll be able to manage with just my spells.

Now that I think about it, there's going to be an Arcane Trickster Rogue in the party. They'd probably regularly use Disguise Self whenever it's needed... not to mention that I haven't been able to figure out what it is I'd actually want from a changeling character. So, I'd probably pick one of the other 3; maybe aasimar or shifter, since they look relatively human in their base states, and I could wear a cloak and mask to hide other features.

Do you have any particular suggestions for race? Anything I mentioned that stuck out (even changeling)?

hmmm, wel shifter is definitely a strong one. swiftstride could be interesting for that extra bit of mobility. mobility isn't always huge as a cleric, but being able to step away when someone finally manages to close range through a spirit guardians could be neat. then beasthide is just some extra tankiness. never a bad thing.

full orc could also be interesting. definitely fits the bill of someone that'd wanna hide in the dwendalian empire. prof/day bonus action dash. could help to reposition if you need to get someone a fat heal or get into position to hold a flank with spirit guardians. that type of stuff.

oh wow, and now that i see it. hobogoblins fey gift is super flavorful for support, if thats your jam. not even that weak