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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next War Domain Revision: Smite-Based Cleric Subclass



GalacticAxekick
2022-08-18, 01:32 PM
Every 5e Cleric seems to be a "warrior priest" with weapon and armor proficiencies. But if you look at Clerics in history, myth and religion, most of them were nothing of the sort. Being a Cleric means borrowing magic power from the divine, and unless your domain has to do with battle, this shouldn't involve any martial weapon or armor proficiencies at all (just like Wizards and Sorcerers have no martial weapon or armor proficiencies)

That said, there are warrior priests in history, myth and religion. While the base Cleric can't and shouldn't represent them, the War Domain Cleric can and should!

So as part of a homebrew Cleric revision, I'm stripping the Cleric of its weapon and armor proficiencies and rewriting the War domain to better match the stories they represent: stories like the unarmored and barely armed David (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+17%3A38-40&version=NIV) smiting Goliath, like Samson slaying lions and armies bare-handed (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges+14%3A5-6&version=NIV) or with improvised weapons (Judges 15:14-17), and stories about the inhuman strength (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judges+16%3A28-30&version=ISV) that goes with this fighting skill:




War Domain



Cleric Level
Spells


1st
Thunderous Smite, Wrathful Smite


3rd
Branding Smite, Magic Weapon


5th
Blinding Smite, Elemental Weapon


7th
Staggering Smite, Stoneskin


9th
Banishing Smite, Destructive Wave




Crusader
Your god empowers you and guides you in the heat of battle.

When you roll initiative, either your Strength or Dexterity score grows to equal your Wisdom score, and you gain proficiency with all weapons, improvised or otherwise, and with shields.

You lose all of these benefits at the end of combat.

Divine Smite
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can spend a spell slot to deal extra damage of the weapon's damage type to the target.

The extra damage on a melee attack is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st. The extra damage on a ranged attack is 2d4 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d4 for each spell level higher than 1st.

If you have prepared a cleric spell of 1st level or higher that deals a damage type other than your weapon's damage type, your smite can deal that damage type as well.

Channel Divinity: Feat of Strength
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to momentarily enhance your body beyond mortal limits.

When you make an attack roll, Strength check, or Strength saving throw, you can use your Channel Divinity to gain a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether you have succeeded or failed.

Zealous Focus
Starting at 6th level, you automatically succeed on Constitution saving throws to concentrate on your domain spells.

Unflinching Martyr
Starting at 8th level, being reduced to 0 hit points does not knock you unconscious.

Wrath of God
Starting at 17th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, when you damage a creature of CR 1 or less with a weapon attack, you can instantly reduce it to 0 hit points.