Cleric Time Domain

[P. G. Macer]

(You can find this Domain on The Homebrewery here (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/zCZ3FiZ88MpY))

Divine Domain: Time
Time is one of the fundamental pillars of the cosmos; gods of time, while few in number, therefore frequently wield immense divine power. Their clerics often are tasked with preserving the stability of the timeline and other temporal responsibilities.



Deity
Pantheon


Amaunator
Forgotten Realms


Chronepsis
Draconic


Cyndor
Greyhawk (Oerdian)


Katay
Greyhawk (Touv)


Lendor
Greyhawk (Suel)


Labelas Enoreth
Elven


Luxon, The
Exandria (Lesser Idols)


Thoth
Fantasy-Historical


Zivilyn
Dragonlance




Time Domain Spells


Cleric Level
Domain Spells


1st
expeditious retreat, gift of alacrity


3rd
borrowed knowledge, ray of enfeeblement


5th
haste, slow


7th
banishment, freedom of movement


9th
legend lore, temporal shunt


17th
time ravage, time stop



Bonus Cantrip
When you choose this Domain at 1st level, you learn the sapping sting cantrip, which is a cleric cantrip for you but doesn’t count against the number of cleric cantrips you know.

Timekeeper
Also at 1st level, you gain proficiency with the History skill. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check’s total.

Channel Divinity: Temporal Snapback
Beginning at 2nd level, you can briefly rewind time. When a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can use your channel divinity as a reaction to make them reroll the save. You can force the reroll after you know whether the roll is a hit, miss, success or failure, but before the resukts of the roll take effect.

The reroll is made with the same bonuses or penalties, such as advantage or disadvantage, as the original roll.

Tug the Timeline
Starting at 6th level, you can stretch the flow of time. You can cast cleric spells of 1st level or higher with a casting time of 1 action and 1 bonus action on the same turn.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Potent Spellcasting
Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.

Convergent Timelines
At 17th level, your control over the flow of time allows you to extend your existence. When you would die of a cause other than naturally occurring old age, you instead regain hit points equal to half your hit point maximum + your Constitution modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again for 1d4 long rests.

[Calen]

Looks nice. I think you might have under-tuned it.

Covergent could be a long rest reset.

Barbarians are capable of ignoring death multiple times in a short or long rest for example.

[MrStabby]

(You can find this Domain on The Homebrewery here (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/zCZ3FiZ88MpY))

Divine Domain: Time
Time is one of the fundamental pillars of the cosmos; gods of time, while few in number, therefore frequently wield immense divine power. Their clerics often are tasked with preserving the stability of the timeline and other temporal responsibilities.



Deity
Pantheon


Amaunator
Forgotten Realms


Chronepsis
Draconic


Cyndor
Greyhawk (Oerdian)


Katay
Greyhawk (Touv)


Lendor
Greyhawk (Suel)


Labelas Enoreth
Elven


Luxon, The
Exandria (Lesser Idols)


Thoth
Fantasy-Historical


Zivilyn
Dragonlance




Time Domain Spells


Cleric Level
Domain Spells


1st
expeditious retreat, gift of alacrity


3rd
borrowed knowledge, ray of enfeeblement


5th
haste, slow


7th
banishment, freedom of movement


9th
legend lore, temporal shunt


17th
time ravage, time stop



Bonus Cantrip
When you choose this Domain at 1st level, you learn the sapping sting cantrip, which is a cleric cantrip for you but doesn’t count against the number of cleric cantrips you know.

Timekeeper
Also at 1st level, you gain proficiency with the History skill. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check’s total.

Channel Divinity: Temporal Snapback
Beginning at 2nd level, you can briefly rewind time. When a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can use your channel divinity as a reaction to make them reroll the save. You can force the reroll after you know whether the roll is a hit, miss, success or failure, but before the resukts of the roll take effect.

The reroll is made with the same bonuses or penalties, such as advantage or disadvantage, as the original roll.

Tug the Timeline
Starting at 6th level, you can stretch the flow of time. You can cast cleric spells of 1st level or higher with a casting time of 1 action and 1 bonus action on the same turn.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Potent Spellcasting
Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.

Convergent Timelines
At 17th level, your control over the flow of time allows you to extend your existence. When you would die of a cause other than naturally occurring old age, you instead regain hit points equal to half your hit point maximum + your Constitution modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again for 1d4 long rests.


All in all... this seems relatively weak. Sure, here is some decent stuff here, but overall I wouldbe tempted to play it more for flavour than power.
The spells are not without use, but there is nothing there that is particularly powerful or enticing. 3rd level spells are good, but this is a level where your typical cleric will have a lot of other good choices to concentrate on. Other spells I don't recognise - sappin sting and temporal shunt for example. I assume they are homebrew (and its hard to judge the domain spells without knowing what they do). Even time stop - a very cool spell, but really worth a level 9 spell slot?

Timekeeper - more skills are good, but this will depend on your DM as to how useful. Still probably quite a bit less good than the knowledge cleic getting expertise. Given the lack of incentive to have high inelligence its not unlikely that even with this abiity you won't be the go-to person for history checks.

Temporal snapback - this is pretty good. A solid versatile ability. Some niche abilities (looking at you nature cleric) don't really scale well with extra uses at level 6 as you probably wo't need more than one use per short rest. This should still be good level 6 onwards.

Tugthe timeline - I don't really get the flavour of the title and how it matches to the mechanics. This isn't a huge issue though. What worries me is that I think this is just not that useful. Its cleric spells only so no new options with multiclass (though different races/backgrounds that add to spell lists might care more) and it just lets you cast a bonus action spell when normally you wouldn't. What good bonus action spells are there? For most of he game you are really just looking at healing word, which is probably a bit situational and also comes later in fights where you are less likely to want to be casting a levelled spell alongside it (you are probably already concentrating on something). Shield of faith and sancuary are good enough spells in their own way, but they eat concentration you probably want of other effects. Really, until late game with divine word, the only time I see this being useful is to get spiritual weapon out the same turn as a bless or spirit guardians. Its good, but not that good and geting one use per long rest for an extra d8+wisdom force damage is not a great ability. I would compare it to the order cleric that is more flexible (shunting spells to a bonus action lets you do a lot of different stuff with your action) and you can use it more often.

Convergent timelines - great ability, quite fun but I think you might overestimate its power. If a character actually dies, its pretty likely that whatever has killed them is still there to do it again. Whatever circumstances lead to the death (lack of resources, lack of other answers, unable to flee) will still apply. Given that when a character hits 0HP there is usually someone there to stabilise them so they don't actually die, this means that the cleric might not be really coming back in a position to change the outcome. Its a big bundle more HP on a character whose HP didn't save them. I mean its not terrible, just not that powerful either.

[Old Harry MTX]

I like the concept, but i see every issue MrStabby wrote in his post. Also, I feel that a "time domain" mandatory needs an Action Surge-like feature!

[Amechra]

What good bonus action spells are there?

While I agree with most of your points... you're forgetting about Spiritual Weapon.

[MrStabby]

While I agree with most of your points... you're forgetting about Spiritual Weapon.


the only time I see this being useful is to get spiritual weapon out the same turn as a bless or spirit guardians. Its good, but not that good and geting one use per long rest for an extra d8+wisdom force damage is not a great ability. I would compare it to the order cleric that is more flexible (shunting spells to a bonus action lets you do a lot of different stuff with your action) and you can use it more often.


I am not sure I totally forgot about it.

[P. G. Macer]

Thank you all for the feedback!

I’ll definitely switch Convergent Timelines to 1/LR. Part of the reason it is weak is that this domain gets a pair of 9th-level Domain Spells, but I agree from y'alls' arguments it could use a buff.

The spells sapping sting, gift of alacrity, temporal shunt, and time ravage are Dunamancy spells from Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, the Critical Role-WotC partnership sourcebook. I’ll add a notice to the doc identifying the source.

In addition to spiritual weapon, healing word and its mass version are also BA cleric spells, but I see the point being made. How does it sound if I change Tug the Timeline to something like “You can apply the Quickened Spell metamagic option from the Sorcerer class to a spell without needing to spend Sorcery Points PB/LR” (expanded into WotC-esque language, of course)?

I’m also all ears for any Domain Spell replacement suggestions!

[MrStabby]

Thank you all for the feedback!

I’ll definitely switch Convergent Timelines to 1/LR. Part of the reason it is weak is that this domain gets a pair of 9th-level Domain Spells, but I agree from y'alls' arguments it could use a buff.

The spells sapping sting, gift of alacrity, temporal shunt, and time ravage are Dunamancy spells from Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, the Critical Role-WotC partnership sourcebook. I’ll add a notice to the doc identifying the source.

In addition to spiritual weapon, healing word and its mass version are also BA cleric spells, but I see the point being made. How does it sound if I change Tug the Timeline to something like “You can apply the Quickened Spell metamagic option from the Sorcerer class to a spell without needing to spend Sorcery Points PB/LR” (expanded into WotC-esque language, of course)?

I’m also all ears for any Domain Spell replacement suggestions!


How do you want this to play? As in what plystyle do you want to support?

Some, like the light cleric, are good blasers and the domain opens up a new playstyle. Others, like life, double down on healing. Order is very strong at buffing etc..

Is there a particular role you want this to fill? I look at things like he spell list and I think that I wouldn't really play with most of these - the times I would use them would be so niche I would feel like I was playing a very generic cleric. Temporal snapback is the main draw to the class but it purely reactive and doesn' really feel like you are actively persuing a "Time Cleric" strategy.

Tug the timeline speeds your spells (with either previous or mooted updated versions), which is cool - but thats just adding more generic cleric spells.

Convergeant timelines is another reactive thing.


I think what this class is missing is an early option to proactively do something flavourful, and something that remains useful at high levels. Something that lets you chose to behave as a Time Cleric, not your enemies chosing to give you the opportunity.

I am going to suggest some reworks, not that I think you should specifically do these things, but I figure I have explained this pretty badly and examples might be useful just to show the kind of thing I mean.


Visions of the Future (Level 1)
Your god has granted you the ability to peer into the future, giving you the ability to predict and sidestep incoming attacks. Rather than use armour your may instead set your AC to 10+wis mod +dex mod.

This is a pretty low value ability given that clerics can get good AC anyway, but it does open up a bit of bredth of playstyle and can make the cleric more visually distinct from others.

Timekeeper (Level 1)
You gain ninsight into the past, not just through study, but by connecting with your god. You bcome proficient in the history skill and may use your wisdom modifier instead of your intelligence modifier for any check using the history skill or to recall information.

I figure your ability could use a bit of a boost to make the cleric actually good at this skill.

Channel Divinity: Stasis (Level 2)
As an acton you may use your channel divinity to remove a creature from time. A target creature within 90ft must make a charisma save or become unable to take any actions reactions or movement. Whist subjected to this ability the creature is immune to damage, unmovable and will automatically pass any saves they ar requird to make. This is not the incapacitated condition and the creature may coninue to concentrate on any spells they were concentrating on. At the end of each of those creatures turns they may repeat the save, ending the effect on them on a success.
Its a bit like a banishment spell that doesn't upcast, doesn't incapacitate and allows for repeat saves but the very, very powerful thing is it doesn't ask for concentration. The main point is to have something proactive to do that is generally useful rather than being very nice and letting you feel like you have a meaningful domain
Precognition (Level 6)
Your furure self sent a vision back in time advising you of the perils discovered ahead. As a bonus action you may chose a number of spells you have prepared equal to your proficiency bonus and swap them for any other spells on the cleric list. Once you have used this ability, you may not use it again until you have completed a short rest.

A little unsure how this would play out. On the one hand, you are stuck with the same cleric list of spells so you still feel very generic. On the other hand you are probably able to cast spells that clerics rarely cast because they are a bit niche. Having that remove curse or silence, speak with dead, waterwalk, daylight, hallow or true seeing or whatever when you actually need it would hopefully give its identity. I could see it being used as you burn through all spell slots of a given level to swap the prepared spells for which you no longer have slots for spells where you do.

Convergent Timelines (Level 14)
Whenever you or another a creature you can see within 60ft is reduced to zero HP you may use your reaction to instead have them have hit points equal to twice your cleric level. Once you have used this ability you may not use it again untill you have completed a long rest.. Likewise

Trigering off )HP rather than death should help it see play a lot more. Likewise moving it to daily rather than to d4 days. Also, changed it to also work for allies so its a bit more flexible. I still don't realy like how reactive it is though.

[Amechra]

I am not sure I totally forgot about it.

And I'm not sure how I missed that. Oops!

[P. G. Macer]

Thank you all for the feedback so far! I am invoking the Homebrew exception clause to the Thread Necromancy Forum Rule to start talking about this again here.

I’ve made a few revisions to the Domain, visible in the Homebrewery link in my original post. MrStabby’s recommended revisions were particularly influential in these revisions.

I got rid of the Bonus Cantrip feature and replaced it with Visions of the Future, which pretty much works as MrStabby suggested except that I explicitly allow the use of a shield with this AC calculation.

Timekeeper takes a page from the One D&D™ Cleric’s book and made it so the Time Cleric is proficient in History and adds their Wisdom modifier to Intelligence (History) checks. This means that as long as said Cleric doesn’t have a negative or neutral INT mod, it’s better than simply switching History to being a Wisdom-based skill for Time Clerics.

I’m still debating what to do with the 2nd-level CD and the 6th-level Tug the Timeline, as I agree they’re too weak as-is.

For Convergent Timelines, major inspiration thanks again to MrStabby! The feature now reads, “At 17th level, your control over the flow of time allows you to extend a creature’s existence. When you or another a creature you can see within 60 feet of you drops to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to reset their current hit points to twice your cleric level.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.”

I specifically use the word “reset” like how Mythic monsters released after the Theros book do to, rather than “regain” to circumvent features that prevent the regaining of hit points, like chill touch.

[MrStabby]

Thank you all for the feedback so far! I am invoking the Homebrew exception clause to the Thread Necromancy Forum Rule to start talking about this again here.

I’ve made a few revisions to the Domain, visible in the Homebrewery link in my original post. MrStabby’s recommended revisions were particularly influential in these revisions.

I got rid of the Bonus Cantrip feature and replaced it with Visions of the Future, which pretty much works as MrStabby suggested except that I explicitly allow the use of a shield with this AC calculation.

Timekeeper takes a page from the One D&D™ Cleric’s book and made it so the Time Cleric is proficient in History and adds their Wisdom modifier to Intelligence (History) checks. This means that as long as said Cleric doesn’t have a negative or neutral INT mod, it’s better than simply switching History to being a Wisdom-based skill for Time Clerics.

I’m still debating what to do with the 2nd-level CD and the 6th-level Tug the Timeline, as I agree they’re too weak as-is.

For Convergent Timelines, major inspiration thanks again to MrStabby! The feature now reads, “At 17th level, your control over the flow of time allows you to extend a creature’s existence. When you or another a creature you can see within 60 feet of you drops to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to reset their current hit points to twice your cleric level.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.”

I specifically use the word “reset” like how Mythic monsters released after the Theros book do to, rather than “regain” to circumvent features that prevent the regaining of hit points, like chill touch.

Ah, my suggestions were mostly because I couldn't find the words to articulate my thoughts without examples. Still I am glad that someting I wrote may have been of use. Will you get a chance to test the class?

Looking at the dco a few thigs spring to mind. Firstly, you might want to say where the non-core spells in the domain list can be found with an *.

Secondly, that level 17 feature still bugs me. It feels like a death ward that eats your reaction, needs you to be nearby, needs you to not be incapacitated or blinded and still will alow broken concentration etc.. They still hit 0hp as its needed to triger. I feel its level 17 and the cleric has just waded through 7 uninspiring levels of cleric to get here. Something a bit sexier than a toned down level 4 spell seems ike it could be in order.

Some things could be adjusted easily - make it a replacement of alling to zero so it doen't trigger being incapacitated and al that entails. Boost the healing etc..

Other things could make it better it other ways - how about it explicitly modifying death ward? You could then cast it multiple times. Make death ward set to Cleric level *2 HP instead.

Maybe other rewind effects could be added (a dispel magic or some spell slot recovery for example).

"At level 17 you may use your magic to forsee and avert death. You know the death ward spell wihtout it taking up a preparation slot and it is modified as follows

You touch a creature and grant it a measure of protection from death. The first time the target would drop to 0 hit points as a result of taking damage, the target instead drops to a number of hit points equal to twice your level, and the spell ends. If the spell is still in effect when the target is subjected to an effect that would kill it instantaneously without dealing damage, that effect is instead negated against the target, and the spells ends. When the spell ends this way you may chose up to one spell effect on the target creature and make a spellcasting ability check against a DC of 10 plus the spells level, ending the spell on a success."