Ur-Priest Domain

Ur-priests despise gods. They have learned to tap into divine power and use it for their own needs without praying to or worshipping any divine power. Canny and cunning, they learn to extend this ability to steal the spell energy of any magic-using creature and become resilient to the powers of celestials and fiends.

The goals and methods of ur-priests are as varied as the priests themselves. Some hold a grudge against a specific god or gods, while others are opposed to the very concept of deities. Some target only the gods and their direct servants, such as fey, fiends and celestials, while others include their worshippers as well. Some see worshippers as deluded creatures to be pitied and freed from their servitude, while other see them as miscreants willingly debasing themselves and their race through their subservience. 

Ur-priests often act alone, though some small cabals have formed around like-minded individuals. A few larger societies congregate in extraplanar spaces far from the prying eyes of deities and their lapdogs. They are usually viewed as aberrant and reckless deviants by clerics,  druids, and paladins alike, and many bards and rangers as well. They also don't get along well with most warlocks, viewing their reliance on a patron as dangerously close to the relationship between gods and their dupes.

When an ur-priest casts a divination spell or uses a class feature such as Divine Intervention that normally requires the direct action of a deity, the ur-priest is actually stealing small amounts of power from numerous gods and redirecting it to serve their requests.

Ur-Priest Domain Spells

Cleric Level	Spells
1st	protection from evil and good, sanctuary
3rd	arcanist's magic aura, calm emotions
5th	counterspell, nondetection
7th	arcane eye, banishment
9th	contact other plane, dispel evil and good

Stolen Knowledge

At first level, you gain proficiency in the Arcana and Religion skills. You also gain your choice of guidance, resistance, or thaumaturgy as a bonus cantrip that does not count against the number of cleric cantrips that you know.

 

Channel Divinity: Siphon Spell Energy

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to drain spell energy from a target and harness it for your own spells.

 

As an action, you focus your will on a creature with the spellcasting feature within 30 feet. If the target has any spell slots remaining, you can attempt to steal one of them. The target must make a Charisma saving throw. If it fails, it loses one spell slot at the highest level it has available, and you can use it to create a spell slot no higher than your highest spell slot and of any level lower than the stolen spell slot. You can then use the stolen slot to regain a spent spell slot of your own, or you can use your reaction to immediately cast one of your own spells using the slot you just stole, as long as the spell has a casting time of one action or one bonus action. Stealing a 1st level spell slot gives you no additional benefit other than depriving the target of the slot.

 

You can also use this ability on a creature with innate spellcasting. In this case, the spell targets the highest level innate spell the creature has available, stealing one use of the innate spell on a failed save and creating a spell slot less than the minimum level spell slot required to cast that spell. If a creature has both the spellcasting and innate spellcasting features, this ability always affects the spellcasting feature unless the creature has no spell slots remaining.

 

You cannot steal energy from a cantrip or any spell that the target can cast at will. If you use this ability on a creature that does not have any spellcasting abilities, the use is wasted.

 

Divine Resistance

Starting at 6th level, you become resistant to attacks from servants of divine powers. You gain resistance to necrotic and radiant damage and have advantage on saving throws against spells and magic abilities cast by celestials, fey, and fiends.

 

Potent Spellcasting

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

 

Absorb Spell Energy

At 17th level, when a creature casts a spell with you as its only target, you can spend your reaction to use your Siphon Spell Energy ability against the spell being cast upon you. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum once). All uses of this ability recharge after a long or a short rest. When a spell slot is stolen this way, it cannot be used to immediately cast a spell since you've already used your reaction for the turn.