I'd be careful about combining classes with too many different ability score dependencies; for example Bladesinger wants Intelligence, but Cleric wants Wisdom, and both probably want Dexterity and maybe Constitution, so you could end up spread pretty thin, or with one set of spells on worse scores than the other.
My main question would be; what do you want out of the Death Domain, and what kind of character do you want to play as?
For example, Death Domain could be great as a one level dip if your goal is to add super-powered necromancy cantrips to a build via the Reaper feature, you only need a single level for it but Channel Divinity isn't a bad thing to pick up, and a sprinkling of extra spellcasting on top isn't a bad thing to have on most builds. But you'll still want good Wisdom to make the most of it, since it will affect your spell attack bonus and spell save DC for those cantrips and spells.
Rogue could work because it only really needs Dexterity so combines with a lot of builds very easily, either as a small or main dip.
You might also consider Ranger though; Gloom Stalker is quite Rogue-like but the spellcasting is compatible with Cleric (both Wisdom based).
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Yeah of course their are MAD implications but in this case just for reaper we only need a 13 wis. The idea being to use bladesingers attack with cantrip to push out some more damage. In many ways bladesong itself could be redundant with medium armor and shield options on the table and reaper and extra attack being the focal abilities. Remember it starts at 7+
In any build case the focus is the reaper feature and in the end a pure cleric might be the best route but i wanted to see if anything could be gained by working in melee options. As i explored that idea i had this image of the pirates in pirates of the Caribbean
Yeah of course their are MAD implications but in this case just for reaper we only need a 13 wis.
Ah, actually I didn't realise there's a workaround for the Bladesinger/Death Cleric combo; I was originally going to point out that Wisdom will be the score you're using for your cleric cantrips, so they'll end up being limited by your progression in that stat, but on double checking the Reaper rule doesn't actually say that you have to use it with a cleric cantrip.
In that case yeah a quick dip could work well; just take Toll the Dead as a Wizard cantrip (so it's INT-based), maybe take Spare the Dying as the free Death Cleric choice (since it doesn't care about your WIS stat). Since Toll the Dead is save-based you can use it both at range and at point-blank range, so you can still use a one-handed weapon for the attack once you get Extra Attack. It might be good to still have a ranged option, but I think a crossbow, hand is your only option unless your DM will allow a pistol, as attacking with both hands ends Bladesong (but reloading technically doesn't)? Neither is super long range though so you'd be wanting to build for short range and melee with other defensive spells like Blink or Mirror Image?
But yeah, could work! There are other good cantrips you can pick up from Cleric that don't really require Wisdom as well, such as Guidance (awesome for out of combat utility), Light (DEX save only applies if you try to put it on someone else, for seeing yourself it's handy if you prefer to travel light), or Thaumaturgy (Cleric is the only way to get this if you're not a Tiefling), plus a bunch of spells that don't care about your Wisdom score like Bane or Bless, Divine Favor or Shield of Faith etc.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
So I've pulled apart the ideas in my head and have settled on focusing on death cleric. Either ending as a purist DC10, or possibly having one or two levels of fighter.
The fighter gives me the armor to be walking thru enemies with spirit guardians up, spiritual weapon out, and hand out ringing deaths bell.
A second fighter gives me action surge at the expense of 5th level spells. That's a tough one and my instinct is its not worth it. If the story ran to level 12 or more i think 8th level might have been the stopping point for cleric.
Walking thru a battlefield preaching and without a physical weapon just looks awesome in my head.
I think the bladesinger would be really good. Letting you twin toll the dead, sapping sting or chill touch while casting it as half an attack with the bladesinger multiattack (and getting even more damage with CD). Unfortunately you probably need these cantrips as wizard spells because I don't see you having a great Wisdom with this build. You probably want at least one of the blade cantrips too, so you really don't have any other wizard cantrips if you stop at 6th level. Take spare the dying as your free cleric necromancy cantrip.
Martial weapons works great with a bladesinger too, especially if you manage some guantlets of ogre power letting you use battle axes, warhammers and longswords.
I don't like Rogue for this build, mostly because the necromancy cantrips are key to this and they don't work with sneak attack. Sorcerer would be good, but not as good as bladesinger IMO.
Fighter would be fine, but I don't see any great synergies there that any other Fighter-Cleric would have.
Another interesting and very thematic option would be an undead warlock.
SO we have a many campaign coming up and is likely to be either level 9 or 10. No details have yet been given.
I was thinking that Either a
Either Dhampir, Reborn or perhaps Shadar-kai (MPMM) could be fun to play with. An almost Undead Pirate feel.
Any thoughts on optimising this idea and combat strategy?
I'd be careful about combining classes with too many different ability score dependencies; for example Bladesinger wants Intelligence, but Cleric wants Wisdom, and both probably want Dexterity and maybe Constitution, so you could end up spread pretty thin, or with one set of spells on worse scores than the other.
My main question would be; what do you want out of the Death Domain, and what kind of character do you want to play as?
For example, Death Domain could be great as a one level dip if your goal is to add super-powered necromancy cantrips to a build via the Reaper feature, you only need a single level for it but Channel Divinity isn't a bad thing to pick up, and a sprinkling of extra spellcasting on top isn't a bad thing to have on most builds. But you'll still want good Wisdom to make the most of it, since it will affect your spell attack bonus and spell save DC for those cantrips and spells.
Rogue could work because it only really needs Dexterity so combines with a lot of builds very easily, either as a small or main dip.
You might also consider Ranger though; Gloom Stalker is quite Rogue-like but the spellcasting is compatible with Cleric (both Wisdom based).
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Yeah of course their are MAD implications but in this case just for reaper we only need a 13 wis. The idea being to use bladesingers attack with cantrip to push out some more damage. In many ways bladesong itself could be redundant with medium armor and shield options on the table and reaper and extra attack being the focal abilities. Remember it starts at 7+
In any build case the focus is the reaper feature and in the end a pure cleric might be the best route but i wanted to see if anything could be gained by working in melee options. As i explored that idea i had this image of the pirates in pirates of the Caribbean
Ah, actually I didn't realise there's a workaround for the Bladesinger/Death Cleric combo; I was originally going to point out that Wisdom will be the score you're using for your cleric cantrips, so they'll end up being limited by your progression in that stat, but on double checking the Reaper rule doesn't actually say that you have to use it with a cleric cantrip.
In that case yeah a quick dip could work well; just take Toll the Dead as a Wizard cantrip (so it's INT-based), maybe take Spare the Dying as the free Death Cleric choice (since it doesn't care about your WIS stat). Since Toll the Dead is save-based you can use it both at range and at point-blank range, so you can still use a one-handed weapon for the attack once you get Extra Attack. It might be good to still have a ranged option, but I think a crossbow, hand is your only option unless your DM will allow a pistol, as attacking with both hands ends Bladesong (but reloading technically doesn't)? Neither is super long range though so you'd be wanting to build for short range and melee with other defensive spells like Blink or Mirror Image?
But yeah, could work! There are other good cantrips you can pick up from Cleric that don't really require Wisdom as well, such as Guidance (awesome for out of combat utility), Light (DEX save only applies if you try to put it on someone else, for seeing yourself it's handy if you prefer to travel light), or Thaumaturgy (Cleric is the only way to get this if you're not a Tiefling), plus a bunch of spells that don't care about your Wisdom score like Bane or Bless, Divine Favor or Shield of Faith etc.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
So I've pulled apart the ideas in my head and have settled on focusing on death cleric. Either ending as a purist DC10, or possibly having one or two levels of fighter.
The fighter gives me the armor to be walking thru enemies with spirit guardians up, spiritual weapon out, and hand out ringing deaths bell.
A second fighter gives me action surge at the expense of 5th level spells. That's a tough one and my instinct is its not worth it. If the story ran to level 12 or more i think 8th level might have been the stopping point for cleric.
Walking thru a battlefield preaching and without a physical weapon just looks awesome in my head.
I think the bladesinger would be really good. Letting you twin toll the dead, sapping sting or chill touch while casting it as half an attack with the bladesinger multiattack (and getting even more damage with CD). Unfortunately you probably need these cantrips as wizard spells because I don't see you having a great Wisdom with this build. You probably want at least one of the blade cantrips too, so you really don't have any other wizard cantrips if you stop at 6th level. Take spare the dying as your free cleric necromancy cantrip.
Martial weapons works great with a bladesinger too, especially if you manage some guantlets of ogre power letting you use battle axes, warhammers and longswords.
I don't like Rogue for this build, mostly because the necromancy cantrips are key to this and they don't work with sneak attack. Sorcerer would be good, but not as good as bladesinger IMO.
Fighter would be fine, but I don't see any great synergies there that any other Fighter-Cleric would have.
Another interesting and very thematic option would be an undead warlock.