I'm trying to get martial weapons or at least one finesse weapon proficiency on my Light Cleric. Is there a way to do that outside of taking Weapon Master feat?
Technically any cleric is proficient with a dagger which is a finesse weapon but I am guessing you want ot roll a bigger damage dice.
If you are using Tasha's optional rules you can swap a racial armor or martial weapon proficiency so you could be for example a dwalf and swap your medium armor proficiency for rapier proficiency and your light armor proficiency for short sword (Many DMs wont allow this but most will at least allow you to swap warhammer for rapier)
Another option woould be to take a level in something like fighter or ranger
As Freman said mechanically are better off using cantrips. As they rely on saves there is no problem using sacred flame and toll the dead whan an enemy is within 5ft of you.
If you want to use a finesse weapon for roleplay reasons would a different subclass fit, if you want to worship a god of fire and light would forge be better as they ar ealso about forging and using weapons.
We've already started and I'm playing as a Lizardfolk so getting it through the race won't work for me. With high Dex I have a 19 AC due to the natural armor and a shield so I'm not too concerned with the squishiness of the class. I was just hoping for a better option than a dagger for when I want to get in close and stab something. Until getting potent cantrips the dagger will actually have higher damage than the cantrips also. 1d4+4 on average will be better than 1d8. I think I'm just going to be stuck with the dagger tho because I'm not wasting a feat on weapon master. Was just hoping maybe someone would have an out of the box way of doing it.
Any character can train to learn a proficiency they don't have, but during a campaign it takes a long time (and a lot of gold), however if you can justify it to your DM and they agree that it'd be fine for you to have then you could do "retroactive" training, i.e- something your character learned before the campaign started. Maybe your temple has a different signature weapon? Maybe an injury makes it difficult to use heavier weapons? Maybe the shortsword is of a particular style specific to where you're from, so you were trained in it from a young age?
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From level 5 on you will be doing more damage from your cantrips so a lot depends on how you want to roleplay it.
You could be a dagger wielding cleric who when their diety doubles the power of their cantrips switxches to predominantly using them, in that case you are right there is little point in investing in getting access to more powerful weapons.
If you want to be a sword wielding cleric throughout your career then unless you agree something with your DM to access something like a rapier you need to either take a feat or multiclass.
Unless you have low wisdom you are however very powerful for your level, your high Dex means you have higher AC and more damage output than others simply because you rolled well for stats. Going to your DM and saying while an "average cleric" does and average of 4.5 damage on a hit without using a spell slot I can do 6.5 can I have proficicney in rapier I could do 8.5 is unlikely to be fruitful unless the whole party is extremely powerful.
From level 5 on you will be doing more damage from your cantrips so a lot depends on how you want to roleplay it.
Not from 5th level; if the aim of gaining light weapons is to use two weapon fighting then you're looking at damage of 2d4+MOD (dagger or similar) or 2d6+MOD (shortsword or similar), so with a MOD of +3 average damage is 8 or 10. A cantrip dealing 2d8 damage is 9, so the damage is broadly the same. Toll the Dead can do more (13) some of the time.
But in both cases the damage is all-or-nothing for the cantrip, part of the benefit of having multiple attacks is that if you miss then you only lose some of your damage, instead of all of it. Plus multiple attacks means more benefit from added damage such as Divine Favor (brings your average total damage to 13 or 15). Once you get Divine Strike you also do extra damage on one hit per turn.
The main problem with light weapons on a Cleric is that they're outclassed by Spiritual Weapon, especially since you can have that up at the same time as Spirit Guardians which will easily eclipse twin weapons.
However these are all purely optimisation considerations, none of which matters if twin weapons suit the character better.
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.
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We've already started and I'm playing as a Lizardfolk so getting it through the race won't work for me. With high Dex I have a 19 AC due to the natural armor and a shield so I'm not too concerned with the squishiness of the class. I was just hoping for a better option than a dagger for when I want to get in close and stab something. Until getting potent cantrips the dagger will actually have higher damage than the cantrips also. 1d4+4 on average will be better than 1d8. I think I'm just going to be stuck with the dagger tho because I'm not wasting a feat on weapon master. Was just hoping maybe someone would have an out of the box way of doing it.
Not really sure why you want a weapon at all. As a lizard folk you have your claws that do 1D4+stat bonus slashing and would be proficient with the claws. No you can’t throw them but then that is what cantrips are for 😁. The DM may even allow you the monster multi attack giving you 2 attacks each round with them.
Late to the party, but you could dip into Wizard for> Booming Blade on your dagger, Shield, Absorb Elements, ritual spells, go to second level for cool subclass gains.
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I'm trying to get martial weapons or at least one finesse weapon proficiency on my Light Cleric. Is there a way to do that outside of taking Weapon Master feat?
Play a High Elf or Wood Elf. They come with proficiency with short swords.
However a light cleric is much like a more durable wizard. You don't need melee weapons. You have sacred flame and toll the dead.
Technically any cleric is proficient with a dagger which is a finesse weapon but I am guessing you want ot roll a bigger damage dice.
If you are using Tasha's optional rules you can swap a racial armor or martial weapon proficiency so you could be for example a dwalf and swap your medium armor proficiency for rapier proficiency and your light armor proficiency for short sword (Many DMs wont allow this but most will at least allow you to swap warhammer for rapier)
Another option woould be to take a level in something like fighter or ranger
As Freman said mechanically are better off using cantrips. As they rely on saves there is no problem using sacred flame and toll the dead whan an enemy is within 5ft of you.
If you want to use a finesse weapon for roleplay reasons would a different subclass fit, if you want to worship a god of fire and light would forge be better as they ar ealso about forging and using weapons.
Talk to your DM!
Any character can train to learn a proficiency they don't have, but during a campaign it takes a long time (and a lot of gold), however if you can justify it to your DM and they agree that it'd be fine for you to have then you could do "retroactive" training, i.e- something your character learned before the campaign started. Maybe your temple has a different signature weapon? Maybe an injury makes it difficult to use heavier weapons? Maybe the shortsword is of a particular style specific to where you're from, so you were trained in it from a young age?
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.
From level 5 on you will be doing more damage from your cantrips so a lot depends on how you want to roleplay it.
You could be a dagger wielding cleric who when their diety doubles the power of their cantrips switxches to predominantly using them, in that case you are right there is little point in investing in getting access to more powerful weapons.
If you want to be a sword wielding cleric throughout your career then unless you agree something with your DM to access something like a rapier you need to either take a feat or multiclass.
Unless you have low wisdom you are however very powerful for your level, your high Dex means you have higher AC and more damage output than others simply because you rolled well for stats. Going to your DM and saying while an "average cleric" does and average of 4.5 damage on a hit without using a spell slot I can do 6.5 can I have proficicney in rapier I could do 8.5 is unlikely to be fruitful unless the whole party is extremely powerful.
Not from 5th level; if the aim of gaining light weapons is to use two weapon fighting then you're looking at damage of 2d4+MOD (dagger or similar) or 2d6+MOD (shortsword or similar), so with a MOD of +3 average damage is 8 or 10. A cantrip dealing 2d8 damage is 9, so the damage is broadly the same. Toll the Dead can do more (13) some of the time.
But in both cases the damage is all-or-nothing for the cantrip, part of the benefit of having multiple attacks is that if you miss then you only lose some of your damage, instead of all of it. Plus multiple attacks means more benefit from added damage such as Divine Favor (brings your average total damage to 13 or 15). Once you get Divine Strike you also do extra damage on one hit per turn.
The main problem with light weapons on a Cleric is that they're outclassed by Spiritual Weapon, especially since you can have that up at the same time as Spirit Guardians which will easily eclipse twin weapons.
However these are all purely optimisation considerations, none of which matters if twin weapons suit the character better.
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.
Not really sure why you want a weapon at all. As a lizard folk you have your claws that do 1D4+stat bonus slashing and would be proficient with the claws. No you can’t throw them but then that is what cantrips are for 😁. The DM may even allow you the monster multi attack giving you 2 attacks each round with them.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Late to the party, but you could dip into Wizard for> Booming Blade on your dagger, Shield, Absorb Elements, ritual spells, go to second level for cool subclass gains.