I've started a chaotic evil campaign playing as a cleric and I chose the death domain from the dm guide. Has anyone else experimented with this domain? Any thoughts or advice?
I actually was a player for my group's run of Princes of the Apocalypse and was a Lawful Good Cleric of Kelemvor taking the Death Domain. I loved the character. She was raised in a special sect of the religion that viewed his weapon as the scythe (home-brewed cause I wanted to be a Death Cleric with one and we just used the stats for a glaive as far as the weapon). She idolized Kelemvor as a man who achieved god-hood.
As far as mechanics, I really enjoyed the playthrough. It was my first 5e cleric and I felt just as powerful as our other party members. I got Chill Touch and that was my main damage cantrip after 5th level (2d8 just outstripped my scythe, even with the negative energy damage eventually added by the class feature) and I had higher wisdom bonus than strength. I limited myself to spells that I thought made sense, mainly using Spirit Guardians, Spiritual Weapon, and Guiding Bolt as far as leveled spells. I just swerved ever using Animate Dead, even though it is a domain spell, it goes against Kelemvor, but I don't think it hobbled my character at all.
TL;DR, I think it is a perfectly viable Domain to run and I had a lot of fun. Just remember, Spiritual Weapon CAN use your channel divinity ability and it HURTS.
Hmm. A death domain cleric (Level 20) can deal 45+9+2d8+1d8+3+4d6 Damage in a single hit. (Not crit)
This is from 1. Touch of death. 2. Modifiers (Storm giant belt) 3. Divine strike. 4. Rod of lordly might 5. Same. 6. Drain life property of the same again.
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Death Domain clerics can't heal...it's against their faith.... :) (They can be healed but will not actively seek it out.) Well it's true in my campaign.... :)
One day I want to make a Necromancer, more akin to the Dustmen from Planescape then Nerull.
My plan is to take first level Cleric with the Death Domain, then level up as a Wizard or Sorcerer (Favored Soul) up from there.
If I went with a Favored Soul, I'd probably look for a pantheon closer to the Egyptian's Anubis. He was was a "guardian" of the dead: protecting spirits, guiding souls, and weighing the sins of evil doers.
Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but does anyone have any tips on building a death cleric? I don’t necessarily want to min/max, but looking for thematically sensible decisions when picking race, stats, spells, etc.
Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but does anyone have any tips on building a death cleric? I don’t necessarily want to min/max, but looking for thematically sensible decisions when picking race, stats, spells, etc.
Lizardfolk, kenku, human (of course), or possibly ghostwise halfling. Obviously, you want 16 or 17 Wisdom after racial adjustments. I don't know about spells, and everything else depends on race.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Would a Fallen Aasimar fit? I was thinking also about focusing skills based on what someone practicing dark magic would be into (deception, perception, history, religion).
Would a Fallen Aasimar fit? I was thinking also about focusing skills based on what someone practicing dark magic would be into (deception, perception, history, religion).
Fallen Aasimar don't get a bonus to your spellcasting ability. They would otherwise fit pretty well, though.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
I know that the Death Domain is default considered an "Evil" option in Dungeons and Dragons, although the Raven Queen does side step that quite a bit.
Remember in our own mythology the following gods were "Gods of Death", so it might expand your ideas of concepts without being "evil" Morrigan, Anubis, Osiris, Hades, Persephone, Odin, and Hel. I'm personally a fan of the Lizardfolk being a Death Cleric, because if you go Neutral then "death" is just a part of life and you won't always "get" the hangups others have around it. If you go for a more caring Death God, then you might insist on burying the dead.
Or you could be like a Dustman from Planescape, who are kinda Buddhist and are concerned with the soul and not the body, so necromancy isn't a big deal... the spirit has left.
My thinking was possibly being Lawful Neutral, and the "Death" isn't so much killing people, but understanding death, its purpose in life, protecting its balance, and spreading knowledge and understanding of it so that the deity I follow would be better understood.
I would pick spells that don't deal with resurrecting dead, but utilize the powers of death (heavy necrotic or even just flavored necrotic if the DM will allow) to accomplish the tasks in front of me.
Lawful sounds weird, but I would still abide like a lawful Paladin would, I just use powers some might consider foreign or negative and show that they can be used for good.
I've had two experiences with Death Clerics. One was in my very first game of D&D where my friend played a Death Cleric of Kelemvor, occasionally being compelled by him to kill either undead or in one instance a party member (DM's decision, not hers). It was a world of undead, so she was REALLY strong. Inflict Wounds is a scary spell with Touch of Death and Inescapable Destruction. Her character was sort of forced to serve Kelemvor though and it was an interesting dynamic, because we had someone bordering on vampirism within the party who happened to be her character's closest friend.
My other experience is playing one currently. He's a Protector Aasimar Death Cleric of the Raven Queen (Dawn War Pantheon 4 Lyfe). He's very nonchalant about death. When he was young, his village was slaughtered by people wanting to kill an Aasimar, but a powerful Paladin of the Raven Queen was told to bring him back. As part of the start of the campaign he, and the rest of the group, were also brought back to life and delivered to a different plane of existence, so death is becoming a nuisance more than a fear. He's also very peppy, if a bit creepy. I try to play him very carefree.
The Death Domain subclass doesn't say anything about restricting the cleric spell list. As with most cleric subclasses, it just adds domain spells onto the existing cleric spell list.
I drew up a character I haven’t actually tried yet: protector Aasimar death cleric. Born from a celestial whose purpose is to escort souls safely to their final destination, he is tasked with assisting on the material plane when possible. Focus on Strength, and talk to your DM about making a necromancy version of Booming Blade, or similar cantrip. When combined with Reaper, Divine Strike, Touch of Death, and Inescspable Destruction, it turns your cleric into a real engine for grinding up meat. I drew this one up as a Noble variant - Knight, with the idea that he’s a member of a Urogalan Church who has had some quid pro quo with the kingdom for some political gains. He’s tasked with making a positive and very public mark on the world so that people think we’ll of the church and the king by association.
Basically I made a respectable death knight shepherding souls, instead of an evil one. Offer comfort where you can, but don’t forget you’re an engine of death if you’re provoked
Thanks, I actually had a chance to try him out in a play by post game. It was fun but ended abruptly due to lack of involvement by dm and players. I look forward to trying again sometime.
Oh and we just made a melee weapon strike cantrip out of Chill Touch, which worked just fine
I've started a chaotic evil campaign playing as a cleric and I chose the death domain from the dm guide. Has anyone else experimented with this domain? Any thoughts or advice?
I'm playing one (Harold The Undead) and the only modification I made was changing Animate dead for Speak with Dead in the Domain spell list.
Aside from that, it's very nice playing with this domain, but he is true neutral, so not so much alike yours... But go nuts on the Ivan Drago's motto:
I actually was a player for my group's run of Princes of the Apocalypse and was a Lawful Good Cleric of Kelemvor taking the Death Domain. I loved the character. She was raised in a special sect of the religion that viewed his weapon as the scythe (home-brewed cause I wanted to be a Death Cleric with one and we just used the stats for a glaive as far as the weapon). She idolized Kelemvor as a man who achieved god-hood.
As far as mechanics, I really enjoyed the playthrough. It was my first 5e cleric and I felt just as powerful as our other party members. I got Chill Touch and that was my main damage cantrip after 5th level (2d8 just outstripped my scythe, even with the negative energy damage eventually added by the class feature) and I had higher wisdom bonus than strength. I limited myself to spells that I thought made sense, mainly using Spirit Guardians, Spiritual Weapon, and Guiding Bolt as far as leveled spells. I just swerved ever using Animate Dead, even though it is a domain spell, it goes against Kelemvor, but I don't think it hobbled my character at all.
TL;DR, I think it is a perfectly viable Domain to run and I had a lot of fun. Just remember, Spiritual Weapon CAN use your channel divinity ability and it HURTS.
Hmm. A death domain cleric (Level 20) can deal 45+9+2d8+1d8+3+4d6 Damage in a single hit. (Not crit)
This is from 1. Touch of death. 2. Modifiers (Storm giant belt) 3. Divine strike. 4. Rod of lordly might 5. Same. 6. Drain life property of the same again.
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DM in the kobold fight club "Yes i know this is insane, but my usual players are murderhobos."
Birdman in adventures in faerun "Flapping wings" (telepathy) "The enemies are overwhelming us, i'll go break their minds."
Irthos Bladesinger in trouble in timberbottom (DED)
(All PbP)
Death Domain clerics can't heal...it's against their faith.... :) (They can be healed but will not actively seek it out.) Well it's true in my campaign.... :)
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe....
One day I want to make a Necromancer, more akin to the Dustmen from Planescape then Nerull.
My plan is to take first level Cleric with the Death Domain, then level up as a Wizard or Sorcerer (Favored Soul) up from there.
If I went with a Favored Soul, I'd probably look for a pantheon closer to the Egyptian's Anubis. He was was a "guardian" of the dead: protecting spirits, guiding souls, and weighing the sins of evil doers.
Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but does anyone have any tips on building a death cleric? I don’t necessarily want to min/max, but looking for thematically sensible decisions when picking race, stats, spells, etc.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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Would a Fallen Aasimar fit? I was thinking also about focusing skills based on what someone practicing dark magic would be into (deception, perception, history, religion).
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
I know that the Death Domain is default considered an "Evil" option in Dungeons and Dragons, although the Raven Queen does side step that quite a bit.
Remember in our own mythology the following gods were "Gods of Death", so it might expand your ideas of concepts without being "evil"
Morrigan, Anubis, Osiris, Hades, Persephone, Odin, and Hel.
I'm personally a fan of the Lizardfolk being a Death Cleric, because if you go Neutral then "death" is just a part of life and you won't always "get" the hangups others have around it.
If you go for a more caring Death God, then you might insist on burying the dead.
Or you could be like a Dustman from Planescape, who are kinda Buddhist and are concerned with the soul and not the body, so necromancy isn't a big deal... the spirit has left.
Races with a Wisdom Bonus:
Volo's Guide
Sword Coast:
Elemental Evil:
Player Handbood:
My thinking was possibly being Lawful Neutral, and the "Death" isn't so much killing people, but understanding death, its purpose in life, protecting its balance, and spreading knowledge and understanding of it so that the deity I follow would be better understood.
I would pick spells that don't deal with resurrecting dead, but utilize the powers of death (heavy necrotic or even just flavored necrotic if the DM will allow) to accomplish the tasks in front of me.
Lawful sounds weird, but I would still abide like a lawful Paladin would, I just use powers some might consider foreign or negative and show that they can be used for good.
I've had two experiences with Death Clerics. One was in my very first game of D&D where my friend played a Death Cleric of Kelemvor, occasionally being compelled by him to kill either undead or in one instance a party member (DM's decision, not hers). It was a world of undead, so she was REALLY strong. Inflict Wounds is a scary spell with Touch of Death and Inescapable Destruction. Her character was sort of forced to serve Kelemvor though and it was an interesting dynamic, because we had someone bordering on vampirism within the party who happened to be her character's closest friend.
My other experience is playing one currently. He's a Protector Aasimar Death Cleric of the Raven Queen (Dawn War Pantheon 4 Lyfe). He's very nonchalant about death. When he was young, his village was slaughtered by people wanting to kill an Aasimar, but a powerful Paladin of the Raven Queen was told to bring him back. As part of the start of the campaign he, and the rest of the group, were also brought back to life and delivered to a different plane of existence, so death is becoming a nuisance more than a fear. He's also very peppy, if a bit creepy. I try to play him very carefree.
Apologies if I'm miss informed but can a Death Cleric ONLY use necromancer spells or do you just use those a majority of the times?
The Death Domain subclass doesn't say anything about restricting the cleric spell list. As with most cleric subclasses, it just adds domain spells onto the existing cleric spell list.
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Thank you! I have a cleric players who could definitely play a darker side of the religious caster.
I drew up a character I haven’t actually tried yet: protector Aasimar death cleric. Born from a celestial whose purpose is to escort souls safely to their final destination, he is tasked with assisting on the material plane when possible. Focus on Strength, and talk to your DM about making a necromancy version of Booming Blade, or similar cantrip. When combined with Reaper, Divine Strike, Touch of Death, and Inescspable Destruction, it turns your cleric into a real engine for grinding up meat. I drew this one up as a Noble variant - Knight, with the idea that he’s a member of a Urogalan Church who has had some quid pro quo with the kingdom for some political gains. He’s tasked with making a positive and very public mark on the world so that people think we’ll of the church and the king by association.
Basically I made a respectable death knight shepherding souls, instead of an evil one. Offer comfort where you can, but don’t forget you’re an engine of death if you’re provoked
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Thanks, I actually had a chance to try him out in a play by post game. It was fun but ended abruptly due to lack of involvement by dm and players. I look forward to trying again sometime.
Oh and we just made a melee weapon strike cantrip out of Chill Touch, which worked just fine
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If your cleric is more about understanding death than causing it, you might want to consider Grave DOmain
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