I'm plan on playing a cleric soon. Ive never played one. I'm wanting to be a melee/caster if possible and was wondering which subclass is good at being a tanky caster? I'm hoping to be a Van Helsing type of cleric
I suggest the War Domain from the Players Handbook. It gives you proficiency with martial weapons and all armour and several other appropriate features and spells.
Although for a less traditional route, you could use the Forge Domain from Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
And even besides those two, lots of other Divine Domains give access to medium or heavy armour or martial weapons, so you have a fair amount of choices. Just see if the Domain you're looking at has the Bonus Proficiencies feature at 1st level, and what that Domain's feature grants you.
Arcana Clerics can also be good front-liners. They don't get heavy armor or martial weapons, but can add the Booming Blade or Green-Flame Blade cantrips to buff up their melee attacks.
The Twilight domain is fabulous for frontline clerics. Heavy armor, martial weapons, initiative bonuses (for you or a party member) and Twilight Sanctuary gives those around the cleric quite a # of temporary hp.
It's pretty hard to be good at melee as a cleric, due to different stat requirements (though a nature cleric can learn shillelagh, which helps), but lots of clerics are durable enough to stand on the front line. I'd agree that if you just want stupidly OP twilight is the way to go. Forge cleric is also extremely durable.
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Hey
I'm plan on playing a cleric soon. Ive never played one. I'm wanting to be a melee/caster if possible and was wondering which subclass is good at being a tanky caster? I'm hoping to be a Van Helsing type of cleric
I suggest the War Domain from the Players Handbook. It gives you proficiency with martial weapons and all armour and several other appropriate features and spells.
Although for a less traditional route, you could use the Forge Domain from Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
And even besides those two, lots of other Divine Domains give access to medium or heavy armour or martial weapons, so you have a fair amount of choices. Just see if the Domain you're looking at has the Bonus Proficiencies feature at 1st level, and what that Domain's feature grants you.
Player Characters: Wes Wisetune, Halfling Bard; Zook Beren, Gnome Diviner; Cael, Eladrin Wild Mage; Sir Sammal, Kenku Cavalier; & Mitchell Giovanni, Human Conjuror.
War-Domain is the go to for sure as Boromir_The_Fair said.
I'd also add the "Tempest Domain"!
Proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor at Level 1 and then some awesome spells list :)
Arcana Clerics can also be good front-liners. They don't get heavy armor or martial weapons, but can add the Booming Blade or Green-Flame Blade cantrips to buff up their melee attacks.
The Twilight domain is fabulous for frontline clerics. Heavy armor, martial weapons, initiative bonuses (for you or a party member) and Twilight Sanctuary gives those around the cleric quite a # of temporary hp.
It's pretty hard to be good at melee as a cleric, due to different stat requirements (though a nature cleric can learn shillelagh, which helps), but lots of clerics are durable enough to stand on the front line. I'd agree that if you just want stupidly OP twilight is the way to go. Forge cleric is also extremely durable.