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D&D 5E Demonology Domain-Thoughts?

RustyDemiGod

Villager
Demonology Domain



Theology and Demonology have always been two sides of the same coin. For as long as scholars have studied the divine, others have studied the profane. Clerics that study demons are forced to walk a fine line between salvation and damnation. Will you use this knowledge to fight back corruption, or will you take the easy way to power?



Demonology Domain Spells

Cleric LevelSpells
1stChaos Bolt, Protection from Good and Evil
3rdShatter, Flock of Familiars
5thMagic Circle, Summon Lesser Demons
7thBanishment, Summon Greater Demon
9thPlanar Binding, Contact Other Plane


-Demonic Knowledge: When you choose this Domain at 1st level, you have a rudimentary knowledge of demonic lore. You are able to speak, read, and write Abyssal fluently. Additionally, you gain proficiency with 2 of the following skills: Arcana, Religion, Investigation, History, or Insight.



-Bound Underling: At 1st level, you gain the Find Familiar ritual spell. This spell always summons a Quasit. This counts as a Cleric spell for you, and does not count against the number of spells that you can prepare each day.

If you wish to conceal your familiar you may, as a Bonus Action, absorb your familiar into your body. If your familiar is reduced to 0 HP you may also absorb it as a Reaction. Expelling the demon back into physical form requires no action. If you die while joined you will both die.

While absorbed you can hear your familiar’s voice in your mind, and if you will it, allow it to speak through you.

-Channel Divinity: Chastise Fiends: Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to turn or command the damned.

As an Action, you present your unholy symbol, and one Fiend of your choice that is within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw, provided that the creature can see or hear you. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage.

A turned Fiend must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly end its move in a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can only use the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there's nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.

At 5th level, whenever a Fiend fails it’s saving throw against your Chastise Fiends feature, the Fiend is Charmed for 1 minute. After the Charm expires the Fiend knows that it was charmed, and who charmed

-Damnable Will: At 6th level, your connection to your demonic familiar allows you to call upon its strength of will to aid your own. While absorbed, the presence of a second mind grants you advantage on saves against charm and fear effects. While your forms and minds are bonded, you also have advantage on saves to maintain concentration on spells.



-Unholy Strikes: When you reach 8th level, you are blessed with unholy might in battle. When a creature takes damage from one of your cantrips or weapon attacks, you can also deal 1D8 Necrotic damage to that creature. Once you deal this damage, you cannot use this feature again until the start of your next turn.



-Tongue of the Black Speech: At 17th level, you gain the ability to speak a few words of the foulest demon lord’s curses. You gain Disintegrate, Power Word: Pain, Power Word: Stun, and Power Word: Kill as bonus spells. You add these spells to your list of Domain Spells, and like other Domain Spells, they are always prepared and count as Cleric spells for you. These spells require on the verbal components for you.
 
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I like the idea and the domain generally looks good to me. A few thoughts:
  • Being able to dominate a fiend at 5th seems to strong to me, I would suggest maybe charm instead.
  • Demonic isn’t a language. I would make it Abyssal and Infernal.
  • The domain spells at 17th seem really strong and, frankly a little boring. I would rather a unique feature hear.
 

RustyDemiGod

Villager
I like the idea and the domain generally looks good to me. A few thoughts:
  • Being able to dominate a fiend at 5th seems to strong to me, I would suggest maybe charm instead.
  • Demonic isn’t a language. I would make it Abyssal and Infernal.
  • The domain spells at 17th seem really strong and, frankly a little boring. I would rather a unique feature hear.
100% agree with charm vs dominate

Abyssal, you’re right man that was a brain-fart.

As for a capstone I based it off the Arcane domain, only difference is the spell choices are set vs the arcane domain that chooses their own.
Any suggestions as to a different feature?
 



RustyDemiGod

Villager
I would suggest Protection from Evil and Good instead of Unseen Servant at level 1, Augury instead of Shatter at level 3, and Planar Binding instead of Telekinesis at level 9.
Replaced Unseen Servant (I guess the quasit does all that it can do anyway) and replaced telekinesis with planar binding. Great suggestions, but I kept shatter both for some damage output and I think it ties into later use of black speech
 

Faxfire683

Villager
Demonology Domain


Theology and Demonology have always been two sides of the same coin. For as long as scholars have studied the divine, others have studied the profane. Clerics that study demons are forced to walk a fine line between salvation and damnation. Will you use this knowledge to fight back corruption, or will you take the easy way to power?
I really like the flavor of the subclass, and interesting to watch your design evolve based on feedback. Had a few questions about sharing your awesome design; Are you going to be posting this anywhere as a product or do you mind if I repost the text and credit you with a link to your profile and this post? I’m using my blog as a way to easily display character options I would allow to my players.
 



As for a capstone I based it off the Arcane domain, only difference is the spell choices are set vs the arcane domain that chooses their own.
Any suggestions as to a different feature?
Not at the moment. It has been a long week and I have not recovered it. I’ll see if I can come up with something over the weekend.
 

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