D&D 5E Cleric Domains and Turn Undead

[The Shadow]

I'm really liking the domains, but I'm dissatisfied with Turn Undead as a class feature for all clerics. I see no reason why every deity in the universe would or should care about the undead... It makes perfect sense for the Life and Light domains, much less so for the others.

I'd just rip it out and give each domain an extra use for Channel Divinity, except that the Destroy Undead expansion of it is hardcoded into no less than 5 cleric levels. Any idea how to fill those holes?

Or perhaps there should be a more generic Channel Divinity all clerics get... perhaps something that ties into the Divine Intervention class feature?

On a semi-related note, I've been considering letting a feat give clerics access to the domain spells of other domains of their deity. Do people think this would be in line for a feat? Overpowered? Underpowered?

(Why do domain spells only go up to 5th level, anyway?)

 

[SilverBulletKY]

I thought Cleric's could choose a spell from any domain. They just got benefits from casting spells in their domain.

 

[The Shadow]

I thought Cleric's could choose a spell from any domain. They just got benefits from casting spells in their domain.

They have their domain spells auto-prepared. I was proposing letting a feat do the same for another domain's spells.

Also, some domains have spells that aren't on the cleric list.

 

[trentonjoe]

I think a feat to add a second domain is okay. The PC will have a gizillion options but can't actually do more.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

I'm really liking the domains, but I'm dissatisfied with Turn Undead as a class feature for all clerics. I see no reason why every deity in the universe would or should care about the undead... It makes perfect sense for the Life and Light domains, much less so for the others.

If it helps, you could think of it as a property of the undead rather than of the cleric. Because of how they're created, there's just something about undead that makes them susceptible to concentrated efforts of focused faith.

Personally, I don't see much difference between Turning Undead and Curing Wounds. It doesn't make much sense for a Storm/Death/Trickery god to be doing much of either of them, but if they can do one then there's no reason they can't also do the other.

 

[GameDoc]

What about letting a cleric take a feat in place of Turn Undead if it doesn't make since for their deity's portfolio?

And speaking of Divine Intervention, is anyone else underwhelmed by a class feature that statistically speaking fails most of the time until you reach a certain level and then suddenly it's automatically a success?

 

[doctorhook]

I thought Cleric's could choose a spell from any domain. They just got benefits from casting spells in their domain.

A cleric chooses a domain, which provides them with a list of domain spells and a handful of features. Domain spells may or may not already be on the cleric spell list. The benefit of domain spells is that the cleric doesn't need to prepare them--they always count as prepared for the cleric.

I think a feat to add a second domain is okay. The PC will have a gizillion options but can't actually do more.

No, don't do it! A domain is essentially a cleric subclass, so a character should never have more than one subclass in the same class; getting the benefits of two subclasses for the cost of one feat would be extremely OP. You wouldn't let a fighter be a battlemaster and an eldritch knight at the same time, would you?

Even if you limited this feat to only provide the domain spells of a second domain, it would still be OP; every cleric who took the feat would get as many as ten more prepared spells per day. That's such a good option that every cleric would (or at least should) take it, meaning that it's broken.

 

[lkj]

And speaking of Divine Intervention, is anyone else underwhelmed by a class feature that statistically speaking fails most of the time until you reach a certain level and then suddenly it's automatically a success?

Actually, I quite like the existence of a last ditch hail mary power. It's flavorful and fun and will lead to some exciting moments at the table. And-- this is key-- the cleric is quite fine without it, so I find it a nice flavorful mechanic that does no real harm. Then, at very high level, it morphs into something epic, where a cleric can directly and reliably implore and receive the aid of his deity.

AD

P.S. and if I recall correctly it harkens back to an old 1st edition thing where there was a small percent chance of divine intervention for the cleric

 

[The Shadow]

If it helps, you could think of it as a property of the undead rather than of the cleric. Because of how they're created, there's just something about undead that makes them susceptible to concentrated efforts of focused faith.

I suppose. It also seems weird that Devotion paladins can turn fiends but clerics can't.

Personally, I don't see much difference between Turning Undead and Curing Wounds. It doesn't make much sense for a Storm/Death/Trickery god to be doing much of either of them, but if they can do one then there's no reason they can't also do the other.

Sigh... Can't really argue with that. What I'd really like to see is a return to the 2e spheres for clerics.

Or perhaps best of all, a sorcerer-like cleric who has Spells Known primarily from his main domain, but also from the other domains of his deity.

I think a feat to add a second domain is okay. The PC will have a gizillion options but can't actually do more.

No, don't do it! A domain is essentially a cleric subclass, so a character should never have more than one subclass in the same class; getting the benefits of two subclasses for the cost of one feat would be extremely OP. You wouldn't let a fighter be a battlemaster and an eldritch knight at the same time, would you?

Even if you limited this feat to only provide the domain spells of a second domain, it would still be OP; every cleric who took the feat would get as many as ten more prepared spells per day. That's such a good option that every cleric would (or at least should) take it, meaning that it's broken.

I explicitly limited it to the domain spells, yes.

Perhaps instead it should be that you can have 10 domain spells auto-prepared, and the feat lets you pick your 10 from two different domains of your deity? Plus, you don't have to spend time preparing them, it just happens.

This again is an issue that would be completely fixed with spheres.

And lkj, we're of much the same mind on Divine Intervention. It's a great bit of flavor.

P.S. Why do domain spells only go up to 5th level, anyway? Is it because there's fewer spells of higher level?

 

[Mouseferatu]

P.S. Why do domain spells only go up to 5th level, anyway? Is it because there's fewer spells of higher level?

The game seems to assume that 6+ is where spells truly get earth-shaking. There are a lot of things that apply to 5 and lower, but not higher. Just some examples:

Sorcerers turning points into slots.

Warlock slots vs. 1/day "incarnum."

Any* of the abilities that let you regain spells between rests. *(Or at least most. I could be forgetting something.)

5th is where half-caster classes stop.

Again unless I'm forgetting something, everyone who gets bonus spells--cleric domains, druid circles, warlock pacts--stop at 5th.