D&D 5E Homebrew Miracle Domain - Charisma Cleric

[keratacon]

Charisma being a dump stat for clerics doesn't make sense to me thematically. Priests and other holy men tend to lead flocks of followers and be compelling public speakers. Plus my campaign needs a face and I like playing both faces and clerics. I'm working on a homebrew Cleric domain to favor Charisma and charm effects and playing up the religious aspect of the class. It is not intended to be the strongest possible option for an optimized character, but rather to be in the middle levels of power, but compelling for a more roleplaying focused game.

Miracle Domain


1st Level: Charisma replaces Wisdom for Cleric spellcasting. You gain the cantrips Friends and Prestidigitation, and proficiency with one Charisma based skill.

2nd Level: You gain access to the spells in () on your Domain list as they become available. These spells may only be cast as rituals.

6th Level: You may use Channel Divinity to grant a creature within 30 ft. disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws grant advantage to Wisdom saving throws to resist abilities of that creature for the next minute.

8th Level: Upon reaching 8th level, choose from among Aberrations, Celestials, Constructs, Fey, or Fiends a Monster Type that your Deity despises (your DM must approve the choice as plausible. Fiends or Celestials will most frequently be the appropriate choice) your turn and destroy undead abilities can be used against monsters of this type as well.

17th Level: (tbd, open to suggestion)

Domain Spells


1st: Cure Wounds, Charm Person, (Comprehend Languages)

3rd: Blindness/Deafness, Suggestion, (Animal Messenger)

5th: Tongues, Fear, (Water Walk)

7th: Compulsion, Confusion, (Divination)

9th: Geas, Dominate Person, (Contact other Plane)

 

[Kabouter Games]

Charisma being a dump stat for clerics doesn't make sense to me thematically. Priests and other holy men tend to lead flocks of followers and be compelling public speakers.

Except that ain't necessarily so.

Another perspective is that Clerics are first and foremost true believers. They have an unwavering faith in their deities. That's where their powers come from. Not from convincing other people to follow that god, but from their own rock-solid faith.

A Bard can lead flocks of followers and be compelling public speakers, but that doesn't let them cast cure wounds. Charismatic leaders tend to create cults that worship them, not gods. That, to me, takes such a character out of the Cleric class.

Plus there's just as often some weird concatenation of weirdness that leads to religions. See Monty Python's The Life of Brian for an example.

FWIW, I do like the approach you've devised for an in-game approach to the domain. It's mechanically sound, IMO.

Regards,

Bob

www.r-p-davis.com

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[keratacon]

I wasn't talking about system design, I was talking about thematics. Priests, revivalists, evangelists and so on, men of faith, tend to be charismatic people, so the faith caster class should have a Charisma option, because of story reasons.

This is homebrew, I'm not responsible for maintaining the economy of attributes across the published game.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Staccat0]

This thread has got me like... Man, I have succeeded on a lot of saving throws against these charismatic types over the years.

 

[Kabouter Games]

I think it works, provided you have a story mechanism in mind which explains where the power comes from. Cleric power comes from deities. A Cleric who goes alone (or with a few friends, most of whom don't have the strength of faith the Cleric has, or they'd also be Clerics) into a dungeon doesn't Turn Undead with the power of her personality; she does it by Channeling Divinity. I'm not sure how you'd do that with your charismatic priest.

Maybe it's my Real-World [tm] bias creeping in, here, but I have a hard time ascribing any divinity to evangelists, revivalists, et al., because they're so clearly and universally charlatans fleecing a credulous flock.

That's why, if I had the idea to play this (or a player in a campaign I'm DMing had this idea), I'd structure the character as a confidence-trickster Lore Bard who uses Bard spells to mimic Cleric spells and calls them miracles, as well as Lore skills to quibble points of the theology she's made up, as well as Charisma-based skills, all that to get people to - not to put too fine a point on it - come to JAYzus.

Further, since such a priest's primary interest is using her Charisma to make converts, I'm not certain it makes a lot of sense as a template for an adventuring Cleric, unless that Cleric has no intention of entering ancient dungeons way out in the wilderness. It seems to only make sense in an urban environment, and even then adventuring would be a "side business" to the full-time job of making people come to JAYzus. That wouldn't appeal to me as a player, but that's my opinion only.

All that said, knock yourself out. Like I said above, the mechanics you've outlined make sense; it's not overpowered or anything. My ambivalence to your premise has nothing to do with that! In fact, if you do use it in a game, let me know how it worked out, all the circumstances and stuff. I think it's a really cool unique approach.

Cheers,

Bob

www.r-p-davis.com

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

You can also look for the most revent version of the favored soul in the sorcerer UA. You'd get charisma spellcasting, cleric's spells list and features making you more charming/convincing.

 

[keratacon]

I imagine the bulk of D&D players tend to be real world agnostics or atheists. I certainly am. But a Dungeons and Dragons setting would not include many of us. Divine power is all around, and the priests of the various gods and faiths represent real powers that cannot be denied. I still imagine most of them can give a good sermon or make a solid case when going door-to-door for Tyr.

It makes as much sense for an adventuring Cleric to know how to deliver a good sermon or to persuade a lost soul to convert as it does for an adventuring Bard to carry around a jester's costume and a lute.

 

[keratacon]

As for favored soul, well, I find that class to be an overpowered Mary Sue, and I also just don't like 5th ed Sorcerers even when they're modified to be powerful.