Cleric Guide for Dungeons and Dragons 5e

We’ll cover everything you need to know to create your Cleric. We’ll help you choose the best ability scores, skills, divine domains, spells, and other build options to prepare your cleric to carry out will of the gods. We’ll also look at famous examples of clerics from history, movies, television shows, and more to inspire your next character, and as well as roleplaying ideas to help develop your cleric’s background and personality.

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[notorious.scoundrel]

Time Stamps
Why play a cleric? 1:00
Party role 2:43
Get inspired 4:58
Building your cleric 7:38
Ability scores 9:30
Races 11:22
Divine domains 13:36
Knowledge domain 15:38
Life domain 16:01
Light domain 16:30
Nature domain 16:57
Tempest domain 17:20
Trickery domain 17:45
War domain 18:12
Forge domain 19:02
Death & Grave domain 19:20
Arcana domain 19:38
Channel Divinity 19:52
Divine Intervention 21:51
Spellcasting 23:11
Cantrips 23:38
Damage dealing spells 24:18
Battlefield control spells 25:10
Support Spells 25:51
Healing spells 27:10
Ritual spells 28:15
Roleplaying a cleric 28:46
Backgrounds 31:22

[foxfire]

My actual first character in 5th Edition was a Cleric with the charlatan Background, he was a trickster who was going around towns and fixing "problems" for them in exchange for coin and recognition. (problems* he created or solved through clever ruse). One day, when he faked casting a clerical spell to solve an "issue", a proper spell occurred and he realized "Oh shit, A God noticed... and I don't know which one."

[UltimateZinco]

My brother wanted to join in my DnD game so I rolled up a Tempest Cleric for him. He's a 6ft1 bodybuilder and my gods does he love roleplaying a cleric! Been introducing him to your videos and he's more inspired than ever to play - so thanks for the insight guys!

[AJBernard]

IRL, I'm a Christian pastor, so when I'm not the DM (which I do most of the time), I like to play Clerics. I really appreciate what 5e does with the domains, making all the clerics feel really different. 3.x was good on clerics, but they really feel fun to play, I think, in 5e. I love that I can dabble in almost every other class as a cleric... trickery domain, arcana domain, war domain... that keeps it interesting. In 3.x, cleric was the class the person who got to pick last played, because as essential as they were, they were really pigeonholed into the healing role. But I'm playing a Life Cleric in a Decent into Avernus campaign right now, and much of my job is to blow things up (demons and devils being very prominent).

Thanks for the vid, guys. Great job.

[Jason-]

So... We could make a whole group of just different types of clerics and still have a good group?

[assimir]

Necromancer: Muhahahaha how are you going to deal with my ARMY OF UNDEAD!?


Dwarven Cleric: Hold my Mead and Ale!

[ilseolsson]

My cleric is literally just an 84 y old lady. Thanks to her being human, and some good rolls, her wis is 20. And all her spells are things like; mend, purify food and drink, locate object and guidance. I haven't played her yet, but I already love her.

[thevoidcritter]

Things I learned: half-orcs actually make surprisingly decent clerics. Con bonus + Relentless Endurance mean you're basically a stone wall.

[danieldosso]

"Woe betide the party that lets their Cleric fall in battle" - Dungeon Dudes. I need to use this

[JenniVander]

Would love to see a series of "How to play a <domain> Cleric" videos ^_^

[Hromovlad]

Played a Death Domain Claric, he was basically an Aztec priest with a thing for bloody rituals
Constantly creeped out the rest of the party

[SpottedSharks]

A cleric's divination ability is really under-appreciated in my experience. Most people play a cleric as little more than a glorified medic but they can be so much more valuable. Detect Evil, Augury (forces the DM to give you a hint!), Locate Object, Speak with Dead, Clairvoyance - these level 1-3 spells are all way, way more valuable than a little bit of healing. These spells can let you side-step vast amounts of damage - no need to heal damage not taken! These are skills not even a mage can bring to the table.

[teacup_ninja]

Id like to roleplay a cleric who stumbles upon a deity that isn’t well known, who maybe has very little followers or was on their out the door until you showed up (very Noragami-style if anyone is familiar). And part of your mission is establishing shrines, temples, and getting new followers, communing with the deity concerning tenets and rituals. (Lol i already have my new wip)

[dejalmer]

My favorite cleric experience was when I made a Kenku Tempest Cleric by the name of "BOOOM CRAAASH!". He had the variant sailor background and his backstory was basically thus: a flock of kenkus wandered around stealing shit and pissing off the locals until they reached the coast where they encountered a cleric of Umberlee and learned that Umberlee may even grant them flight and so they became quick converts. Stole a ship and preceded to persecute people on the high seas as pirates. This went well for them for a while until eventually they raided the wrong ship and a storm destroyed their ship and poor BOOM CRAAAASH! was the sole survivor. All the noises out his mouth were the sounds heard on the high seas.

[williammoore]

Currently playing a trickery domain cleric and I escaped getting jumped in a dark alley thanks to the channel divinity. I turned a corner, created my illusory self and had it keep walking in my place. After the two trailing me were far enough past me I had the illusion cast guiding bolt, which I got a nat 20 on, and instantly killed one of the two. The rest of my party was able to make it back to me before the other guy could realize he was fighting a clone.

[caiopelichekgoncalves]

I just started playing as a Tempest Cleric who worships a pantheon of gods, and I'm really enjoying the class, also trying to mix with the feats for reach weapons like halberd, inspired by your other video, and flavoring it as a lightning rod as I strike down my gods foes with the aid from the heavens. Great content guys!

[trapical]

"Clerics have one of the largest and most diverse spell lists"
Divine Soul Sorcerers chuckle in the background.

[Comicsluvr]

The ONLY drawback that I see with Clerics, and it's not a huge one, is that unlike many classes they pick their sub-class right away instead of waiting until level 3. I like starting my campaigns at level 1 and giving the players those first couple of levels to gel before they begin making subclass choices. Clerics are locked in from level 1. That being said, my War Domain Cleric is one of my fave characters ever and the Forge Domain is a close second.

As always, great video!

[MultiracialLion]

I play an Arcana cleric in my weekly game, and have been looking forward to this video for a while! My cleric worships Selune, so it never occurred to to me to say something like, "The night is dark and full of terrors"...but now I will be!

[bigkingkong]

Dwarf Forge Cleric with Guild Artisan background. Made a life as a smith and became a cleric of The Allhammer, Moradin as he aged and retired. Holy symbol looks like a hand holding the short handle of a hammer so when he grasp it, his hand wraps around the hand already holding the hammer. Love me some cleric!