You can just not use it if you don't want to. That's why you get your domains channel divinity at the same time. It fits the legacy and more archetypal view of the cleric, so they attached it to the base class. This isn't all that weird. Spore, Star, and Wildfire druids use wildshape for their subclass mechanics rather than turning into animals. Bard subclasses have unique uses for Bardic Inspiration.
octavianpedigree
I just realized, the closest thing in DnD to Dr. Fate is a cleric/warlock multiclass, where you are your own patron, but not necessarily your own god. And that's... pretty cool
cking
Order??? Chaos??? ULTRAKILL REFERENCE?!?!?!
Cube_with_rounded_edges
Would still be nice to have more potential for different options
privateeyety
Its because no matter what clerics are inherently divine and undead are weak to holy things. Their spellcasting focuses are holy symbols
wild_ricochet
Maybe because Undead are a fundamental enemy to all life, so it is very conceivable is that all gods that have living worshipers would give their clerics a weapon against the undead. Though I do you think each God should have some kind of special ability that their clerics could Channel specifically related to that God as a turn Undead. That way for DMS that don't use a lot of Undead the turn feature would still have a function.
niveklaemtao
I think it’s because undead are people prevented from entering their gods domains or being able to worship so they are a detriment to their power
natemcgennett
this is like complaining that wizards invariably get access to fire spells. sure its a little cliche and doesnt always make sense, but its just a fact of life for the class.
sleepyppl
And other additions they had the ability to command undead if they were evil or negatively aligned.
aaronleroy
My cleric being part of the cult of dionysus
sleazymeezy
Deities have holy power which clerics are gifted the ability to harness. Often, this results in a cleric with good alignment as evil deities tend to form pacts (creating warlocks) rather than giving out power.
Either way, the undead shy away from holy energy because of their natural weaknesses to it's effects (radiant damage and healing spells). Logically, a more concentrated form of this energy (channel divinity) would be more capable of outright killing the weaker undead.
It does make sense that all clerics, regardless of choice in deity and alignment, have the ability to wield their holy powers to ward off the undead.
Its also possible that WOTC inteaded evil clerics to use their turn undead to become commanders of the undead hordes. So good clerics use holy energy to repel undead directly while evil clerics work more indirectly and control the unholy energy within the undead
keysgaming
Technically every god have their own version of heaven, undead is an act of denying afterlife > heaven > god. If your cleric doesn't have turn undead, might aswell be a warlock.
