Cleric Class Changes in D&D 2024

We look at the Cleric from the 2024 PHB and discuss how its class abilities, feats, and spell changes will effect it.

TIME STAMPS

00:00 - Intro
01:43 - Prepared Spells
02:07 - Holy Order
03:00 - Channel Divinity
04:36 - Divine Intervention
05:09 - Subclasses
07:52 - Spells
11:08 - Feats
12:07 - Final Thoughts
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[obi-wan-jacobi]

I have noticed since the subclasses were first announced that the four chosen subclasses in this book correspond to the four “classic” party roles: Life=Cleric(healer), Light=Wizard(blaster), War=Fighter(frontline), and Trickery=Rogue(sneaky). That’s definitely not an accident and it shows exactly why the Cleric is the most versatile class in the entire game.

[lordptk]

War domain is so much better, I love it.
Firstly, they allow you to use to bonus action attack without having to take the regular attack action first, which was something that held that feature back massively, since you couldn't use a spell AND make an attack, which is kind of the core idea of the subclass in my opinion. Also the bonus action attacks recover on a short rest, which is neat too.
The concentration free Shield of Faith and Spiritual Weapon are really neat too, especially since now, due to the new wording of the spells-per turn rule, which only disallows casting more than one spell with a spell slot per turn, means that you can throw down Spirit Guardians (or any other Action-casting time spell) AND a spiritual weapon in the first turn of combat.

[CoolTrainerGavin]

I know it's not in the 2024 PHB, but a War Cleric taking Booming Blade via Magic Initiate to use as a reaction attack to help keep enemies inside your Spirit Guardians, while also getting Shield is going be nasty.

[codenameera]

I liked when Monty said “it’s cleric time”

[obi-wan-jacobi]

I started salivating when Monty described the Magic Initiate True Strike combo with a heavily armored War Cleric. I think I’ve discovered what my first 2024 character will be.

[MrSkillcap]

About the healer feat, alot of the buffs to healing spells in 2024 edition have just added another die to the healing. For example healing word is 2d4+modifier instead of 1d4 (4d4 at lvl 2 etc). So there is a pretty high chance that you will get alot of value from rerolling those 1s.

[eggy_conch]

I like kellys hat changing position every video 😂

[davea]

Having to wait until 3rd level to take a subclass will change strategies for multi-class dips.

[floofzykitty]

Emanations like Spirit Guardians do damage when you move it into a creature's space now. Not sure why that wasn't mentioned, I feel like that's the biggest buff to it. You can easily hit every enemy with it now and Spirit Car-dians is real now.

[thejammiestjam]

I played Trickery Domain for 4.5 years, up to level 20 (and beyond 20), and I love these changes. I made a post on the DNDBeyond forums even, with the changes my DM let me make to it a few years back, and it included the ability to swap places with your duplicate. Glad to see that it's official here! I think it's more streamlined too. 2014 Trickery seemed all over the place; poison damage for your weapon, but no heavy armor or martial weapon proficiency, a tiny bit of illusory magic, no extra skills for deception, sleight of hand, or stealth, or disguise or poisoner kits, etc.. The old domain spells were fantastic, but I felt like there was some stuff lacking in opportunities to really make you a trickster that Loki or Hermes would be proud of.

[donaldcrankshaw]

One thing I didn't hear mentioned is that Spirit Guardians now works when you move it to a target (like in BG3), not just when they come to you. So the fact that they don't take damage at the start of their turn is less of an issue. I've seen people proposing that this means you can do a ton of damage if each PC moves the cleric on their turn, since each PC's turn is another chance to make the enemy save, but I think that only works if it doesn't cost you your own attacks (like with an 11th level Open Hand Monk spending ki to do a no-action Step of the Wind with a passenger), as focus fire beats spread out damage, and if you don't focus fire on the enemy, they'll be focusing fire on your cleric.

[judea]

The Circle of Mortality feature for the Cleric's Grave Domain is slightly better now. From this feature, the Grave domain used to be the only subclass that could cast Spare the Dying at range. Now the spell has been buffed and scales with each level range.

[leivaslt]

I’m looking forward for all 300 tier lists updated

[EpicRandomness]

4:10 I would say that even if Undead are immune to Frightened, Turn Undead would be the one thing capable of Frightening them.

[jkspencer]

really digging these episodes. Im super excited for your ranger episode.

[AunShiLord]

Divine Favor is also buffed and now does not require concentration, which boosts war domain cleric even further

[Jasta]

More uses of channel divinity are nice, there are some really good ones so even one more use in combat could be quite helpful. And now spiritual weapon is pretty much a war domain spell only, although that domain in general is looking a lot more attractive now.

[andyenglish]

Losing polymorph is rough, especially when it's replaced by friggin Confusion.

[mikecarson]

OMG, this video series is so great -- fun and informative, plus feeling comfortable nostalgia about your older videos in the basement :) :) :)

[AMRosa]

I think people need to reread Spirit Guardian, because the way it is described in a lot of the videos doesn't fit with RAW. And the reason is that the rule says "A creature makes this save only once per turn" not "A creature makes this save only once per THEIR turn." Here is the relevant text from Treantmonk's video:

"When you cast this spell, you can designate creatures to be unaffected by it. Any other creature's Speed is halved in the Emanation, and whenever the Emanation enters a creature's space and whenever a creature enters the Emanation or ends its turn there, the creature must make a Wisdom saving throw.

On a failed save, the creature takes 3d8 Radiant damage (if you are good or neutral) or 3d8 Necrotic damage (if you are evil). On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage. A creature makes this save only once per turn."

The creature makes the save only once per TURN... but there are multiple TURNs per ROUND. So, Let's say the Cleric casts Spirit Guardians and moves into range of a creature on the Cleric's turn, then the creature needs to make a Wisdom save (Cleric's Turn). Then, if the creature attacks the Cleric on their turn and stay in Melee range with the Cleric, the Creature has to make a Wisdom saving throw (Creature's Turn). Then, let's say a party member knocks the creature out of the AOE of the Emanation during the round, and another party member drags them back into the Emanation, the creature needs to make yet another Wisdom saving throw (Dragging Turn).

So in the scenario above, for that round, RAW, there were 3 turns that the creature would have needed to make Saving Throws and 3 turns they could have taken damage from the Spirit Guardians.

The key again is that the rule leaves out the word "THEIR" from the once per turn language. So, you couldn't have it where your monk grapples the creature and then moves them in and out of the Emanation multiple times on the Monk's Turn, but if you can cause a creature to move out and come into contact with the Emanation on multiple party member's turns, there should be stacking.