D&D 5E 5e - domains and specialty priests

[nightspaladin]

I've always loved the specialty priest concept from 2e, particularly its restrictions and customization that allowed a priest to feel more connected to their dogma. I see alot of potential in the domain system to recreate that feel, though I'm feeling a bit limited by the borader choices. For those familiar with alot of 5e playing/dming under their belt, do you think domains, as constituted, if created for each god in a pantheon could recreate the specialty priest experience?

 

[Staffan]

Yes. It'd be a lot of work though, but the end result would have the potential to be awesome.

 

[Bupp]

Someone has done a bunch of that work:

http://samwise7rpg.blogspot.com/2014/10/cleric-domains-for-5th-edition-dungeons.html?m=1

http://samwise7rpg.blogspot.com/2014/10/cleric-domains-for-dungeons-dragons-5e.html?m=1

http://samwise7rpg.blogspot.com/2014/10/cleric-domains-for-5th-edition-dungeons_23.html?m=1

 

[Dragonsbane]

WOAH those are a bunch of domains. Gonna have to look them over carefully tonight.

 

[aramis erak]

I've always loved the specialty priest concept from 2e, particularly its restrictions and customization that allowed a priest to feel more connected to their dogma. I see alot of potential in the domain system to recreate that feel, though I'm feeling a bit limited by the borader choices. For those familiar with alot of 5e playing/dming under their belt, do you think domains, as constituted, if created for each god in a pantheon could recreate the specialty priest experience?

Yes. Even just adding a few more (less combat oriented) domains could do that, without the specific domain for each god.

 

[greylurk]

In my mind, 5e priests are by default "Specialty Priests". It would be interesting to see someone do up a generalist priest for 5e though, that wasn't bound to domains for their powers.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I've always loved the specialty priest concept from 2e, particularly its restrictions and customization that allowed a priest to feel more connected to their dogma. I see alot of potential in the domain system to recreate that feel, though I'm feeling a bit limited by the borader choices. For those familiar with alot of 5e playing/dming under their belt, do you think domains, as constituted, if created for each god in a pantheon could recreate the specialty priest experience?

You could do.

You could go even farther: not every god needs to have the same domains everywhere. Forex, the Green Hand in Ravenloft is a specific kind of organization dedicated to Osiris, different from other Osiris worshippers on other worlds and even different than other Osiris worshippers in their homeland. For them, I created The Burial Domain, conceived of as a tradition they developed and nurtured. You COULD apply the Burial Domain to other gods if you want, but adding this one domain to this one organization of this one god gives that specific group more of an identity than they would have otherwise.

To save on time-intensity, you could do the reverse to the PHB domains - it's not that every god has a Life Domain, it's that only a specific sect of a specific god developed the miracles of the Life Domain, and no other group of clerics access that.

Making a unique domain for every god is possible, but depending on your god-quantity, it could be prohibitively time-consuming. Probably quicker to go to existing domains and say, "Okay, this domain? ONLY this god gets it."

 

[Shiroiken]

Rather than create new sub-classes for each god, I'd recommend simply adding a few minor benefits on to existing Domains for specific gods. For example, the Nature Domain for Elhonna (Greyhawk goddess of the forest) might grant Longbow proficiency at Level 2, representing the common usage by her priests. You could also adapt the bonus spells to fit each deity. These minor tweaks shouldn't affect game balance much, allowing the same feel of specialty priests without too much work.

Of course, you could easily go nuts and make sub-classes for all the gods, including new spells only available to their followers. It just depends on how much work you want to put in.

 

[Mouseferatu]

You could also adapt the bonus spells to fit each deity. These minor tweaks shouldn't affect game balance much, allowing the same feel of specialty priests without too much work.

I like this idea a lot. Don't recreate the domains for every god, but give every god their own themed spell lists instead of the default domain spell lists. A lot faster/easier, but still a good way to get some different flavor.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

I would suggest creating one or more monsters specific to each god for the conjure celestial and planar ally spells.