Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana Divine Domains

And, here's the direct link to the PDF

http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/UA_Cleric.pdf

Forge, Grave, and Protection domains...

 

[Plaguescarred]

Interesting stuff i like that the Grave Domain is different than the Death one in the DMG. This one can better fit the non-evil Kelemvorite style one IMO.

 

[CapnZapp]

is that the Forge cleric lacks a bonus proficiency in a set of crafting tools

Isn't this easily fixed by taking an appropriate Background?

You essentially get Defensive fighting style

This makes the minmaxer in me perk up.

I know UA is pre-MC balancing, but be sure to mention how bad it is to allow people to pick up second fighting styles "for free".

I mean, a fighter dipping Forge Cleric doesn't need a free second fighting style on top of everything else. (Just like Crossbow Expert shouldn't have given out two weapon fighting on top of Archery)

It's okay when you dualclass the oldschool way. A Fighter 10 Ranger 10 isn't unbalanced by having two fighting styles (even though it does make a good argument for giving out a second fighting style at, say, 11th class level).

 

[CapnZapp]

plus non-magical weapon resistance

I'm less impressed.

Resistance at that level really needs to come without the non-magical qualifyer.

Remember Barbarians get this already at low levels. Resistance even to a +3 legendary weapon, that is.

At the very highest levels, you don't need resistance to trash mob attacks (the only ones still making non-magical attacks). Spirit Guardians will take care of those for you.

 

[Eubani]

Isn't this easily fixed by taking an appropriate Background?

Why should someone spend a limited character building resource on something the subclass should provide? Being a play test item we should point out such things not ignore them like that.

 

[Aldarc]

Isn't this easily fixed by taking an appropriate Background?

It seems that would preclude the Forge cleric from picking up the standard Acolyte background. While the Forge cleric could pick up Guild Artisan, for example, the easier fix would be to provide the Forge cleric some tool proficiencies.

This makes the minmaxer in me perk up.

I know UA is pre-MC balancing, but be sure to mention how bad it is to allow people to pick up second fighting styles "for free".

I mean, a fighter dipping Forge Cleric doesn't need a free second fighting style on top of everything else. (Just like Crossbow Expert shouldn't have given out two weapon fighting on top of Archery)

It's okay when you dualclass the oldschool way. A Fighter 10 Ranger 10 isn't unbalanced by having two fighting styles (even though it does make a good argument for giving out a second fighting style at, say, 11th class level).

You don't gain much though as a Forge cleric by dipping a level of Fighter, apart from martial weapons and +1 AC via Defensive fighting style. (I don't think Second Wind is really worth it.) For the essentially "free Defensive fighting style" that you have quoted, the Fighter would have to dip 6 levels of cleric. Sure they are gaining +1 (or +2, with Channel Divinity as-written) AC with the perks, but they are sacrificing 2 ASIs, an Extra Attack, two Martial Archetype features, and additional uses of Action Surge and Indomitable.

I'm less impressed.

Resistance at that level really needs to come without the non-magical qualifyer.

Remember Barbarians get this already at low levels. Resistance even to a +3 legendary weapon, that is.

At the very highest levels, you don't need resistance to trash mob attacks (the only ones still making non-magical attacks). Spirit Guardians will take care of those for you.

Okay, but this is nothing new. The War cleric, for example, has resistance to only nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage as its 17th level capstone ability. For the War cleric, it's always on. For the Forge cleric, it's when wearing heavy armor, which they will presumably be wearing most of the time.

 

[Hussar]

Well, it looks like the Forge Domain is pretty reasonable. Some people think that the +1 ability might be a bit strong, but, I'm not really convinced. I do like the idea of swapping Shield out with Identify though. That makes sense to me.

Good to see.

 

[Aldarc]

Well, it looks like the Forge Domain is pretty reasonable. Some people think that the +1 ability might be a bit strong, but, I'm not really convinced. I do like the idea of swapping Shield out with Identify though. That makes sense to me.

Good to see.

It is definitely more useful at early levels than it is later. The +1 ability only applies to nonmagical weapons/armor. At higher levels, you will presumably have magic weapons/armor that would exceed this bonus. This is why I proposed that it should probably scale with either half proficiency bonus or cleric level.

 

[ammulder]

Support is a legit function, and some of us do enjoy it. Maybe not to the degree of a dedicated heal-bot (though I've seen people enjoy Pacifist Clerics), maybe not when restricted to the Cleric class/concepts in order to do it well... but it's not nobody.

You're right, I exaggerate.

Actually, my experience in a game with a pacifist cleric was that he took far from a support role. Plus, he was a quotation machine:

Pacifist: "I've been researching a new prayer: Create Nerf Weapon. It gets the stress out."

PC: "I hit him with an ESP"
Pacifist: "Wouldn't it be easier to use a shovel?"

Pacifist: "So there's no way to render him unconscious in just one round?"
PC: "No."
Pacifist: "Yeah, you may as well kill him."

Pacifist: "I'm not saying *I* would dispatch her. I'm just saying, now that you've promised she'll join her boyfriend..."

PC to Pacifist: "You know, if that person was Held, I wouldn't feel morally obligated to chop him into bite-sized pieces..."

 

[NiClerigo]

I'm beginning to think that next year's late fall release (á la SCAG or Volo's Guide to Monsters) will be an Eberron book. The Forge domain here is perfect for clerics of Onatar, and the College of Whispers from last week was perfect for the houses Phiarlan and Thuranni.

It is my deepest desire that you are right and we have Eberron 5e next year.

 

[Blue]

Yeah, multiclass rules have not been taken into consideration much in regards to UA...pretty much ever? Using subclasses to cover mixed concepts has been their style so far.

There was a direct question to Mike Mearls about mutliclassing balance for an earlier UA, and he said that's done at a later stage than UA when it goes from designer to developer for the next pass.