Best Cleric Domains

[kitcik]

Q:

The best domain is the one that promotes your cleric's beliefs and idealogy, not the one that gives you a nifty bonus. What does your character believe? What is the cleric trying to promot?

A:

Conclusion:

Maybe I should take the nifty bonus...

 

[Empirate]

Domains aren't solely about the granted power, they're also about the spells. And if the combination of the two is good, you're golden. For that reason, Travel would have to be my absolute second favorite domain. Freedom of Movement power plus Teleport and Fly spells equals awesome.

Why is this only my second favorite domain? Because with the Magic domain, you can use all Sor/Wiz spells in scroll, wand or staff form...

 

[LiL KiNG]

Knowledge says "what's up yo? where's the love? trade me out for a devotion and I rock the house."

Ah, forgot about that devotion trick. Good catch!

It's a shame Crystalkeep is gone

Agreed.

-Fate for Uncanny Dodge.

Fate! There it is!

Good lists people have put together so far.

 

[xigbar]

Time and Celerity are good for giving spells you don't have normally and neat abilities. Planning and Undeath are great for Persist Spell set up.

I'm a fan of the domains that increase your caster level on certain schools of magic. (Illusion Domain for +1 to illusion spells, Purification for Abjuration, etc...)

 

[holyplankton]

I still like the Divine Magician alternate feature. Lets you choose your own spells from the Sor/Wiz list as long as they're spells from the Abjuration, Divination, or Necromancy schools. Makes a great spell list that you get to customize yourself based on what you need your cleric to do.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

The best domain is the one that promotes your cleric's beliefs and idealogy, not the one that gives you a nifty bonus. What does your character believe? What is the cleric trying to promot?

[Tongue in cheek]Gah! A Purist that believes in pursuing the faith for the purpose of the faith, instead of a means to the end![/Tongue in cheek]

 

[LiL KiNG]

[Tongue in cheek]Gah! A Purist that believes in pursuing the faith for the purpose of the faith, instead of a means to the end![/Tongue in cheek]

It is a good point nonetheless and important in FR. To address it; I'm writing up a lesser deity who is nature/life/war focused for a home-brewed rhino race (appearance based on the awesome Kifaro miniature by Studio McVey) and they are very similar to Minotaurs stat wise, but more like Wemics in their tribal/nomadic way of life.
Domains I'm looking at right now for the portfolio are; Healing, Life, Retribution, and War.

Was looking at/for other alternatives though.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Animal, Plant, and the various elemental Domains let you turn things that would not normally be turnable. Some of the spells are nifty, as well. That may be moot in your case, though.

A thought: if you have OA and its 3.5Ed Update in Dragon #318, you might consider the Shaman instead of the cleric, depending on the monster you have in mind. It is still a full caster with 2+ Domains, gets IUC, etc., at the cost of Heavy armor prof and a couple of other things.

 

[Lady Chaomii]

Maybe I have the wrong mentality, but when ever I use a cleric, I take the War domain and a fluff domain.

I mean bonus spells are great and all, but I find them far too situational, and I don't think I've ever used a cleric's domain to full effects. I mean the ability to turn water elementals? That's not even a type of monster, that IS a monster among how many?

At least the war domain gives the cleric a martial weapon, which makes them useful in combat. Not as much as a strait fighter, but seriously, your a cleric, not a fighter, get over it.

So to answer the question, I guess I say the best domain is the War domain, because it aids you in EVERY fight, not just on a rare basis.

 

[Samloyal23]

[Tongue in cheek]Gah! A Purist that believes in pursuing the faith for the purpose of the faith, instead of a means to the end![/Tongue in cheek]

Correctamundo! Metagaming should be discouraged. No one puts their faith into a deity so they can a free feat or spell, they put their faith in a deity because that power fills a need in their life and answers the existential questions their life confronts them with...