D&D 5E Cleric Tier Ratings

[Gladius Legis]

War Cleric is great the first 4 levels. Guided Strike + Inflict Wounds is as good a nova as any in those levels.

Then level 5 comes, martial characters get Extra Attack, all Clerics get Spirit Guardians, and the War domain drops off like Wile E. Coyote chasing the Roadrunner.

 

[Gladius Legis]

Question: How critical is it for a cleric to pump Wisdom?

Two of the top sources of Cleric damage are Spiritual Weapon and Spirit Guardians. The former relies on WIS for the attack roll, and the latter on WIS for the saving throw DC. So, pretty important.

 

[Dausuul]

Two of the top sources of Cleric damage are Spiritual Weapon and Spirit Guardians. The former relies on WIS for the attack roll, and the latter on WIS for the saving throw DC. So, pretty important.

Obviously, if your focus is on dealing damage with spells, you need Wisdom.

My question is, what if you're focused on using your spells to heal and buff your allies, which in theory is supposed to be right in the cleric's wheelhouse? How viable is that approach in actual play?

 

[Zardnaar]

Obviously, if your focus is on dealing damage with spells, you need Wisdom.

My question is, what if you're focused on using your spells to heal and buff your allies, which in theory is supposed to be right in the cleric's wheelhouse? How viable is that approach in actual play?

Completely viable. The damage cleric probably wants to take warcaster which is makes those cleric buff soelks that much better anyway

There's also not that many cleric buff other type spells. There's bless but yeah.

Bless spam can work.

My next review gas another example of the wisdom cleric obliterating the weapons based on in terms of damage. At will even.

 

[FrogReaver]

Aid is a great buff.

 

[Zardnaar]

Arcane domain.

Spell list

The arcane domain has several wizard spells clerics don't usually get. Nothing to exciting but useful.

Arcane initiate.

You get to pick two wizard cantrips. This is half of the magic initiate. Unlike magic initiate you can key these off your wisdom score. There are several interesting new cantrips as well in SCAG such as green flame blade.

Channel Divinity: Arcane abjuration.
Basically you can turn outsiders and get. Useful sometimes but your channel divinity might suck depending on what you encounter. You can also banish them at higher levels. None of the above or undead and your channel divinity is a bit useless. Weak point of the class.

Spellbreaker.

You can use healing magic to dispel magic. Useful but still limited by how many spell casters you encounter.

Potent spellcasting.

The usual wisdom modifier to cantrips. This is great and you can add it to the wizard cantrips you picked up.

It has an interesting interaction with green flame blade. Your attacks deal an additional 1d8 plus wisdom modifier to primary target.

The secondary target however takes double your wisdom modifier in damage and an extra d8. You might have to use a dagger if you have a moderate dexterity but it's an option. If you want to be good at melee be an arcane cleric!!!!. Added bonus if you can pick up short sword or rapier proficiency or the shillagh cantrip.

Overall the arcane cleric is decent at casting spells. However it's got a few to many situational abilities that are also specific.

A potential S class archetype comes in at B overall. If it's channel divinity did something else along with spellbreaker it would be A or S tier. Also a great level 17 ability but let's face it it may as well be the moon.

 

[Torquar]

It's a pity you're only doing 1-10, as the Arcana domain lvl 17 ability is amazing.

 

[Zardnaar]

It's a pity you're only doing 1-10, as the Arcana domain lvl 17 ability is amazing.

It is. And I suspect virtually no one has ever used it.

If either (wife+me) of us have to play clerics in the near future we've shortlisted the death one.
I've played one before and made some minor mistakes. She's currently playing a death cleric 1/divine Soul 2.

 

[delph]

Will it continue? I'm waitnig for Grave Cleric. I'm weighted him or Death Cleric. Last word will be after zero session where we will get what will be able, what not, and what want other players. Because as i read it Death Cleric is more about dealing dmg, Grave about de/buff and heal.

 

[Zardnaar]

Will it continue? I'm waitnig for Grave Cleric. I'm weighted him or Death Cleric. Last word will be after zero session where we will get what will be able, what not, and what want other players. Because as i read it Death Cleric is more about dealing dmg, Grave about de/buff and heal.

Yes it just kinda got buried.

I'm wondering if I should revise some ratings. I may have over rated a couple that are kind of require a very narrow specific build.

The builds are not very obvious either.