D&D 5E Fixing Channel Divinity: Twilight Sanctuary

[Mistwell]

I'd like recommendations for how to adjust the power level of Channel Divinity: Twilight Sanctuary while still leaving it as a cool, useful, and flavorful ability for the Twilight Cleric.

Channel Divinity is the keystone ability for this subclass, so I don't want to nerf the power down so far that a player would not be happy with the ability anymore. But I do want to decrease it's power level to something more in-line with the games expected power level.

For reference:

Channel Divinity: Twilight Sanctuary​

2nd-level Twilight Domain feature

You can use your Channel Divinity to refresh your allies with soothing twilight.

As an action, you present your holy symbol, and a sphere of twilight emanates from you. The sphere is centered on you, has a 30-foot radius, and is filled with dim light. The sphere moves with you, and it lasts for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated or die. Whenever a creature (including you) ends its turn in the sphere, you can grant that creature one of these benefits:

• You grant it temporary hit points equal to 1d6 plus your cleric level.
• You end one effect on it causing it to be charmed or frightened.

 

[Northern Phoenix]

Slapping Concentration on it goes a long way to balancing the Twilight Cleric in combat while still leaving it a very powerful tool. With this tiny change, the Cleric has to choose between powerful defense or powerful offense, without being able to have their cake and eat it too, which is, in my opinion, what takes Twilight Sanctuary from very powerful to truly absurd.

 

[Kobold Stew]

10' radius, with concentration, and all is good in my book (compare the paladin auras that kick in at 6th and 7th level).

 

[Ancalagon]

if you are going to still have temp HP generated, the amount should be fixed, and should be smaller.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

I would probably change the Darkvision the Twilight Cleric can grant to everyone to 30ft.
Reduce the Temp HP granted each round by the channel divinity to 1d6+Wisdom Mod.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Make the temporary HP equal to 1d6+Wis mod. Potentially double Wis mod at very high level, since PC HP tends to get pretty big after a while, even without a positive Con mod.

Concentration works, but feels a bit boring, IMO. Personally, I'd make the radius smaller to start with and let it grow over time. E.g. have its radius be 10 feet to start with, then increase to 15 and finally 20 feet. Still a nerf, but not a horrible one--like a Paladin's auras. Besides, the Twilight Cleric is supposed to be getting up in enemies' faces (that's why it gets heavier armor proficiencies).

 

[Mistwell]

I would probably change the Darkvision the Twilight Cleric can grant to everyone to 30ft.
Reduce the Temp HP granted each round by the channel divinity to 1d6+Wisdom Mod.

I am just looking at the Channel Divinity. No issues with the darkvision they grant.

 

[Mistwell]

Making it concentration essentially kills it for combat use most of the time, since clerics are very concentration-heavy on their spells. All that does is shift it to pre-combat with everyone at max temp hit points (6+cleric level, since you will roll a 6 at least once in that 10 rounds), which is boring in my opinion. But I can see it working OK.

What do you think about just letting people benefit once per use. So no more "I rolled a 3 last time and have not lost any temp hit points, so I am hoping to roll higher and reset it to the higher number" nor will there be "I lost all my temp hit points last round and now they're back." That would allow essentially a single burst during combat (though still dim light, and the benefits to charm and frightened,) though if someone was outside the initial radius they could get into that radius to get their one time benefit later on during that minute.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I think if you keep it 1d6+ cleric level, then having it apply only once makes sense. If you want it to keep "refreshing" each round, then 1d6+WIS mod would work. Most clerics would hand out an average 4-6 THP "buffer" each round to most of the PCs.

You could also keep things the way they are but state that the pool of THP doesn't "refresh" until a character ends its turn without any THP. So PCs don't keep rolling every round trying to get higher numbers even if they hadn't been hit... instead they keep the THP they received until they lose all of it first, and only then get refreshed with new ones at the end of their turn that they are within the radius. This also gives monsters additional rounds to try and inflict actual HP loss because if the initial hit removed some THP but not enough to cause actual HP damage, that "shield" doesn't then bounce back up on the PC's turn. They will have to go the next round with a smaller remaining THP "shield" and thus might take some shots that round which could actually hurt.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

What do you think about just letting people benefit once per use. So no more "I rolled a 3 last time and have not lost any temp hit points, so I am hoping to roll higher and reset it to the higher number" nor will there be "I lost all my temp hit points last round and now they're back." That would allow essentially a single burst during combat (though still dim light, and the benefits to charm and frightened,) though if someone was outside the initial radius they could get into that radius to get their one time benefit later on during that minute.

I think that would be fine. And it would be far less annoying to run without the constant rolling and refreshes.