D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook reveal: "New Cleric"

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Hearing that Clerics are popular took me by surprise. Is it just because full caster + armor + shield?

Help me understand the Cleric player brain.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Not a lot terribly new if you were following the playtest. Bit sad that the Trickery teleport got moved to level 6, I've been playing a Trickery cleric and it was a ton of fun swapping places with my illusion. I guess it is fair to move it back (and by the time these rules come out, we should be at level 6 anyways). Liked the ability to heal allies with the illusion poofing away, that was neat.

Warding Flare and War God's Blessing getting more uses and being more flexible was very nice.

Also, surprise reveal, monsters will have a trait that has them take damage from healing, which will be a ton of fun to see and open up some nice abilities.

Overall? Really happy.

Can you explain a little more about the revised Trickery cleric? I haven't followed the revisions.

I have always loved the idea of a trickery cleric, but I found the execution in 5e (2014) to be so underwhelming I never played one.

How does the new trickery cleric measure up to the other revised domains?

 

[Henadic Theologian]

The mechanics are solid.

I still want the Cleric class flavor to be more explicit about cultural diversity, including options for a nontheistic sacred.

That is what Eberron is for, personally I don't think any Divine Spellcasters should be nontheistic, Divine is right in the name of the magic, but I'm fine with setting based exceptions like Eberron.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Hearing that Clerics are popular took me by surprise. Is it just because full caster + armor + shield?

Help me understand the Cleric player brain.

It might be more of "well someone has to play a Cleric" even though Bards and Druids can very much fill in on the healing if needed.

 

[TwoSix]

Hearing that Clerics are popular took me by surprise. Is it just because full caster + armor + shield?

Help me understand the Cleric player brain.

1) Heavy armor + shield + full caster, yep.
2) Lots of subclass options. I think there might be more official cleric domains than any other class has for their subclasses.
3) Immediately impactful subclasses. Cleric domains come online right away, and have a strong impact on low level play.
4) Low-level gods (pun intended). Clerics are at their comparative strongest in Tier 1 and into Tier 2, which is where the bulk of play happens.
5) Iconic low-level spells. Spiritual weapon is double offense for a whole fight as a 2nd level spell, and spirit guardians is probably the most iconic spell added to 5e, because it's both powerful and really fun.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

That is what Eberron is for, personally I don't think any Divine Spellcasters should be nontheistic, Divine is right in the name of the magic, but I'm fine with setting based exceptions like Eberron.

I feel there's a distinction between drawing upon divine power through faith and specifically worshiping a deity.

They can be one and the same, but I don't feel they have to be.

 

[Charlaquin]

1) Heavy armor + shield + full caster, yep.
2) Lots of subclass options. I think there might be more official cleric domains than any other class has for their subclasses.
3) Immediately impactful subclasses. Cleric domains come online right away, and have a strong impact on low level play.
4) Low-level gods (pun intended). Clerics are at their comparative strongest in Tier 1 and into Tier 2, which is where the bulk of play happens.
5) Iconic low-level spells. Spiritual weapon is double offense for a whole fight as a 2nd level spell, and spirit guardians is probably the most iconic spell added to 5e, because it's both powerful and really fun.

Also, some people really enjoy playing “support characters,” and cleric is kind of the go-to for that. Not that other classes can’t fill that role, but cleric is advertises itself as such the most.

 

[Charlaquin]

I really like that some undead will get damaged by healing again, and making it a trait on the monster seems like a smart way to do it.

 

[Remathilis]

GM fiat is good actually

Depends on how "good" (aligned) your DM is...

 

[Greg K]

If running 5e, I will
1. Steal Divine Order as I had planned, but tie specific option to specific deities in the campaign setting
2. Steal this version of Divine Intervention, but limit it to a cleric's domain spells and a handful of shared spells since clerics in my campaign setting have a much smaller base list of shared spells
3. assign Blessed Strike type to specific deity.

(edit: I like that healing will do damage to some undead, but not a fan of healing spells healing constructs and undead).