D&D (2024) Cleric Playtest Summary

[Kobold Stew]

Also, Disciple of Life now only works on the turn that you cast the spell. No more super goodberries.

A great fix for a bad Sage Advice.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Using Holy Order to mix and match Domain with basic party role is a game changer. There's just going to be vastly more domains I would now consider for any given cleric character concept.

There is a slight drawback in as much as when helping an absolute beginner choose subclass I would often start with asking them if they wanted to be a frontline weapon swinging or backline spell slinging type cleric, but since the narrowing down of options marrying role with subclass offered only helped newbies who have a veteran helping them or who read through all the subclasses carefully I think it's a minimal loss.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

For the Life domain . . .

• Domain Spells and Disciple of Life went from 1st level to 3rd level (pushed back 2 levels)
• Bonus Proficiency went from a 1st level subclass feature to a 2nd level class feature called Holy Order: Protector (pushed back 1 level and made a base feature, gaining Martial Weapon Proficiency)
• Preserve life went from 2nd level to 6th level (pushed back 4 levels)
• Blessed healer went from 6th level to 10th level (pushed back 4 levels)
• Divine Strike went from an 8th level subclass feature to a 7th level class feature called Blessed Strikes (moved up 1 level and made a base feature, gaining use on cantrip)
• Supreme Healing went from 17th level to 14th level (moved up 3 levels)

I'm failing to see anything indicative of a "power creep."

I've seen a bunch of people over the past few months only highlight either the buffs or nerfs to the classes and races in the OneD&D playtest packets. Whatever fits the narrative that they're pushing.

The correct way to analyze these packets is to take all of the changes together, separate the nerfs from buffs, and then compare them to each other. Not just focus in on a single class feature that got a buff and start claiming "powercreep!"

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I don't like Divine Spark. The healing option is probably overpowered in general, and definitely overpowered compared to the offensive option. Healing is more powerful in 5e (and presumably 5.5e) than an equivalent amount of damage even without a saving throw against that damage.

Also it is something that involves a number of dice equal to your proficiency bonus that can be done a number of times equal to proficiency bonus, and I now have a firm policy of making fun of WotC any time they do two levels of proficiency bonus based scaling on the same ability. Come on, there's other numbers.

 

[Krachek]

And now I come to think of it the other reason not to have War/Knowledge/Theurgy as domains is that it invites probably unwanted direct comparisons. Which is better between a Knowledge Thaumaturge or a Theurgy Scholar? The concepts are almost the same.

I also think that gonna lead to some confusion with IRL religious order.
For actual phb, a religious order would probably be based on domain,
now UA add a cleric order, that is a role within a domain, and will conflict with the concept of IRL religious order.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

A great fix for a bad Sage Advice.

He actually explains that in the video.
Sage advice tries to go RAW as much as possible. Which is totally not RAI.

Now is their chance to fix it.

 

[Lojaan]

I like it a lot at a glance but I would prefer to give holy order at level 1 and divine spark at level 2.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I like it a lot at a glance but I would prefer to give holy order at level 1 and divine spark at level 2.

Yeah, the downside of that is that people have an extra level one decision to make, which is probably why they put Holy Order off until level 2. But as is it puts people planning to be "Protectors" in the boat of having to decide between having weapons and armor they can't actually use yet as starting equipment or hitting level 2 and not being able to really level up until they can go shopping. I think WotC overestimates the stress the additional level 1 decision creates, when in my experience most newbies have a clear idea of whether they want to be a backline spellslinging Cleric or a frontline weapon swinging Cleric long before they can decide what sort of Cleric they want to be beyond that.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Using Holy Order to mix and match Domain with basic party role is a game changer. There's just going to be vastly more domains I would now consider for any given cleric character concept.

There is a slight drawback in as much as when helping an absolute beginner choose subclass I would often start with asking them if they wanted to be a frontline weapon swinging or backline spell slinging type cleric, but since the narrowing down of options marrying role with subclass offered only helped newbies who have a veteran helping them or who read through all the subclasses carefully I think it's a minimal loss.

And honestly it's pretty trivial. Instead of Ring mail or possibly even chain mail those front line weapon swingers at level 1 are likely to be wearing scale mail; first level characters really can't afford good armour. Scale's only slightly more expensive than ring mail but at leat as protective unless you're Dex 8. And they're going to be using a mace rather than a morningstar. The archetype still works at level 1. About all you miss is the two handed weapons (which are a trap choice for a cleric) and longbows.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Yeah, the downside of that is that people have an extra level one decision to make, which is probably why they put Holy Order off until level 2. But as is it puts people planning to be "Protectors" in the boat of having to decide between having weapons and armor they can't actually use yet as starting equipment or hitting level 2 and not being able to really level up until they can go shopping.

Heavy armour people are meant to be saving up for Splint Armour anyway. At 200GP it's only just out of the reach of a first level character, and is one of the things that gold is actually useful for and it's also where heavy armour pulls away from medium (even with Dex 14 you need a 750 GP breastplate to match it). I'm not seeing a huge problem here.