D&D 5E Death Domain Question

[ExploderWizard]

I was working on giving a cleric villain the death domain and noticed that blindness/deafness was a 3rd level domain spell for them. Seeing as how any cleric gets this spell as a 2nd level spell it's kind of lame. I was thinking of replacing it with Vampiric Touch.

Thoughts?

 

[the Jester]

A lot of domain spells are cleric spells already.

Knowledge includes command, augury, speak with dead, legend lore and scrying.

Life is all spells from the cleric list.

I wouldn't change it, personally, but I don't think it would be completely broken to do so or anything.

 

[steeldragons]

I think it's a matter of flavor. If it suits the flavor you are looking for with this particular cleric villain [et al. if it works for you], then I don't see how there could be any harm.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Look again. The domain spells aren't given by spell level. They're given by the level at which the cleric receives them. So the Death cleric gains this at the same time he gains other 2nd-level spells.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Yes, a spell's initial level* doesn't change based on class. Sleep is 1st level spell, regardless of who is casting it. A welcome change from the variable levels by class approach of 3e.

*If you choose to cast a spell in a higher level slot it is, however, counted as a spell of that level for that casting.

 

[Riley37]

In some cases, a domain spell adds to the list of spells a cleric can cast, eg when it's not on the cleric list.

Other times, the domain spell just means that the spell is always prepared for casting, without counting against the maximum number of spells prepared.

 

[PnPgamer]

Besides blindness is a spell that is really good actually. Blindness is a really nasty condition, and also blind creatures have to guess where their target is, melee or ranged.

Also the spell doesnt require concentration.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Look again. The domain spells aren't given by spell level. They're given by the level at which the cleric receives them. So the Death cleric gains this at the same time he gains other 2nd-level spells.

The A-HA! moment! Thanks.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Besides blindness is a spell that is really good actually. Blindness is a really nasty condition, and also blind creatures have to guess where their target is, melee or ranged.

Also the spell doesnt require concentration.

Yes, definitely a go-to offensive spell for the cleric.

 

[doctorhook]

Spent my bus-ride home last night pondering this topic, because it would have been the biggest fail in all the cleric domains thus far. Fortunately, it was just OP's brain farting, so no harm, no foul.