D&D 5E How I would have done the Priest/Cleric class differently with Hindsight

[gyor]

I look at the cleric class, which is seen as the default priest class, and it mechanically solid, but an extremely narrow and flawed Priest/Divine spellcaster thematically and in function. A Druid with the Ritual Caster cleric is almost better at that then the Cleric in my opinion.

First off Domains as the subclass is horribly flawed.

Instead I would have made the Domain cleric a single subclass, with multiple domain options akin to the Circle of the Land Druid.

And for other subclasses would be based more on the different historical roles different types of priests had even ones devoted to the same God.

Some priests specialized in sacrifices, some in channeling the words of Gods like Oracles, others in particular types of cermonies, some where prestiagious government appointments, and so many examples.

I mean the Priest of Hephaestus in Athens wasn't a smith themselves, and a Priest of Hermes wasn't a thief, and only some of Aphrodites priests were sex workers.

Subclasses should be more role based, then portoflio based. And only certain types of Clerics should have armour. When was the last time you saw a RW Priest or Cleric in armour?

 

[Guest 6801328]

I just wish there was also a priest class. A divine wizard, essentially.

 

[gyor]

I just wish there was also a priest class. A divine wizard, essentially.

We at least have the Divine Soul, but Priest class I envision can do the divine wizard depending upon subclass, but it can specialize in more assorted duties with divine magic then just Divine Wizard or Domain Cleric.

Like subclasses could be Scripture Theologian (Divine Wizard, but the spell book is a holy book and they gain new spells not with scrolls, but with religious commentaries that provide insights into the Holy Books passages and underlying philosophy/theology), another is an Exorcist who also uses as a Holy Book of some sort, but instead of gaining insights (new spells) from religious commentaries, they gain them from studying exorcism rituals, another subclass might be Heretic who learns new spells by writing their own Holy Book based on their Heresy, another subclass might specialize in making sacrifices/offerings for a God or Gods, including animal or in more extreme religions humaniod sacrifices and is seen as important, but unclean compared to other Priests, yet they see great insights in the entrails or other elements of the sacrificed creature or object, another subclass could be the Domain Cleric, who gains insights via prayer and mediation upon the Platonic ideals that their Patron God best exemplifies, and another subclass of Chior singers, and another subclass of Noble-Priests, and another subclass that prepares and buries the dead, another Heirodule subclass, and another subclass hunts out enemies of the faith, and another subclass that focuses on appeasing the servants of a God, working more through intermediaries like Angels then directly with their God (Amgelology), and a Spy Priest that inflitrates other religions to spy on rival faiths, and Oracles/Prophets that speak the words of the divine, and Street Priests, and Evangelical subclass, Relic Hunter subclass, High Priest of Temple subclass, ect...

 

[cbwjm]

I have slowly (real slowly, like glacial slowly) been working on revising the cleric class and using it as a base that can become a crusader, a mystic, rune priest, or shaman. At first I was mixing in some of the domain abilities so that you can have any of the 4 subclasses above who have access to abilities from the light domain. I'm now thinking of scrapping the domains as part of the class entirely and instead tying bonus spells and channel divinity to the god and having a bonus ability that applies if you take the acolyte background, meaning any class that acts as an acolyte of the sun god (light domain) might gain the light cantrip or something similar as a special ability.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

I like the 5e cleric.

A cleric is not a priest. A priest is more someone who sits at home, makes sacrifices, and reads scriptures.

In my game, priests are spurned by the gods as cowards and skill-less fools who generally fail to embody their ideals. Clerics, on the other hand, are the favorite mortals of the gods. So Crito, a cleric of Hermes is a mortal Hermes likes and blesses with some of his powers. Crito is not a priest. In fact, he's probably hated by the temple hierarchy, who see him as a threat to their political and cultural authority.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

Subclasses should be more role based, then portoflio based. And only certain types of Clerics should have armour. When was the last time you saw a RW Priest or Cleric in armour?

I always armor my clerical workers. Office politics can get intense.

 

[Raduin711]

The D&D cleric has always struck me as a bit of an anomaly. We have this other class, the paladin, that covers the crusading warrior, who dons armor and weapon to vanquish enemies of the faith. And I think it does that job well. So what is the cleric, then?

Well, the answer seems to be a paladin but with a lot more spells, and somewhat less combat ability, and untethered from the Lawful Good alignment. A paladin variant.

But the vast majority of religious practice does not involve putting on armor and hitting things. It seems like the idea of Elfcrusher's priest would be the natural mode of divine spellcasting, with classes like the Paladin being dabblers in divine magic.

I think if you go through adventure modules you will see a lot of NPCs that, if the priest class were available, would be priests, but instead are clerics who don't know they have weapon and armor proficiencies.

 

[Horwath]

I would like to see complete removal of arcane/divine split in spells.

all spells for all casters.

and just make universal casting progression:
Non spellcaster,
1/2 caster,
full caster,

Then if you want to make a divine caster you make it through the subclasses/domains that are only granted by certain deities/alignments.
They would give certain spells a bonus spells known/prepared and some bonuses for certain spell category.

make wizard specialization more or less equal in power to cleric domains.

 

[Blue]

I would like to see complete removal of arcane/divine split in spells.

all spells for all casters.

and just make universal casting progression:
Non spellcaster,
1/2 caster,
full caster,

Then if you want to make a divine caster you make it through the subclasses/domains that are only granted by certain deities/alignments.
They would give certain spells a bonus spells known/prepared and some bonuses for certain spell category.

make wizard specialization more or less equal in power to cleric domains.

I would like much stronger separation of spell lists. I think that common cleric spells should be the least, and domains should be the primary. I've seen too many clerics of various gods that all gravitate to the same "best" spells like Spirit Guardians, Spiritual Weapon, etc.

I'd hate to bring all casters together and see everything echoing the best spells for even less differentiation. Because in the real world, players pick the best spells. Which makes sense - in world you want to pick the spells that work best for you.

 

[Blue]

I look at the cleric class, which is seen as the default priest class, and it mechanically solid, but an extremely narrow and flawed Priest/Divine spellcaster thematically and in function. A Druid with the Ritual Caster cleric is almost better at that then the Cleric in my opinion.

First off Domains as the subclass is horribly flawed.

Instead I would have made the Domain cleric a single subclass, with multiple domain options akin to the Circle of the Land Druid.

And for other subclasses would be based more on the different historical roles different types of priests had even ones devoted to the same God.

Some priests specialized in sacrifices, some in channeling the words of Gods like Oracles, others in particular types of cermonies, some where prestiagious government appointments, and so many examples.

I mean the Priest of Hephaestus in Athens wasn't a smith themselves, and a Priest of Hermes wasn't a thief, and only some of Aphrodites priests were sex workers.

Subclasses should be more role based, then portoflio based. And only certain types of Clerics should have armour. When was the last time you saw a RW Priest or Cleric in armour?

I think what god you worship should make a big difference in what you can do channeling their (un)holy power. What about a Warlock-like double choice, were you pick both the god you worship at one level, but the how you carry it our at another?