New Cleric Domain: Protection

[Khaalis]

After reading a thread on Reddit, I came up with the following initial pass at a Protection Domain for clerics. I'd like thoughts and comments.


PROTECTION DOMAIN
The protection domain focuses on the protective and nurturing aspects of certain deities. The gods or protection promote defense of the self as well as others and grant the skills and power to shelter and shield the defenseless and powerless. Deities whose portfolios include the protection domain are often deities that also have Life and War in their spheres of control, but also deities that have a penchant for feeling protective of certain followers or of certain aspects of life such as agricultural deities or deities that consider themselves patrons of a society or race.

Deities that grant the Protection Domain are:

Forgotten Realms
Chauntea, Deneir, Eldath, Helm, Kelemvor, Lathander, Selune, Silvanus, Sune, Tempus, Torm, Tymora, Waukeen

Greyhawk
Celestian, Fharlanghn, St. Cuthbert, Tritherion

Dragonlance
Paladine, Habbakuk, Kiri-Jolith, Mishikal / Gilean, Shinare

Eberron
Boldrei, Dol Arrah / The Silver Flame, The Path of Light, The undying Court, The Spirits of the Past

Nonhuman
Bahamut, Corellon Larethion, Eadro, Garl Glittergold, Moradin, Rillifane Rallathil, Skoraeus Stonebones, Yondalla

Celtic
The Daghdha, Diancecht

Greek
Demeter, Hera, Hestia, Tyche

Egyptian
Bast, Bes, Isis, Nephthys

Norse
Forseti, Thor, Tyr, Uller


PROTECTION DOMAIN SPELLS

Cleric Level	Spells
1st	shield of faith, sanctuary
3rd	warding bond, aid
5th	glyph of warding, magic circle
7th	mordenkainen's private sanctum, aura of purity
9th	circle of power, wall of force

BONUS CANTRIP
When you choose the domain at 1st level, you gain the Blade Ward cantrip if you don't already know it. Additionally, the range becomes Touch for this cantrp.

BONUS PROFICIENCY
Also at 1st level, you gain proficiency in heavy armor.

CHANNEL DIVINITY: Shielding
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to ward your allies against attacks. As an action, you present your holy symbol and evoke warding energy that grants a +2 bonus to AC for one minute to all allies within 30 feet of you.

CHANNEL DIVINITY: Warding
At 6th level, when a creature within 30 of you make an attack roll, you can use your reaction to impose upon that creature a -10 penalty to the roll, using your Channel Divinity. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.

POTENT SPELLCASTING
Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to any die roll result bonuses you grant with any cleric cantrip.

ULTIMATE WARDING
Starting at 17th level, you can use your action to activate an aura of warding that lasts for 1 minute or until you dismiss it using another action. All enemies within 60 feet have disadvantage on attack rolls.

 

[RhaezDaevan]

After reading a thread on Reddit, I came up with the following initial pass at a Protection Domain for clerics. I'd like thoughts and comments.


PROTECTION DOMAIN
The protection domain focuses on the protective and nurturing aspects of certain deities. The gods or protection promote defense of the self as well as others and grant the skills and power to shelter and shield the defenseless and powerless. Deities whose portfolios include the protection domain are often deities that also have Life and War in their spheres of control, but also deities that have a penchant for feeling protective of certain followers or of certain aspects of life such as agricultural deities or deities that consider themselves patrons of a society or race.

Deities that grant the Protection Domain are:

Forgotten Realms
Chauntea, Deneir, Eldath, Helm, Kelemvor, Lathander, Selune, Silvanus, Sune, Tempus, Torm, Tymora, Waukeen

Greyhawk
Celestian, Fharlanghn, St. Cuthbert, Tritherion

Dragonlance
Paladine, Habbakuk, Kiri-Jolith, Mishikal / Gilean, Shinare

Eberron
Boldrei, Dol Arrah / The Silver Flame, The Path of Light, The undying Court, The Spirits of the Past

Nonhuman
Bahamut, Corellon Larethion, Eadro, Garl Glittergold, Moradin, Rillifane Rallathil, Skoraeus Stonebones, Yondalla

Celtic
The Daghdha, Diancecht

Greek
Demeter, Hera, Hestia, Tyche

Egyptian
Bast, Bes, Isis, Nephthys

Norse
Forseti, Thor, Tyr, Uller


PROTECTION DOMAIN SPELLS

Cleric Level	Spells
1st	shield of faith, sanctuary
3rd	warding bond, aid
5th	glyph of warding, magic circle
7th	mordenkainen's private sanctum, aura of purity
9th	circle of power, wall of force

BONUS CANTRIP
When you choose the domain at 1st level, you gain the Blade Ward cantrip if you don't already know it. Additionally, the range becomes Touch for this cantrp.

BONUS PROFICIENCY
Also at 1st level, you gain proficiency in heavy armor.

CHANNEL DIVINITY: Shielding
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to ward your allies against attacks. As an action, you present your holy symbol and evoke warding energy that grants a +2 bonus to AC for one minute to all allies within 30 feet of you.

CHANNEL DIVINITY: Warding
At 6th level, when a creature within 30 of you make an attack roll, you can use your reaction to impose upon that creature a -10 penalty to the roll, using your Channel Divinity. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.

POTENT SPELLCASTING
Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to any die roll result bonuses you grant with any cleric cantrip.

ULTIMATE WARDING
Starting at 17th level, you can use your action to activate an aura of warding that lasts for 1 minute or until you dismiss it using another action. All enemies within 60 feet have disadvantage on attack rolls.

I like it. Though Ultimate Warding should be once per short or long rest.

 

[Khaalis]

I like it. Though Ultimate Warding should be once per short or long rest.

Thanks for the reply. I'm curious as to your logic. can you expound?

As an FYI, it was based off 'Corona of Light' which doesn't have the limit. Is it because UW could be applicable more than CoL as CoL only effects fire/radiant damage spells?

If it were limited to only 1/long rest, is it sufficiently powerful enough for 17th level?

 

[RhaezDaevan]

Thanks for the reply. I'm curious as to your logic. can you expound?

As an FYI, it was based off 'Corona of Light' which doesn't have the limit. Is it because UW could be applicable more than CoL as CoL only effects fire/radiant damage spells?

If it were limited to only 1/long rest, is it sufficiently powerful enough for 17th level?

I suggested recharge on every short or long rest, so multiple times per day. Some other possible choices are reducing the area or giving the enemies attacking in the area a saving throw.

I just think disadvantage to all attacks within 60 feet of you is a bit broken if not limited in some way. A lot of battles that are indoors would be covered entirely by the 60' area.

Corona of Light has the built in limit of only giving disadvantage vs certain spells (fire and radiant damage). Just spit-balling what limit Ultimate Warding could have. Maybe my ideas are overdoing it, but I feel it needs something.

 

[Khaalis]

Ok, how about one of these options instead?

1) 'Aura of Protection' (as per level 18 Paladin) but using WIS instead of CHA? Thus you & allies within 30' gain +WIS to all saves.

2) Warding Aura:
Starting at 17th level, you can use your action to activate an aura of warding that lasts for 1 minute or until you dismiss it using another action. No attack roll has advantage against you or any ally within 30 feet. You must be conscious to grant this bonus.

 

[RhaezDaevan]

Ok, how about one of these options instead?

1) 'Aura of Protection' (as per level 18 Paladin) but using WIS instead of CHA? Thus you & allies within 30' gain +WIS to all saves.

* Warding Aura:
Starting at 17th level, you can use your action to activate an aura of warding that lasts for 1 minute or until you dismiss it using another action. No attack roll against has advantage against you or any ally within 30 feet. You must be conscious to grant this bonus.

Warding Aura goes too far the other way and seems too weak. I like Aura of Protection, though perhaps you could have just stuck with your original version of Ultimate Warding and just reduce the area to 30' like Aura of Protection. That keeps it distinct without it being overpowered as then it wouldn't cover the whole battlefield.

 

[Khaalis]

Warding Aura goes too far the other way and seems too weak. I like Aura of Protection, though perhaps you could have just stuck with your original version of Ultimate Warding and just reduce the area to 30' like Aura of Protection. That keeps it distinct without it being overpowered as then it wouldn't cover the whole battlefield.

Well I can't agree that "Warding Aura" is too weak since its basically the Rogue's 18th level Elusive ability granted to all allies within 30'. If anything I think it needs to be curtailed a bit now that I think about it and make it require a short rest.

However, that said which would you honestly think is more balanced and appropriate for 17th level (all other aspects being equal)?
* Enemies cannot have advantage
* Enemies have disadvantage

I think that disadvantage is more powerful, perhaps too much so? It severely changes the odds in the PC's favor, while not being able to have advantage is a more limited bonus preventing enemies from gaining too many 'burst' damage effects.

 

[sithramir]

Why does it give spells above 5th level and why more than one? Seems too powerful

 

[RhaezDaevan]

Why does it give spells above 5th level and why more than one? Seems too powerful

Domain spells are just extras prepared. I don't see much wrong with that.

 

[RhaezDaevan]

Well I can't agree that "Warding Aura" is too weak since its basically the Rogue's 18th level Elusive ability granted to all allies within 30'. If anything I think it needs to be curtailed a bit now that I think about it and make it require a short rest.

However, that said which would you honestly think is more balanced and appropriate for 17th level (all other aspects being equal)?
* Enemies cannot have advantage
* Enemies have disadvantage

I think that disadvantage is more powerful, perhaps too much so? It severely changes the odds in the PC's favor, while not being able to have advantage is a more limited bonus preventing enemies from gaining too many 'burst' damage effects.

Valid points.