Let's Talk D&D: The Appeal of Playing a Cleric

[@DanteliciouslyPerfect]

Thank you for that excursion into the class! I haven't really touched Cleric at all (even though I did make some characters just to look what it can do, never got around to play them though :I) It's seems like a lot of fun the way you explain them! Might give it a try if I find a setting that works good for them!

[@WritinRealSlow]

I hope you'll come back and tell me about them when you do! ^_^

[@tyto9188]

While, I tend to not play clerics, I do find them interesting in ttrpgs. Especially in exploring how gods interact with mortals and how the cleric pc views their god. Maybe I should play another when I can. But as for your point about how playing the game together and seeing how the story unfold, being magical, you are so on the money. In the pf2e campaign I am in, my metal and earth kineticist nb gnoll not only recently told off their parents for treating them as nothing more than a shiny trophy because of their metalic fur (they are basically a metal genasi), but they took part of a pageant with the dwarf inventor to basically do a WWE match. It was awesome and just a good example of why I love ttrpgs. So many cool moments can arise from them, weither they are silly goofs, serious character moments, or the party working together to do something amazing

[@WritinRealSlow]

That sounds amazing! Honestly, I think it's the potential for such personal stories that makes TTRPGs resonate with so many people. I'm really happy you've found such joy in your character!

[@orchidtea13]

As much as I’m personally not the biggest fan of 5e, I do enjoy reading others’ homebrew ideas regardless of system, so the new series seems promising! Anyway here’s a review of the subclass and a pf2e conversion of it I made for fun, apologies for the wall of text. Overview: A really thematically interesting cleric domain with a previously unexplored mechanical niche as a debuff caster domain that offers a lot of versatile features. I love the unique utility options and just generally the concept of a cleric in service of primordial gods, and though I have some issues with Overwhelming Aether mechanically I do think it’s very distinct from other channel divinity abilities and a solid option even if it’s a little overshadowed by all the other strong debuffs clerics get. Here’s some more detailed thoughts on each feature, feel free to skip since I wrote a lot. (semester just ended and I was bored) Class features: Ancient Knowledge Works really well to get the class theme across immediately, and the "two cantrips from any spell list" part gives a lot of promising new build options. Spells like Mind Sliver and Vicious Mockery strengthen the domain's niche as a debuff caster, while spells like Mage Hand and Minor Illusion complement Chronos’ Sight and your extra skills to make a great utility caster. Overall a solid class feature that still isn’t too strong by 5e cleric standards. Domain Spells A solid set of most of the best spells on the cleric spell list. Not as strongly thematically linked to the core concept as the other features, outside of spells like detect magic and divination which fit the whole “ancient secrets” theme, and Counterspell, Ars Magica and Dispel Magic which fit the theme of using your ancient knowledge to counter other types of magic. Hold Monster and Polymorph fit into the debuffer niche but they don’t really tie into the concept that strongly, and the rest do so even less but they are stable cleric spell options. Spells like Augury and Contact Other Plane could be good additions for the “ancient knowledge” theme, and spells like Absorb Elements, Protection from Energy and Warding Wind could play into countering other types of magic. Creation and other similar conjuration spells could fit the “eldest gods who created everything” deal. However, coming up with fittingly flavored spells for a concept as broad as “primeval gods” is challenging, so I’d say the domain spell list still works fine even if some parts aren’t an easy 1-to-1 analogy. Channel Divinity: Overwhelming Aether A debuff option, which is neat since none of the existing cleric domains really emphasize debuffs so the origin domain has a solid unexplored niche mechanically. However, I worry it might be a little too weak for most of the level range, particularly levels 5-17. At this level range, powerful debuffs like Bestow Curse become available, which can give an enemy disadvantage on saves for an entire minute, and at higher levels many debuffs like Banishment fully remove an enemy (and later multiple enemies) from combat. This combined with silvery barbs, a reaction spell that imposes a reroll on successful saves, makes a lot of other options seem like a better way of spending your action most of the time. This feature has the benefits of 1. Not requiring concentration, and 2. not requiring a save, but it also costs your entire action, only targets one creature, and has a short duration. The spell would see some use when fighting one high-level target, but would struggle to be useful against groups of weaker enemies, where using your entire action on this doesn’t seem worth it, which is a problem since most 5e fights are against groups due to how the system is designed. Here’s an idea for an alternate version: As a bonus action or as an action, you present your holy symbol and release a divine wind that weathers enemy defenses. If you used this feature as a bonus action, it targets one creature you can see. If you used this feature as an action, it targets up to 3 creatures you can see. Until the end of your next turn, your target(s) take a -2 penalty to AC and saving throws. You may only use this feature once per turn. This version is more versatile and has a cheaper action cost in exchange for a weaker debuff. The bonus action version can work in tandem with another debuff cast immediately after, and the action version can be really impactful when combined with aoe spells from other party members, leading to fun combo tactics. Also, you forgot to write down a range for this feature. You should add either a range in feet or “a foe you can see” to Overwhelming Aether’s rules text, so you can't just wind blast someone on the other side of town. Channel Divinity: Chronos’ Sight A really cool, useful and unique utility option that fits the flavor of the subclass perfectly, not to mention it will stay useful regardless of character level. No notes, this one’s great! Potent Cantrips ☝🤓 Umm acthually it’s called “Potent Spellcasting” sorry I had to Grand Aether A nice upgrade to Aether to debilitate high-level enemies, but at the level where you could instead spend your action to cast banishment on 5 creatures, or the numerous other shenanigans high-level clerics can get up to. Since most 5e fights last about 1-4 full rounds, clerics will often have a better option than this on each of their turns. The “heal when you attack” bit is an unique and strategically interesting trait, especially fun with a fighter or monk in the party. Continuing my version from earlier, the heal would only apply when aether is targeting one creature, and the penalty would be -4 due to the cheaper action cost/multiple targets. The end text would change to “only one instance of this ability can be active at a time.” Overall, great work. Most of my big mechanical gripes are probably not that big of a deal in less optimized play and I loved most of the features. Excited for the rest of this series! Oh, and here’s a pf2e version because I really liked the flavor and core features of this domain: Origin Domain (pf2e conversion) Deities: Azathoth, Hastur, Nhimbaloth, Nyarlathotep , Xhamen-Dor, Yog-Sothoth, Rovagug Domain Spell: Overwhelming Aether Advanced Domain Spell: Chronos’ Sight Overwhelming Aether (Focus 1) Traits: Uncommon, Enchantment, Focus, Air Domain: Origin Cast: One, Two, or Three actions Range: 30ft Targets: Varies Defense: Fortitude You raise your religious symbol and release a divine wind on your enemies to weather their defenses. One action: the spell targets one creature. Two actions: the spell targets two creatures. Three actions: the spell targets three creatures. Critical Success: The creature is unaffected. Success: The creature becomes Clumsy 1 until the end of your next turn. Failure: The creature becomes Clumsy 2 until the end of your next turn. Critical Failure: The creature becomes Clumsy 3 for one minute and flat footed until the end of your next turn. Heightened (8th) each time a creature affected by the one action or two action version of the spell is hit with an attack, the attacker regains hit points equal to your spellcasting ability modifier. Chronos’ Sight (Focus 4) Traits: Uncommon, Focus, Divination, Concentrate Domain: Origin Cast: Two actions Range: 30ft Targets: one object, creature or place no larger than one mile on any side Duration: sustained up to 1 minute You peer into the past of an object, creature or place. You may discover any information you desire on the subject, provided it is not protected by magical means, and it is not about an event in the future. This information takes the form of a memory from the subject’s past, and you may only view one memory per use. You are paralyzed for the spell’s duration. Once you have used this spell on a place, object or creature, you cannot use it on the same target for one week.

[@WritinRealSlow]

I honestly really appreciate that you took the time to review it for me like this. I did think about making "overwhelming aether" stronger, but considering it would stack with the effects of mind sliver, bane, silvery barbs and other such debuff options, and because it lasts until the end of your next turn and would allow you to get another spell off, I figured it would be good as is to keep it from being too overpowered. I also think it's super cool that you took the time to translate it into pf2e. I tried pathfinder for a bit and found it a little too complicated for my tastes, but I've heard good things about 2e. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on my work, I was honestly really hoping someone would! ^_^