| Post/Author/DateTime | Post |
|---|---|
| Enlightened One?07-24-03, 12:51 AM | Greetings everyone. I was just wondering, what domains would you select for your cleric and why, assuming no particular alignment/deity is being chosen. While core 3.5 domians are fine, I do not mind opinions from FR or other sources as well. Also prestige domains are welcome. Just a little question form a total 'newbie'. Hope this is in the right place... Thanks :D |
| Funny Slaughter07-24-03, 03:05 AM | luck, for sure. maybe travel, maybe time, depends on your concept. gs Funny |
| nikademus07-24-03, 05:06 AM | Hello, as a human cleric as funny slaughter said : Luck and travel : I am currently playing a cleric with the luck domain and the reroll has proven very good in the campain. Saved me several times with saving throws against nasty spells. For elven cleric i would choose Elf and Luck (Sehanine Moonbow, for example) For a dwarven cleric Luck and War (halea brightaxe) Nikademus |
| Matt Neuman07-24-03, 11:14 AM | I tend to pick the deity first, then select domains (as opposed to searching for a deity to match my domain choices). The character I'm putting together right now for our FR game is going to be a cleric of Mystra. I've taken Magic and Spell as my domains. This is hardly the most optimum selection, but it gives nice abilities and allows me to keep a spellbook (anyspell), and use wands and staves (from magic). So really it depends on what type of cleric you want to play. For a cleric archer you want to take elf and war. Generally speaking, I think Luck and Travel (or trickery) are best. For a Tricked out Turning based cleric, you want to take Sun, etc. Or for an alternate route, take Fire and Air. Then you can turn or rebuke all elemental creatures and undead. You also get pretty decent domain spells. |
| QaPlah07-24-03, 11:47 AM | luck travel war time Those are the best, IMO. they all have decent spells, and the added ability is nice as well |
| Enlightened One?07-24-03, 02:27 PM | Hey thanks for your opinions. Another (similar)question, what domain combinations would you suggest to a 'newbie' cleric (with no restrictions) I would appreciate any answer. |
| Hanniball07-24-03, 03:13 PM | no restrictions as far as domain combination? is this because you don't have a patron diety? if so, read your FRCS. you must have a patron if playing a cleric in Faerun. if you're not playing in Faerun, cool. now my choices for "best" non-prestige domains are: luck, time, and spell. but, as always, it totally depends on your character concept. hope this helps. either way...just my 0.02 cp |
| Enlightened One?07-26-03, 12:35 AM | Hmmm, an interesting answer Hanniball (and others who answered). So, from what i read before, the domains of time travel/trickery magic/spell Elf (if applicable) any 2 elementals and [I]especially luck are domains that would be considered as among the best any cleric could possibly choose ( if 'choosable' in the first place) Am I right or are there more possibilities to consider? Many thanks. |
| Funny Slaughter07-26-03, 03:47 AM | Am I right or are there more possibilities to consider? of course. but you got the generic ones. for a character-concept other domains may be better. gs Funny |
| bitnine07-26-03, 03:51 AM | Honestly, I'd be tempted to pick luck and luck if I could. "Save or die, eh? Oops. I die. Hold on a second, I'm lucky." |
| Enlightened One?07-26-03, 04:42 AM | Hey Funny, what exactly do you mean by other character-concepts and what domains do you recommand for those bulids? while i suppose a: cleric-archer bulid should use Elf/War specialised anti-undead uses Sun/? what other bulids are aviliable and what domains should they use? Thanks. |
| widow07-26-03, 10:00 AM | Here are lots of other Themes, just look at Prestige classes. The True Necromancer requires you to have the death domain and i think the FR undeath domain works well with this. Matt mentioned a cleric of mystra above. If you wanted to take mystra's prestige class (great PrC) in Faith and Pantheons, the domains of Spell and Rune are a must to get into the class by level 6. For a bit of strangeness, how about an evil anthropomorphic animal (from savage species, get one without a too high ECL) that has the feral template. Give it the domains Bestial and Demonic domain from the book of vile darkness. It will then have a +1 divine bonus on natural attacks or unarmed, gains the scent ability, and the list has greater magic fang and other beast like spells. The domains listed in the previous posts are really the staple domains for the most effectiveness, but there are plenty of other domains needed to get you into prestige classes or to fill a concept. |
| Robert N.07-26-03, 02:20 PM | What about a true neutral clerical summoner? -Robert |
| Lord Likk07-26-03, 02:40 PM | i don't know much about summoner's, though there's a prd in defenders of the faith that gives you a caster lvl bonus with conjurations, i think. strength, though, caught my eye in the new phb. if i remember correctly, it gave you +20 to one str check per day in 3.0. now, it gives + 20 str for one round/day. quite an improvement, if you ask me, and quite a temptation to turn that barbarian/cleric of talos into a reality. trickery has become worse, actually, adding to it's skills only to your cleric class list, and not to any of your other classes (almost all the domains seem to want you to be a straight cleric), but i'm still finding it invaluable as a clr3/sor4/myt7con1, a cyricist, and the party diplomat (most of us have "questionable" morals, so a good bluff bonus is important). the power of the family domain just about dwarfs all others, though. you can, as a free action, grant yourself and any ally w/in 10' of you +4 ac for one hour, AS OFTEN AS YOU WANT. it has been theorized that the lack of a use/day limit is a typo, but that doesn't change what it says. |
| Funny Slaughter07-26-03, 02:43 PM | what exactly do you mean by other character-concepts and what domains do you recommand for those bulids? to qualify for certain PrCs one needs knowledge, for example. (or plant. or...) there are also several PrC that are a bit behind in power regarding the ability and the spells, but not every cleric want to be a godless one with luck and travel. i wonder why you mention core only and are now talking about the elf-domain, iirc its FR-only. in the realms there are several intersting domains as well, and also PrCs that need some to qualify (or make it at least much easier) as an example take a look at the techsmith, you can gain two feats with the domains gond gives you, and voila, there are the prerequisites... gs Funny |
| Lord Likk07-26-03, 04:27 PM | funny's comment reminded me of a clr/tch i played once who made good use of the metal domain to gain weapon proficiency and focus in the war maul (essentially a bludgeoning fullblade). that's what it does: war domain, except with any "hammer" you choose, and i feel that no list of really good domains is comlplete without it. in fact, the reason grumbar is such a good god is because of his domains: time, earth, and metal (at least). |
| Enlightened One?07-27-03, 01:41 AM | in the realms there are several intersting domains as well, and also PrCs that need some to qualify (or make it at least much easier) Um Funny? could kindly you point out to me again which FR domains can be considered considered to be among 'the best' (provided your deity has them) in addition to the core PHB ones the different opinions given by everyone here just stuns me though i do know some of the more 'well-known' domains (e.g. Elf/Time), what are your opinions on the 'other' domains (not including 'prestige domians', though that may be interesting...) I appreciate opinions from anybody who wishes to reply. Once again many thanks. |
| Southernskies07-27-03, 05:03 AM | Originally posted by Lord Likk the power of the family domain just about dwarfs all others, though. you can, as a free action, grant yourself and any ally w/in 10' of you +4 ac for one hour, AS OFTEN AS YOU WANT. it has been theorized that the lack of a use/day limit is a typo, but that doesn't change what it says. With FR3.5 apparently slated for the end of the year this will probably be fixed. In the Legacy of the Green Regent appendix 1 (which is the new "inhouse" run campaign) they do clean up up these for 3.5 (but it's only official for the campaign at this point). "Once per day as a free action, you may protect a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimu of one creature) with a +4 dodge bonus to AC. This supernatural ability lasts 1 round per level. An affected creature loses this protection if it moves more than 10 feet from you. You may affect yourself with this ability." As I said, not official errata for the published book yet, but I would expect this in the new print. |
| Fastbond07-27-03, 08:55 AM | Also, take a look at Faiths & Pantheons. Some of the classes let you prepare certain domain's spells as if they were on your cleric spell list. I'd say that the best is Windwalker (Travel domain spells), but without the book at hand, I can't say for sure. Also, thw WW abilities are cool :D |
| DoubleD07-27-03, 11:57 AM | I just wanted to through my mind on this one... My all time favorite domain, non-prestige, is Travel...Freedom of Movement as a power, good spells like Diminsion Door, Teleport, Fly that are not normally available to clerics... |
| Tenerus07-27-03, 01:02 PM | It depends on character concept. For a melee cleric build I would say the domains of War, Strength, and Destruction are the best. For a cleric based more on spells I would say the domains of Magic, and Travel are better. For a Mystic Theurge build I would go with domains that add to caster level. (overcoming part of the detriment to being a MT) For a cleric based on turning checks (especially if you are using the divine feats from Defenders of the Faith) I would go with the elemetal domains, for all the extra turning attempts. (Divine Power usable 21 times per day!) Personally, however, I pick a deity that i think I can pull off (as clerics are beholden to gods in my campaign) and then check out the domains. The alternative when the "killer" domains are not available is to choose from domains that include spells not on the general cleric list. |
| Malachite Green07-28-03, 01:23 PM | Nobody here has asked EO? the most important question. How many levels of cleric do you plan on taking? If you are not going to multiclass there are some that get powerful. If you are going to multiclass, a lot of them become worthless. Strength, for example. If you have 6 or less levels by 20th level, there is no benefit to having it, you'll have a belt +6. Of course, if you take the 20 levels, then the extra +14 to strength for 1 full attack action rules. (Strength domain has always been one round). If you are going for only 1 or 3 levels of cleric, luck domain is a great way to go, because it is completely level independent. Same for all those FR domains that grant feats. I have a friend that makes high power cleric and uses Miracle to mimic any spell he want at 7th level or lower. He tends to seek out domains that give him spells he would not otherwise have access to (8th and 9th level spells) Quick list of the worthwhile domains as I see them: Alignment domains: Not really great. CL boost isn't bad, but they are only really necessary if you want to craft holy/lawful/chaotic/unholy weapons. (Need the domain to get the approprriate spell on your spell list) Elemental domains: Another set that I'm not extremely fond of. While you could make an elemental turner/rebuker with the appropriate pair, this ability is not really extremely strong. OTOH, each of the domains has a couple interesting spells that ae worth having. Fire seeds Horrid wilting Stoneskin (and we've been using spike stones to great effect recently) Chain lightning Healing domain: VERY VERY nice at 1st level. Very weak once you get Heal (although not as bad as it once was) Trickery domain: Has around the BEST 8th and 9th level spells (polymorph any object and time stop). Luck domain: worthwhile even if you take full levels of cleric. Protection domain: good if you plan not to multiclass from cleric. plus it gets antimagic field at 6th (instead of 8th) and mind blank at 8th. good spells all. Strength domain: good if you pursue a single classed melee cleric. only. A few worth dipping for specific spells Destruction -> Disintegrate Magic -> Identify (no material componant cost), Disjunction Plant -> Barkskin Travel is good. As for prestige domains, I am a HUGE fan of Madness. Mysticism is another cool one. At epic levels, I like spontaneous domain access: community. a glory/sun combo could be an effective turner. celerity is neat, but not really necessary. |
| Xalxika07-28-03, 04:22 PM | I like the Secrets and Shadow domain from Sword and Sorcery's The Divine and the Defeated. |
| krunchyfrogg07-28-03, 04:39 PM | My four favorite are as follows(in order): Luck (Ability is just great, and I love the RP aspect) Travel (Best spells, great ability) Time (Improved Initiative and some great spells, but not in the PHB) War (Great feat -- usually counts as two, but the spells aren't that great). |
| JosephKell07-28-03, 05:21 PM | Melee Cleric of St. Cuthbert: Strength and Destruction --Strength has Enlarge Person as a level 1 Domain spell! Go Large and wipe the floor with guys with a fatty greatsword! Size is everything! --Destruction has a Smite ability (+4 to hit, + Cleric Level in damage). And it has the Harm spell! 10 damage per level! War Cleric of Grummsh: Strength and War --What is more inspiring then seeing a Cleric of your god get huge and start striking down your heathen enemies? --War Cleric of a War god! Guardian Cleric of Moridin/Yondalla/Corellon Larethian: Protection and Good --Protection and Good both have great defensive domain spells in it. |
| sodo07-28-03, 05:45 PM | Originally posted by Malachite Green Elemental domains: Another set that I'm not extremely fond of. While you could make an elemental turner/rebuker with the appropriate pair, this ability is not really extremely strong. OTOH, each of the domains has a couple interesting spells that ae worth having. Fire seeds Horrid wilting Stoneskin (and we've been using spike stones to great effect recently) Chain lightning Uhm can someone tell me i'm wrong here please? If i take the water domain, i'm able to turn 'fire' creatures. While air creatures are mostly elementals, there are a LOT of creatures with the fire descriptor as the elemental is the same as the energy descriptor... so is it possible to turn a red dragon which has the fire subtype... that would be really cool =) |
| (Psi)SeveredHead07-28-03, 06:12 PM | Don't some domains gives Moment of Prescience? Take one of them! |
| Enlightened One?07-30-03, 06:13 AM | Hi again. I thank you all for your opinions about the domains. However, could someone be kind enough to discuss the strengths and weakness of each domain (PHB + FR) While i do know that some domains are obviously good (e.g. Luck, Time, etc) and others are the opposite (say Healing?), I would like to know why. Once again, thank you for your time! :D |
| PhaedrusXY07-30-03, 12:22 PM | I used Elf and Travel for my cleric archer. Travel is very nice, giving you Dimension Door, Teleport, and Expeditions Retreat; all things very handy for keeping away from someone so you can use your bow effectively. Sehanine Moonbow has these domains in FR. |
| Mommy was an Orc07-30-03, 05:28 PM | I basically rank 'em as follows. Travel: Cool non-cleric spells, granted power Trickery: Great skills, spells Magic: Use mage items War Domain: Cool granted power, okay spell choice Water Domain: Very good spell choices, decent granted power Sun: Cool power, okay spells Plant: Interesting spells, domain power Strength: Similar to War Domain. Always rather have a feat and free martial proficiency than gaining an enhancement bonus for a round. Luck: Top power, lousy spells Knowledge: Interesting in some games Other Elementals: Not bad spells, decent granted power Protection: Good power, but not too good spells. Destruction: Similar to Strength, but worse spell choice. Death Domain: Poor spell choice. Power's interesting, but who doesn't have a con bonus? Animal Domain: Nerfed. Okay spell choice, but now lousy domain power. Still, can't argue with Shapechange. Alignments, Healing: Poor spell choices that you wouldn't normally take as a cleric for the most part. Domain power are for spells that are hard to use(example: Holy Word when there's a Druid or Ranger with an animal companion around - sorry Fido) Yuck. I think the general idea is to always have a useful spell to cast from one of the two domains, an arcane spell if you can get it, and get a powerful domain power as well. Travel, Trickery, Plant and Water give decent spell choices. Luck, Magic, War, Protection and Travel all give good abilities. |
| Enlightened One?08-02-03, 09:16 AM | Hey all! Judging from opinions given, it would seem that it would be a good idea to choose one domain for its power and the other for its spell list(or power) am I right? if so what 'combinations' do you consider to be your favourite(s) (the 'why' would be most appreciated) Also,could anyone give their version of the 'domain rankings' (just like the one Mommy was an Orc gave - thanks for that!) Lastly, do anyone know when would the 3.5 updates for FR (domains) be aviliable? Thanks :) |
| Bromir Jarot08-02-03, 10:13 AM | Didn't see anyone post anything on the Good domain. This is a really helpful domain, esp if you are combating a lot of evil baddies in your campaign. |
| Shrou08-05-03, 10:10 PM | I personally like the elemental domains. Controlling elementals is sweet, and the spells they grant are not too bad. Luck and Travel are also pretty cool as well. |
| QaPlah08-08-03, 10:10 AM | Alignment domains suck. |
| LunarCaustic08-08-03, 12:05 PM | magic, luck, travel or any of the elemental domains, basicly what ever gives you access to non-cleric spells, if you want more magical or war strength and any combat related if you want to be a fighter or healing, good and protection if you want to be a better healer/protector |
| Enlightened One?08-10-03, 06:54 AM | Hey All! While this may be a repeat of a previous post, I would like to know again (with specific reasoning) why domains like the "Alignments" are bad, while domains like Luck (I think even I know that one) are good. One last thing, with 3.5, Mass Haste no longers exists! Therefore, what spell would replace the said spell in 'Time 6' (FR Domain)? :confused: |
| shanizar01-11-04, 06:45 AM | I have a questions on domains. If you create a cleric with no deity, and you choose the war domain, what weapon do you gain the feats with? |
| kami01-11-04, 08:10 AM | Originally posted by shanizar I have a questions on domains. If you create a cleric with no deity, and you choose the war domain, what weapon do you gain the feats with? I'd say you gain access to the favored weapon of your race - Elves probably gain access to longsword/rapier/longbow. I picked Orc double axe for my half-orc... |
| shanizar01-11-04, 08:21 AM | But as I'm building a human cleric, that doesn't help much :) Would you say any weapon, as another boon of being the allround human? |
| kami01-11-04, 08:28 AM | Originally posted by shanizar But as I'm building a human cleric, that doesn't help much :) Would you say any weapon, as another boon of being the allround human? I'd say: Any simple or martial one-handed or light melee weapon~ Gods who favor two-handed weapons are rare, and most seem to have melee weapons. There does exist FR gods that favor Spiked Chain, but if I was DM I'd force you to pick that god, then ^^. |
| Caelic01-11-04, 11:35 AM | Just a few additional thoughts: With the upcoming downgrade to Persistent Spell, I think the Time domain has become much more important to a variety of builds. Persistent Divine Power no longer being an option at non-epic levels, the majority of fighting clerics are going to have to toss it up at the start of the fight. Contingency is probably the most efficient way to do that...and as far as I know, only the Time domain gives you Contingency. The Elemental domains are really pretty fearsome for a cleric with good turning abilities. For one domain, you gain the ability to turn creatures with one descriptor and control creatures with another descriptor...and, as has been pointed out, there are a LOT of creatures with the fire descriptor, or air, or water, or earth. Take two of the domains, and you have power over all of them. Magic is key for a cleric who plans on making large numbers of magic items, as it drastically improves his selection of spells. Good and Evil become much more useful, viable, and powerful if you're using the Book of Vile Darkness or the Book of Exalted Deeds. The level boost to Good or Evil spells becomes really valuable when you factor in all of the extra spells with said descriptors in those books...and the fact that you can add the descriptor with feats like Purify Spell and Violate Spell. |
| shanizar01-11-04, 07:37 PM | Does anyone know what will happen to persistant spell in 3.5? |
| Master of the Squirrel's01-11-04, 08:04 PM | Well, it's not official yet, but it's supposed to give something like +6 to your level for means of duration for 1 min/level spells, and +8 to your level for means of duration for 1 round/level spells. In other words, it's gone. |
| Lago AM3P01-11-04, 08:23 PM | Please note that even though the luck domain grants a life-saving power, you would not want to suffer through the poor spell selection (gigantic exception: level 8) if you can otherwise help it. Please pick in tandem a domain with a spell that you wouldn't mind/would seriously want to pack a spell almost every level, such as trickery, travel, or plant. If you're going for some blatant cheese, pick trickery and travel in tandem with each other. The trickery domain power is pretty damn sweet if you're playing on some sort of high rolla die scheme, but the travel domain power rocks your socks: become immune to one of the worst banes of primary spellcasters, grappling, along with being immune to entanglement, paralysis, web, and being held, and, depending on which interpretation you believe in, wall of thorns and stone to mud. The craft/artifice domain gets overlooked, which puzzles me. If you want to build a stronghold for your cleric or want to equip an army, you WANT this domain, and you want it bad. You can save yourself a lot of resources and make your army nigh-invincible by giving them all masterwork weapons and armor, and then equipping them with your own catapults and whatever, especially if you're on some pearl or power plan. |
| Lago AM3P01-11-04, 08:28 PM | Also, I'm surprised that the travel domain wasn't mentioned more for its spell list. Starting at 9th level, you get access to the out-of-this-world awesome teleport spell. Combined with scry and planeshift, you have the entire universe at your command to explore. I can't put a price on the ability to have the amount of adventures you can go on increase exponentially, but I imagine that it's pretty damn high. |
| Zardnaar01-11-04, 08:32 PM | Often its granted powers + spell list that makes a domain. Thats why Time is so popular. Improved Initiative +Haste, Mass Haste and just for giggles Timestop made this a overpowered domain. I personally like (from the PHB) Sun and Healing or Sun and War- a Crusader of life destroying undead. The healing domain isn't as bad as it was and your party will love you at level 1. Also it gives you +1 on SR when you cast it on a undead or other postive energy vulnerable creature. With Sun and War you just beat them up and hopefully destroy the BBEG Lich or Vampire that seems to turn up in every campaign. War has decent granted powers and a good if not great spell list. |
| Lago AM3P01-11-04, 08:48 PM | Oh, yeah. The sun domain has, IMO, the most overpowered (but non-broken) domain power in the PHB, and probably out of all of them, except for Madness, which grants you a damn bonus to your wisdom spellcasting stat of 1/2 your cleric level, or the celestial domain, whose domain power lets you turn spirits (outsiders and elementals). Being able to instantly win encounters of your CR from level 1 to the epic levels over the standard cleric is just stupidly out of this world good. |
| Elmaster of Thay01-11-04, 11:22 PM | Best domains for a spell focused cleric: Madness and Force. Clerics of Tharizdun (a Greyhawk deity) get those as regular domains... Travel and Luck are good too. Time used to be great in 3.0, but I don't think it is so hot in 3.5 |
| Enlightened One?01-12-04, 03:03 AM | Whew! After months away from the boards I am surprised that my tread is still active! Irregardless, I find everyone's advice to be refreshing. With the Players Guide To Faerum due out within a few months time, I guess another discussion about FR domains would begin again then, hopefully the FR domians won't be too drastically affected (at least in the negative way). A question though... Elmaster, could you eleborate your viewpoint about 'Time' being nerfed in 3.5? Thanks for replying! :) |
| Elmaster of Thay01-12-04, 03:22 AM | Well, one of the best things about time was haste. 3.0 haste. 3.5 haste isn't that good. Besides, some of the time spells no longer exist (like mass haste). I think I saw the domain updated for 3.5 somewhere. Maybe in some of the RPGA documents? I'm not sure. Its 5 AM here, and I can barely remember my name right now... :confused: |
| Zardnaar01-12-04, 03:27 AM | 3.5 haste is good. Not broken perhaps but we had a 7 member party at one point. Amazing spell. No more mass haste though unless you want to write it or make a level 6 haste effect to replace it. |
| draegl0th01-12-04, 11:31 AM | Greater Haste, 6th level spell, a la 3.0 haste? :angel: |
| Qaetar01-12-04, 01:16 PM | Note: I'm in 3.0 Mode here, so I may be a little out of date. Alignment Domains: If you take 2 alignment domains, your Summon Monster spells last 2 extra rounds. Not bad for level 1-3 or so. Horrible elsewise, mostly. Noteable spells: Good- Blade Barrier, Holy Word...Evil- Desecrate, Create Undead, Blasphemy, Unholy Aura...Chaos- Shatter, Animate Objects, Word of Chaos, Cloak of Chaos...Law- Hold Monster, Dictum, Shield of Law. Elemental Domains: Taken in pairs allows turn/rebuke of all elementals and undead. Notable spells: Air-Chain Lightning, Fire-Wall of Fire, Fire Shield, Fire Storm, Incendiary Cloud, Earth-Wall of Stone, Earthquake, Iron Body, Water-Ice Storm, Cone of Cold, Acid Fog, Horrid Wilting. Fire has a lot of good non-Cleric damage spells. Animal: Useful for PrCs, Creeping doom and Shapechange Death: Death attack will kill, on average, a wizard with a Con of 12 of your level. This has useful spells at all levels of the Domain, I'd say. Destruction: Great for a melee cleric with the Smite ability. Disintegrate and Implosion as Domain spells along with other good ones. Healing: Good for low-level/starter campaign clerics. Knowledge: Good for PrCs. Some pretty good Non-Cleric spells Luck: One of my two favorites. Reroll is great. Miracle in Domain slot is good, otherwise, only Spell Turning is a very special spell. Magic: A good choice for a wand/staff-using Artillery Cleric. Good Spell choices. Plant: Good PrC choice. Good spells: Barkskin, Wall of Thorns, Changestaff. Protection: So-so ability,I'd say. Mind blank as a domain spell. Decent for starter Clerics, I'd say. Sanctuary and Shield other can move around damage/prevent some hurting. Strength: Okay ability. Better if you have a melee/strength build, or for gettting that touch attack to hit. Good to have Righteous Might in a domain slot, and Stoneskin/Bigby's spells. Sun: Undead Destroyer. Travel: Good domain ability. Great spells. Trickery: Time Stop and Poly Any. Invis is okay. War: Another of my two favorites. Proficiency and Focus are icing on the cake. I'm into war for Power Word X. Craft a staff of Stun and go to town. That's my 3.0 PHB interpretation on Domains. Enjoy. |
| Snow Savant01-12-04, 01:53 PM | The only high-level 3.0/3.5 Cleric I ever played was a Lawful Evil Cleric/DivineDisciple (just 1 level) of Oghma while playing in the Forgotten Realms. I had Travel and Trickery as my primary domains, and then Luck as my 3rd DivDisc domain. I played the Cleric as a spellcasting & undead commanding cleric, not an archer. And she was damn powerful! All 3 of my domains gave my domain spell slots amazing options. I usually chose these: 1st = Entropic Shield 2nd = Invisibility 3rd = Fly 4th = Freedom of Movement 5th = Teleport 6th = Mislead 7th = Greater Teleport 8th = PAO And I used those spells every single adventuring day. Also, vs. undead heavy environments, I would memorize Moment of Prescience to use prior to a big rebuking attempt in order to up my command dice and get the big beastie under my control. Moment of Prescience is awesome for a Cleric who wants to be high-falutin' undead commander. I highly recommend those 3 domains. ******** I also like the Spell domain from the FRCS book. Access to Greater Anyspell is key here. XO, Snow :cloud9: |
| Enlightened One?01-13-04, 10:17 PM | Greater Haste as a replacement for Mass Haste does sound fun (I guess...no other applicable spells seems to be available) As for 3.5 Haste, I suppose it would be a great help to any low-level parties (especially melee-orientated ones...) Btw, yes I am curious as to what the new spell list will be like for 3.5 Time, hopefully better than 3.0...:D Any more opinions? Thanks |
| foxylady01-14-04, 06:06 AM | Luck and Fate or Time and Fate |
| Gyrofthewastes01-14-04, 08:38 AM | Heh. I find Good/Evil domains (depending on campaign setting) to be among the most consistently useful and powerful domains. Consider that a lot of those other domain powers are only 1 use/day, whereas the CL adjustment lasts all day long. The spells granted aren't anything to scoff at either. HINT: A lot of them are good for multiple targets, an area where the cleric tends to be lacking. Give me a Holy Smite over a pansy melee smite any day. |
| Khazra01-14-04, 04:16 PM | Dont forget that some Prcs add to a domain power. A good example is mighty contender of kord. At 10 cleric/10 mighty contender the strength bonus is +30, u can use it a lot more often and it lasts longer aswell! |
| Enlightened One?01-18-04, 12:11 PM | So it appears that some of the less 'popular' domains do have their usefulness, depending upon certain situations. Other than Good/Evil, any other possibilities of other less 'popular' (v3.5) domains being useful? I would love to know...:) |
| Snow Savant01-18-04, 02:14 PM | The 3.0 FRCS book has some nice domains as well, although they will soon be upgraded to 3.5 in the upcoming Player's Guide to Faerun. The Slime domain had some excellent offensive spells. Grease, Melf's Acid Arrow, Evard's Black Tentacles, Implosion, & Power Word: Blind. Plus you got to have the distinction of commanding a small legion of Gelatinous Cubes if you were so lucky to lasso them in. I had a "party-support" & summoning Cleric once who used some FRCS domains (although we did not play in the FRCS at that time). She made good use of her domains of Family, Nobility, Protection (Divine Disciple), & Summoning (Contemplative). The 1st 3 are excellent for providing extra benefits to enabling, protecting, and buffing your team-mates. The Charm domain from the FRCS is rather under-rated as well. Giving you some nice Wiz/Sorc-only spells such as Charm Monster, Dominate Monster, & Suggestion. And its granted power of 1/day CHA boost of 4 points (unnamed bonus!) is pretty nifty too. Especially when you are turning or using Divine Might. |
| The Cleric01-18-04, 04:53 PM | My favorite cleric ever played, cleric/div, domain: Renewal: Very nice benifite Nobility: Good spell Sun: Good again undead, fire shield favorite combo, AC13 with divine storm and fire shield. every time an attacker hit me, he receive 2d6+3x my caster lvl ok it's not min/maxing but it work well again many low level attackers |
| LordShade01-19-04, 02:39 AM | I think Madness + any domain that gives good direct damage spells (elemental domains, force, probably a few others) is a good combo for a blaster cleric. Sun + Glory is a great combo for an undead hunter. Remember Glory is a normal domain in Deities & Demigods. |
| Enlightened One?02-12-04, 09:03 PM | Does anybody have a clue as to what changes would take place of the FR domains? I know the answer would be forthcoming within a few weeks...but being human, the curiosity is killing me! I would be most grateful for any reply... :D |
| Enlightened One?04-16-04, 02:24 AM | Phew! Haven't been here for some time, sad to see no replies since then, but then again, the PGTF wasn't out then! I have yet to set my sights upon the PGTF, but I heard that there have been a few changes implemented to the (spell) lists. Thus, I would like to ask for advice as in whether... Any major changes have occured to the clerical domains (or if any new ones have been released) Any opinions of these changes (if applicable) Any v3.5 domains you consider to be popular (plus reasonings) Thanks for all your previous opinions! :bounce: |
| necrosnoop11005-14-04, 04:32 PM | :bump: Entered into the Optimization Library |
| Hot Rod05-14-04, 05:42 PM | Ptah for Creation domain (+2 CL to conjuration spells, and True Creation(8) / Genesis(9) ) TC can make anything including Admantine at 1xp per gpv and with an appropriate craft check you can form it into whatever you want. (Max 1 cu foot per level) The product of this spell CAN be used for material components as well. Genesis should need no explanation... (Ok, its the ultimate stronghold) Also, Travel (as discussed earlier) |
| Glust Ekem05-23-04, 03:21 PM | I'm a newbie, here's my thoughts. 1. Luck and Travel, possibly plant or summoning -without many good domain spells in Luck, you need something that has good domain spells. Plant seems to work, although summoning might be better (I didn't just get 1 badger, I got..3 :) 2. Fire & Earth Lots of turning which you can now pump into persistant devine metamagic or divine vigor. Decent spell selection. Add to that having beings with the same hit dice as you at your command... 3. Summoning and animal I'm not sure why no one takes this combo, are the druid summon ally spells that much better? I like the idea of spontaneous summoning spells in addition to healing spells using the new domain spontainity feat in the complete divine. (although I dont have the book, I'm going from what I've heard). [EDIT] complete divine thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?threadid=239458&perpage=30&pagenumber=1) |
| Magnificate05-23-04, 04:36 PM | Any comments on CD domains? |
| Ogre Mage06-15-04, 10:39 PM | Complete Divine: Many of the great ones were nerfed in 3.5 However -- Celerity: gives you access many non-clerical spells, including haste and the ultra powerful time stop. The +10 to movement in light armor or less is a nice bonus ability. A good domain for cleric-archer type. Force: an interesting domain power and many great non-clerical spells including magic missle, otiluke's resilient sphere, wall of force, repulsion and forcecage. Glory: a strong choice if you want to be an undead killer. Player's Guide To Faerun: Elf: a must-have for a cleric archer. Planning: a craptastic spell list, but you get extend spell as the domain power. Spell: very powerful spell list and a strong compliment if you take magic as your other domain. Time: a nifty domain power (improved initiative) and a strong spell list (true strike, haste, contingency, time stop) makes it one of the top domains, especially for a cleric archer. Core: Destruction: good for a melee cleric. Luck: great domain power, mediocre spell list. Magic: an excellent choice for clerics who emphasize spellcasting over fighting. Strength: good for a melee cleric. Probably better than Destruction because of the stronger spell list. Sun: a great domain power if undead crop up on a regular basis and a versatile spell list even if they don't. Travel: one of the top domains. A strong domain power and an awesome spell list. War: a solid domain so long as you fight with your deity's favored weapon. Even better if that weapon is martial. Other domains may potentially be more powerful, but you can't go wrong with War. |
| Enlightened One?06-19-04, 06:35 AM | Thanks for your opinions about the new v3.5 domains O.M., but I am curious about your opinions with regards to the rest of the v3.5 domains, if you don't mind me asking. Other than that, it is safe to assume that those domains noted are indeed those considered among the 'top' of the domains? Once again, thanks again for all your opinions! :D |
| SpartanMD06-24-04, 05:16 PM | Originally posted by Ogre Mage Complete Divine: Many of the great ones were nerfed in 3.5 However -- Celerity: gives you access many non-clerical spells, including haste and the ultra powerful time stop. The +10 to movement in light armor or less is a nice bonus ability. A good domain for cleric-archer type. Player's Guide To Faerun: Elf: a must-have for a cleric archer. Time: a nifty domain power (improved initiative) and a strong spell list (true strike, haste, contingency, time stop) makes it one of the top domains, especially for a cleric archer. Core: Travel: one of the top domains. A strong domain power and an awesome spell list. War: a solid domain so long as you fight with your deity's favored weapon. Even better if that weapon is martial. Other domains may potentially be more powerful, but you can't go wrong with War. Do any of the elven dieties get access to celerity? I'm making a 10th level Sun Elf (+2 Int -2 Con) Cleric archer. I was thinking Rang2/Cleric4/Seeker of the Misty Isle 4. Then I would get Travel domain for free, and take either War and Elf (Sheverah or the other Elven God of Archery) or Lebolas (Time, Elf). I would have low dex, but take Zen Archery and max out my wisdom. I would lose 2 caster levels (which I know is a no no), but I'd be a pretty good archer with weapon focus, pointblank, rapid shot as bonus feats. |
| Ogre Mage06-25-04, 01:11 AM | Originally posted by Enlightened One? Thanks for your opinions about the new v3.5 domains O.M., but I am curious about your opinions with regards to the rest of the v3.5 domains, if you don't mind me asking. Other than that, it is safe to assume that those domains noted are indeed those considered among the 'top' of the domains? :D I think the domains noted before are the top domains. Discussing ALL the domains (especially FR) would take too much time. For the core, however-- Alignment Domains (Good, Evil, etc): lame. I must admit the holy smite spell is nifty and you can't get it any other way. Elemental Domains: The granted power is weak but air, fire and earth have some useful spells. Animal: Why not just play a druid instead? Death: A decent domain power for a cleric who is tough enough to get in melee range. The spell list isn't spectacular, however. Healing: The granted ability is suprisingly useful at the lower levels, those +1s add up. In the long run however it is a bad choice. Knowledge: The problem with the granted ability is that clerics only get 2 skill points/level. You need a high INT to make it work. The spell list however has good utility. Overall a strong domain for a cloistered cleric type, or for cleric/wizard/mystic theurge. Plant: Again, why not play a druid if this is what you're going for? Protection: The domain power is very weak. The spell list is better, but not better enough. Trickery: a great domain for cleric/rogues, but weak for anyone else. The trouble is that most of the great domain spells (polymorph any object, time stop) are high level and cleric/rogues have a delayed caster progression. The nerfing of invisibility in 3.5 weakened this domain. |
| Ogre Mage06-25-04, 01:27 AM | Originally posted by SpartanMD Do any of the elven dieties get access to celerity? Complete Divine does not address the FR deities except for Corellon Larethian, who does not get it. I think you could probably convince your DM to house-rule that some of the elven deities give access to celerity. The elves are all about speed and mobility and for the archery-related gods (Shevarash, Solonor Thelandira) as well as the elven god of time (Labelas Enoreth), celerity seems a natural fit. Why is your PC a sun elf? A moon elf would be better -- +2 DEX is far more useful to an archer than +2 INT. Otherwise the build looks solid. If you worship Solonor Thelandira, you might try to convince your DM to let you have survival as a class skill in exchange for losing something else. Solonor is the god of hunting so it makes sense his clerics would have survival. Then you wouldn't have to bother with ranger levels. |
| SpartanMD06-25-04, 03:21 PM | Originally posted by Ogre Mage Why is your PC a sun elf? A moon elf would be better -- +2 DEX is far more useful to an archer than +2 INT. Otherwise the build looks solid. If you worship Solonor Thelandira, you might try to convince your DM to let you have survival as a class skill in exchange for losing something else. Solonor is the god of hunting so it makes sense his clerics would have survival. Then you wouldn't have to bother with ranger levels. I don't need dex, as I'm going to take Zen Archery, and I'll max out my Wisdom, which will help more in spell casting. The extra Int can then be used for skill points. I also would be a Ranger to get the Rapid Shot and to get the skills to get into the Seeker of the Misty Isle prestige class. |
| Snow Savant06-25-04, 03:31 PM | In the new Eberron book, there are some new domains. If you pillage them for use in FR, Greyhawk, etc. ... they will need some considerable tweakage from a flavor, naming convention, and mechanical perspective. One that I like gives you the Augmented Summoning feat as a domain power. The spell list sucks. So the domain becomes similar in desire to a domain like Planning. Which gives a Cleric the useful Extend Spell feat, but sucks for the spell list. Nonetheless, this feat (I think it is called the "Lower Dragon" feat or something like that) has value for Cleric Summoners who are willing to adjust its name and flavor. XO, Snow :cloud9: |
| Ogre Mage06-25-04, 04:00 PM | Originally posted by SpartanMD I don't need dex, as I'm going to take Zen Archery, and I'll max out my Wisdom, which will help more in spell casting. The extra Int can then be used for skill points. I also would be a Ranger to get the Rapid Shot and to get the skills to get into the Seeker of the Misty Isle prestige class. I see. The reason I suggested the Solonor Thelandira/Survival house rule is because 8 ranks of survival is one of the requirements for the Seeker of the Misty Isle PrC. If you can convince your DM to give it to you as a clerical class skill, the other Seeker requirements are easily filled without having to take ranger levels (4 ranks religion, able to cast 2nd level divine spells). Then you don't have to lose caster levels. If you can skirt the survival issue, personally I don't think a bonus rapid shot feat is worth giving up 2 caster levels. Of course, your DM may refuse to be flexible w/ the class skills, in which case your plan is a solid one. |
| Votan06-25-04, 04:09 PM | Originally posted by Master of the Squirrel's Well, it's not official yet, but it's supposed to give something like +6 to your level for means of duration for 1 min/level spells, and +8 to your level for means of duration for 1 round/level spells. In other words, it's gone. Unless you combine it with divine metamagic -- in which case it is only very expensive. |
| JosephKell06-25-04, 04:09 PM | Speaking of Eberron... you can be a Cleric of a whole pantheon! I can see it now: Cleric of the Sovereign Host with a stricter following to Dol Arrah and Dol Dorn. You get to take two domains from any of the Sovereign host! So take Dol Dorn's Strength Domain, and Dol Arrah's War Domain (Dol Dorn has a War domain). You take Dol Arrah's War Domain because a Halberd is better than a Longsword! Also, in Eberron Cleric Alignment is much more flexible. Have a nice day! -Jonathan |
| Craig C.03-12-05, 12:26 PM | In my area, the Competition domain from the Complete Divine book is getting a lot of popularity as of late. That +1 to opposed rolls is a very universal and consistent bonus for your cleric, even into the higher levels. The spell list is also very nice, with Divine Power included as well. |
| SKB03-12-05, 10:54 PM | 1. How is the WAR domain power of "martial weapon proficiency" and "weapon focus" used if the deity's "favored weapon" is exotic? ex. Frostburn: deity Aengrist, favored weapon: Bastard Sword and deity Auril, favored weapon: Ice Axe 2. What if the Cleric in question does not select a deity, does he/she/it select a "martial weapon" or do they get to choose any weapon if question #1 is true to allow exotic weapon in place of martial weapon? |
| Squirrelloid03-13-05, 04:27 AM | While the usefulness of planning has been noted, i can't believe no one has pointed out hte Undeath domain for giving you Extra Turning. Thats right, Undeath + Planning -> halfway to Divine Metamagic cheese without spending a single feat. As a human cleric, you could take Persistent and Divine Metamagic Persistent at 1st, and be able to do it right away. (Now, you probably don't want to, since you won't really care for a few levels, but there it is). And you'll need the extra-turning to fuel your divine metamagic anyway. I think all non-deity based clerics (in games divine metamagic is allowed) take these 2 domains if they can. |
| scrollreader03-13-05, 04:45 AM | Shadow Domain from the EBCS is quite good. Even if you're not playing Snow's Gnome Illusionist, Cleric style. Dragon Below is nice, as noted. Decay combos nicely with Death, for a seriously painful touch. |
| AviLazar04-29-05, 05:18 PM | 1. How is the WAR domain power of "martial weapon proficiency" and "weapon focus" used if the deity's "favored weapon" is exotic? ex. Frostburn: deity Aengrist, favored weapon: Bastard Sword and deity Auril, favored weapon: Ice Axe 2. What if the Cleric in question does not select a deity, does he/she/it select a "martial weapon" or do they get to choose any weapon if question #1 is true to allow exotic weapon in place of martial weapon? Doesn't it give you the martial weapon proficiency in that weapon? So if you are not proficient in it, you now are. As for Bastard sword - you only need to take EWP if you plan to use it one handed. Generally, i believe in DoTF, there are specific weapons for a given alignment. Like a longsword for LG. |
| mean_liar04-29-05, 06:01 PM | The Luck domain isn't THAT great - its main ability can be replicated with a few magic items from the Miniatures Handbook (most notably the Amulet of Fortune Revealing). Spell and Nobility are my choices. |
| Cidwin04-29-05, 07:07 PM | For some kind of Monk/cleric or sacredfist build I like to take Fate. Uncanny dodge is pretty handy when quite a bit of AC comes from dex bonus and you are in melee a lot. |
| Timespike04-29-05, 11:59 PM | Good Guys ---------- Sun Glory Celestial Wrath Bad Guys --------- Madness Death Deathbound Undeath Anybody -------- War Strength Destruction Time Luck Fate Magic Planning Spell |
| Caterane04-30-05, 04:58 AM | Hello to everyone! I can only speak for Core Domains. The most favorite domains that have been picked in the Core Coliseum during the last 2 years were without a doubt "Luck" and "Travel". Both domains have invaluable spells, escpecially the Travel domain with its teleport-like spells. The domain powers are equally good although note that the power of the travel domain only applies vs spells and effects, not - like freedom of movement - against grapples. After that, strength and destruction are favorite choices for mounted lance chargers as the damage can easily go into the hundreds with both powers active, and enlarge person is very good at low levels with a reach weapon like a lance (threatens 15-20 ft; plus get armor spikes so that you threaten 5-20 ft). Use the war domain to get lances as martial weapon. The trickery domain has very good spells but the best one surely is Polymorph any object. You can permanently become almost any creature with a bit of planning (like playing an outsider to get the +2 for same class, and make sure your int is high enough => polymorph into a fiend or celestial). Madness isn't as good as it sounds. The boni you gain are not that good, at least not until later. The 8th level spell is the same like Otto's dance and one of the best ones available to a cleric. Finally I'd like to mention the darkness domain with which you can summon shadows. Shadows have proven to be the ultimate weapon in so many encounters, even at high level. I vividly remember when our DM through 6 enhanced Dire Tigers at us, we just closed and blocked the door, and send some shadows through. Never laughed as hard as there. Blacklight is also super! Okay, so much from my side. If you have a good idea on how to make good use of one of the "rarer" domains, you are invited to show us in the Core Coliseum. Cat |
| Enlightened One?06-25-05, 12:04 AM | Goodness me, haven't been here for some time and it's nice to see how much this tread has grown. Anyho, thank you all again for your opinions, though with so many domains floating around in so many sourcebooks (with more potentially coming up later), it can be a tad confusing to keep track of all of them, good or bad. I do have a few more questions here though before I go, 1. Is it possible to combine domains from different sources together for your character? (e.g. FR/Eberron/CD/etc.) 2. Are there any 'proper' FAQs with regards to how good/bad a particular domain really is? (A matter of opinion perhaps?) 3. Is there a comprehensive listing of ALL 'official' domians floating around here somewhere in this forum? (Like the full list of (prestige) classes in the WOTC website) Thats all I can think of right now, I appreciate all your assistance! :D |
| Poder Miserável06-25-05, 12:32 AM | Maybe im the first wizard manifesting his oppinion on this thread:P. I got the arcane disciple feat so my incantatrix now access the healing domain. Maybe luck domain wouldnt be that bad :rolleyes: Miracle as an arcane spell should be a nice one. Any suggestion on domains for wizards would be most welcome :D |
| Dark Kyosuke06-25-05, 12:36 AM | My personal favorite combination has long been: Setting: Eberron Patron: Syberis (effectively 'none') Domains: Summoner and Dragon Below Net Result: +2 caster level to all summoning (and calling) spells, plus Augment Summoning as a bonus feat from Dragon Below. Far better than taking an alignment domain, which only would grant +1 caster. This basicaly does in one level what takes most builds ten (Contemplative...). Admitted, might break some unwritten law of optimization, and it's horridly abusive (as Dragon Below, despite containing numerous spells with the Evil descriptor, is not an alignment domain,) but it's still my favorite. Go with something that further enhances summoning, such as Alienist, and have fun. (Or, if you were thinking Thamaturgist, swap out Dragon Below for an alignment domain, or anything else you want.) Admitted, a Druid with Ashbound beats the stuffing out of this combo, but that takes a feat. This dosen't. |
| Seadrik06-26-05, 04:43 AM | Hi, You can get the planar domain from your god too :D I think it is 3.5. Baator domain give you see in darkness as demons, i think. For a melee cleric casting deeper darkness, anyone can see you but you can see them. No target for spells as you has total cover, only area spells. |
| Timespike06-26-05, 11:01 AM | Alignment Domains (Good, Evil, etc): lame. I must admit the holy smite spell is nifty and you can't get it any other way. The glory domain has holy smite on its list, too. |
| colm_l06-26-05, 12:25 PM | I really don't see why people like the "death" domain ability. If it did actual damage but it does absolutely nothing if you don't roll over their hitpoints. Pretty useless in most situations. (chances are they have more than d6 hit points per level after con) |
| Dirty Dan the Laundry Man06-26-05, 01:52 PM | Finally I'd like to mention the darkness domain with which you can summon shadows. Shadows have proven to be the ultimate weapon in so many encounters, even at high level. I vividly remember when our DM through 6 enhanced Dire Tigers at us, we just closed and blocked the door, and send some shadows through. Never laughed as hard as there. Blacklight is also super! Where is Caterane getting that you can summon shadows from the Darkness domain? I'm looking at it in the PGtF and I see nothing of the sort. |
| neilthrun06-26-05, 09:19 PM | I personally like the Ooze domain from PGTF, the ability to control oozes is pretty sweet. Beats controlling undead anyways, skellys and zombies fall fairly fast but a green ooze can really wreck havoc. I like the Hunger Domain too, it gives you that swallow whole spell and gives you a bite attack. Pretty sweet. |
| neilthrun06-26-05, 09:19 PM | I personally like the Ooze domain from PGTF, the ability to control oozes is pretty sweet. Beats controlling undead anyways, skellys and zombies fall fairly fast but a green ooze can really wreck havoc. I like the Hunger Domain too, it gives you that swallow whole spell and gives you a bite attack. Pretty sweet. |
| eudas07-08-05, 02:24 PM | In my area, the Competition domain from the Complete Divine book is getting a lot of popularity as of late. That +1 to opposed rolls is a very universal and consistent bonus for your cleric, even into the higher levels. The spell list is also very nice, with Divine Power included as well. You could probably argue that that +1 to opposed rolls counts on attack rolls as well, since it is essentially your d20 + attack modifiers vs the defender's Take-10 + defense/AC modifiers. There may be some technicalities that deny that, though; i'm too lazy to research. :) eudas |
| fawr07-10-05, 05:04 AM | I'm a fan of the healing domain. PCs in my campaign often get to the stage where they have used all their spells except for the domain ones and want some more healing. The healing/sun combination is one of the best for the standard gods as the high level sun spells are really good and that makes up for the weakness of the healing domain at higher levels. I would also like to add my name to the fans of the luck domain, but mostly for the granted power (I don't much like the spells). |
| 20goingon123207-10-05, 07:48 AM | At the moment, I am building a Cleric of Ehlonna/Diviner/Mystic Theurge. The Domains I have chosen are Sun and Plant, mainly for the spells. If you have access to most Wizard and Cleric spells, you go for those that are in neither. In this case, Druid. |
| Khazra Reborn07-10-05, 07:52 AM | One of the things to consider, a divine crusader may take very different domains to a cleric. I think healing for example is quite viable for a divine crusader whilst absoulety terrible for a cleric. The domains in CW are pretty good. courage>the ONLY way to get valiant fury, which is an awesome spell. fate>uncanny dodge is a nice ability. bestow curse is probaly the only good spell on the list. |
| Snow Savant07-10-05, 02:57 PM | If you have the Shapechanged subtype (say, in Eberron), the Transformation domain [p. 180 RoEb book] is absolutely terrific. Check out some of the awesome spells on its spell list: Enlarge Person, Alter Self, Gaseous Form, Polymorph, Baleful Polymorph, Doppelganger Transformation (new spell), PaO, and ... Shapechange. Hoo daddy, that's nice. Plus, you get +1 caster level on all your Transmutation spells. A Shifter Cleric who takes this domain should automatically take the Domain Spontaneity feat (CompDiv). All this is predicated on the absolute broken nature of the Alter Self/Polymorph inheritance chain ... and access to a plethora of monster manual books. :smirk: *** Beyond that, I continue to stand by my claim that the best and most versatile domain on the plant is the Spell domain (PGtF/FRCS). Anyspell/Greater Anyspell makes your Cleric capable of functioning like Wizard. And gives you great access to bard and wu-jen spells as well. Limited Wish for Clerics is also nice. This domain is also ripe for the Domain Spontaneity feat as well. |
| Anor11-09-05, 08:55 AM | Nobility is such a buffer specially in low level campaigns. It saved our asses a couple of times. Sun is not bad at all either, with its Greater Turning power. And Renewal, is cool too. Getting a d8+4 when reaching 0 hp is litteraly a life-saver. |
| Illithid1311-09-05, 12:14 PM | Honestly, I'd be tempted to pick luck and luck if I could. "Save or die, eh? Oops. I die. Hold on a second, I'm lucky." Luck and Chaos... They have the same domain power and can stack. If it's allowed, play a Chaos Gnome and get it yet a 3rd time per day! They have a +1 LA though. (races of stone) |
| nihility11-30-05, 09:23 PM | :bump: |
| jaerad03-08-06, 07:23 PM | :bump:age |
| Gavinfoxx03-08-06, 09:55 PM | Why are we bumping ancient threads? Oh, and planning and undeath for getting persistant spell at level 1... :) |
| Votan03-09-06, 12:18 AM | Why are we bumping ancient threads? Oh, and planning and undeath for getting persistant spell at level 1... :) It's a nasty combination but a real resource hog. In particular, I don't remember these domains having great spells and persistent spell done well requires further investment. It might be worth but the opportunity cost is high. |
| Neeek03-09-06, 12:28 AM | It's a nasty combination but a real resource hog. In particular, I don't remember these domains having great spells and persistent spell done well requires further investment. It might be worth but the opportunity cost is high. Also, there isn't much worth persisting at 1st level. Best you can do is what, Divine Favor or Shield of Faith? |
| Gavinfoxx03-09-06, 12:36 AM | yea... its quite intensive... but Divine Power 24/7 is worth it... thats pretty much replacing major class features of the cleric with much, much better ones... Yea yea, there isn't much worth persisting, I know... but the fact that you get to look at each new level and get to say, "now what do I want to persist now?" is pretty neat... and there are lots more good cleric spells than the ones in phb and spell compendium... |
| Votan03-09-06, 08:43 AM | yea... its quite intensive... but Divine Power 24/7 is worth it... thats pretty much replacing major class features of the cleric with much, much better ones... Yea yea, there isn't much worth persisting, I know... but the fact that you get to look at each new level and get to say, "now what do I want to persist now?" is pretty neat... and there are lots more good cleric spells than the ones in phb and spell compendium... A human cleric can persist Divine Power by 7th level (when it is first available) without taking weither domain. Taking one of the two isn't a bad choice but taking both costs access to some pretty cool utility domains (such as Travel) that create new and interesting options. |
| Timlagor03-09-06, 10:16 AM | Undeath and Planning save you a Feat each. Look at the other domains and ask yourself "Would I spend a Feat to get that?" I can't see anyone saying no for the Luck power (even without the spell list): people seriously consider taking a level of Cleric in a non-cleric build just for that ability. |
| Medicelious-Melharmonac03-09-06, 10:21 AM | Hey thanks for your opinions. Another (similar)question, what domain combinations would you suggest to a 'newbie' cleric (with no restrictions) I would appreciate any answer. Planning and Undeath Reason? Free Extra Turning and Extend Spell Feats makes getting to DMM(Persistent) a lot easier |
| jaerad03-09-06, 02:49 PM | Undeath and Planning save you a Feat each. Look at the other domains and ask yourself "Would I spend a Feat to get that?" I can't see anyone saying no for the Luck power (even without the spell list): people seriously consider taking a level of Cleric in a non-cleric build just for that ability. I never saw the big whoopie in 1/day rerolls. It's really only useful on a 1, since you reroll before knowing the outcome. And you could just as easily roll a 3 and fail anyways. Or you could use it to get out of one pot, and wish you had it in the fire. But mostly I hate them because I end up never using them, cherishing them like a "get out of jail free" card (which ironically, I never used either. You get rent in jail, and you can spend 2 turns in there if you don't roll doubles. Not to mention the wide open shot at Free Parking. Totally worth the $200 you miss out on.) .... Umm. Ya. I personally like War, Travel, Planning, and Strength. |
| Mommy was an Orc03-09-06, 03:02 PM | I never saw the big whoopie in 1/day rerolls. It's really only useful on a 1, since you reroll before knowing the outcome. And you could just as easily roll a 3 and fail anyways. Most clerics go into melee - if you take 50 hp of damage from an attack, you need to make a DC 15 saving throw. Or die. At higher levels, that save comes up a lot, usually at least twice per combat. If a given adventure features 3 combats, that's about a 1 in 4 chance of dying every adventure simply due to a bad roll on a Fort Save. Luck Domain really puts a halt to that... |
| Neeek03-09-06, 03:31 PM | I hate them because I end up never using them, cherishing them like a "get out of jail free" card (which ironically, I never used either. You get rent in jail, and you can spend 2 turns in there if you don't roll doubles. Not to mention the wide open shot at Free Parking. Totally worth the $200 you miss out on.) Yes, the "get out of jail free" card is perhaps the most odd thing in Monopoly. It is not something that you ever care all that much to have. Given the choice, after most of the properties are taken, anyone who is trying to win would *prefer* to send every single turn in jail. If you are in jail, you never pay rent. If you never pay rent and you have a reasonable amount of property, you will eventually win. Consequently, the only time you'd want to use the card is early in the game, and the odds of getting it early enough and needing to use it are tiny. Anywho, as far as the Luck Domain is concerned, the reroll can be handy. Personally, I like Travel a lot both for the power and the spells, and Trickery for the spells. |
| Eidolon Faer03-09-06, 05:21 PM | Umm, The Death Domain has been mentioned by an earlier poster as "Interesting power, lousy spells." In fact, I tend to agree with this. Not least because it forces you into the "I am a villain with shambling hordes of Undead" stereotype. The REPOSE Domain, however, is far more interesting. Same nifty power but a much nicer selection of spells to go with it. And not only can you take Domain Spontaneity to lay down astounding amounts of save-or-die smack at higher levels, but you can play a good alignment while doing so. Not to mention the fact that Repose fits Wee Jas far better thematically than does Death (if you go back to the old supplements and look at the actual tenets of her religion). And a LN Human Monk 2 / Cleric 7 / Sacred Fist of Wee Jas 10 / Heirophant 1 with the Magic and Repose domains is just too cool for school. Heirophant Divine Reach is your friend. |
| jaerad03-10-06, 12:46 PM | Races of Destiny: Destiny Domain. Domain Power: Like Luck reroll 1/day, except for an ally. Eh. 9 - Choose Destiny: This spell is persistable. All day you roll twice for most checks, and you get to pick which one you want. Granted it is a level 9 spell, but still. |
| Sir Gummibaerchen03-10-06, 03:06 PM | The Pride Domain from the Spell Compendium. You can reroll any natural 1 on a saving throw. Always, except on the same roll. The chance of fumbling a save has now decreased from 1/20 to 1/400! And it has some of the best cleric spells. It really took the place of most favored domain from the hero domain, if you ask me. |
| jaerad03-10-06, 03:33 PM | I really need to get SpC. But still, Choose Destiny trumps that hardcore. You get two rolls on every save*, and can pick the result you want. If you rolled a 2 with Pride Domain, you're still buggered. Not to mention that it's a Domain Power, so I'm guessing the usual 1/day applies? Choose Destiny can be made Persistant. And the Domain Power from Destiny is pretty cool as well. Not so great for "me me me" overpoweredness, but it's pretty sweet to hand a reroll to a friend 1/day. Choose Destiny is a level 9 Domain spell though, so you'll have to wait longer before you can use it (as opposed to a Domain Power you can use at level 1). But once you have it, DMM, and Persistant... omfg. *saves, attacks, skill checks, and ability checks. |
| Votan03-10-06, 09:22 PM | I really need to get SpC. But still, Choose Destiny trumps that hardcore. You get two rolls on every save*, and can pick the result you want. If you rolled a 2 with Pride Domain, you're still buggered. Not to mention that it's a Domain Power, so I'm guessing the usual 1/day applies? Choose Destiny can be made Persistant. And the Domain Power from Destiny is pretty cool as well. Not so great for "me me me" overpoweredness, but it's pretty sweet to hand a reroll to a friend 1/day. Choose Destiny is a level 9 Domain spell though, so you'll have to wait longer before you can use it (as opposed to a Domain Power you can use at level 1). But once you have it, DMM, and Persistant... omfg. *saves, attacks, skill checks, and ability checks. I think it is hard to compare a domain power that is usable at 1st level to a power that can be used at 17th level and requires at least 3 feats (and more typically 5-6) to use. Playing for 1 to 20 the domain power is pretty cool. |
| jaerad03-11-06, 04:13 AM | I think it is hard to compare a domain power that is usable at 1st level to a power that can be used at 17th level and requires at least 3 feats (and more typically 5-6) to use. Playing for 1 to 20 the domain power is pretty cool. Agreed, but there's a lot more to Destiny than just the capstone spell. If your Cleric does any supprt (which he/she should do, at least occasionally) having the ability to grant another character a reroll is pretty ub3r in it's own right. Note also that this Domain Power doesn't specify that the reroll must be made before results are announced. I just got really excited when I found Choose Destiny. No one had told me about it, so I felt like I actually figured something out with my big n00b head. :) |
| Sir Gummibaerchen03-12-06, 01:06 AM | There is no limitation to the number of uses of the Pride Domain Power other than using it only a single time on any given natural 1. |
| Kharmakazy03-12-06, 01:13 AM | Spell compendium made me want to make a gnome divine prankster or whatever with the gnome and illusion domains |
| Talosan04-20-06, 08:28 AM | What guys do you think of the Domination domain in Complete Divine? Gives Spell Focus (Enchantment) as domin power and access to suggestion and the dominate spells. Could be very interesting with Domain Spontaneaity. |
| Inkubus04-20-06, 09:27 AM | There is no limitation to the number of uses of the Pride Domain Power other than using it only a single time on any given natural 1. I've got a question about the Pride domain, too: Does anybody know if there's a list somewhere (errata, web enhancement, anything really) that provides information about what gods in the Forgotten Realms give access to that domain. I've read here: http://realmshelps.dandello.net/datafind/index.shtml (under deities > Helm) that Helm does but I couldn't find anything about in any of my books. And sadly they don't list their sources on that site. :weep: Cheers, Inkubus |
| dragor_shadowfury04-20-06, 09:35 AM | if you want to kick butt in battle consider the destruction domain, death domain isn't bad either, granting death-touch and some undead play (i really like undead) |
| Votan04-20-06, 10:35 AM | What guys do you think of the Domination domain in Complete Divine? Gives Spell Focus (Enchantment) as domin power and access to suggestion and the dominate spells. Could be very interesting with Domain Spontaneaity. It's a very good domain and it can really enhance a cleric. It's like travel -- by including a family of extremely useful (but typically unavailable) arcane spells it definitely makes the cleric much better as a caster. |
| ninjarabbit04-20-06, 12:49 PM | Time is my absolute favorite. Improved initative is one of those feats that's always useful regardless of your build, especially given how few ways there are to improve you initiative and it has true strike, haste, and timestop in it's spell list. |
| jstorrie04-20-06, 02:46 PM | Kobold (from the Races of the Dragon) gives trapfinding, Search and Disable Device as class skills, and maze and contingency as domain spells. Incredible! |
| Priest_of_Shaundakul04-22-06, 06:50 PM | Travel is just amazing, as long as you're not sitting in a temple all day, it's great! :cool: I am also fond of Protection, Luck and Air. |
| Nausicaa04-23-06, 04:25 AM | Kobold (from the Races of the Dragon) gives trapfinding, Search and Disable Device as class skills, and maze and contingency as domain spells. Incredible! That's iperbroken!! We say: ok, the skill monkeys are afternow useless. My broken domains are: Animal, Summoning, Protection, Spells (Anyspell!), Trickery... the cleric is broken.. |
| Votan04-23-06, 12:03 PM | [color=blue]That's iperbroken!! We say: ok, the skill monkeys are afternow useless. The Kobold Domian power is nice but you have to play a substandard race in order to trapfind and to get a good array of skills you need a pretty hefty intelligence score. I think that this is less broken than it looks like givne that a human probably can't take the "Kobold" domain. :) |
| Nausicaa04-23-06, 12:27 PM | The Kobold Domian power is nice but you have to play a substandard race in order to trapfind and to get a good array of skills you need a pretty hefty intelligence score. I think that this is less broken than it looks like givne that a human probably can't take the "Kobold" domain. :) [ruleplaying=ON]Complete Divine tells that Kurtulmak is a core deity.. then, a player can choose it even if he is of another race :P[ruleplaying=off].. a non-powerplayer dm will ban this domain °° |
| Alienfreak08-01-06, 07:55 PM | I havent taken the time to read through all the pages :), but i want to contribute my opinion on the Domains. The best domains are: Travel: instantanious travel is always a goody and sometimes even essential. And being able to fly rocks, too, as well as the special ability of the domain. War: Free Weapon Focus? Count me in :). This is especially useful when the god has a weapon like the Longsword, which is one of the best ones ingame and which isnt on the clerics list of weapons. Also the Domain Spells are nice. Divine Power is always on his list, so it saves one slot and the Power Words are killers. Especially the Stun one for Mages. Also note: This Domain is very pesky for taking the spontaneous Domain Feat out of the CD. You can always have one more Divine Power, or better an blasting spell (one of the most broken ingame ;) ) at your disposal! Luck: Good Special Ability and decent special. Spell: The Spells just rock your cleric! Get the most broken builds out of combining the Cleric spells with Wizard spells :) Trickery: Good Feature and Invisibility is always worth a try, isnt it? Illusion: Not that good, but has Displacement in it, which is out of the nasty dreams of every cleric :) |
| Midnight_v08-02-06, 10:54 AM | I think that the rubuker is very good. Take an element Fire/water/earth/air lets say fire... and slime. ... So fire and slime You can turn/rebuke any... Undead, fire elementals, water elementals and oozes... and add them as you personal body guard. further fire gives you wall of fire and slime gives evards black tentacles. (usefull I hear) I also think deathbound is an excellent pick for the necromancer style build... I vote for luck as you have good saves as a Cleric but you can always fail on a 1. Re-rolling is rare so yeah luck... |
| MegaPlex08-04-06, 06:12 PM | What guys do you think of the Domination domain in Complete Divine? Gives Spell Focus (Enchantment) as domin power and access to suggestion and the dominate spells. Could be very interesting with Domain Spontaneaity. I've been playing a Cleric/Church Inquisitor PrC with this domain and the Domain Spontinaity feat. Dominate Person and Suggestion at will are simply game changing. It helps that the DC's are higher from the SF (Echantment) bonus :D I'd hate to see an evil cleric with that domain.... |
| jameswilliamogle08-04-06, 06:33 PM | Planning, Fate, Dragon Below, Undeath, Time, Spell, Shadow, and Rune are some of my favorite, mostly for Cleric dips. |
| kilroo08-04-06, 06:55 PM | My vote has to go for Illusion and Shadow, for the Divine Killer Gnome. I'm afraid I don't usually have much interest in clerics other than that; I realize there are other things to do with them, but I always get bogged down trying to come up with something that neither breaks the game nor stays on the sidelines all the time. And I get even boggeder picking my spells every day. As a Divine Killer Gnome, I'd probably wind up preparing something like half healing spells (I'd take the Spontaneous Domain Casting variant), one quarter spells I'd never have heard of if not for the CO boards, and one quarter...every cleric spell I could think of that any of my parties have ever sighed with relief to discover the cleric had ready (or wailed with anguish to find out he didn't). |
| Surreal08-20-06, 06:09 PM | Not sure if this has been mentioned before, but this is a great cleric CO nugget: the Planar Touchstone feat, site: The Catalogues of Enlightenment (Planar Handbook, p.166) benefit: Choose a cleric domain; you gain the granted power of that domain |
| Ariath Ska'Vhor08-20-06, 09:04 PM | so far my most favorite build for a cleric designed around domains is my elven cleric of pazuzu with the demonic and air domains and the domain spontaneity variant (chain lighting spontaneously *drool*) |
| MegaPlex11-10-06, 04:14 PM | Must be a Changling, but this domain from Races of Eberron: Transformation (RoE p180) -- Cast Transmutation spells a +1 Caster level 1st Enlarge Person (PH p226) 2nd Alter Self (PH p197) 3rd Gaseous Form (PH p234) 4th Involuntary Shapeshifting (RoE p188) 5th Polymorph (PH p263) (DR337 p88)+ 6th Baleful Polymorph (PH p202) 7th Doppelganger Transformation (RoE p184) 8th Polymorph Any Object (PH p263)(PH3.5e)+ 9th Shapechange (PH p277)(PH3.5e)+ |