Cleric Domains [Archive] - Wizards Community

Cleric Domains [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Goldenmaxter
03-24-07, 02:08 PM This has been a long-going discussion between my friends and me. What are the best 2 Cleric domains and is Turning or Rebuking better? I'd like your input thanks :P
Elemental_Elf
03-24-07, 02:49 PM That all depends on the Campaign your in.

In general Travel and Strength are probably the 2 strongest, or in the very least in the top 5. Travel has a great power and some amazing spells. Strength is great for Melee combat.

As for Rebuking or Turning, again depends on your campaign but in general Turning is superior. This is due in part to the fact that killing the hordes of undead is typically safer and easier in the long run.
Rillek_Denar
03-24-07, 02:51 PM Turning is probably better overall, although you'd never catch me playing a positive energy cleric.

Fate domain is a pretty popular choice in my group, especially now that there's a luck feat that it stacks with. I always liked the war domain, but I also like melee clerics.
Comus
03-24-07, 02:59 PM The two best cleric domains depend entirely on the type of cleric you want to play, and help define his exact role in the party. Could be Strength and War, could be Kobold and Trickery, could be Magic and Fire, could be anything else.

I think Rebuking is more useful than turning, based on the simple idea that turning an enemy into a friend leaves you with a friend, destroying your enemy doesn't leave you with anything. On the other hand, spontaneously casting cure x wounds spells is generally far more useful than cause x wounds spells. So they basically work out the same.
Max Octavious Xavier
03-25-07, 11:40 AM I agree with the general consensus, it depends on your style of cleric and campaign. Here are my favorites from core/complete divine;
1- luck (I am surprised it hasn't been mentioned sooner)
2-4- strength, travel, war
in certain games- celerity, magic, sun
Prator_the_Legendary
03-25-07, 03:41 PM Personally, I always liked the Sun domain, just because it allows access to a few nuking spells that normally the cleric wouldn't have access to. Pretty nice nukes, too, especially if you find yourself fighting the living dead a lot...
KillerGM
03-25-07, 04:03 PM While I make no claim that they are the most "powerful", I really like the Travel and Luck domains - I love the Luck domain's granted ability, and both domains have otherwise inaccessable spells. Protection has some nice spells in it as well, and the Magic domain can be really useful depending on the party make-up.

As for Turning/Rebuking, I prefer Turning. Mostly because I like converting my spells to cure rather than inflict. I see the Turning as more of a side-effect of that choice.
Infinitum
03-25-07, 06:18 PM Personally I prefer Death and Trickery:

I like death because of the domain spells, excellent for clearing out groups of creatures (Especially useful with the epic Spontaneous Domain Casting feat), and the death touch power.

I like trickery because of Time Stop, Polymorph Other, and the class skills aren't bad either.

Long live Nerull =)
Kadrimdorian_Mage
03-26-07, 03:16 PM My answer is based of of 3 party situations:

1.You are the only spellcaster. It falls to you to cast the spells, and be good at it too.
Take domains that increase you casting power, like Good, Evil, Law, and Chaos. Turning is better in this build, because you don't have as many mass nukes.

2.You are the only DIVINE spellcaster. You should use you skills as a cleric that no one else has.
Branch out and take some elemental domains, like Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. In this case turn or rebuke, its your choice.

3.You are in a group with only one martial character. It's your job to protect the party.
Take domains that give you supernatural abilities, like Protection (for the fun of it). Rebuke to get extra meat sheilds between the enemy and your spellcasters, so they can do what they do best.
The_Basilisk
03-26-07, 06:31 PM as others have said, it depends on the cleric you wish to play. I happen to like combat-oriented clerics most of the time, so I tend to pick War, for the martial weapon and weapon focus feats. Destruction is good, it has some awesome spells (like the destuction spell....owwy) and gives the Smite ablility :) Good, Evil, Law and Chaos are all good ones too.
danielinthewolvesden
03-27-07, 02:19 AM I like Celerity, Nobility and Restoration?

But it still all depends- are you taking a one level dip into cleric? Then you want a domain with neat abilities and you do not care so much about the spells.

Are you building a cleric at fairly high level? Then the spells become citical.

If you can convert a Turn into a Dispel, then that is one of the best ways of killing a Vampire.
runestar
03-27-07, 02:39 AM time domain is not bad, grants improved initiative and good domain spells.
spell domain is quite decent as well.
kelvinaw273
03-27-07, 11:23 AM Hmm .. the role-player in me says:

The two best domains are those that you feel epitomises your character's religious beliefs and the deity or pantheon they serve.

Turning or rebuking depenbds upon what energy you cleric utilises, which in return depends up on their deity.

In other words, whatever floats your boat!
Khadmus
03-30-07, 07:01 PM I figure I might as well leech onto this while I can.
I am playing a Cleric (_____ Neutral, whatever is need) that will be going into the Master of Shrouds PrC from Libris Mortis. He has the Healing domain (for Spontaneous casting using the PHBII variant). What should my other domain be?
High Octane
03-30-07, 07:17 PM Destruction is interesting.

On a different note, Cleric domains do make sense usually, but I have to wonder why Blade Barrier is a domain spell for the Good domain?

I HAVE used it in a way that is definitely good, but it still doesnt make much sense to me.
Max_Graeves
03-30-07, 08:26 PM I like your thinking, Infinitum!
Currently, I'm playing a NE cleric of Nerrul, and have the death and trickery domains...though as far as the common citizens are concerned, I'm "just one of the guys".

As for the turning or rebuking...well, I am evil. Besides, there's a necromancer in our party that's reall irritating (the character not the player), and nothing bugs him more than if my character commands his undead.
Goldenmaxter
03-30-07, 11:32 PM Thanks for all the tips guys. Since I am the only pure spellcaster in the party (not counting ranger and paladin), I went for Turning undead. The domains I chose were Travel and Strength (Thanks Elemental Elf:P ). Have you ever tried out the Fire domain, it seems pretty cool to me. Keep up the sugestions!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Goldenmaxter 03-24-07, 02:08 PM	This has been a long-going discussion between my friends and me. What are the best 2 Cleric domains and is Turning or Rebuking better? I'd like your input thanks :P
Elemental_Elf 03-24-07, 02:49 PM	That all depends on the Campaign your in. In general Travel and Strength are probably the 2 strongest, or in the very least in the top 5. Travel has a great power and some amazing spells. Strength is great for Melee combat. As for Rebuking or Turning, again depends on your campaign but in general Turning is superior. This is due in part to the fact that killing the hordes of undead is typically safer and easier in the long run.
Rillek_Denar 03-24-07, 02:51 PM	Turning is probably better overall, although you'd never catch me playing a positive energy cleric. Fate domain is a pretty popular choice in my group, especially now that there's a luck feat that it stacks with. I always liked the war domain, but I also like melee clerics.
Comus 03-24-07, 02:59 PM	The two best cleric domains depend entirely on the type of cleric you want to play, and help define his exact role in the party. Could be Strength and War, could be Kobold and Trickery, could be Magic and Fire, could be anything else. I think Rebuking is more useful than turning, based on the simple idea that turning an enemy into a friend leaves you with a friend, destroying your enemy doesn't leave you with anything. On the other hand, spontaneously casting cure x wounds spells is generally far more useful than cause x wounds spells. So they basically work out the same.
Max Octavious Xavier 03-25-07, 11:40 AM	I agree with the general consensus, it depends on your style of cleric and campaign. Here are my favorites from core/complete divine; 1- luck (I am surprised it hasn't been mentioned sooner) 2-4- strength, travel, war in certain games- celerity, magic, sun
Prator_the_Legendary 03-25-07, 03:41 PM	Personally, I always liked the Sun domain, just because it allows access to a few nuking spells that normally the cleric wouldn't have access to. Pretty nice nukes, too, especially if you find yourself fighting the living dead a lot...
KillerGM 03-25-07, 04:03 PM	While I make no claim that they are the most "powerful", I really like the Travel and Luck domains - I love the Luck domain's granted ability, and both domains have otherwise inaccessable spells. Protection has some nice spells in it as well, and the Magic domain can be really useful depending on the party make-up. As for Turning/Rebuking, I prefer Turning. Mostly because I like converting my spells to cure rather than inflict. I see the Turning as more of a side-effect of that choice.
Infinitum 03-25-07, 06:18 PM	Personally I prefer Death and Trickery: I like death because of the domain spells, excellent for clearing out groups of creatures (Especially useful with the epic Spontaneous Domain Casting feat), and the death touch power. I like trickery because of Time Stop, Polymorph Other, and the class skills aren't bad either. Long live Nerull =)
Kadrimdorian_Mage 03-26-07, 03:16 PM	My answer is based of of 3 party situations: 1.You are the only spellcaster. It falls to you to cast the spells, and be good at it too. Take domains that increase you casting power, like Good, Evil, Law, and Chaos. Turning is better in this build, because you don't have as many mass nukes. 2.You are the only DIVINE spellcaster. You should use you skills as a cleric that no one else has. Branch out and take some elemental domains, like Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. In this case turn or rebuke, its your choice. 3.You are in a group with only one martial character. It's your job to protect the party. Take domains that give you supernatural abilities, like Protection (for the fun of it). Rebuke to get extra meat sheilds between the enemy and your spellcasters, so they can do what they do best.
The_Basilisk 03-26-07, 06:31 PM	as others have said, it depends on the cleric you wish to play. I happen to like combat-oriented clerics most of the time, so I tend to pick War, for the martial weapon and weapon focus feats. Destruction is good, it has some awesome spells (like the destuction spell....owwy) and gives the Smite ablility :) Good, Evil, Law and Chaos are all good ones too.
danielinthewolvesden 03-27-07, 02:19 AM	I like Celerity, Nobility and Restoration? But it still all depends- are you taking a one level dip into cleric? Then you want a domain with neat abilities and you do not care so much about the spells. Are you building a cleric at fairly high level? Then the spells become citical. If you can convert a Turn into a Dispel, then that is one of the best ways of killing a Vampire.
runestar 03-27-07, 02:39 AM	time domain is not bad, grants improved initiative and good domain spells. spell domain is quite decent as well.
kelvinaw273 03-27-07, 11:23 AM	Hmm .. the role-player in me says: The two best domains are those that you feel epitomises your character's religious beliefs and the deity or pantheon they serve. Turning or rebuking depenbds upon what energy you cleric utilises, which in return depends up on their deity. In other words, whatever floats your boat!
Khadmus 03-30-07, 07:01 PM	I figure I might as well leech onto this while I can. I am playing a Cleric (_____ Neutral, whatever is need) that will be going into the Master of Shrouds PrC from Libris Mortis. He has the Healing domain (for Spontaneous casting using the PHBII variant). What should my other domain be?
High Octane 03-30-07, 07:17 PM	Destruction is interesting. On a different note, Cleric domains do make sense usually, but I have to wonder why Blade Barrier is a domain spell for the Good domain? I HAVE used it in a way that is definitely good, but it still doesnt make much sense to me.
Max_Graeves 03-30-07, 08:26 PM	I like your thinking, Infinitum! Currently, I'm playing a NE cleric of Nerrul, and have the death and trickery domains...though as far as the common citizens are concerned, I'm "just one of the guys". As for the turning or rebuking...well, I am evil. Besides, there's a necromancer in our party that's reall irritating (the character not the player), and nothing bugs him more than if my character commands his undead.
Goldenmaxter 03-30-07, 11:32 PM	Thanks for all the tips guys. Since I am the only pure spellcaster in the party (not counting ranger and paladin), I went for Turning undead. The domains I chose were Travel and Strength (Thanks Elemental Elf:P ). Have you ever tried out the Fire domain, it seems pretty cool to me. Keep up the sugestions!