In my campaign, one of the pantheons is an elven pantheon that worships Ur-Dragons, i.e. the first of each dragonkind. Since the campaign started back in 3rd edition, every dragon god has domains, and I'm glad that these will now find a representation in 4th edition. I was sad when domains didn't make the cut for the PHB I, and I'm glad we'll see them now.
Discuss.
I never saw an article on domains...
What article on domains?
I never saw an article on domains...
Domains are a mechanic that the 3.X cleric had. For 4ed they have expanded them into a divine power source mechanic. Basically they are related to the portfolio for your god. I believe there was a preview for them(As they are to appear in Divine Power) in an editorial or ampersand.
Domains are a mechanic that the 3.X cleric had. For 4ed they have expanded them into a divine power source mechanic. Basically they are related to the portfolio for your god. I believe there was a preview for them(As they are to appear in Divine Power) in an editorial or ampersand.
Thanks ill have to go and check the website when I have a spare moment. I knew clerics ahd them in 3.5 I jsut didn't realise they where finnally making them for 4e. This might actually make me buy Divine Power.
Can you please give a minor summary of what they are like in 4E?
Near as I can figure/remember:
Each god has a list of domains.
Each domain has a Channel Divinity feat attached to it.
You can take as many CD 'domain' feats as you want, as appropriate for your deity, as well as the deity's CD feat itself.
This will probably also open things up for clerics of philosophies and causes, who can pick and choose their appropriate domains, but that last bit is speculation.
More than thirty divine domains are presented in Divine Power, and the domains of the deities from the Player’s Handbook and the Dungeon Master’s Guide are noted.
I hope the part about "deities in the DMG" means we will finally see some support for evil deities! In fact, further down the article it mentions clerics (etc.) of Asmodeus! Great!
Using Domains
Using domains is optional. If you and your Dungeon Master decide to use them, your divine character gains access to the domains of his or her deity, which means you gain access to those domains’ feats. Each divine domain has a divinity feat and a domain feat associated with it. These feats follow the normal rules for feat selection.
If your character worships multiple deities with a common theme (such as the three gods of destiny, Avandra, Ioun, and the Raven Queen), you gain access to all their domains.
Ok, I don't like this part. First of all, what's the blurb about optional? Either it's in a printed book, and thus core, or it's not! And a DM can already decide whether to use domains or not, or anything else from the books. Just remove that part, please.
Also, I really don't like that they sanction servants of multiple gods. It just fodder for the character optimization boards. We'll see tons of half-assed attempts why people want to worship Tempus, Asmodeus, St. Cuthbert and the Lord of Blades at the same time, just to cherry-pick feats and domain abilities... Who cares that they aren't even on the same game world... Just NO.
IF you want to offer the chance to play Clerics of multiple deities, offer the choice of worshipping a pantheon, such as "all elven deities in the FR". But, like other clerics, these should still be limited to 2-3 domains, even though individual deities from the pantheon offer other domains.
Domain Feats
Domain feats provide benefits when you use divine at-will attack powers associated with them. Each domain feat notes its associated powers. If you have more than one domain feat associated with the same power, that power can benefit from only one domain feat at a time. You decide which
domain feat applies each time you use the power.
This works similar to combat style feats that give bonuses to certain fighter at-will powers, found in previous Dragons. I like this idea, and it helps to distinguish different clerics / paladins / avengers / invokers a bit more.
I hope the part about "deities in the DMG" means we will finally see some support for evil deities! In fact, further down the article it mentions clerics (etc.) of Asmodeus! Great!
This is the part that bothers me.
Also, I really don't like that they sanction servants of multiple gods. It just fodder for the character optimization boards. We'll see tons of half-assed attempts why people want to worship Tempus, Asmodeus, St. Cuthbert and the Lord of Blades at the same time, just to cherry-pick feats and domain abilities... Who cares that they aren't even on the same game world... Just NO.
And the DM can say no. Not an issue.
IF you want to offer the chance to play Clerics of multiple deities, offer the choice of worshipping a pantheon, such as "all elven deities in the FR". But, like other clerics, these should still be limited to 2-3 domains, even though individual deities from the pantheon offer other domains.
Racial pantheons are dead.
Actually the benefit from multiple worship is only if they share a theme. The example they use are three dieities who all have the destiny domain. Therefore you gain their other domains as well since they share a theme. I assume this is also to cover non-cleric classes like the Avenger and Invoker who may not worship a single diety.
The problem is that "share a theme" is completely unspecific. With that wording, you can worship Lolth and Elistraee at the same time, because they share the "female drow" theme... It's just that both deities are sworn enemies and the clerics kill each other on sight.
As it stands, it's just a welcome excuse to cherry-pick domains. I predict we'll see hilarious explanations how any deity "shares a theme" with Tempus so you can get RRoT.
It's just completely unncessary, because for roleplaying purposes, clerics can just pick one deity and be done with it.
The problem is that "share a theme" is completely unspecific. With that wording, you can worship Lolth and Elistraee at the same time, because they share the "female drow" theme... It's just that both deities are sworn enemies and the clerics kill each other on sight.
As it stands, it's just a welcome excuse to cherry-pick domains. I predict we'll see hilarious explanations how any deity "shares a theme" with Tempus so you can get RRoT.
It's just completely unncessary, because for roleplaying purposes, clerics can just pick one deity and be done with it.
I'm sure they will tell us what does and what does not qualify as "sharing a theme".
I'm sure they will tell us what does and what does not qualify as "sharing a theme".
And if they don't, the DM will.
You all do know that in religions with multiple gods very few people worship only one right? And you can still only use 1 channel divinity per encounter right? So it really isnt all that powerful.
winner, winner, chicken dinner.
i love the domains idea, mostly for flavor purposes. really, because you can only use CD powers once per encounter, that's all it's going to amount to--extra flavor and options.
But there will be a feat in Divine power that lets you use multiple CD powers in an encounter and all hell will break lose. We saw it with the drow, so why not with divine. Hopefully if wizards does something this dumb it will be an epic level feat.
Odd, but I really don't see a problem in getting to do either of these things.
But there will be a feat in Divine power that lets you use multiple CD powers in an encounter and all hell will break lose. We saw it with the drow, so why not with divine. Hopefully if wizards does something this dumb it will be an epic level feat.
At Epic, if you want to do this, just go for the Revered One ED (PH2) and Bob's yer uncle.
For a feat that does a limited version of that to be meaningful, I'd peg it at Paragon.