Cleric domains

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

edwin_su

Oct 07, 2014 6:12:45

What are domains from earlyer editions of DnD do you realy miss in 5th so far.

And do people have sugestion of house ruled versions of these domains ?

 

#2

AaronOfBarbaria

Oct 07, 2014 7:09:15

I have, coincidentally, had the staggering majority of clerics that were ever played in my campaigns fit within the domains in the 5th edition PHB.

 

The only ones missing that I have ever seen played, have only been played at my table extremely rarely, and one of them actually sort of fits into a domain presented (that being the former character having the Magic domain, and that fitting well enough as Knowledge in 5th edition) - so the only thing I am missing out on, I hear is going to be in the DMG (the death domain... which one character ever has been at my table).

 

I can't even think of domains that aren't included in 5th edition already... just aren't coming to mind - but I'd be glad to help anyone house-rule up anything they feel a need for.

#3

Regin_Vargtass

Oct 07, 2014 8:21:09

I am missing the Travel domain, or anything that grants Misty step or similar.

 

I would basically start by adding Misty step as a domain spell at 3rd level, and use the 6th lever class feature of the Conjurer Wizard ...

#4

souldoubt

Oct 07, 2014 10:44:52

I agree that a Travel domain would be a nice editon.

 

But I'm more interested in having a more diverse set of paladin oaths than more domains.  There are already lots of domains.  I can make a cleric devoted to a god of knowledge, but if I want to make a paladin who's devoted to a god of knowledge, even with liberal reflavoring I don't have a good option for powers and abilities that match that theme.

#5

Timborama

Oct 07, 2014 11:32:38

I miss the alignment domains, but that's just me. Law, Chaos, Good, Evil. And Magic Domain so you can prepare things like Magic Missile!

 

Also Death and Shadow, but Death is likely going to be in the DMG

#6

Theros

Oct 07, 2014 11:46:04

Travel Domain for sure, it was great having that Freedom ability that let you get out of grapples and pins for free.

#7

Brock_Landers

Oct 07, 2014 11:58:03

Nice, digging on Chaos, Evil, Good, Law, Magic and Travel domains, all of those are solid, what about Elemental Domains?

#8

Mechatarrasque

Oct 07, 2014 12:06:32

The Repose domain if they are going to go hog wild into making Death evil.   I liked Community in theory more than practice, and it seems like, in a system where lots of low CR types can threaten a high CR type, that Community could be a very nice bard/warlord type domain for a cleric.

 

As a DM, I wouldn't mind having a tyranny or domination domain for NPC's.

#9

Nesian42Ryukaiel

Oct 07, 2014 17:18:52

Speaking of the Death domain, why is it considered evil? Does it have to do with the Christian faith that death was the result of the Original Sin stuff?

 

I'm dead curious about this... (pun not intended)

#10

pukunui

Oct 07, 2014 17:29:00

Brock_Landers wrote:
#11

RCanine

Oct 07, 2014 17:46:55

Nesian42Ryukaiel wrote:
#12

AaronOfBarbaria

Oct 07, 2014 18:36:44

They are probably making the death domain "evil" because it is going to be like an inverted life domain - powers focused on ending the life of another creature - and such muderous power is expected to be mostly utilized for murderous purpose.

 

At least, that's my best guess.

#13

pukunui

Oct 07, 2014 18:56:00

AaronOfBarbaria wrote:
(Reply to #13)

AaronOfBarbaria

pukunui wrote:
#15

pukunui

Oct 07, 2014 20:01:00

Oh, I don't disagree with you. I think you're probably on the right track. That being said, if the Death domain and the blackguard are going to be in the DMG, they really ought to have put the assassin in there too. No doubt the popularity of things like the Assassin's Creed series is what got it into the PHB, though.

#16

edwin_su

Oct 08, 2014 6:01:19

This is a list of 3.X domains don't know if it is complete.

 

Air Domain
Animal Domain
Artifice Domain
Chaos Domain
Charm Domain
Community Domain
Creation Domain
Darkness Domain
Death Domain
Destruction Domain
Earth Domain
Evil Domain
Fire Domain
Glory Domain
Good Domain
Healing Domain
Knowledge Domain
Law Domain
Liberation Domain
Luck Domain
Madness Domain
Magic Domain
Mind Domain
Nobility Domain
Plant Domain
Protection Domain
Repose Domain
Rune Domain
Scalykind Domain
Strength Domain
Sun Domain
Time Domain
Travel Domain
Trickery Domain
War Domain
Water Domain
Weather Domain

#17

Slaunyeh

Oct 08, 2014 8:04:17

For me it's mostly the Death domain. Largely because it's already used by the Gods listed in the PHB. Looking forward to the DMG... I just hope it won't be undead focused. There are plenty of Death deities that oppose the creation of undead.

#18

ArkPanda

Oct 08, 2014 8:25:40

Looking at the gods in the PHB appendix, Knowledge seems to be the most over-broad domain.  It should have Magic/Arcana and Craft/Creation/Trade split off of it.  The Death domain could probably be broken up too; it's being used as a catch-all for most evil gods.

 

Death not being identified with evil is a pretty recent idea in D&D.  Hel, Arawn, Myrkul, Nerull, Chemosh, and the Keeper are all evil death gods.  Kelemvor, the Raven Queen, and Terry Pratchett's Death go against thousands of years of cultural identification of Death. 

#19

pukunui

Oct 08, 2014 13:56:26

ArkPanda wrote:
#20

Mechatarrasque

Oct 08, 2014 14:49:42

pukunui wrote:
#21

pukunui

Oct 08, 2014 15:11:41

The only thing I can think of is that the devs have emphasized heroism in the PHB. Blackguards are very much anti-heroes, so I can see why they would be relegated to the DMG. As for death priests, I can't think of any examples of death priest protagonists in popular culture. Unlike assassins, which have the whole Assassin's Creed series, and necromancers, which were portrayed as creepy but not necessarily evil protagonists in Diablo II. The warlock class has always had a sort of "evil curious" schtick to it, and the whole "selling your soul to the devil" thing is a well-established concept going all the way back to Faust and beyond. Death priests, though, are (almost?) always portrayed as definitively evil antagonists. They're the ones the heroes oppose.

 

I suppose another thing to consider might be that, if the Death domain is focused on sucking the lifeforce out of the living and creating/commanding undead, it might not be the best choice for a non-evil cleric of a non-evil death deity. Such a priest might be more inclined to cast gentle repose than animate dead, for instance. They might also want to focus on abilities that turn or destroy undead rather than command them. That is to say, from a mechanical standpoint (if not also a story standpoint), the Death domain may not be a fitting choice for a cleric of Kelemvor or whoever.

#22

Ravenmancer

Oct 08, 2014 15:13:25

My guess is that there's already 8 domains listed in the book (as many as the schools of magic the wizard gets) and 3 oaths (as many options as the fighter, rogue, or warlock get and more than ranger, druid, or sorcerer).
They weren't cut for being evil so much as for space.

#23

Zardnaar

Oct 08, 2014 17:23:39

Probably most of the domains really. Even generic good and evil ones would have been decent as there is kind of a shortage of sorts. 

(Reply to #19)

Timborama

pukunui wrote:
(Reply to #9)

Jenks

Nesian42Ryukaiel wrote: