The Cleric: DnD 5e Class Guide (Updated May 2024)
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Brother Thorne held his holy symbol aloft, invoking the divine wrath of Sieren upon the undead horde. Flames of pure, radiant energy surged outwards, engulfing the skeletal warriors in a blinding white light. Yet when the darkness returned, the vampire queen stood unaffected. “Fool! I will tear limb from limb for that!” she hissed, fangs bared. Brother Thorne calmly drew his mace, muttered a prayer of protection under his breath and charged towards her.
Table of Contents
- What is a Cleric in DnD 5e?
- What is a Cleric’s primary ability score?
- What is a Cleric’s hit die and hit points?
- What are Clerics proficient in?
- What equipment do Clerics start with?
- What unique features do Clerics have?
- How does Cleric spellcasting work?
- What are the Cleric subclasses?
- What species are best for Clerics?
- How do you roleplay a Cleric?
- What DnD 5e sourcebooks do Clerics appear in?
What is a Cleric in DnD 5e?
A holy warrior powered by divine magic and skilled in the arts of war, Clerics are one of the oldest and most recognizable of all DnD 5e classes. The range of cleric types are diverse as the gods they worship, covering everything from battle-hungry followers of war deities to scholarly priests who serve divine beings of knowledge and the arts.
Notably, clerics are different than other holy magic users in DnD 5e, particularly Monks (whose magic is powered by spiritual energy known as “Ki”) and Druids (whose magic comes from nature itself). Instead, Clerics’ magic comes from their faith, with their bodies serving as divine conduits of the gods. This also allows them to tap into a variety of abilities that are granted by the dieities they serve. Clerics are also more skilled in combat than other magic users, which reflects their nature as defenders of the faith. The class is also extremely flexible, as there are essentially an endless number of gods within the multiverse, allowing you to create a Cleric that matches almost any theme and style of play.
Below is the Cleric class table, which breaks out proficiency bonuses, features and spell slots.
| Cleric Class Table | Spell Slots per Spell Level | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
| 1st | +2 | Spellcasting, Divine Domain | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2nd | +2 | Channel Divinity (x1), Divine Domain feature | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3rd | +2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 5th | +3 | Destroy Undead (CR 1/2) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 6th | +3 | Channel Divinity (x2), Divine Domain feature | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 7th | +3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Destroy Undead (CR 1), Divine Domain feature | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 9th | +4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | |
| 10th | +4 | Divine Intervention | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| 11th | +4 | Destroy Undead (CR 2) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – |
| 13th | +5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – | |
| 14th | +5 | Destroy Undead (CR 3) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| 15th | +5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – |
| 17th | +6 | Destroy Undead (CR 4), Divine Domain feature | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Channel Divinity (x3) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20th | +6 | Divine Intervention improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
What is a Cleric’s Primary Ability Score?
Wisdom is a Cleric’s primary ability score. Your character must have a Wisdom of 13 or higher to play a Cleric or to multiclass as one. This reflects a Cleric’s focus on walking the path of devotion and spirituality, as well as the discipline required to master their faith.
The higher your Wisdom score, the more adept you are at spellcasting and tapping into the unique abilities granted by your god. This is particularly important at higher levels as it directly influences your spell attacks and saving throws.
Notably, Clerics also gain a saving throw proficiency in Charisma, which reflects their nature as holy messengers who are tasked with passing along the divine teachings of their god to the masses.
What is a Cleric’s Hit Die and Hit Points?
Clerics have 1D8 hit dice per level. This mean at 1st Level your Cleric’s hit points will be 8 + your Constitution modifier. Each level you advance you from Level 2 onwards, you gain an additional 1D8 (or an average of 5) Hit Points, plus your Constitution modifier.
This Hit Dice makes Clerics more resilient than other “full casters,” such as Wizards and Sorcerers (who have a D6 Hit Dice) but less resilient than DnD 5e Fighters (who have a D10 Hit Dice). That being said, Clerics are also more adaptable in combat than other magic users.
What are Clerics Proficient In?
Clerics have a unique set of proficiencies that reflect their spiritual and martial prowess.
- Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
- Weapons: All simple weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
- Skills: Choose two from History, Insight, Medicine, Persuasion and Religion
What Equipment Do Clerics Start With?
As a Level 1 Cleric, you begin your adventures with the following equipment:
- A mace or warhammer (if proficient)
- Scale mail, leather armor or chain mail (if proficient)
- A light crossbow and 20 bolts or any simple weapon
- A priest’s pack or an explorer’s pack
- A shield and a holy symbol
What Unique Features Do Clerics Have?
Clerics are equipped with several unique abilities that reflect their ability to tap into the divine powers of their god. This includes:
- Channel Divinity: At 2nd level, you gain two abilities: Turn Undead and a “Channel Divinity” power determined by your domain (see the Cleric subclasses below). For example, followers of a god from the Death domain can use the ability “Channel Divinity: Touch of Death” to inflict extra necrotic damage, while followers of a god from the Light domain can use the “Channel Divinity: Radiance of the Dawn” to deal extra radiant damage to foes. The number of times you can use Channel Divinity powers can be found in the Cleric Class Table above.
- Channel Divinity: Turn Undead: As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer of turning. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. A turned creature can only take the Dash action and can’t be anywhere within 30 feet of you. If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action. The creature is also not able to take any reactions.
- Destroy Undead: At 5th level, when an undead fails its saving throw against your Turn Undead feature, the creature is instantly destroyed if its Challenge Rating is at or below a certain threshold, as shown in the Cleric Class Table above.
- Divine Intervention: At 10th level, you can call on your deity to intervene on your behalf. To do this, you describe the assistance you seek to the DM and then roll percentile dice. If you roll a number equal to or lower than your cleric level, your deity intervenes. The DM chooses the nature of the intervention and the ability can’t be used again for 7 days. If your god does not intervene, you can ask for intervention again after a long rest. At 20th level, your call for intervention succeeds automatically with no roll required.
How does Cleric Spellcasting Work?
Unlike wizards (who are required to memorize their spells) or Sorcerers (who are imbued with a natural ability to tap into magic), as a Cleric your spellcasting is the result of powers provided by your god. Because of this, Clerics are able to cast any spell they wish from the Cleric Spell list as long as they are of sufficient level.
To be able to use a spell, a Cleric “prepares” it each day by sitting in silent prayer for at least 1 minute per spell level. At that point the spell takes up a spell slot that corresponds with its level. At the end of a long rest, Clerics can prepare new spells.
Notably, each domain a cleric serves also has spells specific to it which are known as “Domain Spells.” These are granted at different levels. Once you gain a Domain Spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day (see the Cleric Subclasses below).
Wisdom is a Cleric’s primary spellcasting ability as follows:
- Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
- Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Clerics are officially full-casters, meaning that their spell list progression moves at the same speed as Wizards, Sorcerers, Bards and Druids. This differs from “half-casters” which are Paladins and Rangers whose spell level progression moves at half the speed.
What are the Cleric Subclasses?
Currently, there are 14 official Cleric subclasses for DnD 5e known as “Domains,” each of which is associated with a particular set of gods and offers unique Channel Divinity abilities and domain-specific spells. You choose a specific Domain subclass when you start out Level 1. They are as follows:
- Arcana Domain: You blend divine and arcane magic, focusing on spells that manipulate and reveal the mysteries of the universe. This domain grants you powerful magical abilities, including the use of arcane spells usually reserved for wizards.
- Death Domain: You harness the powers of death and the undead, focusing on spells that cause decay and manipulate life forces. This domain grants abilities that enhance your damage against the living and allow you to control the dead.
- Forge Domain: You are a divine artisan, specializing in the creation and manipulation of metal and fire. This domain bestows abilities that enhance your crafting skills, protect you with divine armor, and imbuing your weapons with fiery power.
- Grave Domain: You oversee the line between life and death, aiming to ensure balance and respect for the dead. This domain grants abilities to hinder the undead, protect allies on the brink of death and maximum the impact of restorative spells.
- Knowledge Domain: You are a seeker of truth, using your divine magic to uncover secrets and enhance your wisdom. This domain provides powers to read thoughts, learn hidden knowledge and become proficient in numerous skills and languages.
- Life Domain: You are a conduit of healing and vitality, specializing in spells that restore and sustain life. This domain increases the effectiveness of your healing spells and grants you abilities to protect and bolster your allies.
- Light Domain: You channel the power of light and fire, wielding these elements against the darkness. This domain provides powerful options to scorch your enemies, dispel darkness, and protect allies with radiant energy.
- Nature Domain: You are a guardian of the natural world, commanding its elements and creatures. This domain gives you abilities to charm animals and plants, reshape the terrain and summon nature’s wrath to aid you in battle.
- Order Domain: You impose divine order, using your abilities to control the battlefield and bolster lawful actions. This domain allows you to enchant allies with bonus attacks and slow the advance of enemy forces.
- Peace Domain: You promote harmony and tranquility, diffusing conflict and healing strife. This domain provides abilities that link allies together, allowing shared healing and protection in battle.
- Tempest Domain: You command the elements of storms, wielding thunder, lightning and wind. This domain grants you control over these elements to shock and push back enemies while protecting yourself.
- Trickery Domain: You revel in deception and mischief, using your divine gifts to confuse and mislead. This domain provides stealth and illusion powers, enhancing your ability to confuse foes and aid allies covertly.
- Twilight Domain: You guard against the fears of the night and guide others through darkness. This domain bestows powers to comfort allies, manipulate shadows and see through the deepest gloom.
- War Domain: You are a divine warrior, a crusader in the cause of your deity. This domain blesses you with martial prowess, the ability to make extra attacks and powers that boost your strength and endurance in battle.
What Species are Best for Clerics?
While Clerics are a class that works well with almost any species, in general ones that boost to your Wisdom score may be the best option if you’re looking to channel more spellcasting firepower. This includes:
- Dwarf: Hill Dwarves receive a +1 bonus to their Wisdom score, directly boosting their Cleric spellcasting abilities. Additionally, their extra hit points from the Dwarven Toughness trait help them withstand more damage, making them more resilient healers or front-line support characters.
- Elf: Wood Elves have a +1 bonus to Wisdom, improving their effectiveness as Clerics. Their Fleet of Foot and Mask of the Wild traits also provide mobility and stealth options, which is useful for a Cleric who needs to maneuver in combat.
- Human: Playing a human Cleric allows for a great deal of customization, which can be tailored to enhance a your abilities. Choosing a feat like War Caster can also significantly boost your ability to maintain concentration on spells, which are crucial for battlefield control and support.
How Do You Roleplay a Cleric?
Taking on the role of a cleric can be incredibly unique, as there is limitless number of gods to draw on, each with their own faith, culture and guiding principles. While you should always consider your character’s background, goals and relationship to your class, here are a few possible Cleric roleplaying archetypes.
- Devoted Healer: You embody the divine essence of mercy and compassion and your days are spent tending to the sick and wounded. You see the preservation of life as a sacred duty and your divine powers are tools to mend bodies and spirits alike.
- Battlefield Chaplain: As a Cleric who combines piety with prowess, you lead from the front lines, offering both spiritual and physical aid to your allies. As a follower of a god of battle you’re not just a healer but a warrior of faith, wielding holy spells and steel with equal skill.
- Guardian of the Sacred: You are sworn to protect a sacred relic, be it an ancient text, the fingerbone of a long dead saint or a powerful holy symbol. Your life revolves around your duties as a guardian and you are ever vigilant against those who would desecrate or steal what you protect.
- Scholar-Priest: You blend the academic with the spiritual, often visiting libraries to study religious texts or learn about different philosophies and cultures. Your understanding of theology is deep and you relish applying this knowledge in your wanderings.
- Cult Exorcist: Specializing in confronting the supernatural and the profane, you cleanse areas and people from demonic influence and unholy presence. Your life is a battle against the darkness, both within souls and across the land.
- Grave Sworn: You have been given the holy task of eradicating the undead, using your deep knowledge of sacred rites and rituals. Equipped with holy water, sanctified relics and blessed weapons, you are a formidable force again the restless dead.
What DnD 5e sourcebooks do Clerics appear in?
While the Cleric is one of the oldest classes in Dungeons & Dragons, they have evolved considerably over the many editions in which they have appeared. In DnD 5e, you can find rules governing clerics in the following sourcebooks.
- Player’s Handbook: Includes base class, plus the Domains of Knowledge, Life, Light, Nature, Tempest, Trickery and War.
- Dungeon Master’s Guide: Death Domain (under the Villainous Class Options).
- Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide: Domain of Arcana.
- Xanathar’s Guide to Everything: Domain of the Forge and Domain of the Grave.
- Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica: Domain of Order.
- Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything: Domain of Order (reprinted) plus the Domain of Peace and Domain of Twilight.
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Cameron Nichols is a Senior Editor who lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and has been playing D&D since the early 90s, when he was introduced by his older brother and cut his teeth on AD&D 2nd Edition. Since then he’s played virtually every RPG he could get his nerdy little mitts on (including a weird Goth phase in the early 2000s when he rocked Vampire: The Masquerade pretty hard). His favorite D&D campaign setting is the Forgotten Realms and his favorite character to play was a Half-Orc Barbarian named Grug (who was unfortunately devoured by a gelatinous cube).
