5e Forgotten Realms Clerics: Ilmater, Leira & Malar

More classic Forgotten Realms clerics - this time, the long-suffering Ilmater, Leira the Lady of Mists, and the blood-thirsty Malar...
 

 

 

ILMATER, the Crying God, Lord of the Rack, the One Who Endures, the Broken God.

·       Portfolio:  Endurance, Suffering, Martyrdom, Perseverance.

·       Clergy Titles – Generally, just “Brother” or “Sister.”  No ranks are used, but “Revered” is used for senior clergy.

·       Clerics of Ilmater – Per standard cleric with the Endurance Domain, as follows.

·       Bonus Proficiencies – At 1st level, you gain proficiency with Herbalism Kit and Medicine, as well as all bludgeoning simple and martial weapons.

·       Unarmored Defense – Clerics of Ilmater are forbidden to wear any armor or use shields or other magic that raises AC, as such reflect an unseemly desire to avoid pain and suffering.  However, while wearing no armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier.

·       Steeled to Suffering – You gain proficiency with Constitution saves.

·        Endurance Beyond Measure – Your hit dice is 1d10, instead of 1d8.  Additionally, you never need to roll HP when you reach a new level, and always receive the maximum amount of hit points (treat each roll as “10”).

·       Bread of Ilmater – You may survive without food and water for a tenday per level.  You are still wracked by thirst and hunger pains, but that is to be expected of the faithful.

·       Channel Divinity: the Favor of Ilmater – Beginning at 2nd level, as a bonus action, you may expend one use of your Channel Divinity to grant the favor of Ilmater to one ally within 60’.  Until you dispel it (a bonus action) or are knocked unconscious or slain, all damage taken by the target is taken by you instead.  If you are 8th level or higher, your resistance from Armor of Ilmater (see below) applies to reduce (halve) this damage, regardless of source, but no other resistances or immunities apply.

·       Channel Divinity: Endurance of Ilmater – Beginning at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity as a bonus action to grant yourself or an ally within 60’ the Endurance of Ilmater – for the next 10 minutes, the creature receives temporary hit points equal to its normal hit point total, and Advantage on all saving throws.

·       Armor of Ilmater – Beginning at 8th level, you gain Resistance to all non-magical piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage.  At 14th level, you gain Resistance to all damage, regardless of type.

·       Lay Down Your Burden – At 17^th level, as a reaction, you may use one use of Channel Divinity to cause an enemy within 60’ to take damage equal to the total amount of damage you have just taken from the most recent attack that hurt you (e.g., if you just took 80 hp damage, the enemy takes 80 hp).  No save or resistance may reduce this attack.  You cannot use this power again until after you take a long rest.

 

Endurance Domain Spells:

Level 1:  Cure Wounds, Compelled Duel

Level 3:  Lesser Restoration, Prayer of Healing

Level 5:  Aura of Vitality, Revivify

Level 7:  Death Ward, Guardian of Faith

Level 9:   Greater Restoration, Mass Cure Wounds

 

LEIRA, the Lady of Mists, Mother of Illusion, Guardian of Liars, the Mistshadow.

 

·       Portfolio: Deception, Lies, Misperception, Illusion.

·       Clergy Titles – Generally “Mistcallers.”  Formal Ranks:  Unknown, no two Leiran priests have provided the same answer.

·       Clerics of Leira – Per standard cleric with the Deception Domain, per below:

·       Weapons & Armor – You are proficient in Light and Medium Armor, Shields, Simple Weapons, and three Martial Weapons of your choosing.

·       Bonus Proficiencies – You are proficient in the Deception and Sleight of Hand skills, as well as Thieves’ Tools, Forgery Kit, and Disguise Kit.  You may also communicate using Thieves’ Cant, as a Rogue.

·       Trickery Before Wisdom – You use Charisma, instead of Wisdom, to determine your spell attack bonus and saving throw DC.

·       Deceptive Cantrips – When choosing your cantrips, in addition to the cantrips on the cleric spell list, you may choose any of the following: Friends, Minor Illusion, or Prestidigitation.

·       Forbidden Divinations – Clerics of Leira are forbidden from casting any spell that reveals (or causes to be revealed) the truth or hidden things.  Thus, the following spells are removed from their spell lists:  Any Divination spell, including any Detect spells, Augury, Find Traps, any Locate spell, Zone of Truth, Clairvoyance, Speak with Dead, Divination, Commune, Legend Lore, Scrying, Find the Path, True Seeing, etc.

·       Mastery of Mists – Whenever you cast the spell Fog Cloud, the area of effect is treated as if you cast the spell at 3 levels higher.  Thus, when you use a first level slot to cast it, the area of effect is area of effect is a 60’ radius, instead of a 20’ radius.

·       Masters of Illusion – In place of Divination spells, clerics of Leira are versed in a wide variety of illusions and deceptive spells, listed in their Domain spells, and all are treated as prepared anytime, like normal Domain spells.

·       Immune to Divination – Beginning at 2nd level, you are constantly cloaked in a Nondetection spell (PHB, pg. 263).  You automatically sense when you are targeted with any Divination magic.  Additionally, any attempts to read your mind, or detect your alignment, to tell whether you are speaking the truth, or scry upon your activities appear to work as normal, but actually reveal whatever result you wish.

·       Undead Turning – You turn undead as per a normal cleric, but must use a holy symbol (and exhortations to a god) other than Leira.

·       Channel Divinity:  Invoke Duplicity – Beginning at 2nd level, you may expend one use your Channel Divinity to create an illusionary duplicate of yourself, per PHB pg. 63.

·       Channel Divinity:  Monstrous Illusion – Beginning at 6th level, you may expend one use of your Channel Divinity to mask yourself in a hideous illusion straight out of the nightmares of any viewer similar to the spell Phantasmal Killer.  Anyone who starts their turn within 30’ of you – even allies – must make a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you that round (they have Disadvantage on all ability checks and attack rolls, and cannot move closer to you) and also take 4d10 psychic damage. The illusion ends after 1 minute or whenever you dismiss it (a bonus action).

·       Live the Lie – Beginning at 8th level, you can permanently change your appearance (height, weight, eye, hair, and skin color, and features) and the sound of your voice to whatever you like.  Your game stats do not change, and you remain the same race (although you could transform yourself into the believable mimicry of a race within 1 or 2 feet of your size (such as an elf, half-elf, dwarf, orc, etc.).  You can transform yourself into the likeness of a specific individual you have examined closely, and you gain Advantage on any Deception check to impersonate that person while transformed into their likeness.  This transformation must be decided upon before you sleep, and the transformation is complete when you awake 8 hours later.  You may transform in this way once per tenday—but may never return to your original likeness, which is lost forever.

·       Believable Illusions – At 17^th level, as a reaction, you may use one use of Channel Divinity to cause an enemy to suffer Disadvantage against all spells of the Illusion school.  This effect lasts for one minute, or until the target succeeds on a saving throw against one of your spells, whichever comes first.

 

Deception Domain Spells:

Level 1:  Charm Person, Disguise Self, Fog Cloud, Illusionary Script, Silent Image.

Level 3:  Invisibility, Misty Step, Nystul's Magic Aura, Phantasmal Force, Suggestion.

Level 5:  Fear, Gaseous Form, Hypnotic Pattern, Major Image, Nondetection.

Level 7:  Confusion, Greater Invisibility, Hallucinatory Terrain, Phantasmal Killer.

Level 9:  Creation, Mislead, Modify Memory, Seeming.

        

MALAR, the Beastlord, Lord of Beasts, the Black Stalker, the Render, the Ravager.

·       Portfolio: Hunters, Savagery, Marauding Beasts, Bloodshed, Bloodlust, Evil Lycanthropes, Stalking.

·       Clergy Titles – Generally, “Slayer,” “Huntlord” or “Talon.” Formal Ranks:  Brother/Sister X (the most powerful creature slain only with a dagger, claws, or bare hands), Huntmaster.

·       Clerics of Malar – Per standard cleric with the Savagery Domain, per below:

·       Weapons & Armor – You are proficient in Light and Medium armors, shields, and all weapons, including the Claws of Malar (metal weapons gripped in the fists that resemble brass knuckles studded with a row of spikes like lion claws – they are light, finesse weapons that do 1d6 piercing damage).  The Claws of Malar can be used as a holy symbol when casting spells.

·       Bonus Proficiencies – You are proficient in the Survival and Nature skills.

·       Spellcasting – You may choose your spells (including starting cantrips) from the normal cleric spell list, as well as from the Druid and Ranger lists.

·       Claws of Malar – When employing the sacred Claws of Malar in both hands, clerics of Malar can add their Strength or Dexterity ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

·       Swift Stalker – At 2nd level, your movement increases by 10’ as long as you are not wearing heavy armor.

·       Undead Turning – You turn undead as per a normal cleric.

·       Channel Divinity:  Brutal Slayer – Beginning at 2nd level, when you hit a foe who is already wounded with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one use of your channel divinity as a reaction to deal +2d8 damage.

·       Rage – Starting at 2^nd level, once per long rest, you may rage like a Barbarian for one minute.  Entering a rage is a bonus action.  While raging, you gain the following benefits:

o   +2 melee damage;

o   Advantage on Strength saves and checks;

o   Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

·       Channel Divinity:  Relentless Tracker – Beginning at 6th Level, you can use your Channel Divinity to unerringly track any creature you have personally wounded in the last month.  For the next eight hours, you always know which direction the target is located, and roughly its distance from you.

·       Focused Anger – At 8th level, you gain Advantage on saving throws against charm or fear effects.

·       Malar’s Hunger – At 17^th level, when you make a melee attack while raging, you gain a free second melee attack as well.

Savagery Domain Spells:

Level 1:  Longstrider, Hunter's Mark.

Level 3:  Darkvision, Pass Without Trace.

Level 5:  Clairvoyance, Fear.

Level 7:  Freedom of Movement, Locate Creature.

Level 9:  Commune with Nature, Tree Stride.

 

5e Forgotten Realms Clerics: Bane & Beshaba

More domains for your 5e Forgotten Realms clerics - this time, my beloved (but straightforward) Bane and the malevolent misfortune that is  Beshaba...

BANE, the Black Lord, the Black Hand, the Lord of Darkness, the Dark One.

·     Portfolio: Strife, Hatred, Tyranny.

·     Clergy Titles – Generally, “Dread Brother/Sister” or Dreadmaster.”  Formal Ranks:  Wretched Slave (before 1st level), Watchful Brother/Sister*, Deadly Adept, Trusted Servant, Willing Whip, Hooded Menace, Black Fang, Striking Hand, Vigilant Talon, Masked Death, Dark Doom, Higher Doom, Deep Mystery, with higher ranks including Imperceptor, Dark Imperceptor, Grand Bloodletter, High Inquisitor, and High Imperceptor.

·     Clerics of Bane – Per standard cleric with the Tyranny Domain, per the following:

·    Bonus Proficiencies – At 1st level, you gain proficiency in heavy armor, as well as proficiency in the following martial weapons:  Flail, Morningstar, Warhammer, and Whip.  You also gain proficiency in the Intimidation and Persuasion skills.

·    Channel Divinity:  Command Undead – Dreadmasters can turn or command undead.  Beginning at 2nd level, as an action, you may expend one use of Channel Divinity and force all undead within 30’ that you can see to make a Charisma saving throw vs. your spell save DC or become friendly and obey commands.  Intelligent undead (8 or higher) receive Advantage on the saving throw and, if it has Intelligence 12 or higher, it receives a new save after each hour of control.  If more than one cleric is vying for control over the same undead, a contested Spell Attack roll (Wisdom modifier + Proficiency bonus) determines who maintains or gains control.  The maximum number of undead you may have under your command at any time is 3 x your level.

·    Channel Divinity:  Domination – Beginning at 2nd level, as a free action, you may expend one use of your Channel Divinity to grant a single foe Disadvantage on a Wisdom saving throw against one of your spells.   This penalty does not apply to successive attempts to save and end the spell effect.

·    Channel Divinity: Aura of Fear – Beginning at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to force all creatures within 30’ of you to make a Wisdom save or become frightened of you.  Alternatively, you may target a single creature within 30’ of you, in which case the target makes it saving throw with Disadvantage.  Either way, targets may repeat their save (without Disadvantage) at the end of each of their turns until successful. 

·    Divine Strike – Beginning at 8th level, once per turn when you strike a foe with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 damage of the same type dealt by the weapon.  When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

·    Iron Will – Beginning at 17th level, you gain Advantage on all Wisdom saving throws.

Tyranny Domain Spells

1st Level:  Command, Wrathful Smite

3rd Level:  Hold Person, Spiritual Weapon

5th Level:  Bestow Curse, Fear

7th Level:  Banishment, Freedom of Movement

9th Level:  Black Hand (treat as Bigby's Hand), Hold Monster

BESHABA, the Maid of Misfortune, Black Bess, Lady Doom, the Maid of Misrule.

·       Portfolio: Bad Luck, Random Mischief, Misfortune, Accidents.

·       Clergy Titles – Generally, “Doommaster” or “Brother/Sister Misfortune.”  Formal Ranks:  Bewildered Brother/Sister*, Unfortunate, Finger of Fear, Hand of Strife, Higher Hand of Strife, Hand of Gloom, Higher Hand of Gloom, Hand of Horror, Higher Hand of Horror, Hand of Despair, Higher Hand of Despair, Mistress/Master of Dread, and Nails of the Lady. 

·       Clerics of Beshaba – Per standard cleric with the Misfortune Domain, per below: 

·       Weapon & Armor Proficiencies – Light and Medium Armor, Shields, Simple Weapons.

·       Bonus Proficiencies – At 1st Level you gain Proficiency in Gaming Sets.

·       Accustomed to Danger – At 1st level you gain Proficiency in Dexterity Saving Throws.

·       Additional Cantrip Options – The cantrips Acid Splash, Blade Ward, Minor Illusion, Poison Spray, Shocking Grasp, and True Strike are treated as cleric cantrips for you – you may select one or more of them in the place of your normal cantrips at 1st level.

·       Misplaced Fumbles – Whenever you roll a natural 1 on an attack or save, you may reroll.  Once in the next day, the DM will impose your 1 on an ally or fellow PC in the place of their roll.

·       Channel Divinity:  Bane of Beshaba – Beginning at 2nd Level, you can use your Channel Divinity as a reaction to force an enemy within 60’ to reroll any single 1d20 roll (attack, save, etc.), and take the lower roll.  This decision must be made immediately, before the DM applies the result of the roll.

·       Channel Divinity: Misfortune – Beginning at 6th level, as a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Channel Divinity as a reaction to impose Disadvantage on a single enemy on all 1d20 rolls (attacks, saves, skill and ability checks) until the start of your next turn; enemies targeting the recipient gain Advantage on their attacks until your next turn.

·       Beshaba’s Favor – At 8th level, any enemy rolling a critical hit or natural 20 against you must reroll the attack.  A second 20 is treated as a natural 1.

·       Disasters Abound – At 17th level, as a bonus action you may call upon Beshaba to curse one enemy within 60’.  For one round, until the start of the next turn, all attacks by the enemy are treated as natural 1’s, all spells and powers used by the enemy inexplicably fail, and the enemy automatically fails all saving throws, skill, and ability checks (again treated as natural 1’s).  Anyone attacking the enemy during this round gains Advantage, and any hits are treated as critical hits.  You cannot use this power again until after you take a long rest.

Misfortune Domain Spells:

1st Level:   Grease, Dissonant Whispers

3rd Level:  Crown of Madness, Invisibility

5th Level:  Bestow Curse, Slow

7th Level:  Confusion, Dimension Door

9th Level:  Geas, Modify Memory

5e Forgotten Realms Clerics: Auril & Azuth

One of my few criticisms of D&D 5e is how little variety you get with clerics. 

Second edition introduced the idea of "specialty priests," and fabulous supplements (like Faiths & Avatars) offered scores of very interesting cleric variations, each with powers and spells tailored to their specific god.  Third edition employed "domains" to create a similar effect. 

The 5e Player's Handbook likewise uses a "domain" mechanic.  And I think it works very well.  But the PHB only includes six domains (knowledge, life, light, trickery, tempest, and war).

So, let's fix that with some new domains that I put together for use in my home game. 
 
WARNING:  I tend not to give much care to "game balance."  These are not, and not intended to be, "balanced" against one another.  And they are not direct translations of the powers described in the old Faiths & Avatars book, although that is certainly a source of inspiration for these. 
 

 

AURIL, the Frostmaiden, the Icedawn, the Cold Goddess, Lady Frostkiss.

·       Portfolio: Cold, Winter.

·       Clergy Titles – Generally, “Hand of Auril,” “Icepriest,” or “Icepriestess.”  Formal Ranks:  Postulant, Icewind*, Storm Sister/Brother, Frosttouch, Lady/Lord Cold, Lady/Lord Winter, High Hand of Ice.

·       Clerics of Auril – Per standard cleric with the Winter Domain, per below: 

·       Armor & Weapon Proficiencies – Light and Medium Armors, Shields, Simple Weapons, all Martial Axes.

·       Bonus Proficiencies – At first level, you gain proficiency in the Survival skill and with Constitution saving throws.

·       Cold Resistance – At first level, you gain resistance to all cold damage.  At 6th level, you gain immunity to all cold damage.

·       Frosty Cantrips – One of your initial cantrips learned must be Ray of Frost.  You gain Advantage when attacking with Ray of Frost, and deal +1d8 cold damage when using this cantrip.

·       Frozen Magicks – Any spell cast by you that would normally deal acid, fire, lightning, necrotic, poison, radiant, or thunder damage (but not bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing) instead deals cold damage.  The spell otherwise functions the same.  For example, Sacred Flame becomes “Sacred Frost,” and deals 1d8 cold damage on a failed save.

·       Channel Divinity:  Aura of Cold – Beginning at 2nd level, as a bonus action, you may expend one use of your Channel Divinity to radiate a freezing aura for 1 minute.  Any creature that starts its turn within 5’ of you takes 3d6 cold damage (Constitution save for half).  Creatures you are grappling have Disadvantage on their save.  At 8th level, this damage increases to 5d6.

·       Channel Divinity:  Command Undead – You can turn or command undead.  Beginning at 2nd level, as an action, you may expend one use of Channel Divinity and force all undead within 30’ that you can see to make a Charisma saving throw vs. your spell save DC or become friendly and obey commands.  Intelligent undead (8 or higher) receive Advantage on the saving throw and, if it has Intelligence 12 or higher, it receives a new save after each hour of control.  If more than one cleric is vying for control over the same undead, a contested Spell Attack roll (Wisdom modifier + Proficiency bonus) determines who maintains or gains control.  The maximum number of undead you may have under your command at any time is 2 x your level.

·       Channel Divinity: Ice Axe – Beginning at 6th level, as a bonus action, you may expend one use of your Channel Divinity to create an axe (hand axe, battle axe, or greataxe) of unholy ice.  This functions as a +2 magic weapon, and deals +2d6 cold damage in addition to the normal weapon damage.  It lasts for 10 minutes.

·       Frozen in Ice – Beginning at 8th level, when you damage a foe with cold magic, you may expend one use of your Channel Divinity as a bonus action to coat one target damaged in ice.  The target is restrained (covered in a sheen of thick ice).  It can attempt a Strength saving throw against your spell DC at the end of each of its turns to shatter the ice and end the effect.

·       Frozen Juggernaut – At 17th level, once per long rest, as an action, you may summon an Ice Elemental (treat as Earth Elemental with immunity to cold and no Earth Glide power).

Winter Domain Spells:
 
1st Level:  Ice (treat as Grease spell), Icy Blast (below).

3rd Level:  Cloud of Ice Daggers (treast as Cloud of Daggers), Magic Weapon.

5th Level:  Icy Touch (treat as Vampiric Touch), Sleet Storm
 
7th Level:  Ice Storm, Iceskin (treat as Stoneskin)
 
9th Level:  Cone of Cold, Wall of Ice.
 
Icy Blast – Level 1 Evocation, Casting Time: 1 action, Range 90’, Components (V,S,M) (piece of ice or snow lion's tooth). A flurry of ice and snow erupts from a point you choose in range.  Each creature  in a 5 foot radius must make a Dexterity saving throw.  A creature takes 3d6 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.  At higher levels:  When you cast this using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.
 

 

AZUTH, the High One, Patron of Wizards, the Lord of Spells, the Hand of Mystra, Lord of Spellcraft.

·       Portfolio: Wizards, Mages, Spellcasters.

·       Clergy Titles – Generally, “Magistrati.” 

·       Clerics of Azuth – Per standard cleric with the Wizardry Domain, per below: 

·       Armor & Weapon Proficiencies – You are not proficient in any armor or shields, and only the weapons on the Wizard class list.

·       Arcane Initiate – At first level, you gain proficiency in the Arcana skill.  You may also opt to select your starting cantrips from the wizard spell list, instead of the cleric list.

·       Intellect Over Wisdom – Clerics of Azuth use Intelligence, rather than Wisdom, for their spell attacks and saving throw DCs.  They are also proficient in Intelligence saving throws.

·       Arcane Spell Preparation – Clerics of Azuth get Domain spells for the Wizardry Domain, in the table below.  Additionally, clerics of Azuth with access to an arcane spellbook may prepare one or more spells from that book, instead of from the cleric spell list.  Arcane spells prepared in this way use the cleric’s Intelligence modifier and full proficiency bonus.  You do not automatically gain a spellbook or learn any arcane spells when you advance in level – you must acquire them in the course of your adventures.

·       Arcane Item Use – You may use any magic item that wizards can use.

·       Channel Divinity: Arcane Power – Beginning at 2nd level, as an action, you may expend one use of Channel Divinity as a bonus action to recover a single spell slot of any level you can cast.

·       Channel Divinity: Swift Magics – Beginning at 6th level, as a free action, you can expend one use of your Channel Divinity to allow you to cast any spell with the duration of 1 action as a bonus action (allowing you to cast two spells in a turn).

·       Potent Cantrips – Starting at 8th level, you add your Intelligence modifier to the damage you deal with any cantrip.

·       Arcane Mastery – At 17^th level, you gain Advantage on all saving throws against magic or magical effects.

Wizardry Domain Spells:
 
1st Level:  Identify, Mage Armor

3rd Level:  Nystul's Magic Aura, See Invisibility

5th Level:  Counterspell, Dispel Magic
 
7th Level:  Arcane Eye, Banishment
 
9th Level:  Legend Lore, Planar Binding