Tuesday, December 17, 2019

New Domains for 5th Edition

MONVESIA RETCON NOTE:  This post is preliminary to an edit of "Priests of Monvesia" (which has temporarily been removed).
Since the introduction of the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons, I have been dissatisfied with the scope of available domains for Clerics.  In my opinion, the portfolios of many deities (particularly historical) were not fully represented in the domains available to them.  Three particular domains were conspicuously absent:   Love, Revelry, and Travel.  The latter two were specifically necessary to round out these spheres of my Monvesia campaign setting; in the past, I had advocated the use of the work of other homebrewers--but with this post, I try my own hand at crafting these two domains.
I have broken from "tradition" and renamed the Travel domain the Wanderlust domain.
The Love domain is still one that I would like to explore in the future--but I do not currently have an immediate need.  While selecting domain spells for the entries below, I did consider the needs of the Love domain as well--but I could not yet determine an appropriate spell list.
In Monvesia, both of the following domains are available to Vitalist clerics--those serving the saints or ideals of the Pyrosphere.

Revelry Domain

The portfolios of the gods of Revelry include many aspects that more conservative deities might dismiss as vices--particularly all forms of physical indulgeance.  A love for wine and feasting are common among these gods; as well as the boisterous singing, raucous dancing, and playful atiudes that accompany them. Gods of revelry include Olidammara (Greyhawk), Skerrit (Nonhuman, centaur/satyr), and Dionysus and Pan (Greek).  Any god of celebration and wine would be included--as well as many gods of nature.

Revelry Domains Spells

  • 1st: faerie fire, tasha's hideous laughter
  • 3rd: crown of madness, ray of enfeeblement
  • 5th: major image, hypnotic pattern
  • 7th: confusion, polymorph
  • 9th: animate objects, seeming

Bonus Cantrip
When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain the vicious mockery cantrip.  For you, this counts as a cleric cantrips.

Bacchanal Wrath
Also at 1st level, you can rebuke attackers. When a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to cause the creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 2d8 psychic or thunder damage (your choice) on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful one.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Channel Divinity: Divine Inspiration
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to inspire others through stirring words or music.  As an action, you present your holy symbol, and choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Divine Inspiration die, a d6.
Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Divine Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Inspiration die (Bardic or Divine) at a time.
Your Divine Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 8th level, and a d10 at 14th level.

Whirling Dervish
Starting at 6th level, your revels grant you special abilities:
  • You gain resistance to psychic damage.
  • While wearing light or no armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Divine Strike
At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 thunder damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Sainted Dancer
At 17th level, your blessed affinity with celebration becomes more powerful:
  • You gain immunity to psychic damage.
  • While wearing light or no armor, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.

Wanderlust Domain

Wanderlust is the domain of those gods who protect travelers and guide lost souls home.  They are the keepers of crossroads and guardians of the horizon. Gods of Wanderlust include Celestian and Fharlanghn (Greyhawk), Skerrit (Nonhuman, centaur/satyr), Lugh (Celtic), and Hermes and Pan (Greek).  Any god of travel and exploration would be included--as well as many gods of the hunt.

Wanderlust Domains Spells

  • 1st: expeditious retreat, feather fall
  • 3rd: misty step, pass without trace
  • 5th: blink, fly
  • 7th: passwall, freedom of movement
  • 9th: planar binding, teleportation circle

Bonus Proficiency
When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons.

Acolyte of the Road
At 1st level, you learn one cantrip of your choice from the druid spell list. You also gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Stealth or Survival.

Channel Divinity: Cosmopolitan Awareness
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to tap into a divine well of knowledge. As an action, you choose one language or vehicle. For 10 minutes, you have proficiency with the chosen language or vehicle.

Channel Divinity: Wanderer's Blessing
At 6th level, when you or a creature within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw using Dexterity, you can use your Channel Divinity to grant a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fail.

Potent Spellcasting
Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.

Master of the Way
Starting at 17th level, you can use the Dash or Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. Also, you can't be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail.

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