In faith and the miracles of the divine, many find a greater purpose. Called to serve powers beyond mortal understanding, clerics are more than mere priests; these emissaries of the divine work the will of their deities through might and magic. Devoted to the tenets of the religions and philosophies that inspire them, these ecclesiastics quest to spread the knowledge and influence of their faith.
Yet while they might share similar abilities, clerics prove as different from one another as the divinities they serve, with some offering healing and redemption, others judging law and truth, and still others spreading conflict and corruption. The ways of the cleric are varied, yet all who tread these paths walk with the mightiest of allies and bear the arms of the gods themselves.
Role
More than capable of upholding the honor of their deities in battle, clerics often prove stalwart and capable combatants. Their true strength lies in their capability to draw upon the power of their deities, whether to increase their own and their allies’ prowess in battle, to vex their foes with divine magic, or to lend healing to companions in need. As their powers are influenced by their faith, all clerics must focus their worship upon a divine source.
Alignment
A cleric’s alignment must be within one step of her deity’s, along either the law/chaos axis or the good/evil axis.
| Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Spellcasting | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | ||||||
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Aura, channel divinity, domains | 1+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | — | 2+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | — | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | — | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | — | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | — | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | — | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +6 | +2 | +6 | — | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | — | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | +7/+2 | +7 | +3 | +7 | — | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | +8/+3 | +7 | +3 | +7 | — | 5+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | — | 5+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | — | 5+1 | 5+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — |
| 14th | +10/+5 | +9 | +4 | +9 | — | 5+1 | 5+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — |
| 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +5 | +9 | — | 5+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — |
| 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | — | 5+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — |
| 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | — | 5+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 |
| 18th | +13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +11 | — | 5+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 |
| 19th | +14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +11 | — | 5+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 |
| 20th | +15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +12 | — | 5+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 |
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Profession, Persuasion, Heal, Academics, Arcane Lore, Theology, and Insight
Starting Wealth: Rich (4d6 × 10 gp, Average 140 gp)
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Cleric is proficient with Basic weapons and the favored weapon of his deity or religious organization. They are proficient with light, medium, and heavy armor and with shields (but not with tower shields).
If not using weapon groups, a Cleric is proficient with simple weapons.
Aura
A cleric of a chaotic, evil, good, or lawful deity has a particularly powerful aura corresponding to the deity’s alignment (see the detect evil spell for details).
Clerics who don’t worship a specific deity but choose the Chaos, Evil, Good, or Law domain have a similarly powerful aura of the corresponding alignment.
Clerics who neither worship a deity nor choose an alignment domain have an aura based on their actual alignment.
Domains
At 1st level, a cleric chooses two domains from among those belonging to his deity. A cleric can select an alignment domain (Chaos, Evil, Good, or Law) only if his alignment matches that domain.
If a cleric is not devoted to a particular deity, he still selects two domains to represent his spiritual inclinations and abilities. The restriction on alignment domains still applies.
Each domain gives the cleric access to a domain spell at each spell level he can cast, from 1st on up, as well as a granted power. The cleric gets the granted powers of both the domains selected.
| Level | 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4 | 1+d | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | 5 | 2+d | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | 5 | 2+d | 1+d | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | 5 | 3+d | 2+d | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | 6 | 3+d | 2+d | 1+d | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | 6 | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | 6 | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d | 1+d | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | 6 | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | 7 | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d | 1+d | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | 7 | 6+d | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | 7 | 6+d | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d | 1+d | — | — | — |
| 12th | 7 | 7+d | 6+d | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d | — | — | — |
| 13th | 8 | 7+d | 6+d | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d | 1+d | — | — |
| 14th | 8 | 8+d | 7+d | 6+d | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d | — | — |
| 15th | 8 | 8+d | 7+d | 6+d | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d | 1+d | — |
| 16th | 8 | 8+d | 8+d | 7+d | 6+d | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d | — |
| 17th | 9 | 8+d | 8+d | 7+d | 6+d | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d | 1+d |
| 18th | 9 | 8+d | 8+d | 8+d | 7+d | 6+d | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d |
| 19th | 9 | 8+d | 8+d | 8+d | 7+d | 6+d | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d | 2+d |
| 20th | 9 | 8+d | 8+d | 8+d | 8+d | 7+d | 6+d | 5+d | 4+d | 3+d |
Spellcasting
A cleric casts divine spells, which are drawn from the cleric spell list. However, his alignment may restrict him from casting certain spells opposed to his moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells, below. A cleric must choose and prepare his spells in advance.
To prepare or cast a spell, the cleric must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a cleric’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the cleric’s Wisdom modifier.
A cleric can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Cleric. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score.
Clerics meditate or pray for their spells. Each cleric must choose a time at which he must spend 1 hour each day in quiet contemplation or supplication to regain his daily allotment of spells. Time spent resting has no effect on whether a cleric can prepare spells.
Spell Access
A cleric’s access to divine spells is limited. A cleric begins play with access to four 0-level spells and one 1st-level spell of your choice in addition to any 1st-level spells granted by your domains. At each new cleric level, you gain one or more new spells, as indicated on the table: Cleric Spell Access. When preparing spells for the day, you may choose to prepare any spell to which you have access.
Once per week, a cleric may conduct a ritual during his daily meditation to replace one of his accessed spells with a new cleric spell. In effect, the cleric “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. A cleric may swap only a single spell in any given week and must wait a full week between rituals to change spell access. A cleric may not exchange the spells granted by his domains.
Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells
A cleric can’t access, prepare, or cast spells of an alignment opposed to his own or his deity’s (if he has one). Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaos, evil, good, and law descriptors in their spell descriptions.
Domains and Domain Spells
With access to two domain spells at a given spell level, a cleric prepares one or the other each day in his domain spell slot. If a domain spell is not on the cleric spell list, a cleric can prepare it only in his domain spell slot.
Orisons
Clerics can access a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: Cleric Spells Accessed. These spells are treated like any other spell, but they are always considered prepared, are not expended when cast, and may be used again.
Spontaneous Casting
A cleric that channels positive energy (see Channel Divinity below) can channel stored spell energy into healing spells that the cleric did not prepare ahead of time. The cleric can “lose” any prepared spell that is not a domain spell in order to cast any cure spell of the same spell level or lower (a cure spell is any spell with “cure” in its name). The cleric need not have accessed the cure spell.
A cleric that channels negative energy, can’t convert prepared spells to cure spells but can convert them to inflict spells (an inflict spell is one with “inflict” in its name).
Channel Divinity
A cleric gains the ability to channel divine energy through the power of faith, using that energy to fuel magical effects. At 1st level, a cleric must choose to channel either Positive or Negative energy. A cleric may choose either type of energy regardless of his alignment; however, Good-aligned deities and religions will tend to reject and oppose clerics who channel negative energy while Evil-aligned deities and religions will do the same for those who channel Positive energy. Once this choice is made, it cannot be reversed. This decision also determines whether the cleric can cast spontaneous cure or inflict spells as described above.
When a cleric gains the ability to channel divinity, he can use it to create one magical effect. All clerics have access to the two following options, but he may have additional options from his deity, domain choices, or religious affiliations.
- Clerics who choose to channel positive energy gain the ability to Turn Undead.
- Clerics who channel negative energy instead gain the ability to Rebuke Undead.
A cleric may channel divinity a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier.