Summary
- Clerics are versatile, not limited to healing, and can multi-class for more damage and defense.
- Each subclass specializes in different roles, offering unique benefits like extra healing, damage, or support.
- New core books in 2024 brought changes to cleric subclasses, offering upgraded features and abilities.
Clerics are stereotyped as healers in Dungeons & Dragons, and often they don't get a chance to be anything more. In practice, though, clerics can do all sorts of things outside simple healing. In fact, they're one of the game's most versatile classes.
RelatedDungeons & Dragons: 12 Low-Level Villains To Use In Your Campaign
Learn all about the best low-level villains you can use in your D&D campaign!
Posts 1 By Jon EakinClerics work great as a multi-class option that takes on damage and defense in addition to having access to some handy spells. The cleric's Domain is what actually determines their role in the party, and although every version of the cleric has access to healing spells, they are by no means limited to that role.
Updated on December 6, 2024, by Jon Eakin: The release of new core books in 2024 has brought changes to the cleric class as a whole, as well as to certain subclasses. To make sure this list is up to date we've given it a complete overhaul with new information and features to help you build your ideal cleric.
14 Peace Domain
Strong But Broken
Art by Alexandre HonorePeace Domain
Source
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
Main Benefit
Multiple options for healing more than one ally at a time.
Signature Spell
Channel Divinity: Balm of Peace
Ideal Feats
Magic Initiate
While not the strongest healer, the peace comain offers several great options for healing allies, including its most powerful ability, Channel Divinity: Balm of Peace. Balm of Peace allows you to restore hit points to as many allies as you can reach with your movement speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
If you're planning to use this subclass, speak to your DM and do what you can to address some of the balance issues inherent to it.
Along with this ability, you can create a bond with a number of allies, providing benefits such as adding a d4 to rolls, teleporting, and damage resistance. Unfortunately, the subclass is not well designed and has multiple loopholes open to abuse, making it impossible to rank fairly.
13 Nature Domain
The Natural Divine
Credit: Martin Mottet.Nature Domain
Source
D&D Player's Handbook
Main Benefit
Access to some cantrips normally reserved for wizards.
Signature Spell
Acolyte of Nature
Ideal Feats
War Caster, Resilient
The nature domain isn’t bad. It’s just a cleric instead of a druid. It’s very much like a druid in that you get the class spells and the ability to control plants and animals, but it is still a cleric subclass. Since druids and clerics have very similar roles as semi-tanky casters, the only reason to pick the nature domain would be if you want to roleplay a cleric or your party needs a dedicated healer.
But if you just need a healer, there's always circle of dreams druid. The Channel Divinity feature for nature clerics won't be useful very often, and while the other features are interesting, it unfortunately just doesn't make up for a poor Channel Divinity.
12 Knowledge Domain
Knowledge Is Power
Dungeons & Dragons art by Manuel Castañón via Wizards of the CoastKnowledge Domain
Source
D&D Player's Handbook
Main Benefit
Access to some divination spells.
Signature Spell
Arcane Eye, a seventh-level divination spell.
Ideal Feats
Inspiring Leader, Actor
Knowledge domain is great for clerics who want to provide more utility than combat usefulness. This subclass gives you a lot of useful abilities, including more languages, temporary experience in skills and tools, the ability to read minds, and the ability to see through time.
This is a very good subclass for roleplaying, allowing you the skills and abilities to further the plot and contribute outside of combat to a campaign.
The only real drawback to this domain is the spell list, which doesn't provide options you're likely to see a lot of use from. For social campaigns, this domain is great, but less so when it comes to combat, so your mileage may vary considerably between campaigns.
11 Grave Domain
Dust To Dust
Liliana The Necromancer by Livia PrimaGrave Domain
Source
Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Main Benefit
Stealing health and sparing allies from death.
Signature Spell
Channel Divinity: Path to the Grave
Ideal Feats
Spell Sniper
The grave domain is about the transfer of vitality and eradicating the undead. While you get spare the dying for free as a cantrip, your next couple of features are all about sensing undead and stealing vitality after death. Nothing too beneficial as far as your place in the party.
Your Channel Divinity ability lets you make an opponent vulnerable to the damage of the next attack, and only that attack. It's useful at higher levels when you can maximize the damage of high-level spells.
Grave cerics can cancel enemy critical hits, which is incredibly satisfying to pull off, and many other features are great too, but Eyes of the Grave is unfortunately so laughably bad that it drags the entire subclass down.
10 Death Domain
Spiritual Power
Summon Undead by Dallas WilliamsDeath Domain
Source
Dungeon Master's Guide
Main Benefit
Bonus Necrotic damage and targeting multiple enemies.
Signature Spell
Ray of Sickness
Ideal Feats
War Caster
The death domain is a cleric subclass with a necromancy flavor that focuses much more on damage output than healing. You won't find any healing bonuses in this subclass, as it's all about death and negative energy. That doesn't mean it isn't useful. This domain has a spell list you won't find in any other subclass, with spells such as Ray of Sickness, Animate Dead, and Cloudkill.
You come to the gnoll camp by Billy ChristianAND
Blue Bear Hunts by Lake Hurwitz. Related
Dungeons & Dragons: How To Build A Path Of The Juggernaut Barbarian
This subclass is great for battlefield control.
Posts By Donal KeatingThe most useful ability, though, is targeting two creatures with necrotic spells and cantrips and dealing extra necrotic damage. Death clerics are focused heavily towards offense, meaning you'll lack features that provide the versatility another subclass might. You still have all the usual cleric spells though, which helps cover this shortfall.
9 Twilight Domain
In Darkest Day
Cleric Art by Michael BroussardTwilight Domain
Source
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
Main Benefit
Support for visibility, cover, and extra damage.
Signature Spell
Channel Divinity: Twilight Sanctuary
Ideal Feats
Magic Initiate, Spell Sniper
The twilight domain will cover you in just about every situation of the game, but works especially well when in the thick of combat with the melee fighters. You'll be focused on spreading buffs, so this is perfect if you like helping your allies shine.
Darkvision might not seem impressive since so many other characters will have it, but a range of 300 feet is exceptionally good. Being able to share it with your party members means exploring places like the Underdark will be a breeze. Arguably, the spell list is stronger in the early levels than the later ones, but even so, the twilight cleric is one you almost can't go wrong with unless you don't fully leverage the features it offers.
8 Trickery Domain
Cleric Meets Rogue
Imoen, Mystic Trickster by Alix BranwynTrickery Domain
Source
D&D Player's Handbook
Main Benefit
The ability to cast spells like Disguise Self and Charm Person.
Signature Spell
Blessing of the Trickster
Ideal Feats
Actor, Observant
The 2014 version of this subclass is another one that is good for non-combat clerics, but that will have more universally useful effects than the knowledge domain. There’s some overlap in class purpose with the rogue class, but the trickery domain has enough unique abilities that it keeps it fresh.
RelatedDungeons & Dragons: Best Multiclass Combinations
In Dungeons & Dragons, multiclass characters can be a godsend or a game-ender. These are the best multiclass options out there.
PostsClerics of this domain also use some spells from the Illusion and Enchantment schools, can turn invisible, create illusory clones, and you get a bunch of fun spells with plenty of utility. It’s not really what you expect from a cleric subclass, but it’s certainly enjoyable. The 2024 version mostly follows the same spirit, but would probably be considered an upgrade. The Blessing of the Trickster feature is quite different, but constant Advantage on Concentration checks is much better than giving someone else Advantage on Stealth.
You can use the 2014 trickery domain can be used with either the 2014 or the 2024 cleric, but the 2024 trickery Domain can only be used with the 2024 cleric.
7 Forge Domain
Forge Your Path
Dwarfhold Champion, by Miguel MercadoForge Domain
Source
Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Main Benefit
An even mix of tanking abilities and damage output in the form of paladin and wizard spells.
Signature Spell
Blessing of the Forge
Ideal Feats
Great Weapon Master
This cleric subclass has excellent potential. The forge domain has a great advantage in that it includes boosts to your armor class and resistance (and eventually immunity) to fire damage, a very common damage type.
You can also turn any regular weapon or armor into a +1 weapon or +1 armor, which is very good at lower levels, although less so at high levels when you should reasonably have magic weapons and armor already. As a forge cleric, you'll be at home on the front lines and play almost like paladins, but with the advantage of a cleric's spell list. If you're not sure which of the two classes to go for, forge cleric is the perfect middle ground.
6 Life Domain
Life Finds A Way
Dawnbringer Cleric, by Lie SetiawanLife Domain
Source
D&D Player's Handbook
Main Benefit
One of the strongest healing options currently available.
Signature Spell
Channel Divinity
Ideal Feats
Resilience, War Caster
The life cleric is the absolute best class for healing in the entire game, which makes it an excellent choice if you want to throw healing around anytime it's needed. The downside is that it doesn't excel at much else. The 2014 version is let down by a middling capstone feature that isn't as strong as it first appears, but all the other features are at least fairly good. The Channel Divinity Feature is especially strong, allowing you to heal large amounts very quickly.
RelatedDungeons & Dragons: 10 Rewards That Aren't Gold Or Magic Items
If you're tired of rewarding your players with gold or magic items, check out these alternatives.
Posts 1 By Scott BairdThe 2024 version isn't all that different in terms of strength, but it does pull ahead a little thanks to the capstone feature, Supreme Healing, comes out looking better since it can now be applied to that excellent Channel Divinity.
The 2024 cleric can make use of either the 2014 or 2024 life domains, but the 2014 cleric can only use the 2014 life domain.
5 Tempest Domain
Be The Eye Of The Storm
Art by by Joseph Weston.Tempest Domain
Source
D&D Player's Handbook
Main Benefit
Durable and equally capable of dealing ample damage.
Signature Spell
Channel Divinity: Destructive Wrath
Ideal Feats
Spell Sniper, War Caster
The tempest domain subclass is a very solid pick, offering the versatility you expect from the cleric class overall. Although none of the features are in the conversation for best in the game, they're all generally very strong with no weak links.
That might sound like it doesn't excel, but that consistency means it actually excels almost constantly. Crowd control, area damage, bonus proficiencies, it really does have something for everyone. The crowd control, flight, and extra elemental damage will make this cleric one who can deal substantial damage alongside other party members while having the ability to maneuver and escape if necessary, pushing enemies away or flying out of range as needed.
