Comments from the Knuckle: "Something wicked this way comes!"
Dread Domain
Dread dwells deep within the heart of every man, a gloom that darkens the visage of the brave, and reduces cowards to outright terror. Dread is mankind's oldest and strongest emotion, and so it empowers sinister, antediluvian gods which thrive in the darkness. Clerics of Dread can seize the lingering anxiety within one's soul and drive it to terror, showing others their deepest fears and simply letting their psyche do its work.
Gods of the Dread Domain are Erebus, the Shadow Interminable, Somber, the Mourning God, and the Shroud, God of Death and Secrets.
Dread Domain Spells
Cleric Level | Spells |
1st | disguise self, false life |
3rd | detect thoughts, see invisibility |
5th | fear, slow |
7th | greater invisibility, phantasmal killer |
9th | antilife shell, dream |
Bonus Proficiencies
When you choose this domain at 1st level, you have proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor.
Frightful Visage
Also at 1st level, you can use your action to stare into the depths of a creature's soul, revealing flickering nightmares in your eyes. Choose a creature within 30 feet that you can see and that can also see you to make a Wisdom saving throw against your cleric spell save DC. On a failed save, the target is frightened of you and can't move until the end of your next turn.
You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once) and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When you reach 17th level in this class, you can use this ability at will.
Channel Divinity: Grim Exemplar
Starting at 2nd level, you can utter a prayer as a bonus action to become an envoy of dread. You gain the following benefits for 1 minute:
- Your weapon attacks deal additional psychic damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
- Once on each of your turns, while you are in dim light or darkness, you can turn invisible as a bonus action. This invisibility ends at the end of your turn, or when you make an attack roll or cast a spell. While invisible as a result of this feature, you move silently, regardless of the armor you are wearing.
- You add double your proficiency bonus to any Charisma (Intimidation) check you make.
Heart of Terror
Starting at 6th level, your soul is intoxicated by the fear that your deity invokes. You can't be frightened. In addition, any creature frightened by you is considered to be under the effects of the bane spell for as long as they are frightened.
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 psychic damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.
Aura of Dread
Starting at 17th level, you emanate an aura of sheer terror and dread. When you use your Frightful Visage ability, you affect any number of creatures that you choose within 30 feet of you. In addition to the normal effects on a failed save, creatures take 4d10 psychic damage, or half as much on a successful save.
Changelog
11/22/17: Frightful Visage: Saving Throw is against your Cleric spell save DC
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ReplyDeleteIf only this had come out closer to Halloween, it would have been great for a spooky one shot
ReplyDeleteI’d started work on the Dread Domain two weeks before Halloween, but there were a couple of abilities that weren’t working like I wanted them to. So after a couple of rewrites and some playtesting at my table it was finally ready to put up here.
DeleteUnderstandable, it looks like a lot of fun, I'm excited to test it out, all that's left to decide is what race to run
DeleteMy player who was running it went Fallen Aasimar.
DeleteSuch edgelord, much angst. Love this domain so much I might finally roll up a cleric.
ReplyDeleteIt's very Reaper from Overwatch, now that I think about it.
DeleteThat was completely unintentional, as I've never played Overwatch.
DeleteSo is the save DC for Frightful Visage your spell save DC or ...?
ReplyDeleteAh, yes. FV is against your spell save DC. I skipped that when I copied it over to the blog from my design doc.
DeleteIs it intentional that one can hit any number of creatures within 30 feet with a save-or-half 4d10 damage every turn (since Frightening Visage is at will) at 17th level?
ReplyDeleteIt is intentional.
Deletewhere is the pdf?
ReplyDeleteThe Knuckles buggered it. I'll get it back up in a few minutes
ReplyDeleteMy apologies to everyone! I don't know what i did :(
DeleteI think an interesting Domain would be one focused on Death as a natural part of life, rather than the existing Death Domain, which is more like an Undeath Domain.
ReplyDeleteOh! You know what? This would make an excellent BBEG!!! I might give two classes (this and Oath of Conquest) to one of my bosses!! They'd stack so freakin' well!
ReplyDelete