Circle Domain (5e Subclass)
Circle Domain
The Domain of the Circle is one that is greatly misunderstood, and rarely appreciated by those within civilized lands. Clerics of this Domain represent the natural order of life leading to death and death serving to perpetuate life. Unlike clerics of the Life Domain, Circle Domain clerics do not see death as a tragedy, rather, an opportunity for new life. And unlike clerics of the Death Domain, Circle Domain clerics do not seek to perpetuate destruction. To these holy men and women, death fuels life and life leads to death, and this is nothing to fear, hate, or despair.
For flavor, it is worth imagining the manifestation of this odd holy magic. Do these clerics reek of carrion? Perhaps their bodies are riddled with fungus and lichen or leafy folliage. Their healing spells might cause plant or fungal matter to grow over the target's wounds, protecting them from further harm. Maybe their harmful spells such as inflict wounds or harm cause insects or plant matter to tear away at the flesh of their victim.
As an alternative description for this flavor of clerical magic, perhaps everything about these clerics seems to be pleasant and lovely. They might smell sweet as honey, or exude a magical warmth (similar to the heat that rises off a rotting corpse) comforting their allies and easing their foes into the sweet embrace of death.
| Cleric Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | cure wounds, inflict wounds |
| 3rd | lesser restoration, ray of enfeeblement |
| 5th | plant growth, stinking cloud |
| 7th | aura of life, blight |
| 9th | contagion, reincarnate |
- Bonus Cantrip
When you select this domain at 1st level, you learn the chill touch cantrip and may treat it as a cleric spell. This does not count against your known cantrips.
- Reap and Sow
Life leads to death, and death fuels life. Your understanding of this concept allows you to draw power from the death of others. Starting at 1st level, when you select this domain, on a killing blow you land, you may grant temporary hit points equal to your cleric level + your Wisdom modifier to yourself or another creature of your choice within 15 feet of yourself. These temporary hit points remain in effect until they are reduced to 0 or this feature is used to grant another creature temporary hit points. You may use this feature once before requiring a long or short rest to do so again.
Channel Divinity: Sacred Decay
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to draw the natural energies from within a corpse to empower or heal a living being. As an action, you touch a dead creature no smaller than medium in size, entreating your god for their power. A single living creature of your choice within 20 feet of you (Including yourself) regains hit points equal to 2 * your cleric level as the flesh of the corpse is ravaged. This may not be used to heal undead or constructs. A creature may not regain hit points in this way again until they complete a long or short rest. As an added note, this also causes a corpse to be damaged beyond the point of being resurrected via the revivify spell.
- Mantle of Rot
Starting at 6th level, you learn to draw further on the powers of ruin and decay. Whenever you deal necrotic damage via a cleric spell of 1st level or higher you deal additional damage equal to 2 + the spell's level. In addition, you become immune to disease and the poisoned condition.
- Divine Strike
Starting at 8th level, you have learned to infuse your attacks with ruinous power. Once on each of your turns, if you strike a creature with a weapon attack, you may choose to cause that weapon attack to deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage. This extra damage increases to 2d8 necrotic damage by 14th level.
- Aspect of Pestilence
Starting at 17th level, you become a living embodiment of plague and pestilence. You are now resistant to necrotic damage. In addition, every hostile creature that ends their turn within 15 feet of you takes necrotic damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
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