Ability Scores
Clerics gain a +2 class bonus to Wisdom or Strength, as long as it isn’t the same ability you increase with your +2 racial bonus.
Backgrounds
Possible backgrounds include: healer, archivist, military chaplain, temple guard, bartender, reformed thief, dwarven hierophant, initiate, and bishop.
Gear
At 1st level, a cleric starts with a melee weapon, decent armor, a holy symbol, and other minor possessions suggested by their backgrounds. They might even have a crossbow.
Gold Pieces
Clerics may start with either 25 gp or 1d6 x 10 gp.
Armor
Armor Type |
Base AC |
Atk Penalty |
None |
10 |
— |
Light |
12 |
— |
Heavy |
14 |
— |
Shield |
+1 |
— |
Melee Weapons
|
One-Handed |
Two-Handed |
Small |
1d4 dagger |
1d6 club |
Light or Simple |
1d6 mace, shortsword |
1d8 spear |
Heavy or Martial |
1d8 (-2 atk) longsword, warhammer |
1d10 (–2 atk) greatsword, dire flail |
Ranged Weapons
|
Thrown |
Crossbow |
Bow |
Small |
1d4 dagger |
1d4 hand crossbow |
— |
Light or Simple |
1d6 javelin, axe |
1d6 light crossbow |
1d6 (-2 atk) shortbow |
Heavy or Martial |
— |
1d8 (–1 atk) heavy crossbow |
1d8 (–5 atk) longbow |
Level Progression
Cleric Level |
Total Hit Points |
Total Feats |
1st level spell |
3rd level spell |
5th level spell |
7th level spell |
9th level spell |
Level-up Ability Bonuses |
Damage Bonus From Ability Score |
Level 1 |
(7 + CON mod) x 3 |
1 adventurer |
4 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
ability modifier |
Level 2 |
(7 + CON mod) x 4 |
2 adventurer |
5 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
ability modifier |
Level 3 |
(7 + CON mod) x 5 |
3 adventurer |
2 |
3 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
ability modifier |
Level 4 |
(7 + CON mod) x 6 |
4 adventurer |
1 |
5 |
— |
— |
— |
+1 to 3 abilities |
ability modifier |
Level 5 |
(7 + CON mod) x 8 |
4 adventurer 1 champion |
— |
2 |
4 |
— |
— |
— |
2 x ability modifier |
Level 6 |
(7 + CON mod) x 10 |
4 adventurer 2 champion |
— |
1 |
6 |
— |
— |
— |
2 x ability modifier |
Level 7 |
(7 + CON mod) x 12 |
4 adventurer 3 champion |
— |
— |
2 |
5 |
— |
+1 to 3 abilities |
2 x ability modifier |
Level 8 |
(7 + CON mod) x 16 |
4 adventurer 3 champion 1 epic |
— |
— |
1 |
7 |
— |
— |
3 x ability modifier |
Level 9 |
(7 + CON mod) x 20 |
4 adventurer 3 champion 2 epic |
— |
— |
— |
2 |
6 |
— |
3 x ability modifier |
Level 10 |
(7 + CON mod) x 24 |
4 adventurer 3 champion 3 epic |
— |
— |
— |
1 |
8 |
+1 to 3 abilities |
3 x ability modifier |
Although not listed on the table, this class gets three talents. It does not gain more at higher levels.
Stats
Ability Bonus |
+2 Strength or Wisdom (different from racial bonus) |
Initiative |
Dex mod + Level |
Armor Class (heavy armor) |
14 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level |
Armor Class (shield and heavy armor) |
15 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level |
Physical Defense |
11 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level |
Mental Defense |
11 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level |
Hit Points |
(7 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart) |
Recoveries |
8 |
Recovery Dice |
(1d8 x Level) + Con mod |
Backgrounds |
8 points, max 5 in any one background |
Icon Relationships |
3 points |
Talents |
3 |
Class Features
All clerics have the Ritual Magic class feature. They also receive a bonus spell: heal.
There are certain abilities specific to the cleric that can affect their powers:
- Cast for power and cast for broad effect: The spell can be used one of two ways—either as a more powerful effect on one target (power) or as a weaker effect on multiple targets (broad). Spells cast for power cannot target the caster. Spells cast for broad effect can.
- Free recovery: The cleric can recover hit points as if they were using a recovery (without actually spending the recovery).
- Heal using a recovery: The character targeted with a healing effect uses one of their recoveries and rolls their own recovery dice.
- Invocation: A quick action that offers advantages in battle. It can be made once a day. More than one cleric in a party cannot use the same invocation during a battle.
Heal
You can use this spell twice per battle.
The target can heal using a recovery.
The target can now be a nearby ally instead of an ally you are next to.
The target can now be a nearby ally insteadIf the target of your heal spell is an ally with 0 hp or below, that ally also adds hit points equal to 1d10 x your Charisma modifier to the recovery.
When you cast heal on an ally you are next to, that ally adds +30 hp to the recovery.
Ritual Magic
Clerics can cast their spells as rituals. (See Rituals.)
To cast a spell as a ritual:
- Choose the spell that will be used and expended by the ritual.
- Tell the GM what you are trying to accomplish and gather necessary ingredients for the ritual.
- Spend 1d4 minutes/quarter-hours/hours (as determined by the GM) preparing and casting the ritual. You can’t cast other spells during this period. A PC taking damage won’t necessarily end the ritual, but it will be ruined if a character falls unconscious or launches an attack of their own.
- Make a skill check using one of your magical backgrounds and the ability score the GM deems appropriate. Use the standard DC targets (or a special DC set by the GM), depending on your tier and the results you’re hoping for. The higher the level of the spell consumed by the ritual, the greater the effect.
No matter the outcome, the spell is expended until your next full heal-up.
Class Talents
Choose three cleric talents/domains. Each talent/domain provides an ability that can be improved by feats. It also provides an invocation you can use as a quick action once per day, per battle, per party.
Domain: Healing
When you cast a spell that lets you or an ally heal using a recovery, the target also adds hit points equal to double your level to the recovery.
Invocation of Healing: This battle, you gain an additional use of the heal spell (see Class Features, left). The first heal spell you cast after using this invocation allows the target to heal using a free recovery instead of spending a recovery.
When you cast a spell that allows an ally to heal using a recovery, you can let them use one of your recoveries instead. (If you also have the Protection/Community domain, any nearby ally can expend the recovery instead of you.)
The invocation of healing gives you two additional uses of heal this battle instead of only one.
Increase the additional hit points the target heals to triple your level.
Domain: Justice/Vengeance
Once per turn when an enemy scores a critical hit against you or a nearby ally, or drops you or a nearby ally to 0 hp or below, you gain an attack-reroll blessing. Immediately choose a nearby ally and give them the blessing as a free action.
An ally with this blessing can use it to reroll an attack as a free action this battle. An ally can only have one such blessing on them at a time.
Invocation of Justice/Vengeance: This battle, add double your level to the miss damage of your attacks and the attacks of your nearby allies. (For example, your basic melee attack as a cleric will deal triple your level as miss damage while this invocation is active.)
You can take the attack-reroll blessing yourself.
When you gain an attack-reroll blessing to distribute, you gain two blessings to distribute instead.
Attacks rolls from your reroll blessings gain a +4 bonus.
Domain: Knowledge/Lore
You gain 4 additional background points that must be used somehow in relation to knowledge or lore.
Invocation of Knowledge/Lore: You must use this invocation during your first round of a battle. When you do, you get a quick glimpse of the battle’s future. Roll a d6; as a free action at any point after the escalation die equals the number you rolled, you can allow one of your allies to reroll a single attack roll with a +2 bonus thanks to your vision of this future.
Once per day, you can change one of your skill checks involving knowledge to a natural 20 instead. Interpret the word “knowledge” as loosely as your GM allows. GMs, be generous.
You now roll a d4 for the invocation, not a d6.
You gain a different positive relationship point each day with a random icon, purely because the icon has realized you know something they need to know. It changes every day and it might contradict your usual icon relationships.
Domain: Life/Death
You and your nearby allies gain a +1 bonus to death saves.
Invocation of Life/Death: This battle, you and each of your allies can each separately add the escalation die to a single save made by that character. In addition, you and your allies do not die from hit point damage when your negative hit points equal half your normal hit points. Instead, you die when your negative hit points equal your full hit points.
The death save bonus increases to +2.
Each battle, the first time an ally near you becomes staggered, that ally immediately heals hit points equal to twice your level.
Your first use of the resurrection spell is free, and doesn't count against your total.
Domain: Love/Beauty
Once per level, you can generate a one-point conflicted relationship with a heroic or ambiguous icon you do not already have a relationship with. The relationship point remains with you until you gain a level, and then it's time for another one-level relationship.
Invocation of Love/Beauty: As a free action, at some dramatic moment, you or an ally of your choice can roll for one icon relationship that might have an effect on the battle. Rolls of 5 and 6 are beneficial as usual, though the GM will have to improvise what that means in the middle of combat. The invocation's advantage does not occur the moment you roll initiative; wait for a dramatic moment instead.
You gain two points in the relationship instead.
Domain: Protection/Community
Once per battle, you can affect two additional allies when you cast a spell for broad effect.
Invocation of Protection/Community: This battle, critical hits against you and your nearby allies deal normal damage instead of critical damage.
Whenever you target one or more allies with a spell, one ally of your choice can roll a save against a save ends effect.
Domain: Strength
You can wield heavy/martial weapons without an attack penalty.
Invocation of Strength: This battle, you and your nearby allies deal triple damage instead of double damage on critical hits with melee attacks.
Once per battle, you can deal extra damage to one target you hit with a melee attack as a free action. The damage bonus is a number of d4 equal to your Strength modifier or to your level, whichever is higher.
You can use d8s instead of d4s for the bonus damage dice.
Once per day, you can use d20s instead of d8s for the bonus damage dice.
Domain: Sun/Anti-Undead
Every attack you make deals holy damage instead of other types of damage unless you choose otherwise for a specific attack.
Invocation of Sun/Anti-Undead: When you cast a daily cleric spell this battle, roll a d6. If you roll less than or equal to the escalation die, you regain the use of that daily spell after the battle.
If your attack already deals holy damage, it gains the following bonus damage—adventurer tier: +1 damage; champion tier: +2 damage; epic tier: +3 damage.
You gain a +2 bonus to all defenses against attacks by undead.
The invocation also affects your allies' daily spells.
Domain: Trickery/Illusion
Once per battle, as a quick action when you are engaged with an enemy, roll a d20 (your 'trick die').
As a free action before the start of your next turn, give your trick die to a nearby ally or enemy who is about to make an attack roll. The trick die result becomes the natural result of their roll instead.
Invocation of Trickery/Illusion: This battle, attacks against you by enemies that moved to engage you during their turn miss on natural odd rolls.
Your trick die can be used for any one d20 roll, not just an attack.
You get another trick die roll to use each battle the first time the escalation die reaches 3+.
Domain: War/Leadership
Once per turn when you make a melee attack against an enemy, hit or miss, your allies gain a +1 attack bonus against that enemy until the start of your next turn.
Invocation of War/Leadership: Increase the escalation die by 1.
The attack no longer has to be a melee attack, close and ranged attacks also work.
The bonus now applies against all enemies you attack; you no longer have to single out one foe if you use a spell that attacks multiple enemies.
Allies now also get a damage bonus against such enemies equal to double your Charisma modifier.
1st Level Spells
Bless
You can cast this spell for power or for broad effect.
One nearby ally gains a +2 attack bonus until the end of the battle.
Choose up to three nearby creatures (including you); each target gains a +1 attack bonus until the end of the battle.
Cure Wounds
You or a nearby ally can heal using a free recovery.
Hammer of Faith
Until the end of the battle, your basic melee attacks use d12s as their base weapon damage dice.
Javelin of Faith
The spell also deals +1d6 damage against an undamaged target. At 5th level that increases to +2d6 damage; at 8th level it increases to +4d6 damage.
You can now target a far away enemy with the spell at a –2 attack penalty.
If your natural attack roll is an 18+, make the attack a second time against a different target as a free action.
Shield of Faith
You can cast this spell for power or for broad effect.
One nearby ally gains a +2 bonus to AC this battle.
Choose up to three nearby creatures (including you); each target gains a +1 bonus to AC this battle.
Spirits of the Righteous
You also gain the bonus to AC until the end of your next turn on a hit.
Turn Undead
Hit: The target is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Hit by 4+: 1d10 x your level holy damage, and the target is dazed until end of your next turn.
Hit by 8+: Against non-mooks, holy damage equal to half the target's maximum hit points, and the target is dazed (save ends). Against mooks, the +8 result now deals 4d10 x your level holy damage.
Hit by 12+ or Natural 20: Against non-mooks, the target is destroyed. Against mooks, the +12 result now deals 4d20 x your level holy damage
You can expend your daily use of turn undead to gain an additional use of heal in one battle.
You can choose to target either demons or undead with the spell (but not both with the same casting).
Increase the targeting limit by 100 hp.
3rd Level Spells
Cause Fear
Combat Boon
Make a basic melee attack. If the attack hits, you or one conscious nearby ally can roll a save against a save ends effect.
If you score a critical hit with the combat boon attack, the subsequent save automatically succeeds.
One nearby conscious ally can roll a save even if your attack misses.
Divine Endurance
You can cast this spell for power or for broad effect.
One nearby ally gains 40 temporary hit points.
Choose up to three nearby creatures (including you); each target gains 20 temporary hit points.
Judgment
The spell now deals half damage on a miss.
The spell is now recharge 16+ after battle instead of daily.
Mighty Healing
You can cast this spell for power or for broad effect.
One nearby ally can heal using a single recovery and regain double the usual number of hit points.
Choose up to three nearby creatures (including you); each target can heal using a recovery.
This spell is now a close-quarters spell.
Strength of the Gods
You can cast this spell for power or for broad effect.
One nearby ally deals +2d8 damage with melee attacks this battle.
Choose up to three nearby creatures (including you); each target deals +1d8 damage with melee attacks this battle.
5th Level Spells
Crisis of Faith
For the rest of this battle, all enemies near you with 100 hp or fewer take a penalty to their Mental Defense equal to your Charisma modifier. Whenever one of those enemies misses with an attack roll, it takes holy damage equal to double your level.
Sphere of Radiance
You or one nearby ally can heal using a free recovery. Then make the following attack.
7th Level Spells
Circle of Protection
Choose a defense: AC, PD, or MD. For the rest of the battle while you are conscious, you and each ally near you gains a +1 bonus to that defense. Each enemy that misses you or one of your nearby allies with an attack against the defense you chose is hampered until the end of its next turn.
The spell is now (recharge 16+) after battle instead of daily.
Resurrection
You can cast this spell only once per level, and a limited number of times in your life. You must have most of the corpse available to cast the spell. There's no time limit on resurrecting a dead PC, so long as you have the corpse.
You can bring a creature back to life in more or less normal condition, with varying levels of recovery.
Limited Casting: The first time in your life that you use the spell, you can cast it with a single standard action. Using the spell removes one of your spell slots until you gain a level. (You get one less spell per full heal-up.) The person you are resurrecting comes back at roughly half strength, e.g. expending half their recoveries, being dazed (save ends), and, for each ability, having a 50% chance that it is expended.
The second time in your life you cast the spell, it takes at least three or four rounds and costs you roughly half your hit points and daily powers/spells. The person you are resurrecting comes back at something like one-quarter strength.
The third time you cast the spell it has to be as a ritual. The spell chews you up and leaves you with only a few hit points, then gnaws at the person you have resurrected, who takes days to recover well enough to qualify as an adventurer or combatant.
The fourth time you cast the spell it nearly kills you. The resurrection succeeds but the person you've resurrected is going to be a mess for a month or more, regardless of any other magic you use.
The fifth time you resurrect someone, that's the end of your story and you die. There's only a 50% chance that the resurrection spell works on the target. You've used up your quota of resurrection magic. You're not coming back via this spell, either.
Limited Resurrection: If the target of your resurrection spell has been resurrected more times than you have cast the spell, there is a 50% chance that the experience will play out using their higher number of resurrections instead of the number of times you have cast the spell.
9th Level Spells
Overworld Travel
You must cast this spell outdoors. It enables you and a group of nearby allies to travel to most any location in the world that you can name.
Travel takes between an hour and a day, depending on distance and the amount of effort the exerted.
The destination can be in the overworld or in the land. It can't be in the underworld.
Prayer for Readiness
You utter a powerful prayer upon your comrades, giving each a special blessing. At any point later this battle, each blessed ally can acknowledge the blessing by saying 'thank you' to your god, gods, or pantheon as a free action to reroll a d20 roll. That ally must take the reroll result.
Note that you are giving the blessing and don't receive it yourself.
This spell is now a quick action to cast.