Divine Domain
"Do you really think She cares what bread you give out to the masses, what deeds you do under their spotlight? No. All that matters to the gods is who you are in the dark."
-- Mynura Deicunm, Keeper of the Closed Door.
Darkness Domain
Unlike the light which shines on the faces of a lucky few, the dark is destined to be there for all. It is the slate of creation and the cold ashes at its end. Boundless. Endless. Generous.
The clerics of these deities are not necessarily as cruel or as cold as some consider the night. They are patient. They are confident that, after everything else has faded, even the other gods, their own will be waiting for them. Those of a more open mind value the darkness as a key to celestial balance, recognising the power and beauty in the dance of night and day; yin and yang; waking and dreaming. And there are still others who bow to blackness as nihilism, casting their souls into an infinite void. Deities of this domain include Lolth, Nerull, Tharizdun, Thautam, Shao, Nyx, Ratri, Breksta, as well as Tezcatlipoca and the Lords of the Night.
Domain Spells
You gain domain spells at the cleric levels listed in the Darkness Domain Spells table. See the Divine Domain class feature for how domain spells work.
| CLERIC LEVEL |
SPELLS |
|---|---|
| 1st | sleep, sanctuary |
| 3rd | darkness, silence |
| 5th | nondetection, hunger of hadar |
| 7th | shadow of moil, faithful hound |
| 9th | dream, wall of force |
Nocturnal Reward
When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain darkvison out to 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, its range increases by 30 feet.
In addition, the amount of sleep you require each day is halved.
Penumbra Walk With Me
Also at 1st level, the shadow you cast opens into an even deeper darkness. When a friendly creature moves within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to enrich their shadow by tying it to your own for 1 minute. As long as the creature remains within 60 feet of you, its shadow obscures its actions. The next time the shadowed creature targets an enemy with an attack or grapple, they do so with advantage, and then the effect ends.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Channel Divinity: Sunset
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to clothe yourself and others in a portion of the cloak of night.
As an action, you present your holy symbol and unfold a 20-foot-radius billowing sphere of darkness around one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. A creature with darkvision cannot see through this darkness, and any magical or non-magical light sources within the sphere are instantly snuffed out. Additionally, each hostile creature within the sphere must make a Wisdom saving throw. A creature takes cold damage equal to 2d8 + your cleric level on a failed saving
throw, and becomes frightened of the source of darkness.
The effect lasts until the end of your next turn, or until dispelled by a new magical light source.
The Longest Night
Beginning at 6th level, when you cast a domain spell of 2nd level or higher using a spell slot, you regain one expended spell slot. The slot you regain must be of a level lower than the spell you cast and can't be higher than 5th level.
Creeping Penumbra
Also at 6th level, the shadows at your back grow longer. As a bonus action, you may expend two uses of your Penumbra Walk With Me feature to grant one creature you can see within 5 feet of you proficiency in Stealth checks for 1 minute.
Potent Spellcasting
Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.
Full Dark
At 17th level, your diety grants you a brief glimpse into the bottomless void. You can no longer be frightened or put to sleep by magic.
You also bring back with you a deep secret of the black beyond. If you spend at least 1 minute in meditation and prayer, you can pull all light within 240 feet of you into an open well of darkness centered on your shadow. You can meditate in this way for a number of minutes equal to your Wisdom score and must maintain concentration during that time, as if you were concentrating on a spell. Dim light in the area effected becomes darkness, and bright light becomes dim light. Sounds are faintly muffled and all color is leeched from the area, leaving only shades of gray. Stealth checks within the area of effect cannot suffer from disadvantage.
In addition, a number of friendly creatures up to your Wisdom modifier that you choose within the area of effect can't be targeted by divination magic or seen through scrying for the duration.
Once you use this feature, you must complete a long rest before you can do so again.
Concept by u/Pixel_Engine
Art Credits spitpainting & Pexels Library
Other subclasses in this series
Barbarian
Bard
