More Domains, Please!

[Nugaot]

Cleric, the redheaded stepchild to the Favored Soul's prodigal son. Anything Cleric can do, FvS can do better. This is a sad state of affairs for what is this game's namesake's most powerful class. The defining trait of the Cleric is its Domain, granting spells and abilities another, lesser God's followers do not receive. DDO implemented domains for clerics several years ago now, though they still lag behind the favored soul. I present a three pronged suggestion to help remedy this.

Prong the first, allow for Clerics to pick up an additional Domain. This nearly doubles the potential variety of Clerics alone. Melee and ranged Clerics will be especially happy to have more choice in Domain selection.

Second, all those "Your x spells will use y Spell Power if it is higher. Your y spells will use x Spell Power if it is higher." abilities? Let them use the higher spell crit chance/multi as well. If you have multiple, e.g. fire = light, and electric = light, whichever has the highest spellpower/crit/multi will apply to all three spell types. Now Clerics can really shine at using a variety of spells without being too difficult to gear.

Third, add a whole bunch more Domains. There have been SO MANY updates since Domains were added. Various new spells have been created and old ones rebalanced, the ED system totally overhauled, 6 new archetypes (including a particularly nasty Cleric), and an entire new class with a brand new spell list to steal from. It's time to take a look at adding some more Domain options with all these amazing new synergies in mind. Here are just a few:

Pestilence Domain
Poison = Light SP
poison SP per cleric level
Can Turn Vermin
Level 5 SLA: Poison
Level 9 SLA: Poison Breath
Level 14 SLA: Insidious Spores

Travel Domain
1% divine move speed per 2 cleric levels (10% to 20)
15% action boost bonus to move speed to allies when turning
Level 5 SLA: Longstrider, Mass
Level 9 SLA: Dimension Door
Level 14 SLA: Teleport & Greater Teleport SLAs

Terror Domain
+1 Illusion DC at 2, 6, 12, 18.
Your turn undead applies a crushing despair effect to humanoids
Level 5: Doom SLA
Level 9: Scare SLA
Level 14: Phantasmal Killer SLA


Evil Domain (req. any nongood)
Negative = Evil SP
Your Turn Undead works on Humanoids (Human, Elf, Dwarf, etc.)
Level 5: Lesser death aura
Level 9: Animate Ally
Level 14: Negative Energy Burst

Forge Domain
Repair = Positive SP
Your Turn Undead works on Constructs
Level 2: Runearm Proficiency, Cleric levels count as Artificer levels for DC
Level 5: Repair Moderate
Level 9: Converter
Level 14: Reconstruct

Plant Domain
Force = Positive SP
Force SP per cleric level
Can Turn Plants
Level 5: shillelagh
Level 9: spike growth
Level 14: thorn wave

Earth Domain (redux)
Force = Light SP
Can Turn Elementals
2% bonus to AC per 2 cleric levels (Stacking +20% bonus at 20)
Level 5: Ablative Armor
Level 9: Stoneskin
Level 14: Earthquake

Acid Domain (Partially replacing the old Earth domain)
1 Conjuration DC at 2, 6, 12, 18.
Acid = Light
Can Turn Elementals
Upon turning allies gain Acid Resistance equal to twice your Cleric level for 20 seconds.
Acid per cleric level
Level 5: Melf's Acid Arrow
Level 9: Acid Rain
Level 14: Black Dragon Bolt

Grave Domain
1 Necro DC at 2, 6, 12, 18.
Undead you successfully turn are put under your control as though they were charmed
Level 5: Command Undead
Level 9: Control Undead
Level 14: Wail of the Banshee

Repose Domain
1 Necro DC at 2, 6, 12, 18.
Additional +1 per cleric level to turn undead
Level 5: Halt Undead
Level 9: Angelskin
Level 14: Undeath to Death

Wealth Domain
+2 Haggle per cleric level. Turning Undead near a chest applies the treaure finding effect from Dragonmark of Finding.
Level 5: Knock
Level 9: Greater Heroism
Level 14: Goldskin Potion

Pain Domain
Using Turn Undead gives you and your party a 20% bonus to Negative Amplification for 20 seconds. (no effect unless undead)
Level 5: Inflict Moderate
Level 9: Waves of Exhaustion
Level 14: Single target Inflict spells gain Empower for free

Music Domain
Sonic = Positive SP
+1 Perform per Cleric level
Can use bardic inspire courage using cleric level. Adds cleric levels as if they were bard levels if you have inspire courage from another source
Turn Undead has Fascinate effect to all effective targets (mind-effecting. can obtain more targets via spellsinger/fatesinger)
Level 5: Soundburst
Level 9: Shout
Level 14: Otto's Sphere of Dancing

Wisdom Domain (Req. Any Lawful)
Gains Ki progression (10*cleric level)+(WIS mod*5), centered with favored weapon (otherwise normal centering rules apply. does not gain handwraps automatically.)
Turn undead grants 10 ki per target successfully turned or destroyed
Level 5: Ki Bolt
Level 9: Incinerating Wave
Level 14: Cauldron of Flame
(SLAs work with all metamagics, scales on melee power)

Weather Domain
Turning grants +1 stacking elemental resistance to all allies per cleric level
Fire = Lightning SP
Level 5: Gust of Wind
Level 9: Call Lightning Storm
Level 14: Stormrage

(Please feel free to suggest more, these are fun to come up with!)

Combined with the first two ideas, this allows for a massive increase in potential total Clerics. Cleric is a diverse class, representing virtually every aspect of the Gods. It's time to embrace that diversity. It's time to see the Cleric icon in your party and think "I wonder what flavor this one will be", and leave the garden variety, light and fire nuker healbottery to the Favored Souls. Let's make Cleric great!

[Enoach]

I'm all for more domains

I wonder if the reason multiple domain choices were not implemented because of the way domains operated in 3.5, in that you didn't get all spells of both domains, you had to pick which domain for that spell levels and because different domains created in DDO didn't add spell choices but did other features.

If they can implement that system, it would be closer to the original rules. Not against it.

However, my opinion is that clerics would be better off if there wasn't a specific set of spells where you could just set and forget and work in "all" situations. This is the advantage of casters that can switch their spells. But this would require adding more spells.

[Nugaot]

I'm all for more domains

I wonder if the reason multiple domain choices were not implemented because of the way domains operated in 3.5, in that you didn't get all spells of both domains, you had to pick which domain for that spell levels and because different domains created in DDO didn't add spell choices but did other features.

If they can implement that system, it would be closer to the original rules. Not against it.

However, my opinion is that clerics would be better off if there wasn't a specific set of spells where you could just set and forget and work in "all" situations. This is the advantage of casters that can switch their spells. But this would require adding more spells.

It's a strong hypothesis. I also wonder if the 5e Cleric influenced the design at all. I certainly agree about the size of the Cleric's spell list. 3.5's Cleric spell list and Domains were also full of role play and exploration based spells that don't really have a place in DDO's design. I hope in lieu of an expanded spell list that 2 Domains worth of SLAs could make up the difference.