wizo The cleric features in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything are extremely powerful. The optional features and the Divine Domains are blatantly powerful, but that might not be an issue.
The cleric features in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything give new options for clerics that do not add too much to the cleric’s strength. This is because clerics are already extremely powerful. So powerful that if a broken subclass appeared they would just take it in stride.
Clerics are already an extremely powerful class, but the expansive options provided in Tasha’s will make almost any cleric player want this book.
Cleric Optional Class Features
The cleric features in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything give the cleric more options, but not too much more overall power. There are some that seemed far too powerful at first, but upon reflection, these class features do not truly add much to a cleric’s strength. Still, if you are wondering if you should use Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, then check out our review on it and see if the book is right for your game!
Extra Spells:
This is expected. Clerics should get extra spells like any other class and these are not new spells that will break the game.
Harness Divine Power:
Upon first reading, this optional feature seems extremely overpowered. “Clerics can now get spell slots back like wizards? No, BETTER THAN WIZARDS??!?!!?” That is what this seemed like at first glance, but think about what many channel divinities give. Some give absolutely insane abilities that could heal more than any prayer of healing could. That is why this isn’t completely busted, but since clerics have most of the time 2 channel divinities it is up to the DM if this is even a good idea. I am a bit torn, but for you, this ability might be a bit too much. It rewards clerics for not using what they have and just makes every other class mad, so if your players aren’t actively using everything this probably should be a pass for you and your group.
Cantrip Versatility:
This is fairly standard for the casters in this book. Being able to switch cantrips every 4 levels is not a bad idea. It lets players experiment more and gives an option to change cantrips when one just isn’t working out for you or your group.
Blessed Strikes:
This lets you get the best of both worlds. Extra damage on spells or melee, but at a cost. Your spell damage is 1d8 extra instead of +5. +5 is better than 1d8, and this extra damage doesn’t have an increase at level 14 like other melee divine smites give. You can home rule that this feature gains an extra 1d8 at level 14 to go to 2d8, but that is EXTREMELY overpowered. Keeping it as is makes the player get reduced damage, but an assurance to make damage happen every single turn if they want! This is maybe worth the exchange, and provides an interesting dilemma for your players to think about when customizing their characters.
Subclasses
The cleric features in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything gives you three new subclasses to toy with. Three! That is the most of any class and each of these subclasses are extremely powerful.
- Order-Become a clutch player and break the game when you need to.
- Peace-You are a mix of healing and buffing. Your abilities can also with the right combo break the game.
- Twilight-Potentially one of the best supports in the game.
Due to the description of these subclasses you might think that the cleric subclasses in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything are overpowered beyond belief! While this may be true, almost every single subclass for cleric (Tasha’s or not) tends to be kind of overpowered.
These new subclasses known as Divine Domains just provide a new way to play the cleric class. There isn’t really a cleric subclass that is better than every other one. They are all so good that these new classes are a great addition to the list of domains that clerics can chose from!
We will now go into describing what features you get with each Domain and giving our opinions on how good each feature is. We will not go over the extra spells you get for each domain since this is just a flavor variant that every cleric gets.
Order Domain
Bonus Proficiencies:
Most bonus proficiencies give you heavy armor or at most heavy armor and martial weapons. This set of bonus proficiencies are unique since they give you heavy armor and a skill. You can either get persuasion or intimidation which are always nice additions to have.
Voice of Authority:
Whenever you cast a 1st level spell or higher on an ally, they can use their reaction to attack an enemy. On its own, this already seems powerful. Most classes are always trying to get more attacks in. Feats like Sentinel are great since they give extra attacks, but what if we can make someone else get extra attacks for massive damage? Barbarians or fighters with two-handed weapons are already a great idea, but what about rogues? Giving them an extra sneak attack a turn is extremely powerful, and this if used correctly can destroy any encounter. Especially if you work with a rogue to use this on them a majority of the time.
Channel Divinity: Order’s Demand:
You can charm everyone within 30ft, make them drop their weapons, and become your best friends. This is extremely powerful in combat and can win a fight. The fact that enemies don’t roll advantage against this effect in combat makes it the most likely way to successfully charm enemy combatants, which is quite powerful! This feature is dependent upon you the player and your DM, but there is a lot of promise in this feature.
Embodiment of the Law:
You can make an enchantment spell take up a bonus action instead of a main action. This feature is limited by your wisdom modifier, but it is still a clutch skill. You can heal and make the rogue get an extra sneak attack! Rarely will it really be needed, but when it is this ability can save the party or kill your enemies. Possibly, this ability could do both!
Divine Strike:
The same Divine strike that everyone gets, but its damage is psychic.
Order’s Wrath:
When you whack someone, your allies can deal extra damage to them. This seems okay at first, but then you have to consider that this cleric subclass only gets 1 attack per turn. There are no extra attacks, and if you are using your main action to attack you might be doing something wrong. A pretty bad level 17 ability, but the rest of the class easily makes up for it.
Peace Domain
Implement of Peace:
You gain proficiency in the Insight, Performance, or Persuasion skill (your choice). Not much else to say here except that more proficiencies are never a bad thing.
Emboldening Bond:
This is a complex and extremely powerful version of bless. For 10 minutes, your proficiency bonus amount of creatures get bless if they are within 30 ft of another recipient of Emboldening Bond. For Bless is normally 1 minute and concentration. It is an extremely good spell, and you have it for 10 minutes without needing to concentrate on it. If you want, just add another bless to make level 1 characters gain 2d4 to attack rolls, ability checks, or saving throws. You can also do this as many times as your proficiency bonus allows. This gives you free blesses on steroids every long rest, which makes this a very strong ability.
Channel Divinity: Balm of Peace:
You now can move your movement without provoking attacks of opportunity and heal each creature you come in contact with for 2d6+wisdom modifier. This means if you have a party of 5 that you can heal with an 18 wisdom score 24-64 hit points in one turn! If you don’t want to do this in combat, you can do it outside of combat or before a short rest. This alone is ridiculous and possibly even better healing than even the life domain gives.
Protective Bond:
If an ally with Emboldening Bond would be struck, and you also have Emboldening Bond, you can use your reaction to teleport to them and soak the damage. A really good ability if you pair a raging barbarian with a squishy class like a wizard. Hard to pull off in combat, but it might be effective. Outside of combat you could use this to pass obstacles and frustrate your DM!
Potent Spellcasting:
Your wisdom modifier applies to cantrip damage. Same as any other cleric who has this.
Expansive Bond:
The theme of the Peace cleric has been to strengthen the Emboldening Bond that your party members share. This make s that bond powerful for everybody. The range extends to 60 ft, and when you use Protective Bond you also gain resistance to that damage! This can save a party member and make your party split the damage up so much that they are almost impossible to kill.
Twilight Domain
Bonus Proficiencies:
You gain proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor. Fairly standard, but still very good.
Eyes of Night:
You now have godly darkvision. You can see 300ft in the dark and can extend this to a party member. This can be extremely useful and negate the penalty that some races suffer for other great perks. Like humans, halflings, dragonborn, etc.
Vigilant Blessing:
Your third level one ability makes someone have permanent advantage in initiative checks. After you are done with combat, you give someone this blessing again to make sure they will always have advantage since there is no limit! Great for classes that need quick initiative like Assassins rogues or Gloomstalker rangers.
Channel Divinity: Twilight Sanctuary:
This is probably the best hp bonus you can get with a channel divinity. Peace cleric heals 24-68 hp with 18 wisdom, but you can at any wisdom score for a party of 5 soak 50-300 damage! This is theoretical, but your Twilight Sanctuary can do a lot. Either you give each creature you want in your 30ft sphere 1d6 temp hp or end a charmed/frightened state. A very good channel divinity that can be used extremely well.
Steps of Night:
In dim light or darkness, you can fly for 1 minute. This ability is limited based on your proficiency bonus, but wow! It is extremely good to have an on the command ability to fly. It is conditional and only for 1 minute, but being able to fly for free at 6th level is an extremely good ability! Especially for a cleric. If you are only facing melee enemies, you can keep healing and almost never die. This is not even touching on the out of combat utility that you can gain. Once again, quite impressive.
Divine Strike:
The same Divine strike for every other cleric.
Twilight Shroud:
Your shroud now gives half cover to all allies (and yourself) in the sphere. A great extra addition, and +2 AC can always make a difference. For a level 17 ability it is somewhat weak, but still isn’t bad or worthless.
Conclusion
The cleric features in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything are a great addition for most games out there! Clerics are already so powerful that giving them other powerful subclasses doesn’t make the game more distorted than it already is.
While these cleric subclasses might be some of the most powerful out there, they each have their own flavor and conditions in order to be that powerful. The same can be said with the optional features. Most just give more options. These options are necessarily good or bad. They have pros and cons while also letting clerics have more choice without gaining new abilities or features for free. The channel divinity for spell slots option might be a bit much, but that is the only optional feature that might be negative.
Overall, the cleric features in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything are a great addition to the cleric class!
I hope that this has helped you understand the cleric a bit better in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.
This has been Wizo, and keep rolling!
Find us on Twitch:
https://www.twitch.tv/levelupcornergm
Find us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWNkoo0iRoysNdlkWZdfnrQ
Want to support our creators? Find our Patreon here:
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=38126155
Related posts:
