Human War Domain Cleric Build Guide
With the Human's versatile bonus feat and the War Domain's martial prowess, you can build a formidable, heavily armored front-line striker from level one.
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Why War Domain?
The War Domain Cleric transforms the traditional holy healer into a devastating front-line striker. Armed with heavy armor and martial weapons, you will lead the charge. To excel in this role, the Human's Versatile trait is a game-changer. It grants you a free Origin feat at level 1, allowing you to pick up martial-friendly options like Tough to boost your hit points, giving you a massive head start on your combat career.
Additionally, your Resourceful trait grants you Heroic Inspiration after every long rest. This is incredibly valuable for a War Domain Cleric. When you are using your War Priest feature to make extra weapon attacks as a bonus action, having a reliable reroll in your pocket ensures your crucial strikes connect when the party needs them most.
Your primary stat is Wisdom, which powers both your spellcasting and your War Priest charges. While your Strength of 14 lets you swing weapons effectively, your high Wisdom ensures your spells hit hard. Combined with the extra skill from your Skillful trait, you will be a dominant force both in battle and during exploration.
War Domain Features
Guided Strike
Level 3When you or a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see misses with a weapon attack, you can use your Reaction to grant that attack a bonus to the attack roll equal to your Wisdom modifier.
War Domain Spells
Level 3Your connection to this divine domain ensures that you always have certain spells prepared.
War Priest
Level 3As a Bonus Action, you can make one weapon attack or an Unarmed Strike. When a weapon attack hits a creature, the target takes an extra 1d8 damage of the same type as the weapon damage.
War God's Blessing
Level 6You can expend one use of your Channel Divinity to grant a magical blessing. When a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see makes an attack roll, you can use your Reaction to add your Wisdom modifier to the attack roll.
Avatar of Battle
Level 17You gain Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage.
Recommended Ability Scores
Human Traits That Benefit War Domain Cleric
Versatile
A free Origin feat provides a meaningful boost to any Cleric build right from level 1.
Resourceful
Free Heroic Inspiration each long rest gives a reliable reroll for critical moments.
Skillful
An extra skill proficiency expands the Cleric's out-of-combat versatility.
Combat Effectiveness
| Level | HP | Melee DPR | Spell DPR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 5 | 33 | 3.9 | 7.8 |
| Level 11 | 69 | 3.58 | 10.18 |
| Level 17 | 105 | 3.58 | 13.2 |
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Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- ♦ War Domain grants Guided Strike at level 3
- ♦ Versatile spellcasting options
- ♦ Flexible build with room for customization
Weaknesses
- ♦ Low Dexterity means poor initiative and AC
- ♦ No Darkvision — may need light sources in dungeons
Pro Tips
Use your War Priest bonus attacks sparingly, as your limited charges are tied to your Wisdom modifier and only refresh on a long rest.
Combine Guided Strike with high-damage attacks or spell attacks to guarantee a hit against high-armor boss monsters.
Spend your Resourceful Heroic Inspiration on saving throws to maintain concentration on vital self-buff spells like Shield of Faith.
Leverage your heavy armor and martial weapon proficiencies to stand on the front lines, acting as a secondary tank for your party.
Other Cleric Subclasses for Human
Other Races for War Domain Cleric
Frequently Asked Questions
Is War Domain a good subclass for Human Cleric?
What makes War Domain different from other Cleric subclasses?
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