The Cleric in Dungeons & Dragons gathers much of their Divine Powers from the gods they worship within the campaign setting. As a result, D&D Clerics bridge the gap between the mortal and celestial realms, with interesting repercussions for the game story. Moreover, the nature of Clerics as celestial "avatars" make them quite ideal for parties who want to be heavily-involved in grandiose plots and world-shaking events.
Additionally, Clerics organize themselves amongst Domains that correspond to unique flavors and themes their gods represent. Interestingly, Domains also provide Clerics with unique power sources and imbue them with mystical abilities. As a result, certain Clerics bash with divine fury just as well as they grant divine favor unto others. However, which Domains fit players best?
10 Choose: Forge Domain
Clerics of the Forge Domain follow gods with a penchant for forging their own destinies, often responsible for the mightiest of weapons and hardiest of armors. In turn, Clerics get imbued with their fighting strength, with Spells such as Searing Smite, Heat Metal, and Protection of Energy cementing their role as defenders of the party. Unlike other Domains, the Forge Domain places Clerics in the position to both offer support and firepower in the front lines.
Moreover, the Bonus Proficiencies towards heavy armor greatly bolsters the defenses of the Forge Domain Cleric. Moreover, the additional AC offerings of Blessing of the Forge and Soul of the Forge add to the sheer potency of the Forge Domain. In turn, this makes a great Domain for Clerics who want to be just as vicious in the front lines.
9 Ignore: Arcana Domain
Clerics worshipping gods of magic and knowledge often receive blessings in the form of arcane potency. In turn, Clerics of the Arcana Domain often "borrow" traits from Wizards - potentially transforming Clerics into great offensive spellcasters as well. Their Domain Spells immediately transform Clerics into miniature Wizards. Moreover, Detect Magic, Magic Missile, Dispel Magic, and Magic Circle also offer great utility options. Moreover, Arcane Initiate grants them more Wizard Spells, Arcane Abjuration can banish extraplanar creatures, and Spell Breaker can disable magic effects alongside healing.
However, despite the versatility of the Arcana Domain, this might not be ideal for Clerics who want to focus on healing and support. Rather, this Domain fits parties that lack both a healer and a versatile spellcaster, which can be rare.
8 Choose: Life Domain
Clerics of the Life Domain focus on bringing life towards all living things, making them unparalleled forces of healing. Technically-speaking, all features under the Life Domain work well with healers. For instance, Spells such as Bless, Cure Wounds, Revivify, and Mass Cure Wounds can become life-savers for the party. Moreover, Disciple of Life, Blessed Healer, and Supreme Healing transform almost any healing spell into its most potent versions.
As a result, the Life Domain easily trumps other Domains in terms of healing potential. Despite the lack of combat options, the Domain's arsenal of powerful healing Spells make them a must-have for any healer.
7 Ignore: Death Domain
Clerics under the Death Domain represent the forces of death and undeath, which in turn makes them akin to Diablo's Necromancers and their attachment to the Great Balance. The Death Domain's aggressive nature focuses on dealing Necrotic Damage and removing resistances against it. For instance, Spells such as False Life, Ray of Sickness, Animate Death, Vampiric Touch, and Death Ward grant great offensive options to the Cleric. Moreover, Reaper, Touch of Death, and Inescapable Destruction can deal debilitating Necrotic Damage against most foes.
Unfortunately, the highly-offensive Death Domain does have a huge lack of buffing opportunities. Moreover, its Bonus Proficiency for martial weapons won't make a huge difference for Cleric weapons. In turn, Death Domain makes for great offensive spellcasters but not much for healing.
6 Choose: Light Domain
Clerics of the Light Domain uphold the ideals of vigilance, truth, renewal, and rebirth. In turn, they use the radiance of the Celestial to strike fear in the heart of foes and bolster the morale of their allies. In terms of Domain Spells, the Light Domain has Burning Hands, Scorching Ray, Fireball, and Wall of Fire - all attuned to the flames of justice.
Moreover, options such as Bonus Cantrip, Warding Flare, and Potent Spellcasting easily bolster the Light Domain's potential damage and utility options. Clerics who want to have the power to hit single targets and multiple targets should choose Light Domain.
5 Ignore: Knowledge Domain
Clerics of the Knowledge Domain cherish knowledge that is gathered, learned, and shared throughout the rest of the world. These Clerics relish in their gods' promise of knowledge pertaining to the multiverse, with much of their gifts derived from their desire to gather information. Their Spells such as Command, Identify, Suggestion, and Speak With Dead all signify their skillset when it comes to gathering information - be it through magical, mundane, or even bordering metagaming. Additionally, Knowledge of the Ages and Read Thoughts greatly add to the Cleric's utility options outside combat.
Unfortunately, the Knowledge Domain works best from a non-combat standpoint. Moreover, this Domain's options benefit story-focused campaigns or finding ancient artifacts. Sadly, the sheer lack of healing options make them unideal for parties that need healers.
4 Choose: Order Domain
Clerics of the Order Domain reinforce justice, logic, and discipline to maintain a just and fair society. In turn, their gods' blessings come in the form of features that command order and respect from both allies and foes alike. For instance, their Domain Spells of Command, Heroism, Hold Person, Zone of Truth, and Mass Healing Word all represent their attachment to respect and order.
Translated into combat, the Order Domain works great for Clerics who want to stay within the front lines. Bonus Proficiencies towards heavy armor make Order Domain Clerics great tanks and support. Meanwhile, Voice of Authority, Embodiment of Law, and Order's Wrath can help the Cleric and their party deal massive damage to almost any kind of threat.
3 Ignore: Nature Domain
Clerics of the Nature Domain fall in favor to gods who want to protect nature itself - be it nature as it evolved today, or the most ancient of civilizations. This element reflects greatly in their Domain Spells, with examples such as Animal Friendship, Barkskin, Spike Growth, and Plant Growth. Moreover, Acolyte of Nature makes Nature Domain quite align with Druids. Moreover, Dampel Elements and Divine Strike can imbue their damage options. These options make Nature Domain Clerics great partners for the versatile Ranger.
Unfortunately, despite the Nature Domain's affinity with various flora and fauna across the lands seem a bit lacking in terms of any useful benefits. For instance, their Domain Spells tend to be situational. Moreover, Master of Nature might command animals and plants - but useful animals around 17th-level are few and far between.
2 Choose: Peace Domain
Clerics of the Peace Domain prioritize the kindhearted and the friendly, and often preside over disputes and treaties. In turn, their gods bless them with abilities that reinforce these bonds. Their Domain Spells such as Heroism, Sanctuary, Aid, and Warding Bond all focus on bolstering the morale of allies and improving their performance. As a result, the Peace Domain's abilities can easily help the party fight the fiercest of foes.
For instance, Emboldening Bond, Protective Bond, and Expansive Bond easily benefits from various perks. In turn, Peace Domain Clerics allow their allies to boost their damage, teleport when attacked, or even gain resistance to damage. Additionally, these benefits easily
1 Ignore: Trickery Domain
Clerics of the Trickery Domain believe that chaos remains necessary to keep the world going. In turn, their gods love deception, pranks, and subterfuge - all of which remain qualities that reflect in the Cleric's abilities. Their Domain Spells include Disguise Self, Charm Person, and Mirror Image - all emphasizing illusions. Interestingly, abilities such as Blessing of the Trickster, Invoke Duplicity, and Cloak of Shadows also transform Clerics into miniature Rogues.
Unfortunately, the Trickery Domain's abilities themselves aren't helpful in a lot of situations. Moreover, they have a lack of buff and healing Spells that make them inefficient support units. In a way, they work best as substitutes for the stereotypical Bard or Rogue - but not as potent as them as well.