Priest

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Overview & Creation

He watches as his allies face off against a mighty foe. A barrier of light surrounds the woman in plate armor. The blows from the beast seem to be reflected off the glowing shield. The plate-wearer is unfazed by the attack and pushes the enemy back. Shadows flicker around an elf covering his entire body and garments. He points out a finger and a monster stops in its tracks, eyes glazed over and unseeing.   Light shines from the eyes of a dwarf as he reaches out to a comrade, both of them enveloped in light. Her ally stands up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.   Priests are devoted to the spiritual, and express their unwavering faith by serving the people. They have left behind the confines of their temples and the comfort of their shrines so they can support their allies in war-torn lands. In the midst of terrible conflict, no hero questions the value of the priestly orders. These masters of the healing arts keep their companions fighting far beyond their normal capacities with an array of restorative powers and blessings. The divine forces at the priest’s command can also be turned against foes, smiting them with holy fury.   As light cannot exist without darkness, and darkness without light, some priests tap into shadow to better understand their own abilities, as well as the abilities of those who threaten them.  

The Light and the Void

  In the very beginning of time, before even the cosmos existed, there was only the Light and the Void. Only the light existed as an unfettered, shifting ocean of living energy, but as some of its energies faded and dimmed, pockets of cold nothingness were created. From the absence of Light in these space, a new power coalesced and came to be--the Void--a dark and vampiric force driven to devour all energy, to twist creation inward to feed on itself. The Void quick grew and moved again the Light. The tension between the two forces ignited a series of explosions that ruptured the fabric of creation, giving birth to the physical universe.   The Light is the source of all life in the universe. The powers of the Light can be harnessed to heal, cleanse, protect, or harm. Most who follow the Light are devoted to cleansing the universe of darkness. However, the Light is not necessarily "good", it is a primal force with its mortality.   The Void is destruction and madness. It can be a source of power, but with a price. The Void is not necessarily "evil", as it depends on how it is wielded. Those who use the Void may slowly go to madness.   Some priests either embrace one side or learn how to balance between them.  

Healing and Preservation

  While the priest has a variety of protective and enhancement spells to aid their allies, they can also wreak havoc on their enemies by using the powers of the Light to smite and purge them or the devastating powers of the Void to destroy their minds. The priest is highly diverse, powerful, and highly desirable in any group.  

Creating a Priest

  As you create a priest, think about which path you wish to follow--the Light, the Void, or the hard path between--and which deity to serve. Appendix B includes lists of many of the gods of the multiverse. Check with your DM to learn which deities are in your campaign. Once you've chosen, what is your priest's relationship with the god? Did you serve in a temple or out in the field? Are you considered a troublemaker or a hero by your fellow conclave? Does your god have an ultimate goal for you? Are you striving to prove yourself? What are your goals?  

Quick Build

  You can make a Priest quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. If you plan to be one with the Shadow, make Intelligence your next-best score. Second, choose the acolyte backgrounds.

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Class Features

The Priest Table

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	Holy Aegis, Priesthood Path, Spellcasting	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Divine Meditation, Divine Smite	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Priesthood feature	3	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	—	4	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Priesthood feature	4	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	—	4	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	—	4	4	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+4	Priesthood feature	5	4	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+4	Divine Wrath	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	+5	—	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
14th	+5	Ability Score Improvement, Priesthood feature	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
15th	+5	—	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
17th	+6	—	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	Improved Divine Wrath	5	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	Priesthood feature	5	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Holy Aegis

  You have learned to protect yourself with the divine energies of your faith. As long as you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield, your Armor Class is 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.  

Priesthood Path

At 1st level, you have the choice of three paths: Light, Shadow, or practice Disciple between the two, all detailed at the end of the class descriptions.   Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 3rd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 20th.  

Divine Meditation

You have learned to regain some of your energy by reading over your libram and meditating in prayer. Once per day when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your priest level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher.   For example, if you're a 4th-level priest, you can recover up to two levels worth of spell slots. You can recover either a 2nd-level spell slot or two 1st-level spell slots.  

Divine Smite

Beginning at 2nd level, you can expend divine energy to empower your basic attacks and magic. Whenever you deal damage to a creature, you can expend one priest spell slot to deal extra radiant (if you chose the Light priesthood), necrotic (if you chose the Shadow priesthood), or force (if you chose to Disciple between the two priesthoods) damage to a single target. The extra damage is 2d6 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d6 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d6.   This additional radiant damage is increased by 1d6 when used on a fiend or undead, force damage is increased by 1d6 against a construct or undead, necrotic damage is increased by 1d6 against a celestial or plant creature, and psychic damage is increased by 1d6 against an aberration or monstrosity. You cannot use this feature if you have already expended a spell slot of 1st-level or higher on your turn.  

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

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Starting Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
• (a) a component pouch or (b) a holy symbol
• (a) a priest's pack or (b) an explorer's pack

 

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Spellcasting

As a wielder of divine power, you can cast priest spells. See chapter 10 for general rules of spellcasting and the priest list (see the last page).

Cantrips

  At 1st level, you know 3 cantrips of your choice from the priest spell list. You learn additional cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Priest table.  

Libram

  At 1st level, you have a libram containing six 1st-level priest spells of your choice. Your libram is the reflections of your faith and a repository of spells you know, except your cantrips, which are fixed in your minds.  

Preparing and Casting Spells

  The Priest table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.   You prepare the list of cleric and abjuration spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the priest spell list. When you do so, choose a number of priest spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your priest level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.   For example, if you are a 3rd-level priest, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.   You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of priest spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Your Libram

  Your libram is effectively your spellbook. The spells that you add to your libram as you gain levels reflect your insights regarding the secrets of the powers you serve. You may find other spells during your adventures.   Reflections on your diety. When you find a priest spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your libram if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to reflect on your faith.   Reflecting on your faith involves meditation, prayer, and scribing in your insights. You will need to look deep within yourself to pull the divine power out, then transcribe it into your libram using your own notation.   For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50gp. The cost represents material components you expend during your meditation and prayer, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.   Replacing the Libram. You can copy your reflections from your own libram to another book for example if you want to make a backup copy of your libram. This is just like copying a new spell into your libram, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notations and already know how to cast the spell. You need to spend only 1 hour and 10gp for each level of the copied spell.   The Book's Appearance. Your libram is a unique compilation of spells and insight, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume you received as a gift from the high priest, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous libram in a mishap.

Spellcasting Ability

  Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your priest spells. The power of your spells comes from your divine power within. You use your Wisdom whenever a priest spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a priest spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.  

Ritual Casting

  You can cast a priest spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.  

Spellcasting Focus

  You can use a holy symbol (found in chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook) as a spellcasting focus for your priest spells.   Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher   Each time you gain a priest level, you can reflect and inscribe your insight into your libram two times for free. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spells slots, as shown in the Priest table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your libram (See the "Your Libram" sidebar).

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Subclass Options

The priesthood is a sect of the cleric faith that follows unconventional paths. They are still influenced by their deity, but instead is the Light or Void side of that domain. While different deities lend themselves more readily to one of the paths or another, one of the more remarkable aspects is how all can channel divine energy to protect, heal, or harm.

The Light

After spending much of their lives in temples studying ancient doctrine, preaching the tenets of their faith, and pledging their full devotion to the divine powers they follow, the most adept priests leave their houses of worship to serve on the battlefield, as shepherd to flock. There, they use their holy powers to bless allies and mend wounds. And while most stay behind the front lines to aid their comrades, these holy champions are also capable of smiting foes and carrying out sacred justice. They’re also morally opposed to the use of Shadow and Void magic—rather, they are exemplars of the incredible grace and power of the divine and the Light, and even death cannot fully stop their healing capabilities.

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The Void

The Light in which many priests bathe is brilliant and effervescent, granting them immense divine power. But the brightest light casts the darkest shadow—and from within this blackness, a rival power dwells. Shadow priests fully embrace this opposing polarity, their faith equally resolute as their holy counterparts—but focused on shadowy magic and mental manipulation. Like all priests, they dedicate much of their lives to worship—but they derive their power from the Void, straying dangerously close to the domain of the Old Gods. To truly understand such ancient, corruptive influence is to be driven mad. This is the state in which these dark priests thrive, embracing insanity and feeding off of the minds of their opponents to reach terrifying new limits.

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The Disciplined

Some priests pride themselves on pragmatism. They understand that light casts a shadow, that darkness is defined by light, and that true discipline stems from one’s ability to balance these opposing powers in services of a greater cause. While these priests possess many holy virtues to aid their allies, they also dabble in the dark arts to debilitate their enemies—always exercising immense discipline to keep themselves away from the brink of insanity. Many would say the ends justify the means; scriptures both virtuous and vile should be studied and understood to protect the congregation.

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