#cleric life domain

[aldryrththerainbowheart]

Goddess Eldath

Violence serves no end but to create more violence. There is a better way - let me show you.

Eldath is the guardian of groves, and her presence is felt wherever there is calm. She is also regard ed as a goddess of serenity, comfort, and healing. Any waters blessed by her are known to cure sickness and madness. They can also calm the dying, giving them peace and a natural passing.

Eldath is a pacifist who avoids hostile action, even if threatened. Although she, quiet, and enigmatic, Eldath is possessed of unknown depths of character and unexpressed resolve that cannot be broken. She meets challenges by strategically withdrawing, a course of action that in time always leads opponents to overextend into an untenable position in which their reinforcements have been converted to her side. Recently she has been suffering many attacks from Malar and his followers, with the People of the Black Blood despoiling several of her sacred pools.

Worshippers

In a world brimming with evil deities and their servants, ogres, goblins, warring nations, and other hostile forces, it is not surprising that Eldath's philosophy of peace and calm has failed to catch on. Still, legends speak of heroes who embraced the cause of Eldath and abandoned warfare forever. One race of beings who travel against the tide of war with Eldath are the ondonti, a pacifistic orcish race.

Eldathyns were organized into a simplistic hierarchy, where priests reported to a local high priest responsible for a realm or larger region. Most followers dwelt in quiet forest communities with open-air sacred places of worship or in woodside cottages, far from the baseness of city life; both often containing pools of placid water in unspoiled areas. They rarely ever engaged in open confrontation and always acted subtly and peacefully.

Her clergy often followed migratory patterns traveling from holy site to holy site in a local area. They took care of the holy sites and allied with the local druids who followed the First Circle, of which Eldath was considered a member. Violence of any kind against an Eldathan priest was considered taboo, and murdering one was said to bring extremely bad luck. Even so, most servants of Eldath preferred to avoid conflict rather than trying to pacify it because they understood that peace cannot be forced. They would happily preside over peaceful meetings and witness political treaties.

Many people came to Eldath for help in overcoming memories of a violent past. Sometimes this was a single event, and in other cases it was the accumulation of conflicts they had fought.

Eldathyn usually spend their lives tending unspoiled places to ensure that they survive and even flourish in the face of human and other depredations. Priests of Eldath replant burned areas, purge areas of plant diseases, construct boulder firebreaks, irrigate wooded areas, and clear streambeds to make rivulets flow more swiftly or create dams to slow runoff and encourage the life created by small pools. They even make bargains with nearby foresters to cut only in certain areas and leave other woodlands alone.

Clergy of Eldath are all taught to swim, and often teach this skill to nonbelievers in return for small offerings of food and coins.

Tenets of Faith

Eldath's dogma was pacifistic, and her followers only resorted to violence in defence of themselves, of their friends and loved ones, and of pools and groves. Worshipers of Eldath could be of any alignment, but priests were always non-evil. Druids that followed the Mother of the Waters remained neutral, while her specialty priests sometimes leaned toward good.

Devotion. My devotion to my god is more important to me than what they stand for.

Purity. Violence would stain my soul. I will not engage in it.

Protection. I will use my gifts to shield and heal those who cannot defend themselves.

Tutelage. No-one is beyond redemption. All can be shown the true way.

Mystery. There are secrets to be found in the deep silence of the Goddess. I crave them, and fear them.

Kinship. Truly, all living creatures are one. We should treat one another with respect and dignity.

Temples

Priests tend to worship and make pilgrimages to one of Eldath's nine sacred temple groves (also called fastnesses). However, small temples exist in or near great forests, and clerics tend to the surrounding community and woodlands.

Rituals

Clerics and druids of Eldath pray for their spells once per day at a time selected after great personal reflection. Prayers are usually made when bathing or floating in ponds or streams, when standing under waterfalls, and in small chambers, caves, or forest bowers given over to regular meditation.

Prayers must he performed upon awakening, at sunset, and at least once during the dark hours, and may be performed at any other rime as personally desired. In woodlands and remote wilderness areas, worship of the Green Goddess should be done unclad or as close to it as is possible in a given circumstance.

The only calendar-related ritual of Eldath, the Greening (Greengrass) is also the only regular gathering and festival of the priesthood. It is preceded by Firstflow, a festival held at different times in different locales as the ice-breaks up and the waters begin to flow.

Orders

The church of Eldath has a circle of a few peacewomen and peacemen who have formed a group known as the Arbitrators of the Quiet One. They freely go to areas of conflict and attempt to serve as mediators in longstanding disagreements that have led lo violent acts. They listen to both sides and try to find a middle ground without polarizing the issues through overt statements of moral judgment. They prefer to find resolutions that get at the heart of a problem so that once dealt with it does not flare up again in months or years.

The monastic order of Eldath is the Disciples of the Yielding Way, sometimes known as the Brothers and Sisters of the Open Palm. These monks guard sacred sites where many peacemen and peacewomen dwell and travel the countryside gathering information for isolated groves and fastnesses. They do not ever seek to provoke violence, hut arc quite deceptively deadly when defending themselves, their charges, and their holy sites.

The paladin knights order of the Forest Heart are rare and widespread and are generally found traveling as intermediaries between faithful within civilizations and those in deep forests. Despite following compassionate deities of protection, these members are not opposed to violence in the face of aggression and will actively seek out peaceful wilderness locations which have been spoiled, diseased, blighted, or otherwise damaged. Slaying anyone or anything would be avoided except in the direst of situations - though aberrations, Malarites, Talonites, and other great evils may find themselves facing the point of a sword more swiftly. When not protecting the forest’s peace, members preach of the benefits of nature and the peaceful relaxation of finding the perfect place to unwind and reflect. Paladins of this order may freely multiclass as rangers and scouts.

Eldaths's Favor

Eldath’s favour falls on those who have made exceptional provision for peace and mercy. Her gaze alights on mortals who hold life itself in the greatest esteem, and who consider violence to be the tool of a lost soul.

Eldath’s scions are often those who have the privilege of living away from situations in which violence is a hard necessity. Hermits in the deep wood and monks secluded in monasteries are common examples.

Why did Eldath choose you as their champion?

You displayed pacifist principles at great cost to yourself.

You spend a great deal of time in the deep of the woods and the goddess came to you in a dream.

You were gravely injured by the cruelty of another, and healed in a sacred spring.

You were once a violent and evil person, but you were changed by the kindness of another and Eldath took pity on you.

You have pondered all your life on the silent mysteries of creation.

You don’t know why the goddess chose you, and you don’t even WANT her judgmental brand of help.

EARNING PIETY

Solving a crisis through nonviolence

Healing or caring for the sick

Taking time alone to observe silence and meditation

LOSING PIETY

Violence except as a last resort (and even that requires absolution)

Causing chaos or a loud disturbance in the calm

[distressed-bird]

Kalina is the most interesting character to me because of all she has going on…

she is Cassandra’s familiar, she is simultaneously a pet and a friend and a servant and a family to a goddexx that is simultaneously her owner and friend and creator and parent and her god and reason to be—Kalina’s relationship to Cassandra is hard to put a name or label on (since what does being a familiar even mean?) but the bottomline is that this cat loves her deity enough to put everything and everyone on the line for her…

And adding in that she is a child of divorce. So to speak. I am extremely normal and haven’t been driven mad by the detail that baby itty bitty kitty Kalina was at Cassandra’s wedding to Ankarna and is remembered to have been toddling after her as she walked down the aisle…

Kalina will be the death of me /lh

[queen-scribbles]

I think my brother is a little excited about us potentially playing together, guys xD

[whoisnotmyname]

I realized the burn scar in BG3 would be perfect for Bash (He took a glyph of warding to the face in the campaign he was in. No amount of hellish fire resistance could've saved him) so that was a good enough reason to start a playthrough with him! Very excited to revamp his design. I'll need to figure out what armor set best works for him tho

[tildae]

(click for better quality)

Drew up some nice armor for my Life Domain Cleric, Tilly!

Designed around mountain aven flowers and opals in honor of her god.

[12pt-times-new-roman]

in case anyone needed proof that aura of vitality is the best healing spell in the game, here you go.

[blazingstar24]

There is something so wonderfully beautiful about the way Deanna embodies a life domain cleric.

Because yeah that’s the basic cleric domain, but Deanna doesn’t just worship the Dawnfather, she exudes a love for life itself. Hell, she rarely prays to ol’ Sunny D, but she sure put all her energy into the wonders of life.

She cooks for her friends, she makes them home cooked meals when they are roughed up. Pancakes and stew! She knits clothing for people, she shares her shawl to those in need of comfort. She wakes up early to cast death ward on people. Frida was drawn to her because of her laugh! Her joy, her wonder, her love of life is converted into divine cleric energy. Deanna’s faith is through all the little things.

In any other story Deanna would have been defined by death. She’s the wife who died in an adventurer’s backstory. She’s the life gone too soon. But this is not another story. This is Deanna’s story. And she acknowledges death. She has her own thoughts and traumas about what happened. But she chose life. She chose to start again. She woke up and said no. Death will not define her. She’s still got a lot more story to tell.

Deanna said she puts her faith in people. And in that sense, she worships life itself.

[rosapirog]

-Lambent-

[wizardnuke]

i love dnd..i love playing heavy utility/support/backfield and i love having three to six attacks in a turn and an insane ac. at heart im a support player ill get my hands on whatever we're missing in a group

[magewisdumb]

Shadowheart Smut Excerpt I thought of at work

Her incisors sink into your lip, biting you with the intent of control in mind. You lose yourself in her embrace and the Sharran tips you backwards, neck falling back, exposed under the moonlight. Shadowheart delights in defiling her maiden before her own goddess, the light of the moon cannot save her from the darkness, this intimate corruption. Her teeth sink themselves sharply into you neck, the air leaves your kiss-bruised lips as puffs of fog into the night. The lips at your neck curl into a smirk as a calloused hand roughly hikes up your silken pearl white gown up before slinking between your thighs. Shadowheart continues to leave harsh stinging bleeding bites down as the gown falls open to reveal your chest beneath, the blood starting to stain the gown lightly with your blood, and the sight couldn't satisfy the cleric enough. Her fingers trace the teasingly cruel around where you wanted them most, you gasp at the sharply as they dip lightly before pausing. The Sharran's shadowed green eyes meet yours, and her smile is stained with your blood. Her tongue darts and slowly swipes it across her teeth watching smugly as your gaze catches onto the motion with rapt urgency. Her fingers push into you, firm and rough curling aggressively and takes pleasure in watching your back arch, her arm holding you firm as you lean back and expose more of yourself to her. Your mouth opens and a choked cry of ecstasy rings out into the night, the moon could not hide from this sacrilege. Shadowheart returns her mouth on its path lowers, leaving bites across your chest, feeling your breathing stutter as she gives you a deliverance that Selune could never. She will turn you to the dark, by whatever dark conviction she has to resort to persuading you to Shar's side, just as she is.

Bonus under the cut

LIVE SELUNE REACTION

[operationslipperypuppet]

Brennan did multiclass! the streak remains unbroken

[elibunn]

yall it’s literally them (this and any subsequent wholesome doodles of these idiots are attempts to get my dm not to possibly kill us all in the shadowfell /hj)

[archivestarlyht]

tragic: i respecced shadowheart and adjusted her stats like the internet told me to and she's actually playable. :(

[martelldoran]

idk i just finished bg3 after many months and there's something so thematically satisfying about spawn astarion ending up with a light cleric of selune tav. something about a light in the darkness. something about how the darkness will never be all encompassing again. something about never being alone in the dark again. etc. etc.

l

[rosymourning]

The Beating Heart - a Shadowheart Build

"My faith will guide me."

Shadowheart is a Life Domain Cleric, curing her friends and allies of whatever ails them. This build is a pure support build, with an emphasis on healing and on-heal effects.

[check out my other builds!]

Gameplay Notes

Pretty much a utility healer through and through. This build can have insane survivability if you keep Sanctuary up during fights, which is doable as a pure support. Even when your party is at full health, so many items have helpful on-heal effects (Bless and Blade Ward, essentially) that it may be helpful to throw out a Mass Healing Word regardless. This is a great build to cast Warding Bond with as well.

The build feels like it comes online really early in the game (like before the Tiefling/Goblin party...), and it stays relevant throughout. Stronger items and taking feats help, but the primary benefit comes from good Channel Divinity scaling. It's simple, but effective, and probably a large part of the reason Shadowheart is such a popular companion.

Stats and Leveling

Final build: Level 12 Life Domain Cleric

Shadowheart’s (default) stats: STR 13 / DEX 13 / CON 14 / INT 10 / WIS 17 / CHA 8

Level 1 - Cleric (Life Domain) Level 1

Cantrips: Guidance, Sacred Flame, Resistance

1st Level Spells [Command is useful throughout the entire game]

Level 2 - Cleric (Life Domain) Level 2

Channel Divinity [the best one in the game, in my opinion]

Level 3 - Cleric (Life Domain) Level 3

2nd Level Spells

Level 4 - Cleric (Life Domain) Level 4

Feat: War Caster

Cantrips: add Thaumaturgy

Level 5 - Cleric (Life Domain) Level 5

3rd Level Spells [Spirit Guardians is great even though the build isn’t optimized around it]

Level 6 - Cleric (Life Domain) Level 6

Blessed Healer [a better version of the Ring of Salving]

Level 7 - Cleric (Life Domain) Level 7

4th Level Spells [I don’t love any of the 4th Level Spells and mostly use this for upcasting]

Level 8 - Cleric (Life Domain) Level 8

Feat ASI+ DEX>14, WIX>18

Level 9 - Cleric (Life Domain) Level 9

5th Level Spells

Level 10 - Cleric (Life Domain) Level 10

Divine Intervention [obviously SUPER powerful, I usually use mine in the House of Hope]

Cantrip: add Light

Level 11 - Cleric (Life Domain) Level 11

6th Level Spells [Heroes’ Feast is awesome]

Level 12 - Cleric (Life Domain) Level 12

ASI+ WIS>20

Items

Armor - Adamantine Splint Armour (1 Grymforge)

Melee Weapon -

Selune's Spear of Night (2 Nightsong)

Viconia's Walking Fortress (3 House of Grief)

Ranged Weapon - n/a

Amulet - Amulet of Restoration (1 Myconid Colony)

Helmet - Wapira's Crown (1 Emerald Grove)

Ring 1 - The Whispering Promise (1 Emerald Grove)

Ring 2 - Ring of Salving (1 Myconid Colony)

Gloves -

Hellrider's Pride (1 Emerald Grove)

The Reviving Hands (3 Stormshore Tabernacle)

Boots - Boots of Aid and Comfort (1 Goblin Camp)

Cloak - Vivacious Cloak (2 Grand Mausoleum)

Lore and Flavor

Moreso than any other character, Shadowheart's narrative begets a major respec at the end of Act 2 (previously, I build her like The Dark Justiciar), and it's not just a new hairstyle: "The Shadowheart I thought I was would never have even dreamed of defying the Lady Shar. I'm a stranger to myself." This build technically works from the moment you can respec into it... but why would you rob yourself of the true power of her character growth? The items with on-heal effects still fit her character throughout Act 1 and 2 without the full respec, so you're only missing the (albeit very potent) Channel Divinity Heal that Life Domain Clerics get. Worth it, in my opinion.

Onto the lore itself. The strongest (if not only) piece of identity that Shadowheart maintains throughout the entire game, regardless of narrative choices, is her skill as a healer. Part of that is inherent to being a Cleric, of course, but we know Shadowheart is considered a skilled healer even compared to other Sharran Clerics thanks to this note in the House of Grief. My allegiance to Life Domain reflects this natural skill as a healer as well as the fact that Life Domain is actually a domain of Selune (Light Domain is not, unfortunately). If we had a Twilight Domain in game, I would be tempted to make use of that as well.

A note about The Blood of Lathander: This is a very powerful item in Shadowheart's hands. If you can get over the fact that it's another deity's relic, then it's a great main hand weapon. I personally go back and forth about it, and decided not to include it here, prioritizing Selune's Spear of Night instead.

[check out my build disclaimer for info about how and why I don't min/max or completely optimize builds, prioritizing lore and vibe instead]

[meganehaven]

quick doodles today of my main dnd character Velaris as well as.... Jade, a character i have the honor of making for my friends characters backstory!!