One D&D Cleric and Species

Here follow my notes about the One D&D Cleric and Species playtest material that Wizards of the Coast released in December 2022.

These may be a bit spotty as they’re compiled from me just blasting my thoughts into Slack as I read the material for the first time.

For more context and my Standard Disclaimer, check out the introduction to this series.

Statement on “species”: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1393-moving-on-from-race-in-one-d-d

The survey for this UA will open on December 21.

Notes from the Video

Clerics now don’t get their subclass until level 3! Sounds like for the whole play test they’re going to do subclasses at 3.

Subclasses at level 1 or 2 have a couple issues… 1 - they’re a blocker for brand new players (either to D&D itself or to the class). 2 - multiclassing; they want players to commit to a class to get the subclass (instead of getting subclass features from a 1-2 level dip).

A benefit: the Cleric now gets unique features at level 1, 2, and 3 instead of level 3 being just getting some spells.

Clerics now get Channel Divinity at level 1 (yay Turn Undead sooner). Also a second CD option called “Divine Spark” which lets them hurt or heal, independent of spell choice.

Subclass will add a third CD option when the character hits level 3. (I like how this builds, frankly.)

At 2nd level, Clerics get a Holy Order — a sort of job or role within their faith. These used to be baked into subclasses but have been separated for the UA. The main examples are:

  • Protector: training with heavy armor & martial weapon proficiency (used to be locked into particular subclasses, now enables mix & match)
  • Scholar: gets more skill proficiencies
  • Thaumaturge: gets more magic

At 9th level, you can add a second one.

This UA comes with the Life Domain subclass. Mostly what you already know and love, but will have some tweaks and clarifications.

Divine Strike and Potent Spellcasting have also been extracted from subclasses. Blessed Strike is now in the base class, enhances weapon attacks and cantrips. Now happens at level 7 instead of 8.

Divine Intervention moves from level 10 to 11 to make room for a subclass feature at 10. It now has a dice-based variable recharge rate.

The improved Divine Intervention moves from 20 to 18. Level 20 gets an Epic Boon — and there are some new Epic Boons available for Clerics.

There’s a suggested list of prepared spells, and some spells have updates in the UA. (Which I guess I’ll read later.)

Disciple of Life has had language clarified to be only when you cast healing magic on a creature to make it match the intent. Sounds like there are similar small language clarifications throughout.

Aardlings

Ardlings are now leaning into the beast folk aspect. They lose the angelic flight option entirely, and are now categorized into Climber (gets a climb speed + bonus unarmed strike damage), Flyer (vestigial wings, gets a glide and advantage on the jump action), Racer (dash speed increased by PB x10), or Swimmer (hold breath, swim speed, resistance to cold), each with suggested animals to be based on. This is definitely the “all purpose furry” species now, which is probably overall better than “Aasimar with animal head”.

There’s no more Celestial Legacy stuff at all. Everybody gets Thaumaturgy–but can swap it to another “0-level spell” from the Divine list after a long rest. Damage Resistance is gone, but Keen Senses is in — granting proficiency with the Perception skill.

Dragonborn

Dragonborn get to choose cone or line for their breath weapon, which is COOL, and it’s back to being in place of one attack instead of an entire action (YES). Draconic Flight at 5th level gives a flight speed for up to 10 min, 1x/long rest. Uses a bonus action to deploy/deactivate. And it keeps the Darkvision from the previous UA.All in all, I think Dragonborn kinda rules now?? I had fun playing my fighter, Torinn Bluescales, from the PHB version, and also enjoyed him respecced from Fizban’s, but at first glance this seems like it’d be my preferred version. 

Goliaths

Speed is bumped from 30 to 35 feet. (Cool.)

Goliaths pick a Giant Ancestry — similar to the Draconic Ancestry of the Dragonborn. You can use it PB per long rest. Options:

  • Cloud Giant: bonus action to teleport up to 30'
  • Fire Giant: 1d10 fire damage when you hit with an attack roll
  • Frost Giant: 1d6 cold damage + reduce speed by 10’ until your next turn when you hit with an attack roll (basically add Ray of Frost to an attack)
  • Hill Giant: knock a large or smaller creature prone when you hit
  • Stone Giant: Use reaction to reduce damage by 1d12+con modifier when you are hit (this option was baked into all Goliaths previously)
  • Storm Giant: Use reaction to deal 1d8 thunder damage to the creature that damaged you, within 60'

At 5th level, Goliaths can become Large for 10 minutes. Advantage on Strength checks, speed +10’. Bonus action to activate/deactivate. 1x/long rest. So that’s like half a duergar, sort of.

Goliaths also get advantage on any saving throw to break out of a grapple, and count as one size larger when determining carrying capacity etc.

Looks like they lose the Athletics proficiency, resistance to cold damage, and natural acclimation to high altitudes.

In general that all seems cool, even with the things removed… But I’ve never played a Goliath, so I’d welcome other thoughts on them.

Feats

There are three new Epic Boons, which are exclusively for the Priest Group classes (Epic Boon of Truesight) or Mage + Priest Groups (Epic Boon of Fate, Epic Boon of Spell Recall). EBoFate = roll a d10 to add/subtract from someone else’s d20 roll. EBoSpell = cast a prepared spell of up to 5th level without using a spell slot.

Rules Glossary

New in this UA is a Change Log listing entries that are new or updated in this UA (omg thank you):

  • Aid [Spell]
  • Attack [Action] (“Equipping Weapons” section)
  • Banishment [Spell]
  • Grappled [Condition]
  • Guidance [Spell]
  • Influence [Action]
  • Light [Weapon Property]
  • Long Rest
  • Magic [Action]
  • Prayer of Healing [Spell]
  • Priest’s Pack [Equipment]
  • Resistance [Spell]
  • Spiritual Weapon [Spell]
  • Truesight

It looks like (most of) the other updated-for-One-DnD rules are reprinted so you don’t have to layer the PDFs together manually (also, omg, thank you).

Aid moves from 8-hour duration to being instantaneous. Looks like you just give 5 temp HP and it doesn’t expire after the 8 hours, just whenever temp HP would normally roll off. Seems reasonable (less tracking hassle).

Attack Action does not actually look like it’s changed from the previous UA.

Banishment drops the range from 60’ to 30’. Targets are always banished to a harmless demiplane, and can willingly fail their save. Banished targets now get to repeat the save at the end of each of their turns — so they can come back earlier! They’ve also reworded the “stays banished after 1 minute” part to be a little clearer.

Dazed is a new condition that got skipped from the change list! While dazed, you can only move or take one action, not both. And you can’t take a bonus action or reaction.

Grappled gets a trivial wording adjustment not worth covering. It’s mechanically identical to the previous UA.

Guidance drops the range from 30’ to 10’ (ruh roh), but loses the restriction that would prevent the same target from receiving guidance more than 1x/long rest (nice).

Influence adds some explicit guidance about which skill to use in making the ability check and drops the previous “Influence Responses” table in favor of some guidance on DC and outcome.

Invisibility adds some clarification in the “Attacks Affected” subsection.

Light weapon property gets a small wording change to make it more obvious. It’s mechanically identical.

Long Rests now explicitly include reducing exhaustion by 1 point. And you must now wait at least 16 hours before starting another one. (Though the 1hp-at-start rule is now gone.) The rules around interrupting a long rest have been clarified, and they can now be resumed after an interruption (requiring 1 additional hour per interruption).

The Magic action does not seem to have actually changed since the last UA.

Prayer of Healing is now Abjuration (formerly Evocation) and the number of targets is capped by your spellcasting ability modifier. Recipients can only be affected by the spell 1x/long rest.

The Priest’s Pack now costs 33 gp (up from 19) and has different contents.

Resistance is now cast in a reaction instead of an action, and it’s in response to you or an ally within 10’ failing a saving throw. Much like the revised Bardic Inspiration!

Oh boy, this one’s gonna be spicy… Spiritual Weapon now requires concentration!The rest of the language is revised for clarity, making it obvious that it can immediately attack after being cast.

Truesight seems to be boosted out of the monster rules to make it easier to find now that non-monsters can get it (eg via Epic Boon of Truesight). The mechanics appear to be identical, but written more clearly to address the various situations that Truesight affects.

AHA — I see why Dazed exists, now… it’s what happens to successfully Turned undead! If taking an action, a turned undead can only choose Dash, and any movement must end farther away from the cleric than where it started.

Cleric

Since we’re getting into Cleric details… Divine Spark (the new Channel Divinity option) uses an action to do PB d8 of healing or radiant damage (save for half) to a target within 30'.

Clerics now come with a suggested set of prepared spells to help new players, but allow that to be changed at creation and also swapped out after a long rest.

Holy Orders… Protector was well-described in the video. Scholar gets 2 skill profs from a short list, and you get to use your wis modifier (looks like in addition to your PB, cool). Thaumaturge gets an extra 0-level spell, and gets 1x Channel Divinity back after a short rest. Also you get PB per long rest uses — so 2/day right away instead of 1/day, with bumps at level 5, 9, 13, and 17 as the PB goes up.

Smite Undead is the new 5th-level Channel Divinity upgrade, replacing Destroy Undead. Smite Undead does PB d8 of radiant to any undead that fails the save.

Blessed Strikes (level 7) adds 1d8 radiant to a hit from a 0-level spell or weapon, once per turn. This used to be Divine Strike, the Life Domain 8th level feature. It gains the bonus to 0-level spell damage, but loses the d8 scaling.

Divine Intervention (now level 11) explicitly uses an effect from the Divine spell list. It recharges after 2d6 (formerly 7) days.

Greater Divine Intervention (now level 18) still auto-succeeds, but now recharges after 2d4 days.

The auto-prepared Life Domain spells have been changed out:

  • Level 1: nothing (since you don’t get the subclass until level 3)
  • Level 3: Lesser Restoration, Prayer of Healing (replaces Spiritual Weapon)
  • Level 5: Mass Healing Word (replaces Beacon of Hope), Revivify
  • Level 7: Aura of Life (replaces Guardian of Faith), Death Ward
  • Level 9: Greater Restoration (replaces Raise Dead), Mass Cure Wounds

Disciple of Life kicks in at level 3 instead of 1 (again because the subclass is gained at 3).

The Channel Divinity: Preserve Life feature arrives at level 6 (formerly 2). Looks like it can now be used on undead and constructs (formerly couldn’t).

Blessed Healer is now gained at level 10 (formerly 6).

Supreme Healing is now gained at level 14 (formerly 17) and has clearer wording (but is mechanically identical).