Welcome back to the weekly Tabletop Games thread! This thread is where we can talk about all kinds of RPGs, card games, board games, etc. Whether you gather around a physical table in the real world, or use a virtual space to play with friends who may live far away from you, this is where you can discuss your favorites, ask for and/or receive recommendations, recap your recent adventures, or even find some people to play games with!

Discussion Prompt: This week I’m taking a look at the 5.5e Cleric class.

Clerics saw a few major changes in how the class works. Most notably, subclass features don’t kick in until 3rd level now, whereas in the 2014 rules Clerics would choose their divine domain right away at 1st level. Now, instead of choosing a full subclass at level 1, your Cleric instead chooses a Divine Order. You can decide to be a Protector and get heavy armor and martial weapon proficiency, or you can be a Thaumaturge and get an extra cantrip and a boost to your Religion and Arcana skills.

The Cleric’s Channel Divinity feature got a small upgrade in that you now regain one use of it on a short rest. All Clerics can still use this to Turn Undead, but they’ll also have the option for some minor healing or damage with Divine Spark. Subclasses will also grant additional options for Channel Divinity, as before, but again not until level 3.

At higher levels, Divine Intervention has been changed in a way to make it far more likely to actually be useful. You no longer need to roll under your level on a d100 to have any effect. Instead, you can simply use your action to cast any Cleric spell of 5th level or lower without requiring material components, even costly components. The only restriction is that it can’t be a spell that normally uses a reaction to cast. But spells with longer casting times, like Prayer of Healing or Hallow, are fair game, and this is also a good way to cast Raise Dead without worrying about how many diamonds you have on hand.

Speaking of spells, healing spells in general have been buffed across the board, with standards like Cure Wounds and Healing Word now providing 2d8 or 2d4 (respectively) plus your WIS modifier. The aforementioned Prayer of Healing can now provide all the benefits of a short rest in only 10 minute (or as fast a single action if you use Divine Intervention for it). Spirit Guardians is one of several spells that now deals its damage when you move the area of effect onto a creature, rather than having to wait for an enemy to move in on their own or start their turn in the area. It’s not all good news though–Spiritual Weapon was changed to require concentration where it didn’t before.

Clerics are also one of the only classes to have fewer subclasses printed in the new PHB than they did in the old one. The subclasses that saw updates include the Life Domain (for those that really want to focus on healing), the Light Domain (for those that choose to focus on more on damage dealing magic), the Trickery Domain (for those who prefer illusion and subterfuge), and the War Domain (for a more melee-focused character). Theoretically, you can still use any of the 2014 subclasses that were not reprinted for 5.5e, though I’m sure that some tables will decide to adhere strictly to 5.5e rules.

Share your thoughts about Clerics in any edition of D&D, or similar characters from other games, in the comments!

If you would like to suggest a prompt or contribute a write-up or discussion topic of your own, let me know in the comments!