Dungeons & Dragons: How To Build A Nature Domain Cleric

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• Nature Domain Cleric Features

• Best Species For Nature Domain Clerics

• Best Ability Scores For A Nature Domain Cleric

• Best Starting Equipment For A Nature Domain Cleric

• Best Spells For Nature Domain Cleric

There are those who worship nature in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, and then there are those who know better. Nature itself is not a deity--there are nature gods that govern the actions of the trees, animals, and insects. Worshipping these gods can grant certain individuals powerful boons to carry out their will. These people go on to become clerics of the nature domain.

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Clerics of this domain have an attunement to nature that is rivaled only by druids. But unlike druids, nature domain clerics have no problem with wielding modern weapons in the name of their gods. Here’s how to build a nature domain cleric for your next D&D campaign.

Nature Domain Cleric Features

There are a lot of similarities between playing a cleric of the nature domain and playing a druid. You have similar skill proficiencies and learn similar spells through your nature god--you even get a druid cantrip of your choice. However, nature domain clerics gain proficiency with heavy armor, making them better as front-line combatants.

At second level, you can use your channel divinity to charm animals and plants within 30 feet of you. At sixth level, the Dampen Elements feature lets you use your reaction to provide resistance to any creature (including yourself) that's about to take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage.

At level eight, Divine Strike improves your weapon attacks with 1d8 of cold, fire, or lightning damage. And at level 17, Master of Nature allows you to command plants and animals using your Channel Divinity rather than merely charm them.

The optional Blessed Strikes feature can replace Divine Strike to offer 1d8 radiant damage to either weapon strikes or cantrips. This allows you to play as a pure magic nature domain cleric if you so desire.

As a nature domain cleric, you gain the following spells at the following levels:

Cleric Level

Spells

First

animal friendship, speak with animals

Third

barkskin, spike growth

Fifth

plant growth, wind wall

Seventh

dominate beast, grasping vine

Ninth

insect plague, tree stride

Best Species For Nature Domain Clerics

Most species are capable of being effective as a nature domain cleric. In general, you'll want to play as a species that enhances your capabilities as a front-line support character.

Here are a few recommended species to play as a nature domain cleric.

Astral Elf

You can already learn the astral elf cantrips as a cleric, but this just allows you to take different cantrips to expand your spell list. An innate teleport ability is also a big help if you decide to be a melee-focused cleric.

Earth Genasi

Heavy armor means poor stealth rolls. Pass without trace makes your stealth rolls--and that of your party--so much better. Ignoring difficult terrain and darkvision are also big boosts.

Hill Dwarf

Darkvision, proficiency with warhammers and battleaxes, and some extra hitpoints every level are all big plusses in the hill dwarf's column.

Firbolg

Firbolgs really fit the overall nature theme. Being able to cast detect magic and disguise self expands your spell repertoire, and an innate invisibility effect can help with those unfortunate stealth rolls.

Goblin

Fury of the Small can really help boost your damage output if you think clerics aren't quite strong enough. Darkvision is also great, and being able to hide or disengage as a bonus action is helpful too.

Goliath

Stone's Endurance can keep you in the fight long after other characters are in their death saving throws. Athletics proficiency is also nice to have.

Half-Elf

As a front-line class, you'll need as many ability score improvements as you can find. Half-elf provides that. Darkvision and some extra skills are nice, and you can go high-elf if you want to have access to some elven weapon proficiencies.

Kobold

Draconic Cry is a great ability to have when you're surrounded on the front. Access to sorcerer cantrips can be fun if you want to have firebolt as your main damage-dealing cantrip, but it's not strictly necessary.

Shadar-Kai

Sort of like an astral elf, but instead of extra cantrips you gain extra damage resistances. The teleport is the big draw here, though.

Shifter

Another species that seems to fit the nature theme. Shifting gives you loads of temporary hitpoints, with darkvision and some extra skills rounding out the offerings here.

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Best Ability Scores For A Nature Domain Cleric

As with all clerics, Wisdom is your most important stat in order to fuel your spells. Remember, you're a spellcaster first, a front-line attacker second. But as a front-line attacker, you'll want to prioritize Constitution and Strength second.

Make sure you have sufficient Strength to wear heavy armor, which is one of the main reasons to play this class over a druid.

Dexterity, Intelligence, and Charisma are your dump stats, so don't bother boosting these ability scores. If using the points buy system to create your character, you should aim to arrive at an ability score spread that looks sort of like this after accounting for ability score boosts from your species.

Strength

Dexterity

Constitution

Intelligence

Wisdom

Charisma

15 (+2)

10 (+0)

15(+2)

10 (0)

16 (+3)

8(-1)

Best Starting Equipment For A Nature Domain Cleric

With proficiency in heavy armor, you'll definitely want to take chain mail as your starting armor. Having no proficiency in martial weapons means a mace is likely your preferred starting weapon, and instead of a light crossbow you should pick some other ranged simple weapon like a javelin due to your poor Dexterity score.

An explorer's pack is generally more useful than a priest's pack, and a shield and holy symbol round out your starting equipment.

You'll definitely want to grab better heavy armor as you level up, eventually wearing full plate for its 18 armor class.

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Best Spells For Nature Domain Cleric

Nature domain clerics gain a number of nature-based spells like animal friendship and speak with animals. For the spells you're able to choose from the cleric spell list, it makes sense to lean into more traditional cleric spells that heal your allies and provide combat buffs.

Below are some useful spells for nature domain clerics.

Cantrips

• Guidance
• Sacred Flame
• Thaumaturgy
• Toll the Dead

First Level Spells

• Bless
• Guiding Bolt
• Healing Word
• Cure Wounds

Second Level Spells

• Aid
• Silence
• Spiritual Weapon
• Lesser Restoration

Third Level Spells

• Clairvoyance
• Dispel Magic
• Revivify
• Spirit Guardians

Fourth Level Spells

• Banishment
• Death Ward
• Stone Shape

Fifth Level Spells

• Greater Restoration
• Scrying
• Summon Celestial

Sixth Level Spells

• Heal
• Harm
• Word of Recall

Seventh Level Spells

• Etherealness
• Plane Shift
• Regenerate
• Resurrection

Eighth Level Spells

• Antimagic Field
• Holy Aura
• Sunburst

Ninth Level Spells

• Mass Heal
• Power Word Heal
• True Resurrection

Toll the dead is likely your best ranged damage-dealing cantrip, but sacred flame isn't a bad option either. Spiritual weapon is the typical cleric damage spell that also takes your turn's bonus actions. Healing word and cure wounds both can heal your party, but it's up to you whether you prefer higher healing that requires touch or a ranged heal that offers slightly fewer hitpoints.

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