Cleric NPCs & How to Use Them for EVERY Tier of Play
If this is your first time reading this series, we’re going through each of the official classes in D&D Fifth Edition and making NPC statblocks inspired by them. They are not intended to be carbon copies of these classes, but rather to simplify your NPCs while maintaining the flavor and familiarity of a full character. If you are curious about this reasoning, you can read the first article in the series on paladins.
For each of the tiers of play, we’ll make an NPC stat block based on the relevant class. These tiers are a loose way of comparing your NPC’s power level to that of your party. Of course this is far from perfect, but you’ll be able to give the general feel of whether an NPC is over, under, or near the power level of a comparable player character. For reference, those tiers of play are:
Local Heroes (Levels 1-4)
Heroes of the Realm (Levels 5-10)
Masters of the Realm (Level 11-16)
Masters of the World (Levels 17-20)
With the table set, let’s move into our third round of NPCs: clerics!
How to Use NPC Clerics
Most D&D settings tend to skew on the side of high fantasy. Magic is relatively common and mystical services like healing are fairly accessible in larger cities and settlements (although they are often quite expensive). If your D&D party ends up searching for a way to revive their fallen companion or to learn some sort of hidden information through divination, they’ll probably head to a major city and seek out a temple. Of course, whether they are able to find what they are looking for is up to the DM. But, their instincts are in the right place. While not every priest, missionary and priestess in 5e should have access to divine magics, there certainly are some that do. You can use these NPCs as quest-givers, the leaders of important churches/temples, or as a guideline for when your players inevitably do something you didn’t predict (like going around to all the temples in a city trying to find someone to cast divination for them).
Clerics can also be dangerous antagonists for your party to face. A cleric may have masked their true intentions or identity from a temple as they seek to promote their own agenda. Or perhaps they are the servant of a dark and malevolent deity that seeks to cause chaos and destruction.
Tier 1 Clerics
Tier 1 clerics are mostly likely to be encountered by player characters between levels 1 and 4, although they may be used as allies or henchpeople of more powerful beings at later levels. Tier 1 clerics have shown a particular connection to their deity, but are unlikely to be true leaders of the church. They may be local priests, traveling missionaries, or training to be champions on the front lines in the fight against evil.
Customizing an NPC. For most situations, the following statblocks will be more than sufficient. However, for important NPCs you may want to customize them a bit to make them stand out. Just remember that with each ability you add, you sacrifice some of the simplicity and approachability of the statblock. Some abilities may also significantly increase the Challenge Rating of the NPC, so keep that in mind if you add more combat-centric abilities. To customize a cleric of this tier, you can do one or more of the following:
Swap out one or more of their spells with a cleric (or divine domain) spell of the same level.
Add the first level ability from one of the divine domain subclasses.
Add a Channel Divinity option from one of the divine domain subclasses.
Plot Hooks/Use in Your Game. While it is not necessary to assign a NPC cleric a divine domain, they can help you think about how clerics naturally fit into your game world. Different types of clerics will be found in different locations, have different motivations, and may perceive your party and their actions differently. If you do assign an NPC a divine domain, of course you can give them the specific abilities of that divine domain (as detailed in the “Customizing an NPC” sections) but that is far from necessary. The way you describe the character, how they are found in your game, and the motivations they have will do far more to establish the tone than a class ability or two. With that in mind, here are some examples of how you might use Tier 1 clerics in your game:
A local priest is in need of a rare ore that is extremely hard to come by. Fortunately, they have found a reference to this ore in an old shipping manifest. Unfortunately, the mine where it was found has long since been taken over by a clan of territorial kobolds. (Forge Domain).
The town’s graveyard was desecrated in the night, causing restless ghosts, poltergeists, and specters to be unleashed. The caretaker of the graveyard needs help returning these spirits to rest and uncovering who was behind the act. (Grave Domain).
Storms have been raging off the coast of a small fishing village. A priest arrives at the village with claims that something in the area has drawn their deity’s wrath. After a bit of investigation, it is discovered that one of the villagers has been dumping hazardous materials into the ocean, damaging the local ecosystem. (Tempest Domain).
The city’s crime is at an all-time high. Whenever the local guard shows up to intercept stolen goods, break up an underground fighting pit, or stop some other nefarious activity, the criminals are always one step ahead. There can only be one cause of this: there is a mole. (Trickery Domain).
Tier 2 Clerics
Tier 2 clerics are most likely to be encountered by PCs from levels 5 to 10, although you may insert them earlier as a potential patron or mentor figure. They may be used at later levels as allies or lieutenants of even more powerful creatures. At tier 2, these clerics could be the leaders of religious groups in notable cities, members of important political organizations, or guardians of a holy site.
Customizing an NPC. To customize a cleric of this tier, you can do one or more of the following:
Swap out one or more of their spells with a cleric (or divine domain) spell of the same level.
Add the first level ability from one of the divine domain subclasses.
Add a Channel Divinity option from one of the divine domain subclasses.
Add the sixth level ability from your chosen divine domain.
Plot Hooks/Use in Your Game.
A massive explosion of magical energy that could be seen from dozens of miles away just occurred a few days travel from a nearby city. A scholar in that city learns that the site of the explosion was likely the ruins of an ancient elven civilization. The scholar is searching for capable guards to accompany them as they investigate the cause of the magical surge. (Arcana Domain).
A portal to the Shadowfell has been discovered nearby, the temple is seeking adventurers willing to assist one of their priestesses in securing this portal and eliminating the undead that have already crossed over. (Life Domain).
A plague has rapidly spread through a nearby forest. Plants and animals alike are shriveling up and dying at an alarming rate. The source of this unnatural affliction must be uncovered and stopped before it spreads too far. (Nature Domain).
Tensions between two neighboring kingdoms are reaching a fever pitch. An officer in the military is recruiting adventurers and other highly skilled individuals for their new “Special Operations” unit, promising glory, riches, and divine favor in return for service. (War Domain).
Tier 3 Clerics
Tier 3 clerics are most likely to be encountered by PCs from levels 11 to 16, although you may insert them earlier as a potential patron or mentor figure. They may be used at later levels as allies or lieutenants of even more powerful creatures. Unless your setting has uniquely powerful NPCs, tier 3 clerics should be very rare. These clerics are amongst the few most prominent mortal followers of their chosen deity and have access to incredible divine powers. They may be leaders of the larger religious organizations and churches in your setting or the chosen champion of their deity in a struggle against evil.
Customizing an NPC. To customize a cleric of this tier, you can do one or more of the following:
Swap out one or more of their spells with a cleric (or divine domain) spell of the same level.
Add the first level ability from one of the divine domain subclasses.
Add a Channel Divinity option from one of the divine domain subclasses.
Add the sixth level ability from your chosen divine domain.
Plot Hooks/Use in Your Game.
Miners have discovered an underground ruin while excavating a nearby mine. There are markings that a local library has identified as primordial. A scholar seeks a team to accompany them as they explore the site. (Knowledge Domain).
Rumors are swirling that the king, or someone in his court, has been influenced by outside sources. A series of strange and rash decisions has drawn the attention of a cleric who seeks to root out the lies and corruption. (Light Domain).
A peaceful drow settlement in the Underdark has fallen under siege from strange aberrations. A member of the church seeks to stem the tide of these aberrations and restore peace and tranquility to the darkness. (Twilight Cleric).
Tier 4 Clerics
Tier 4 clerics are most likely to be encountered by PCs from levels 17 to 20, although you may use them earlier as a potential patron or mentor figure. A tier 4 cleric is comparable in many respects to a level 20 adventurer, there may only be one or two such figures in your entire setting. These clerics are often powerful religious and political figures, serving as the primary religious advisor to the king, leading the following of the most commonly worshiped deity in the region, or the divine champion sworn to carry out a task of the utmost importance to their deity.
Customizing an NPC. To customize a cleric of this tier, you can do one or more of the following:
Swap out one or more of their spells with a cleric (or divine domain) spell of the same level.
Add the first level ability from one of the divine domain subclasses.
Add a Channel Divinity option from one of the divine domain subclasses.
Add the sixth level ability from your chosen divine domain.
Add the 17th level ability from your chosen divine domain.
Plot Hooks/Use in Your Game.
The leader of a prominent temple has been slowly corrupting their congregation, turning it into more of a cult. They have been working with a lich to bring the forces of death directly to the material plane. (Death Domain).
A political leader has used force and intimidation to keep their power for far longer than they should have. Resistance to this rule has begun to take root under the leadership of a prominent cleric and religious figure. (Order Domain).
Two nations have long been at war, with many lives lost and cities laid to ruin. An organization of philosophers and intellectuals that spans both countries seeks to bring an end to the fighting. (Peace Domain).
Up next week: NPC bards to use as performers, spies, or scholars in your setting!
