Baldur's Gate 3: Best Spells For A Death Domain Cleric

Summary

Toll the Dead deals up to 3d12 Necrotic damage and is a powerful spell for Death Domain Clerics.
Blight inflicts 8d8 Necrotic damage, making it situational but effective against plant-life targets.
Vampiric Touch deals 3d6 Necrotic damage and can restore the Cleric’s hit points, ideal for melee combat.

The Death Domain Cleric is just as much fun as it sounds. As one of the new subclasses added to Baldur’s Gate 3

with Patch 8, players are still discovering all the dark details of this unique subclass that holds an equal power over both the living and the dead.

Every Cleric has some abilities that they can use regardless of their subclass choice, such as Turn Undead, Divine Intervention, and certain spells. The other spells in the Cleric’s repertoire are from their chosen Domain. Whether they’re general Cleric spells or assigned based on Domain, some are better than others for a Death Domain Cleric.

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Learn one of the best ways to build the new Death Domain Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3.

7

Toll The Dead

Necromancy Cantrip

Toll the Dead - Dungeons and Dragons Best Cantrips

Properties: Deals 1d12 Necrotic damage to already wounded targets, and 1d8 Necrotic damage to targets with full health.

Warlocks and Wizards also have access to Toll the Dead, but scrolls with the spell have yet to be discovered in the game. Clerics choose their Domains at level 1, and can choose between one of three cantrips to learn depending on their Domain. Each has pros and cons, but Toll the Dead does a ridiculous amount of damage at this level and can wipe out several Act 1 enemies with one blow.

At level 5, the cantrip’s damage doubles to 2d12 Necrotic, and at level 10 it rises to 3d12 Necrotic. Undamaged targets still take reduced damage with 2d8 and 3d8, but that’s not much of a reprieve.

6

Blight

Necromancy Level 4

Properties: 8d8 Necrotic damage to organic targets. Always deals 64 Necrotic against plants, but is virtually useless against constructs or the undead.

Blight

is a situational spell that only works against certain targets, but it’s worth having in these situations just to lay waste. The Underdark in Act 2 is crawling with living plants and their minions, so this is a great spell to have when the Cleric reaches level 4.

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The damage increases by an extra 1d8 for each level that the spell is upcast, and the targets have to succeed a saving throw against Constitution or be permanently wilted. Virtually every other casting class has access to this spell if they choose, and any character that has the Very Rare quarterstaff Woe equipped is also granted the power to cast this spell.

5

Vampiric Touch

Necromancy Level 3

Properties: 3d6 Necrotic damage, plus a chance to regain half the Cleric’s hit points.

A handy spell for any Cleric that stays in melee range, Vampiric Touch

is also a nice defensive move when an enemy gets too close to those with a healing or spellcasting build. It’s a wise addition to any Cleric build, but it makes even more sense for the Death Domain, which also has proficiency with martial weapons and can often be found in the thick of battle.

Once the spell is cast once, the Cleric can activate it once per turn for ten turns without using any spell slots, to suck the life out of anyone that comes within melee range. When upcast, this spell grows even more lethal, dealing an extra 1d6 Necrotic damage for every level.

4

Contagion

Necromancy Level 5

Properties: Poison any target and choose the disease that will attack and destroy them.

Any target that fails its Constitution saving throw against this spell takes Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks, plus they are afflicted with one of six debilitating conditions. These conditions not only deal even more damage, but can also compromise their attacks, spells, and other skills. If targets fail that Constitution saving throw twice more, they are afflicted with the Cleric’s disease of choice.

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The choices are painful, horrible, and lower the enemy’s most important ability scores. Filth Fever lowers Strength, Mindfire damages Intelligence, Flesh Rot destroys Charisma, Slimy Doom decreases Constitution, Blinding Sickness is bad for Wisdom, and Seizure targets Dexterity.

3

Cloudkill

Conjuration Level 5

Properties: An AoE spell that does 5d8 Poison damage to anyone inside it every turn.

A popular spell with other spellcasting classes as well, Cloudkill

is an ideal choice when it comes to powerful AoE spells, coming in with other equally devastating choices like Fireball and Sleet Storm

. Clerics get Cloudkill at level 7, and the spell’s damage increases by 1d8 Poison for every level it is upcast.

The cloud of lingering poison lasts for 10 turns, has a 20-foot radius, and obscures the vision of those within it. After casting the spell once, the player can use their turn to move the cloud anywhere on the battlefield. Sorcerers, Wizards, and Druids of the Spore can also cast this spell, and it appears occasionally in scroll form.

2

Death Ward

Abjuration Level 4

Properties: The next time the target reaches 0 hit points, they regain 1 hit point and evade death.

Clerics need some support spells, regardless of the Domain, and Death Ward

is one of the best choices to protect the melee fighters and defenders. Some races and classes, such as Half-orcs and Barbarians, have similar abilities, like Relentless Endurance and Relentless Rage.

All Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Subclasses, Ranked

The Cleric Class in Baldur’s Gate 3 channels divine power from their god, and each subclass represents a different divine domain they can draw from.

The Cleric protects an ally from the Downed condition using this spell, but they can only cast it on someone within a five-foot radius. The Life Domain is the only other Cleric that uses this spell, and it’s also found in the spellbook of a College of Lore Bard.

1

Animate Dead

Necromancy Level 3

Properties: Raise an undead servant of various types, but only works out of combat.

Animate Dead

is an obvious choice for a Death Domain Cleric. Other subclasses that share this spell include Wizards and Oathbreaker Paladins. As the name suggests, this spell gives the Cleric the power to raise a corpse as their minion, and they acquire this power as early as level 5.

The Cleric has a choice regarding the kind of thing they want to raise, and includes a few variations on the usual monsters that include ghouls, zombies, and skeletons. As the Cleric gains higher-level spell slots with which to cast Animate Dead, they can summon more powerful undead minions, and several at once, to make this spell even more fearsome.