D&D 5E Wonder why there aren't any Elemental Domains (Earth, Air, Fire, Water)?

[Corinnguard]

Clerics have too many subclasses. When the design decision was made to base cleric subclasses on domains,

If WoTC knew this was going to be a problem, why stick with it when they could done what other RPGs did with Cleric archetypes? Both PF and Level Up created archetypes that didn't focus completely on a clerical domain.

 

[Micah Sweet]

If they replaced cleric domains entirely they would have lost the backwards compatibility cred they were counting on for initial sales of the PH.

If WoTC knew this was going to be a problem, why stick with it when they could done what other RPGs did with Cleric archetypes? Both PF and Level Up created archetypes that didn't focus completely on a clerical domain.

 

[jgsugden]

#1: As mentioned, clerics already have a lot of ground that they cover with the existing domains. I could come up with 100 more pretty easily.

#2: They present a challenge under the rules in that you need to decide whether the PC is rendered weak by fighting foes with the relevant resistance, or you negate the value of that resistance. It is essentially shutting off a portion of the game. That is not fun.

#3: It gets old, fast, due to the narrower implementation of theme. Fire is fire is fire is fire. Burning Hands to Flaming Sphere to Fireball to Wall of Fire is a pretty linear evolution.

#4: Overlap. Light domain does a lot that fire might. Tempest and Water/Cold/Air. Nature and Earth. Historically, the overlap was tighter (pre-4E especially). However, you can play a cleric of fire using the light domain and have it work really well.

 

[Staffan]

Looking at the elemental domains back in 3e, they're pretty boring and uniform really. I think there's something there, but I think there's more use for "indirect" elemental domains. For example, "water" and "air" are pretty boring, but something like "The Sea" or "Tempest" are more fun. For those who want to really delve into that kind of stuff, it would also offer the opportunity to have something like "The Sea" being distinct from "Rivers", whereas 3e would likely give both a sea god and a river god the Water domain.

 

[Lidgar]

It might be better to have a single elemental domain with bonus spells by element.

 

[Tonguez]

Personally I think the elemental domains would be a bit boring really. Things like air and earth gods are a bit naff unless theyre given sexier things like Storm Tempest or Volcano.

I also think the elemental space is better served with Warlock patrons (Genie Pact) or as Arcane schools

But lets try:​

Air Themes: Wind, flight, storms, freedom.

• Spells: Gusts of wind, levitate, lightning-based spells, thunder resistance.
  Channel: Wall of Wind

Fire Themes: Destruction, purification, light?.

• Sample Powers: Fireball, Burning Hands, fire resistance, aura of flame.
  Channel: Wall of Fire

Water Themes: Water, ice, the sea.​

• Sample Powers: Control Water, Cone of Cold, water walking, breath underwater.
  Channel: Wall of Water

Earth Themes: Stone, Endurance, Earthquake, strength.​

• Sample Powers: Stoneskin, Meld into Stone, tremors, resistance to bludgeoning or being moved.
  Channel: Wall of Stone

 

[DeviousQuail]

This is interesting. In my mind I view druids as covering things that are elemental or naturally occurring. Whereas, clerics can make use of those things, but there is more intent or emotion behind it. Like a druid is a "noun" druid while a cleric is simultaneously a "noun" and "adjective" cleric. Shepherd druids don't fit that rule, but pretty much every other druid and cleric do.

 

[Zardnaar]

Early ENsider had them along side Druids for the elements.

Midgard has things like ovlcean domain and I would have to check.

 

[James Gasik]

Sacrificing the flavor of Gods to make all divine casters be nearly identical to one another is something I don't like about modern D&D. Sure, I know it's a pain when no two Clerics necessarily resemble each other, but Gods have become pretty much vestigial to D&D.

And I get there's a lot of reasons for that, some of them pretty good ones, but not being able to worship say, Auril the Frostmaiden and having, oh I don't know, a spell that inflicts cold damage, lol, is kind of ridiculous.

And sure, a given DM could put on their game designer hat and make a Winter Domain- but the fact that they have to do this on a case by case basis really makes the official settings feel half-baked.

The Forgotten Realms, which is lousy with gods, is a great example of this. You can have a popular deity like Tymora, Goddess of Luck, whose priests all have the Trickery Domain?

Eh? That's not what I'm expecting from the Luck Goddess. And why would the priests of the Luck Goddess have the same exact powers as the priests of Mask, God of Thieves? Let alone Sune, Lolth, or Asmodeus?

 

[Zardnaar]

Sacrificing the flavor of Gods to make all divine casters be nearly identical to one another is something I don't like about modern D&D. Sure, I know it's a pain when no two Clerics necessarily resemble each other, but Gods have become pretty much vestigial to D&D.

And I get there's a lot of reasons for that, some of them pretty good ones, but not being able to worship say, Auril the Frostmaiden and having, oh I don't know, a spell that inflicts cold damage, lol, is kind of ridiculous.

And sure, a given DM could put on their game designer hat and make a Winter Domain- but the fact that they have to do this on a case by case basis really makes the official settings feel half-baked.

The Forgotten Realms, which is lousy with gods, is a great example of this. You can have a popular deity like Tymora, Goddess of Luck, whose priests all have the Trickery Domain?

Eh? That's not what I'm expecting from the Luck Goddess. And why would the priests of the Luck Goddess have the same exact powers as the priests of Mask, God of Thieves? Let alone Sune, Lolth, or Asmodeus?

Alot of 3pp domains.