Shadowheart — Life Cleric (Honour Mode)

Final composition: Life Cleric 12 (pure single-class, respec at Withers for 100g)

Why respec her

Default Trickery Domain is the weakest cleric subclass in the game. Life Domain doubles healing output via Disciple of Life and is the most reliable support pick for honour mode. Her base stats stay nearly identical, just optimized.

Character Creation (at Withers)

Stats (point buy + racial)

Racial allocation: +2 WIS, +1 CON, +1 DEX.

High Elf adds a wizard cantrip — pick Friends (advantage on out-of-combat CHA checks) or Mage Hand (utility).

How cleric spells work (read once)

• Spells prepared = WIS mod + cleric level (changeable on long rest from the full cleric spell list of your level).
• Domain spells are always prepared, free — don’t count vs your prepared limit.
• Cantrips known: 3 at L1, +1 at Cleric 4, +1 at Cleric 10.
• Heavy armor + shield proficiency from Life Domain.

Level-by-Level

L1 — Cleric 1 (Life)

Cantrips (3): Guidance, Sacred Flame, Light Domain auto-prepared (free): Bless, Cure Wounds Prepared (4): Healing Word, Command, Sanctuary, Shield of Faith

Channel Divinity: Turn Undead, Preserve Life unlocked.

L2 — Cleric 2

New prepared (1 more, 5 total): add Bane (opposite of Bless — concentration, but useful when sorcs aren’t holding a control spell)

Channel Divinity now 2/short rest.

L3 — Cleric 3

Domain auto-prepared (new free): Lesser Restoration, Spiritual Weapon New prepared (1 more, 6 total): Hold Person (2nd lvl, paralysis = auto-crits in melee)

2nd-level slots online.

L4 — Cleric 4

Feat: War Caster (advantage on concentration saves — mandatory; Spirit Guardians is concentration) New cantrip (1): Resistance (reaction +1d4 to a save) New prepared (1 more, 7 total): Silence (2nd lvl, shuts down enemy casters in a zone)

L5 — Cleric 5 — subclass spike

Domain auto-prepared (new free): Beacon of Hope, Revivify New prepared (1 more, 8 total): ⭐ Spirit Guardians (3rd lvl, the iconic cleric spell — 3d8 radiant to enemies in 4.5m, halved movement, concentration)

3rd-level slots online. Destroy Undead feature.

L6 — Cleric 6

Channel Divinity: Blessed Healer (when you heal an ally with a spell, you also heal yourself for 2+spell level) New prepared (9 total): Mass Healing Word (3rd lvl, bonus action heal up to 6 allies)

L7 — Cleric 7

Domain auto-prepared (new free): Death Ward, Guardian of Faith New prepared (10 total): Stoneskin (4th lvl, concentration; cast on Lae’zel before boss fights — resistance to bludgeoning/piercing/slashing)

4th-level slots online.

L8 — Cleric 8

Feat: ASI +1 WIS, +1 CON → WIS 18, CON 16 Divine Strike (Life): +1d8 radiant on melee weapon attacks New prepared (12 total): Banishment (4th lvl, single-target boss removal)

Channel Divinity now 3/short rest.

L9 — Cleric 9

Domain auto-prepared (new free): Mass Cure Wounds, Raise Dead New prepared (13 total): Hold Monster (5th lvl, paralysis on non-humanoids — bosses)

5th-level slots online.

L10 — Cleric 10

Divine Intervention unlocked (1/long rest, deity favor — emergency button) New cantrip (1): Spare the Dying (stabilize downed allies at range) New prepared (14 total): Greater Restoration (removes exhaustion, curses, charm — clutch in honour)

L11 — Cleric 11

New prepared (15 total): ⭐ Heroes’ Feast (6th lvl, party HP buff + immunity to fear/poison until long rest — pre-cast before boss fights)

6th-level slots online.

L12 — Cleric 12

Feat: Resilient (CON) → CON 17, prof on CON saves (double-stacks with War Caster for unbreakable concentration) New prepared (17 total): Heal (6th lvl, 70 HP heal, removes blindness/deafness/disease)

Permanent WIS Bonuses

• Mirror of Loss (Act 3, House of Grief): +2 WIS via DC 25 Religion or sacrifice Necromancy of Thay knowledge for guaranteed +2.
• End-state WIS: 18 (creation+ASI) → 20 (Mirror) → spell save DC 16+ with Hood of the Weave.

Hag’s Hair goes to the Storm Sorc — only one in game.

Major Decision: Selûne vs Shar (Act 2)

At end of Shar’s Gauntlet (Nightsong cliff): spare Nightsong → Shadowheart joins Selûne. She gains the Spear of Night legendary weapon and a permanent stat bonus. Killing Nightsong (Dark Justiciar path) loses companion approval and is mechanically weaker.

Take Selûne path. Always.

Combat Pattern

Pre-fight (long rest morning):

• Cast Aid (lvl 2 ritual, +5 HP party-wide until long rest)
• At L11+: cast Heroes’ Feast if you know a tough fight is coming

Standard opener (round 1):

1. Bless on Lae’zel + both sorcs (concentration). Stay back.
2. Bonus action: Spiritual Weapon at L3+ (floating mace, 1.5d8 force, free attack each turn)

Mid-fight rotation (post-L5):

1. Drop Spirit Guardians (replaces Bless concentration — only do this if you have War Caster or Resilient CON for concentration)
2. Move adjacent to enemies (they take 3d8 radiant just by being near you)
3. Bonus action: Spiritual Weapon attack
4. Action: Sacred Flame on resistant target, or save another spell slot

Better combo (when both Bless and Spirit Guardians needed):

• Cast Bless first, then cast Spirit Guardians next turn — Spirit Guardians replaces Bless’s concentration. Bardadin or paladin would solve this; without them, concentration trade-offs matter.
• Alternative: Lae’zel concentrates on nothing, Shadowheart concentrates on Spirit Guardians, both sorcs handle their own concentration via Resilient (CON).

Healing:

• Healing Word (bonus action, 30ft range) for downed allies
• Mass Healing Word at L6+ when 3+ allies are hurt
• Channel Divinity Preserve Life (CD 1/short rest) heals 5×cleric level HP distributed among nearby allies
• Don’t waste Cure Wounds in combat — it costs an action; HW does same job as bonus action

Counterspell substitute:

• You don’t get Counterspell as a cleric. Instead use Silence (2nd lvl, 6m radius zone) on enemy caster groups. They can’t cast verbal spells inside.

Defense:

• Heavy armor + shield = AC 20+ early
• Sanctuary on a downed ally before reviving them (they can’t be targeted)
• War Caster + Resilient (CON) at L12 = near-unbreakable concentration

Act-by-Act Priority

Act 1

• Respec Shadowheart at Withers ASAP (Dank Crypt early, or Druid Grove later)
• Get Hellrider’s Pride from Wyll/Karlach Risen Road questline
• Buy Whispering Promise from Grove vendor
• Forge Adamantine Shield at Grymforge (separate mould from Storm Sorc’s Scale Mail)
• Buy Devotee’s Mace +1 in Underdark

Act 2

• ⭐ Mountain Pass detour: Rosymorn Monastery for Blood of Lathander
• Get Amulet of the Devout from Last Light vendor
• ⭐ Spare Nightsong at end of Shar’s Gauntlet → Selûne path → Spear of Night
• Help Shadowheart’s parents (Selûne path follows through)

Act 3

• House of Grief → Mirror of Loss → +2 WIS
• House of Hope → Helldusk Armor + Helldusk Helm
• Cloak of the Weave from Devil’s Fee
• Resolve Shadowheart’s parents quest (Selûne path: free them, don’t kill them)

Coordinate With Storm Sorc + Wild Magic Sorc

Combat coordination:

• Bless first, every fight. Bless Lae’zel + both sorcs. Don’t bless yourself — back-line cleric doesn’t need attack rolls.
• Don’t drop Spirit Guardians too early. If you start the fight with Bless, keep it until round 3 when sorcs are landing their big spells. Then swap to SG.
• Stand near sorcs when they’re concentrating. No Aura of Protection in this party means concentration is at risk; physically position yourself between sorcs and enemies so SG damages anyone closing in.
• Heroes’ Feast before known boss fights (L11+). Especially Cazador, Raphael, Orin, Gortash, Netherbrain.
• Save Channel Divinity Preserve Life for emergency triage when 2+ party members are critical.

Honour Mode Reminders

• Adamantine Shield + War Caster + Resilient CON = Shadowheart concentrates on Spirit Guardians for entire fights without breaking. This is your foundation.
• Aid daily. Cast Aid every long rest morning. +5 max HP party-wide is a permanent buff until next rest.
• Don’t engage in melee for fun. You’re a back-line cleric who walks INTO melee specifically to apply Spirit Guardians, then walks back out. Movement is a tool, not a commitment.
• Revivify scroll insurance. Buy 2-3 from any cleric vendor at all times. Revivify is auto-prepared (Life domain) but needs 300gp diamond — keep 2 diamonds in inventory.