sorcerer storm cleric tempest lightning honour-mode

Tempest Sorcerer

Tempest Cleric 2 / Draconic-or-Storm Sorcerer 10 · 6/6 for Call Lightning · 12 Storm for Heart of the Storm

Lightning DPS / wet-vulnerability exploit / heavy-armour caster Difficulty: Moderate Any origin Updated 2026.07.18
Key levels
  1. L1
  2. L4
  3. L7
  4. L10
  5. L12

A beloved classic: exploit easy lightning vulnerability via Wet, then cast a devastating lightning spell. Destructive Wrath guarantees the damage is max-rolled with a click of a button — with a crit on top it takes the anxiety out of a lot of scary Honour encounters. A Witchbolt crit goes 72 → 144 (crit) → 288 (wet vuln). And a spell caster adorned in heavy armor is an immaculate vibe.

Tempest Sorcerer (Honour Mode)

Final composition:

  • Main: 2 Tempest Cleric / 10 Draconic or Storm Sorcerer
  • [CALL LIGHTNING]: 6 Tempest Cleric / 6 Storm Sorcerer
  • [HEART OF THE STORM]: 12 Storm Sorcerer (Heart of the Storm focused)

Why this split

A beloved classic build from the past. Its strength lies within exploiting easy vulnerability via Wet, then casting a devastating lightning spell. With a click of a button your Destructive Wrath can guarantee this damage is max rolled, and with a critical on top, this can solve and take the anxiety out of a lot of scary encounters in Honour Mode.

Witchbolt crit example (without DR/DRS):

  • 6d12 = 72 (base)
  • 72 × 2 (crit) = 144
  • 144 × 2 (wet vuln) = 288

All that, and a spell caster adorned in heavy armour (the Cleric levels) is an immaculate vibe.

Character Creation

FieldPick
OriginAny
RaceAny
BackgroundPlayer’s choice
ClassCleric (Tempest) + Sorcerer (Draconic or Storm)
SkillsPlayer’s choice

How the Wet → Lightning Loop Works (read once)

  • Create or Destroy Water (prepared from Cleric 1) or water bottles apply Wet → the target is vulnerable to lightning damage.
  • Destructive Wrath (Channel Divinity): max-roll your damage rolls for a short window — the click-of-a-button anxiety remover.
  • Max roll + crit + wet vulnerability = the 288 Witchbolt above.

Level-by-Level

L1 — Cleric 1 — Tempest

  • Cantrips: Blade Ward, Guidance, Resistance (a cantrip — pick lightning).
  • Wrath of the Storm.
  • Prepared Spell: Create or Destroy Water (the whole build’s Wet source).

L2 — Sorcerer 1 — Draconic or Storm

  • Cantrips: Friends, Minor Illusion, Ray of Frost, Shocking Grasp.
  • Spells: Chromatic Orb, Shield, Witch Bolt (granted automatically with the Draconic subclass).

L3 — Sorcerer 2

  • Spell: Magic Missile.
  • Metamagic: Extended Spell, Twinned Spell.

L4 — Cleric 2 — power spike

  • Channel Divinity: Destructive Wrath — the max-roll button.
  • Prepared Spell: Sanctuary.

L5 — Sorcerer 3

  • Spell choice: Cloud of Daggers, Enhance Ability, Misty Step.
  • Metamagic: Quickened Spell.

L6 — Sorcerer 4

  • Cantrip choice: Light, Mage Hand.
  • Spell: Blindness (recommended).
  • Feat: Dual Wielder.

L7 — Sorcerer 5

  • Spell: Lightning Bolt.

L8 — Sorcerer 6

  • Spell: Counterspell.

L9 — Sorcerer 7

  • Spell: Ice Storm.

L10 — Sorcerer 8

  • Spell: Sleet Storm.
  • Feat choice: ASI Charisma / Alert.

L11 — Sorcerer 9

  • Spell choice: Cone of Cold, Hold Monster, Hypnotic Pattern.

L12 — Sorcerer 10

  • Cantrip of your choice.
  • Spells: Cone of Cold, Hold Monster, Hypnotic Pattern.
  • Metamagic: Heightened Spell.

Build Variants

VariantSplitNotes
Main2 Tempest Cleric / 10 Draconic or StormThe classic Wet + Destructive Wrath loop.
Call Lightning6 Tempest Cleric / 6 StormThe extra Cleric levels exist to run Call Lightning.
Heart of the Storm12 Storm SorcererPure Storm subclass, Heart of the Storm focused.

Key Items

ItemActWhy⭐
Robe of Exquisite Focus1Chest (robe option)⭐
Armour of Persistence / Armour of Landfall1-2Chest (heavy armour option)
Gloves of Missile Snaring / Daredevil Gloves1Gloves
Safeguard Shield / Sentinel Shield / Shield of Devotion / Ketheric’s ShieldgeneralOffhand⭐
Pearl of Power / Blast Pendant / Spellcrux Amulet1Neck — extra spell resources⭐
Bow of Awareness1Ranged
Shadeclinger Armour3Setup: equip/remove to keep Advantage on Saving Throws
Elixir of Bloodlust / Elixir of VigilancegeneralConsumables⭐

Combat Pattern

  1. Wet the table: Create or Destroy Water (or a bottle) → lightning vulnerability.
  2. Max-roll: Destructive Wrath — the click-of-a-button guarantee.
  3. Nova: Witch Bolt / Lightning Bolt on the wet, max-rolled target — a crit is the 288 example.
  4. Control / utility: Hold Monster, Hypnotic Pattern, Sleet Storm; Counterspell the enemy casters; Heightened Spell (L12) as the delete button.
  5. Variants: the 6/6 split runs Call Lightning; 12 Storm leans into Heart of the Storm.

Act-by-Act Priority

ActPriorityNotes
1Robe of Exquisite Focus (or heavy armour), Pearl of Power, Create or Destroy WaterThe Wet engine is online from L1
2Ketheric’s Shield, Blast Pendant / Spellcrux Amulet, Lightning Bolt (L7)Max-rolled Bolt + wet vuln
3Shadeclinger, full spell loadout + Heightened SpellClassic lightning nova, delete buttons

Honour Mode Reminders

  • ⚠️ The build only works when the target is Wet — stock Create or Destroy Water / water bottles every act.
  • Destructive Wrath is the anxiety remover — the max roll turns scary Honour fights into routine.
  • Heavy armour is part of the build (Cleric) — don’t drop armour for the robe unless you can manage positioning.
  • ASI Charisma at L10 raises the Spell Save DC — the CC half (Hold / Hypnotic Pattern) becomes the run-saver.
  • Pick your variant (Call Lightning vs Heart of the Storm) before committing levels — the split changes the whole kit.

Source