Zen Domain

Cleric Subclass

Comments from the Finger: Originally, we wanted to write a punch-cleric, but realized during our research that buddhism is an extremely interesting, completely neglected avenue for clerics. We tried our best to weave together the core functions of the cleric and monk classes with the teachings of zen buddhism, and we’re aware we fell well short of a competent reflection of the religion. For what it’s worth, I think we have a neat mechanical package here, even though I know practicing Buddhists will understandably object to some of our choices. Perhaps in the future, we’ll do a deeper dive into clerics through a lens of comparative religious studies. Let me know what you think about that!

Zen Domain

Clerics of the Zen Domain achieve enlightenment at the temples and shrines of monastic orders. In their studies, Zen clerics learn the tenets of meditation, the discipline of martial arts, and the goal of achieving inner peace. In fact, such clerics don’t pay homage to any one particular god—through contemplation and spiritual balance, these clerics channel the divinity of the universe itself.

Sidebar: Nonlethality
Zen Domain clerics practice hundreds of rules that govern their morality. Among the most important is a precept of nonviolence, which forbids the taking of life. Therefore, whenever a Zen Domain cleric reduces a creature to 0 hit points, they can choose to knock the creature unconscious, rather than killing it.

Sidebar: Zen and the Real World
We tried our best to tie together the teachings of Zen Buddhism together with the mechanical elements of a cleric and a monk to make an engaging package, but we’re fully aware that any D&D subclass would be a reductionist representation of these practices. At the very least, we hope that this option gives you a way to adapt a new religious framework into your D&D games.

Zen Domain Spells

Monastic Teachings

Starting at 1st level, you gain proficiency in the History, Insight, or Religion skill (your choice).

Martial Training

At 1st level, you have been trained in a discipline of martial arts in keeping with your spiritual teachings. While you are unarmed and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield, you gain the following benefits:

• Your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
• You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes.
• You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike. This die changes as you gain cleric levels, as shown in the Martial Training table below.
• When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. You can also expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to make two unarmed strikes instead of one.

Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Martial Training

Channel Divinity: Meditation

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity as a bonus action to center your mind and enter a state of meditation. For 10 minutes, or until your lose your concentration (as if concentrating on a spell), you gain the following benefits:

• You gain a +2 bonus to your Armor Class.
• You can’t be charmed or frightened while raging. If you are charmed or frightened when you enter your meditation, the effect is suspended while you are meditating.
• You gain blindsight out to a range of 30 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Divine Strike

At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine potency. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 force damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Transcendence

Starting at 17th level, your meditation elevates you to a higher state of existence. While you are concentrating on your Meditation Channel Divinity, you gain the following benefits:

• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• Attacks against you can’t have advantage while you aren’t incapacitated.
• You gain a flight speed equal to half your walking speed and can hover.

You can concentrate on a spell and your Meditation at the same time, making only one Constitution saving throw to maintain your concentration on both.