For most parties, Clerics are the go-to healers. While they can cast damage spells, most groups prefer that their Cleric focus on healing and reducing status effects to keep everyone alive. If you have many healers in your party, your Cleric can specialize in specialty spells or deal damage, but you are still playing a support caster.
Table of Contents
Spell Slot Progression
Clerics have full caster abilities. Full casters can eventually learn spells up to 9th level as their adventures progress. When multiclassing, you add your level to the level of your other full casting class to determine how many spell slots and spell levels you have access to.
Prepared Vs. Learned Spells
Clerics are prepared casters, so you choose your spell load out daily. Cleric subclasses also include various spells that are always prepared, so you can’t switch those out, but they don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. You cast always-prepared spells like usual and use spell slots for them.
Cantrips
Clerics begin with three cantrips at level 1. They gain a fourth cantrip at level 4 and a fifth at level 10. Unless you’re using the optional rule to switch cantrips when you gain an ASI, you should choose wisely, as you’ll have the cantrips for the entire game.
Guidance
You should take guidance since it is the best cantrip in the entire game. Guidance adds 1d4 to any kind of ability check, which means that it can also be used to bolster an initiative roll.
Sacred Flame
This nice, reliable cantrip deals radiant damage, something rarely resisted by monsters. Though some Cleric subclasses give proficiencies in heavy armor and martial weapons, you can soon outpace weapon damage and stay out of melee combat with this spell.
1st Level
You gain access to 1st level spells at level 1.
Bless
This spell can be the deciding factor in any level of conflict. Adding 1d4 to attack rolls can make a big difference even at higher levels because the most potent weapons and spell attack modifiers in 5e max out at +3. Adding two or three to your attack roll is equivalent to having a Very Rare permanent weapon.
Healing Word
This is a handy healing spell that functions as a bonus action. On the same turn, you can heal someone and cast a cantrip.
2nd Level
You gain access to 2nd level spells at level 3.
Silence
Many spells have a verbal component, so casting a big space of complete silence can substantially impede an enemy spellcaster. However, the Metamagic option Subtle Spell allows someone to cast without requiring a verbal component, so if your opponent is a sorcerer, this may be less useful.
Spiritual Weapon
This is an excellent way for clerics to spend their bonus actions during long battles, especially if other characters in the party have healing abilities. Furthermore, this isn’t a concentration spell, and your weapon remains hovering, allowing you to integrate subsequent attacks with leveled spells on your turn.
3rd Level
You gain access to 3rd level spells at level 5.
Revivify
Anyone with access to this spell should take it as soon as possible.
Spirit Guardians
Whether you prefer to fight in melee or not, this is an indispensable spell. It punishes enemies for getting within fifteen feet of you from any direction, surrounding you like a hamster ball.
4th Level
You gain access to 4th level spells at level 7.
Banishment
Banishment necessitates a Charisma saving throw, which nearly all monsters are woefully bad at. This works best against single enemies from another plane of existence because the creature will not return if you successfully maintain your concentration for the entire minute.
Death Ward
Death Ward is a fantastic defense mechanism because it lasts eight hours and does not require concentration. You can use it on a squishy character who frequently falls during combat, like a Monk or Rogue, or on your party’s tank.
5th Level
You gain access to 5th level spells at level 9.
Commune
One of the most important spells for Clerics is Commune, which allows you to ask your deity three questions and get yes or no answers. Your divine guidance will not specify, explain, or direct you. You can’t ask how far your opponent is, which direction the dragon is flying, or anything equivalent, even though the answers are single words. Furthermore, because deities in D&D aren’t omniscient, your god may say, “Unknown.”
Greater Restoration
You may not always require this spell, but you should always have it on hand. Numerous vicious status effects can destroy your party if you aren’t prepared to deal with them, and few other characters are as well-equipped as you.
6th Level
You gain access to 6th level spells at level 11.
Heal
It’s not fancy, but it’s effective. You heal certain status conditions and restore hit points to get someone back in the fight.
Heroes’ Feast
If you have access to the expensive consumable required for this spell (a gem-encrusted chalice worth 1,000 gold), you should cast it as many times as possible at the end of each day. The extra hit points stack with temporary hit points from other sources and last 24 hours.
7th Level
You gain access to 7th level spells at level 13.
Etherealness
The Ethereal Plane overlaps the Material Plane, but you can move through normally solid objects and creatures when you’re in it. This spell transports you to the Ethereal Plane, allowing you to scout around unseen (and unheard, even if you’re wearing heavy armor) or slip into difficult-to-reach places.
8th Level
You gain access to 8th level spells at level 15.
Holy Aura
This is a great way to keep your party safe during a battle. Everyone in range becomes more challenging to target, particularly by fiendish or undead creatures. Your friends also have advantage on all saving throws.
9th Level
You gain access to 9th level spells at level 17.
Mass Heal
Unfortunately, at 9th level, Clerics have few good options. Due to your role as the primary healer, mass heal is the best option. You have 700 hit points to allocate amongst your partners, so even at the highest levels or with big parties, you should be able to bring everyone back to near-complete health.
Complete List of Cleric 5e Spells
Here is a complete list of Cleric 5e Spells in 5th Edition DnD, which also includes some Spells from Unearthed Arcana (UA), which is not official Material.
Cantrip
- Decompose (HB)
- Guidance
- Hand of Radiance (UA)
- Light
- Mending
- Resistance
- Sacred Flame
- Spare the Dying
- Thaumaturgy
- Toll the Dead
- Virtue (UA)
- Word of Radiance
1st Level Cleric Spells
- Bane
- Bless
- Command
- Create or Destroy Water
- Cure Wounds
- Detect Evil and Good
- Detect Magic
- Detect Poison and Disease
- Guiding Bolt
- Healing Word
- Inflict Wounds
- Protection from Evil and Good
- Purify Food and Drink
- Sanctuary
- Shield of Faith
2nd Level Cleric Spells
- Aid
- Augury
- Blindness/Deafness
- Calm Emotions
- Continual Flame
- Enhance Ability
- Find Traps
- Gentle Repose
- Hold Person
- Lesser Restoration
- Locate Object
- Prayer of Healing
- Protection from Poison
- Silence
- Spiritual Weapon
- Warding Bond
- Zone of Truth
3rd Level Cleric Spells
- Animate Dead
- Beacon of Hope
- Bestow Curse
- Clairvoyance
- Create Food and Water
- Daylight
- Dispel Magic
- Glyph of Warding
- Magic Circle
- Mass Healing Word
- Meld into Stone
- Protection from Energy
- Remove Curse
- Revivify
- Sending
- Speak with Dead
- Spirit Guardians
- Tongues
- Water Walk
4th Level Cleric Spells
- Banishment
- Control Water
- Death Ward
- Divination
- Freedom of Movement
- Guardian of Faith
- Locate Creature
- Stone Shape
5th Level Cleric Spells
- Commune
- Contagion
- Dispel Evil and Good
- Flame Strike
- Geas
- Greater Restoration
- Hallow
- Insect Plague
- Legend Lore
- Mass Cure Wounds
- Planar Binding
- Raise Dead
- Scrying
6th Level Cleric Spells
- Blade Barrier
- Create Undead
- Find the Path
- Forbiddance
- Harm
- Heal
- Heroes’ Feast
- Planar Ally
- True Seeing
- Word of Recall
7th Level Cleric Spells
- Conjure Celestial
- Divine Word
- Etherealness
- Fire Storm
- Plane Shift
- Regenerate
- Resurrection
- Symbol
8th Level Cleric Spells
- Antimagic Field
- Control Weather
- Earthquake
- Holy Aura
9th Level Cleric Spells
- Astral Projection
- Gate
- Mass Heal
- True Resurrection
