Baldur's Gate 3 has announced another major content update with Patch 8. The patch will bring some major changes to Baldur's Gate 3, including a new Photo Mode, cross-play, and 12 new subclasses. These updates have been long-requested features in the community, and are sure to be welcomed with open arms when they arrive. Clerics will get a new domain, the Death domain. The Death domain is a favorite for clerics who worship evil deities and are typically spellcasters who use necromancy spells and cantrips such as Toll the Dead, Vampiric Touch, Blight, and Cloudkill.
Unlike the other new subclasses, the Death domain cleric appears in the Dungeon Master's Guide, rather than a player sourcebook, and it is usually applied to NPCs rather than as a player subclass due to its nature. The Death domain subclass works well for Baldur's Gate 3, which has a viable evil story for players to follow, as the Dark Urge, custom character, or Origin character. Ultimately, Baldur's Gate 3 is a single-player game with optional co-op, and offers a different experience to the TTRPG Dungeons and Dragons experience, making Death Cleric a viable role-play for a Cleric.
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The Origins of the Death Cleric in Dungeons and Dragons
The new subclasses are all staples in Dungeons and Dragons 5e, and should add meaningful value to many builds. The Cleric's new subclass in particular stands out among them, as it's the only subclass that's featured as an alternate for Clerics in the Dungeon Master's Guidebook, particularly for DMs who want to create Clerics who are villains or NPCs.
Most Clerics encountered in DnD are aligned as good or lawful good because of the deity they worship, with their alignment falling to Neutral at worst. Evil Clerics would need to worship an evil deity, such as Shar, Tiamat, or Loviatar. As evil deities and their followers appear as antagonists and villains more often than allies and player characters, their classes and variations more often appear in the Dungeon Master's Guide for the DM to use, rather than as player characters. The Death Cleric is the subclass that has been added to Baldur's Gate 3's Cleric subclasses but, because it's a subclass typically assigned to antagonists, it's the only new subclass in Patch 8 that appears in the Dungeon Master's Guide rather than a player sourcebook.
Playing a Death Cleric in Baldur's Gate 3
While it could be difficult to play a Death Cleric as a player in Dungeons and Dragons, there is plenty of opportunity to play as one in Baldur's Gate 3 and shouldn't provide the same challenges as in a tabletop campaign with good-aligned party members and players. There are several evil gods available for Clerics to worship, including Shar if Shadowheart is selected as the playable character, and Death Cleric would arguably be a better subclass than the Trickster domain in regard to how the mechanics are translated in Baldur's Gate 3.
As there are so many opportunities to roleplay an evil character in Baldur's Gate 3, the Death Domain is an especially welcome subclass and isn't out of place as a Cleric Domain. The other Cleric domains facilitate good or lawful characters, with the possible exception of the Trickster, Tempest, or War domains, and so it's great to finally have a Cleric domain that can accommodate the evil path, especially as it's already possible for player characters like custom characters or the Dark Urge to worship deities like Vlaakith or Tiamat.
Baldur's Gate 3
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Full cross-platform play.
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.
THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCE
Choose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.
A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPIC
Forged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian's next-generation RPG engine.
- Cross Save
- Full cross-platform progression.
- Franchise
- Baldur's Gate
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical Only
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 100+ Hours
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 Players
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
