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Cleric Domain: The Host – A Playtest Subclass of Divine Symbiosis

“I speak, but not alone. I bless, but not by my hand alone. We are many. We are one.”

Not all gods send visions from lofty thrones or answer prayers through golden light. Some embed themselves directly into their followers—melding flesh and spirit, weaving divine will into living tissue like strands of fate. These clerics are not merely servants of their deity. They are habitats.

The Domain of the Host channels the unsettling yet compelling concept of a celestial parasite, an ancient hive-mind, or an eldritch fragment that sustains itself through the cleric’s body and faith. This isn’t a patron in the traditional sense—it’s a permanent guest. Whether that relationship is one of trust, necessity, or creeping dread is entirely up to you. Last week I shared the Bard subclass in this series. Check out the Hollow Choir here.

Important Note: This subclass is in playtest form and intentionally leans toward the strong side of the cleric chassis. Make sure you get your DM’s permission before bringing it to the table.

Domain of the Host Features

Domain Spells
Your connection to the Host grants you access to unsettling yet powerful magic:

Infestation of the Divine (1st Level)

The Host takes root inside you, granting resilience, bolstering your health, and whispering thoughts into your mind. You resist poison damage, gain bonus hit points, can leech vitality from necrotic harm, and share your Host’s mental insight.

Communion (1st Level)

Once per long rest, you can consult your Host for a burst of strange insight, rolling on a d6 table to determine the boon—from heightened senses to supernatural awareness, or even shifting your physical coordination to match divine intent.

Channel Divinity: Evolve the Flesh (2nd Level)

You temporarily mutate for 1 minute, choosing from:

• Hardened Carapace – Boost AC and resist mundane weapon damage.

• Lashing Tendrils – Strike at range with necrotic power.

• Quickened Form – Move faster and act with predatory agility.

Symbiotic Resilience (6th Level)

Gain resistance to necrotic and psychic damage. When reduced to 0 HP, there’s a chance your Host forces your body back into action.

Divine Consumption (8th Level)

Once per turn, when an enemy fails a save against one of your cleric spells, you can drain vitality to heal yourself or slow their movements.

Avatar of the Many (17th Level)

For 1 minute, you fully unleash your Host, gaining extra attacks, blindsight, fear-inducing presence, and amplified use of your Channel Divinity.

Why This Subclass Stands Out

The Host Domain sits in a unique niche—it blends body horror and divine purpose, borrowing aesthetic notes from symbiotes, hive minds, and eldritch infection. In play, it offers:

• Toughness rivaling frontline clerics.

• Mutability through evolving combat forms.

• Control elements via fear and speed reduction.

• High sustain through temporary HP and self-healing.

It leans strong, with above-average survivability and versatility. A DM may wish to monitor its performance in combat-heavy campaigns.

For the Dungeon Master: Integrating the Host

The Host can be as divine or as alien as your setting needs. Here are a few ways to weave it into your world:

• Cult of the Many – A secretive faith worships the Hive God, implanting chosen vessels with symbiotic fragments. The PC is one of these vessels, marked as both sacred and dangerous.

• Living Relic – The cleric carries a shard of an imprisoned celestial or aberration, sought by cultists and scholars alike.

• Contagion of Faith – The Host’s influence is infectious, spreading not through disease, but through dreams and whispers. NPCs might become temporary agents.

• Variable Motives – Is the Host benevolent, manipulative, or secretly steering the PC toward a larger, hidden goal? The DM can use this as a long-running mystery.

This subclass is ripe for roleplay tension—the Host might sometimes speak in dreams, push the cleric toward certain choices, or withhold power unless a cryptic demand is met.

Final Thoughts

The Host Domain is a high-flavor, high-power cleric option that fuses divine magic with unsettling symbiosis. If you’re looking for a character that blurs the line between servant and sovereign, vessel and wielder—this subclass delivers.

Just remember: you’re never truly alone. Next week I will share the druid. Stay tuned.

Thanks for reading. Until Next time, Stay Nerdy!!