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Dungeons and Dragons Unearthed Arcana – The Grave Domian for Cleric

Welcome to Nerdarchy, where we delve deep into Dungeons & Dragons and all things tabletop roleplaying! In this post, we’re unearthing a fascinating piece of Unearthed Arcana: the Grave

Don’t need no stinking cleric.

Domain Cleric. This subclass taps into the solemn power of life and death, striking a balance between preserving the natural order and preventing the rise of undeath.

We originally explored this concept in a YouTube video where we discussed how the Grave Domain fits into a campaign, ideas for character builds, roleplaying tips, and the design philosophy behind this subclass. Below, you’ll find a full transcript of that conversation — perfect for readers who want to dive into the details at their own pace.

So whether you’re looking to bring a stoic reaper of the dead to your table or just curious about what this subclass has to offer, you’re in the right place.

Dave:
Hello and welcome to Nerdarchy: For Nerds, By Nerds. I’m Nerdarchist Dave, joined by my favorite co-conspirator in subclass scheming—

Ted:
Nerdarchist Ted! Greetings adventurers, character builders, and lovers of spooky subclasses. Tonight, we’re cracking open the crypt that is the Horror Subclasses Unearthed Arcana from Wizards of the Coast. They’ve reanimated and revised six fan-favorite dark-themed subclasses—from Bard to Warlock—and we’re here to dissect them, compare them, and maybe scream a little about power balance.

Dave:
Whether you’re here to terrify your table, min-max your shadow sorcerer, or just geek out with us about spooky builds, you’re in the right place. So settle in, light a candle—let’s get unsettling with the Unearthed Arcana 2025 Horror Subclasses.

Cleric: Grave Domain

Ted:
Let’s start with the Grave Domain Cleric. They embody the divine forces of death. This domain is all about the balance between life and death—not denying death, but ensuring its natural place in the world.

Dave:
Yeah, and of course, since this is a revision, we have the design notes. At 3rd level, you gain Circle of Mortality, which now includes:

• Pull of Death: Once per turn, when you cast a spell or hit with an attack and deal damage to a bloodied creature, it takes an extra 1d4 necrotic damage.
• Return to Life: When you would normally roll to heal a creature at 0 HP with a spell or Channel Divinity, you instead use the highest number possible for each die. (So 2d4 becomes 8 HP.)

Ted:
The new use of the term bloodied—officially part of the 2024 rules—is great. And Pull of Death adds meaningful combat presence. As for Return to Life, sure, it only works on creatures at 0 HP, but clerics are healing often enough that it’ll see use.

Dave:
Exactly. And Pull of Death works with spell attacks or weapon attacks—anything that rolls to hit. So Guiding Bolt, for instance, would trigger this as long as the target is bloodied.

Ted:
Plus, you get your Grave Domain Spells, which are auto-prepared:

• 3rd level: Bane, Chill Touch, Detect Evil and Good, Gentle Repose, Ray of Enfeeblement 
• 5th: Revivify, Vampiric Touch 
• 7th: Blight, Dispel Evil and Good 
• 9th: Hold Monster, Raise Dead 

Dave:
Then we get Path to the Grave—your Channel Divinity at 3rd level. As a bonus action, you curse a creature within 30 feet. It has disadvantage on attacks and saves until the start of your next

The Entropy Domain gives clerics access to potent forces to “shield themselves from magic and annihilate arcane casters.” And they can summon a weird ball of void stuff too.

turn. If you or an ally hits it, you can end the curse early for extra damage: 1d8 + your cleric level, and you choose necrotic or radiant.

Ted:
It’s good—but it replaces the previous version where the next hit triggered vulnerability to all damage from that attack. That version was nastier—especially when combined with something like Inflict Wounds. You could triple damage with the right crit build.

Dave:
Yeah, the old version enabled some serious burst damage. This one is more controlled, offers defensive debuffing, and still delivers a solid bonus. It’s more balanced, which I get—but definitely less explosive.

Ted:
At 6th level, you get Sentinel at Death’s Door. When you or a bloodied ally within 30 feet is hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the damage. You can do this a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier per long rest.

Dave:
Previously, this just negated critical hits. This new version is more flexible—like a group-wide Uncanny Dodge. You can help allies more broadly, and the Wisdom-based uses scale nicely.

Ted:
Finally, we get to 17th level: Divine Reaper. This feature gives you:

• Enhanced Necromancy: When you cast a necromancy spell (5th level or lower) or a Grave Domain spell that targets one creature, you can spend Channel Divinity to target a second creature.
• Keeper of Souls: When an enemy dies within 60 feet, you or an ally within 60 feet regains HP equal to 3 × your cleric level. Once per short or long rest.

Dave:
I like this a lot. The extra targeting is perfect for spells like Vampiric Touch or Ray of Enfeeblement. And Keeper of Souls gives a strong survivability boost in boss fights.

Ted:
This revision keeps the Grave Domain strong. I still miss that old Channel Divinity for raw damage, but this version is more consistent and flexible.

Dave:
Totally agree. It’s still one of the best domains for flavor and effectiveness.

Ted:
So what do you all think? Is the Grave Domain still top-tier? Did they nerf it too hard—or just enough? Let us know in the comments below.

Dave:
Thanks for joining us in the crypts tonight. Whether you’re haunted by balance questions or inspired to build a new character, these horror subclasses definitely bring the flavor.

Both:
Stay nerdy!

Thanks for joining us on this journey through the Grave Domain. The Unearthed Arcana series continues to offer up intriguing new options for players and Dungeon Masters alike, and the Grave Domain is no exception — bringing a thoughtful, lore-rich approach to the divine magic of life and death.

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you played a Grave Domain Cleric? Do you have story ideas or homebrew twists for this subclass? Drop your comments below or join the conversation with us over on YouTube.

Thanks for reading. Until next time, stay nerdy!