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Under the Dome – Cleric Subclass: Domain of the Grinding Flame

“I carry the fire that unravels worlds. In the ashes, we are remade.”

Jumping in with another subclass preview for the players in my Under the Dome – Balaria game. So far we have done, Artificer, Bard, and Monk. only 2 more to go.  You can see episode one here. Episode 2 airs tomorrow night and we can see where the story goes. In the meantime, lets explore this new cleric sublcass.

The Grinding Flame is not a gentle hearthfire, nor even the controlled blaze of a forge. It is chaos made incandescent—where the raw volatility of Grind fuses with destructive fire to create something far more dangerous. To worship this flame is to embrace destruction not as an end, but as a cycle: burning, breaking, and birthing anew.

Clerics of this domain are fearsome figures. Some are zealots of gods of destruction or transformation. Others serve no deity at all, instead communing directly with the primal chaos of Grind itself. Wherever they tread, their enemies burn, reality buckles, and survivors whisper of ash crystallized into strange shards left in their wake.

Whether feared as pyromaniacal destroyers or revered as divine agents of rebirth, these clerics wield fire that scars not just the body—but the world itself.

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🔥 Domain Features

Domain Spells

Your spells embody chaos, volatility, and fire.

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Bonus Proficiencies (1st level)

Your god (or the flame itself) demands warriors, not only preachers.

• Gain proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor.

• Gain proficiency in the Arcana skill.

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Molten Grind (1st level)

Your Channel Divinity can summon a weapon forged of crystallized flame—an unstable, blazing blade of molten Grind.

• Lasts for 1 minute.

• Uses Wisdom for attack and damage rolls.

• Deals 2d8 fire damage on hit.

• On hit, erupts, dealing 1d8 fire damage to all creatures within 5 feet of the target (excluding you).

• Sheds 20 ft. bright light and 20 ft. dim light.

The Molten Grind Blade is both weapon and holy symbol, the perfect embodiment of this domain’s chaotic faith.

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Grind-Fueled Flames (2nd level)

When casting a fire spell, you can consume Grind (worth at least 10 gp) to empower it. One target takes extra fire damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

• Uses = your proficiency bonus per long rest.

This makes your fire spells sting harder—and ties the subclass firmly into your world’s resource economy.

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Infernal Infusion (6th level)

Your fire doesn’t only destroy—it infects allies with flame.

• When you cast a fire-damage spell, choose an ally within 30 ft.

• Their next melee hit deals +1d8 fire damage.

• Target must make a Con save vs. your DC or ignite, taking 1d8 fire damage at the start of each turn until extinguished.

This makes you both a blaster and a party enabler—a rare combo for a cleric.

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Chaotic Blaze (8th level)

Your weapon attacks ignite with destructive Grind.

• Weapon attacks deal +1d8 fire damage.

• When striking with your Molten Grind Blade, you can cause a small explosion—enemies within 10 ft. must Dex save or take fire damage = your Wisdom modifier.

Your melee strikes become devastating AOE detonations, rewarding bold, in-your-face combat.

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Avatar of Grinding Flame (17th level)

At the height of your power, you don’t just wield the fire—you are the fire.

For 1 minute (1/long rest), you erupt in a divine aura of chaotic flame:

• Shed 30 ft. bright light and 30 ft. dim light.

• Gain immunity to fire damage.

• Enemies striking you in melee take fire damage = your Wisdom modifier.

• When you cast a fire spell, you may maximize one damage die.

You become a walking inferno of chaos and divine fury—the perfect capstone for this destructive domain.

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🔥 Roleplaying a Cleric of the Grinding Flame

• Philosophy of Fire – Do you see flame as a divine purifier? A cruel destroyer? Or simply as the truth of reality, which must burn and break before it can be remade?

• Appearance – Clerics of the Grinding Flame often show physical marks of their chaotic devotion: hair smoldering like embers, ash-scorched skin, or eyes glowing with molten cracks of light.

• Symbols – Their holy symbols are often shards of crystallized Grind fused with blackened metal or molten glass.

• Conflict – Their faith is inherently destructive—how do they reconcile that with healing and protection? Do they see rebirth in every ruin, or must they wrestle with being as feared as they are needed?

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🔥 Playstyle at the Table

• At low levels, you’re surprisingly martial for a cleric—swinging a conjured fireblade and blasting enemies with fire spells.

• At mid levels, you become a battlefield controller, infusing allies with firepower while detonating AOE damage zones.

• At high levels, you’re a living firestorm. Your Avatar form makes you nearly untouchable, and your mix of blasting and melee pressure can turn entire encounters into ash.

This subclass is for players who want their cleric to feel like a warrior-priest of chaos, wielding Grind and flame not only to destroy, but to reshape the world in fire’s image.

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