Hello everyone, and welcome to another in a series of articles focusing on the Cleric Domains in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The goal for each of these is to provide you with a quick overview of your domain powers, spells, and introduce you to a god or goddess from real-Earth mythology who could be a deity using this particular domain.
All that said, welcome to this week’s article on the domain of: Sun.
The Sun domain is described as “You see truth in the pure and burning light of the sun, and can call upon its blessing or wrath to work great deeds.” – As such it can probably be reasoned that your god is one of enlightenment, sun, and potentially righteous anger.
The powers granted are “Sun’s Blessing” – which adds your cleric level to the damage done to undead creatures when channeling positive energy. A very nice little boost to the undead-hunting cleric. While not much, it always helps.
The second power granted is “Nimbus of Light” – this causes automatic damage (equal to the cleric’s level) to any undead creature within the 30-foot area. Further, it has the same effect as the daylight spell, increasing the general level of light in the area, and automatically dispelling spells with the [darkness] descriptor.
Spells:
The spells you get with the Sun domain are as follows:
Endure Elements
This allows you to endure heat or cold, and avoid the environmental effects associated with them. This is, unfortunately, an often-overlooked aspect of many games, so its usefulness depends upon your GM. If you have one that likes mixing it up with weather effects, then this spell is your friend. (It bears remembering that if you have resistance to cold or fire, you become immune to the environmental effects associated with them).
Heat Metal
This causes metallic items to grow extremely hot, causing a total of 8d4 points of damage, to anyone who cannot rid themselves of the metallic item in question. On average, this would be 20 points of damage, enough so that it should cause most creatures to get rid of the weapon or armor, at least at the level where this spell becomes available.
Searing Light
A fairly simple attack spell that deals 1d8 points of damage per two levels, though this damage is almost doubled against undead, with a 1d6 points of damage per level against the undead. Critically though, it does NOT offer a saving throw, which is a rarity at this level.
Fire Shield
A bit of a misleading name, as this can allow you to do both cold and fire damage (and unlike many other domain spells, this does NOT limit you to one of the types of damage). It punishes an attacker when they hit you, causing them to suffer damage PER SUCCESSFUL hit, so someone could literally beat themselves to death. It’s important to note that it calls out natural attacks and handheld weapons that strike you, so a bow is not affected, but there’s NO caveat against reach weapons. As long as they are handheld and strike you, they will take damage.
On a side note, because it also provides fire/cold resistance (depending on the type chosen), it can also render you immune to the relevant environmental effects, provided the damage suffered from those do not overcome your resistance.
Flame Strike
This spell does 1d6 points of damage, with a maximum of 15d6. While that’s not terribly high for a spell of this level, critically half the damage comes from divine energy, meaning that part of the damage cannot be mitigated through resistances, only through a successful saving throw.
Fire Seeds
Essentially allowing you to create magical grenades or bombs that you can detonate on command. The grenades (acorn grenades) cause more damage at 1d4 points of damage per level (minimum 11d4 at the point where you get them) with a range increment of 20 ft. – and you can have 4 of these (potentially 44d4 points of damage at minimum).
The holly berry bombs version causes less damage (at 1d8+level, minimum 1d8+11), but you can place up to 8 of them (potentially 8d8+88 points of damage at minimum), but they can be activated up to 200 ft. away with a verbal command. More or less allowing you to place a minefield, provided you have time to set up the battlefield first.
Sunbeam
This spell creates a number of beams equal to your level/3 (maximum 6), so at the level where you get it, you get 4 beams. Each beam causes 4d6 points of fire damage and can cause you to become PERMANENTLY blind. While a saving throw reduces that by half (and eliminates the blindness), that is not where the spell shines. THAT is against undead creatures (as well as mold, slime, and fungi) as each beam causes a number of d6 equal to your level (so 13d6 at the level where you get it), and any creature specifically harmed by sunlight is destroyed if they fail their save. (At the level where you get it, if you’re attacking these types of creatures, that means that the spell has the potential to do 52d6 points of damage and cause instant destruction. THAT is a spell worth having along).
Sunburst
In effect, sunburst is a burst version of sunbeam. Anyone caught in the 80 ft. burst takes 6d6 points of damage, and are permanently blinded. As before, undead creatures (along with mold, slime, and fungi) are more susceptible to the spell and take 1d6 points of damage per level of the caster (i.e. 15d6 at the level where you gain the spell).
Prismatic Sphere
Prismatic sphere is one of the best defensive spells out there, in that they are multilayered, and each layer needs to be destroyed separately (unless using specific spells or items to do so). Each field works in both a defensive and offensive manner, so it is a great choice for a defensive measure.
New Deity
Please note that the mythology presented here differs a fair bit from the original source material.
Amaterasu
Sun-Goddess, Shining Heaven, The great august kami who shines in the heaven, Ruler of Sky
Alignment LG
Worshipers farmers, undead hunters, nobles, aristocrats, monarchs, witch hunters (much to Amaterasu’s displeasure)
Cleric Alignments LG, NG, LN
Domains: Fire, Glory, Good, Law, Nobility, Sun
Sub-domains: Aristocracy, Day, Heroism, Honor, Legislation, Light
Favored Weapon: longbow
Symbol: a sunburst with a smiling face
Amaterasu is not only the goddess of the sun, but many consider her to be among the rulers of the gods, if not THE Empress herself. That is something that is disputed by many other religions, however. What is NOT disputed is that Amaterasu, in her guise as the sun-goddess, is one of the greatest opponents of the undead, and the dark taint that they bring to the world.
As her faithful say: Where her light shines, lies wither and darkness dies.
Her clergy wears white and red robes, and they serve as advisors to the nobles in their counties, usually on legal matters and affairs of state. In those areas where they are helping farmers, they also serve as advisors, but this takes more of an agricultural bent, with advice on which crops to grow, which animals to breed, and, in certain cases, which families should arrange for marriages of their young, and which should not.
The faithful of Amaterasu conduct their business while the sun is in the sky, preferably outside, though on rainy days, they stay indoors, and light up their temples with bright lanterns. Some rich temples even have magical lighting from stainless glass windows, making it appear as if the sun is always at noon. At night they rest, and some serve social functions during this time – some unfortunate temples have had rumors spread that after nightfall, the temples are taken over by the clergy of darker deities, and turn into dens of iniquity, but these have, so far, proven to be unsubstantiated.
Kim Frandsen
Latest posts by Kim Frandsen (see all)
- Finder’s Archive – Crypt of the Eternals - June 2, 2023
