Ascetic Domain

The Ascetic Domain focuses on independence and sufficiency of the self. Born in an area that was either abandoned or became incompatible with people, organized societies, or even gods, those of the Ascetic Domain find connection with the divine—if there is such a thing anymore— in the absence of sustenance, shelter, and comfort. While others may seek to restore the land or build up settlements to someday rival those of the ancient past, Ascetic clerics do not. If the wastes exist, there is a reason. Letting the wastelands take what they will and, like the sands themselves, existing without unsustainable plenty lead to the path of true understanding and oneness with whatever gods are left.

In their search for transcendent wisdom, Ascetic clerics can go without food, water, and shelter far longer than most other heroes, though it is neither easy nor riskless for them to do so. But when they do, they are uniquely suited to discover things no one else can. Many Ascetic clerics are on quests for internal and external knowledge: to prove their own commitment to their cause; to seek the reasons for the errors committed in the name of greed, pride, and desire that led to disaster; or to teach others the way they’re meant to live in this hellscape.

Ascetic Domain Features

Cleric Level	Feature
3rd	Internal Oasis (1), Enduring Vigor, Transpose Exhaustion
6th	Comfort in Discomfort, Internal Oasis (2), Potent Spellcasting
17th	Nothingness, Internal Oasis (3)

Level 3: Internal Oasis

You can use your reaction when you take damage in combat to expend one Hit Die to heal yourself. You regain this ability whenever you complete a short or long rest. You may use this ability twice before needing a rest at 6th level, and three times at 17th level.

Level 3: Enduring Vigor

You can ignore the effects of a number of levels of exhaustion equal to your proficiency bonus. Any levels of exhaustion you incur beyond your proficiency bonus impose normal exhaustion penalties. For example, if you have a proficiency bonus of +2 and you gain a third level of exhaustion, you suffer the penalty normally associated with one level of exhaustion.

Level 3: Transpose Exhaustion

You can use your Channel Divinity to either relieve your allies of their exhaustion or inflict exhaustion upon your enemies. As an action, you can relieve a number of levels of exhaustion equal to your proficiency bonus from creatures within 30 feet of you, taking them on yourself. The levels of exhaustion that you relieve may be from one creature or several, but the total you relieve with this action cannot exceed your proficiency bonus.

Alternatively, as an action, you can inflict a number of levels of your own exhaustion equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) onto one or more creatures you can see within 30 feet of you, ridding yourself of the same number of levels of exhaustion. The levels of exhaustion you lose may be inflicted onto one creature or several, but the total you inflict with this action cannot exceed half your proficiency bonus (rounded down). When you do this, a targeted creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take on your levels of exhaustion. If the creature succeeds on the saving throw, you retain the levels of exhaustion you were attempting to inflict on that creature.

Level 3: Ascetic Domain Spells

Your connection to the divine domain ensures you always have certain spells ready. When you reach a Cleric level specified in the Ascetic Domain Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Ascetic Domain Spells

Cleric Level	Prepared Spells
3	Relief, Sanctuary, Blindness/Deafness, Ray of Enfeeblement
5	Beacon of Hope, Protection From Energy
7	Freedom of Movement, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere
9	Legend Lore, Reincarnate

Level 6: Comfort in Discomfort

You have advantage on saving throws made to resist gaining levels of exhaustion imposed by lack of food, water, or rest.

If you are using the variant survival rules for the comfortable condition,6 you no longer require comfort to gain the benefits of a long rest.

Level 6: Potent Spellcasting

You add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.

Level 17: Nothingness

At 17th level, you can ignore the material components of spells with a value of 1,000 gp or less.

Optional Class Feature

Level 10: Divine Intervention Variant: Abstemious Vision

Ascetic clerics can use their Divine Intervention ability to experience a vision of past events that grants a benefit to them. Describe the assistance you seek, spend 24 hours in meditation, and roll percentile dice. If you roll a number equal to or lower than your cleric level, you gain the knowledge or abilities you seek. For every full day you go without food, water, and rest before making your roll, you can subtract 10 from the results of your roll. Instead of imploring a deity for aid, the Ascetic cleric gets a vision of the past that aids them in gaining the knowledge they seek. How far in the past and what they see is up to the GM’s discretion; it may be a relatively recent event, or, for the most devoted and powerful Ascetics, this is one of the few ways to access information about the pre-apocalypse. Here are some examples of the benefits an Ascetic cleric might receive from a vision using this feature:

• You learn a spell not on the cleric list, which is now a cleric spell for you.
• You are able to cast any single spell of your choosing with no material components once per day without expending a spell slot.
• You can ask the GM a number of questions equal to the number of levels of exhaustion you currently have and receive a truthful, though perhaps cryptic, answer.

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