Clerics are among the most iconic classes players can choose to play in Dungeons & Dragons, and are easily one of the best support classes in the game. While clerics have access to a wide range of subclasses, each with their own additional utility, all clerics have access to the stellar Cleric spell list that is filled to the brim with useful magic that can deal damage, heal allies, and provide additional out-of-combat utility. As Clerics have access to one of the largest spell lists of any class in D&D, it’s no surprise that the spells they can access greatly vary in quality and usefulness. So today, we’re going to examine the most useful spells that Clerics can cast in D&D.
Before we begin, we should mention that we are factoring in spell availability. While many of the most instantly impactful spells for clerics are available at their highest levels, this means that they won’t be castable for the majority of one’s campaign.
10 Shield Of Faith
A first-level spell available to both Clerics and Paladins, Shield of Faith a great support spell that allows a cleric to increase a target’s AC by 2. While Clerics are traditionally associated with healing, by improving a party member’s AC, damage can be completely prevented in the first place.
9 Lesser Restoration And Greater Restoration
A second-level and fifth-level spell respectively, Lesser Restoration and Greater Restoration each each phenomenal support spells that while incapable of restoring HP, can deal with some of the most troublesome status effects in the game.
While Lesser Restoration can cure any disease, blindness, deafness, paralysis, or the poisoned condition, Greater Restoration can cure Charm, Petrification, remove curses, and restore a character’s reduced stats!
8 Mass Heal
When it comes to the highest level healing magic in D&D, it’s hard to compete with Mass Heal. Exclusively available to Clerics, Mass Heal allows its caster to distribute a staggering 700 HP among any number of creatures within 60 feet of the caster, also curing those creatures of any diseases, blindness, and deafness. This allows Mass Heal to often bring an entire high-level party from the brink of death to their maximum possible HP!
7 True
While Clerics gain access to several spells that are capable of raising the dead, the 9th level True Resurrection is the most surefire means of bringing a character back from the dead.
Though the spell isn’t available until a Cleric reaches level 17, it is capable of reviving a creature that has been dead for no longer than 200 years and died of a cause other than old age, replacing lost body parts and even creating a new body for that character if one is not available.
6 Augury And Commune
One of the most unique elements of a Cleric’s spell list is the class’s access to several spells that allow them to ask their gods questions. Second and fifth-level spells respectively, Augury and Commune allow a Cleric to ask their god for omens and answers. These spells are the most surefire ways of asking a DM directly for hints without breaking any rules or meta-gaming.
5 Death Ward
Death Ward is a fourth-level spell that is one of the most reliable safety nets in all of D&D. Targeting a single creature without requiring concentration, this spell places a ward on said creature for eight hours. As long as the ward remains on that creature, if they would sustain enough damage to reduce them to 0 HP or are subject to an effect that would kill them outright, the target is instead reduced to 1 HP. This allows a character to survive many of the deadliest spell effects in the entirety of D&D such as Power Word: Kill.
4 Guiding Bolt And Inflict Wounds
Clerics not only have access to one powerful first-level offensive spell, but they have two in the forms of Guiding Bolt and Inflict Wounds. While Guiding Bolt is a longer ranged option that can deal 4d6 radiant damage to a target within 120 feet, Inflict Wounds can deal 3d10 necrotic damage to a target they can touch. As the damage of these spells scale as they’re cast using higher level spell slots, they are some of a clerics most reliable offensive options, regardless of their level.
3 Spiritual Weapon
A second-level evocation spell, Spiritual Weapon greatly improves a Cleric’s damage output. Lasting a minute, Spiritual Weapon creates a floating weapon that can be used to attack foes a bonus action, dealing 1d8 plus the cleric’s spellcasting modifier, essentially providing them with an additional attack on each of their turns!
2 Revivify
While much more time-sensitive and limited than True Resurrection, Revivify is the first spell clerics can learn that can revive the dead. A fourth level spell, Revivify can bring a creature that died within the past minute back to life, and can do so as quickly as an action. This means that if one’s ally falls in battle, Revivify can be used to bring them right back in the middle of combat.
1 Healing Word And Cure Wounds
Plain and simple, if a Cleric isn’t using either Healing Word or Cure Wounds, there’s likely a problem. The two best first-level healing spells in D&D Cure Wounds is capable of healing a target by 1d8 plus their spellcasting modifier as an action while Healing Word can heal 1d4 plus their spellcasting modifier as a bonus action. As Clerics are the most support-oriented class in all of D&D, these spells tend to be the class’s bread and butter, especially at early levels when healing potential is sparse.
