Nightfell is a setting that places significant focus on building its world to serve as the stage for your adventures. This nature makes it ideal for cross-media storytelling but, most importantly, for easily adapting its lore to various game systems. For this reason, we’re developing a version compatible with PF2 (check it out here).
The origins of Nightfell, however, are deeply rooted in the 5e system, meaning its foundational mechanics stem from the SRD 5.1 by Wizards. In our mainline manuals, we’ve taken the opportunity to introduce a wide range of options, enabling the creation of unique characters that align with the lore of the world of Iùrmen.
Our classes and archetypes can be found in the manuals: Nightfell Corebook and Children of the Moon. Who knows, perhaps even in a new supplement that might emerge in 2025!
The 5e system referenced by Nightfell also allows compatibility with all classes—official or otherwise—that have ever been created. I bet some of you have already experimented with combining different supplements to personalize your gaming experience. (If so, let me know in the comments; I’d love to hear about it!)
In this article—and others to come—I’d like to take the time to adapt various base class options from the SRD 5.1 into the world of Nightfell, as they represent the core archetypes of Dungeons & Dragons 5e classes. My aim is to provide you all with ideas for creating new characters without having to figure out how to align them with the lore (because I’ll handle that for you), effectively creating new, official playable options for our horror-fantasy game—available for free right here on our website.
Let's start with the Cleric - Life Domain.
Happy reading!
CLERIC: LIFE DOMAIN
"In a land slowly forgetting the warmth of kindness and the virtue of selflessness, the need grows for individuals capable of devoting their lives to the light and the preservation of what is beloved and pure. Those who heed the call of the material and immaterial entities that permeate the fabric of reality dedicate their existence to spreading a primeval sense of joy to illuminate the souls of others."
The Domain of Life focuses on the magnificence of creation, benevolent energies, radiance, and healing. Clerics who commit to this practice are akin to those who dedicate their faith to the Domain of Creation (Nightfell Corebook), with one fundamental difference: their role is not the safeguarding of the Primes, but the protection and care of the individuals and creatures that inhabit Iùrmen.
Several Orders pursue this specific path, mastering the art of reclaiming the world's light and invoking the benevolent deities that influence the Material Plane. Among the most notable are the Old Tradition, the Lunar Cult, the Old Covens, and the Old Pagan Cults.
  The fundamental differences among these practitioners often lie in the deity they worship and, at times, in the title they adopt as part of a specific Order.
In the sections below, we will delve into the distinctions and commonalities of these Nocturnal Adventurers.
OLD TRADITION
Beyond being an Order with political and cultural influence, this group stands as a true religion among the peoples of Iùrmen and, as such, includes Clerics within its ranks.
Clerics of Life are regarded as full-fledged Masters of Tradition, integrated into this category's hierarchy, and are sometimes referred to as Clerics of Truths. These individuals focus on protecting the weak and healing the sick, dedicating significant efforts to serving as healers within outposts (such as the Blue House, which functions as a hospital in Owlrock).
The deities they pledge their faith to are typically The Saint, the Entities of Sidìr (as a group of ancient Celestial Gods), and, more rarely, Nanni Orku and other Primes.
Life Domain Spells - Old Tradition Variant
Cleric Level | Spells |
1st | detect evil and good, cure wounds |
3rd | zone of truth, lesser restoration |
5th | create food and water, remove course |
7th | banishment, death ward |
9th | legend lore, greater restoration |
LUNAR CULT
  Mirithlen is life, light, and hope for all who surrender to her embrace.
Clerics belonging to the Lunar Cult often dedicate themselves to this Domain, embodying the radiance of the Triple Goddess to bestow blessings and cast spells that bring comfort to others and shield the needy from the perils of darkness. These Clerics are usually sent by Mirithrun across the Known Lands, both to spread the word of the Goddess and to share her compassion with the faithful.
The sole deity venerated by these individuals is Mirithlen, Goddess of the Moon and Silver.
Life Domain Spells - Lunar Cult Variant
Cleric Level | Spells |
1st | bless, santuary |
3rd | calm emotions, gentle repose |
5th | spirit guardians, daylight |
7th | divination, guardian of faith |
9th | mass cure wounds, hallow |
OLD COVENS & OLD PAGAN CULTS
  Since the ancient times of Iùrmen, Life and Being have been celebrated; those we now call Clerics already roamed the lush lands of past Ages, long forgotten by those who now dwell beneath the veil of perpetual night.
Within the Old Covens and among the Pagan Cults, there have always been figures who, then as now, dedicated themselves to preserving harmony among the living. Whether they were witches skilled in healing the sick or hermits devoted to protecting and consecrating sacred places, divine energies have always been channeled to bestow blessings.
Those who today still direct their faith toward ancient religions and old spiritual traditions can invoke the deities of Iùrmen, particularly the Primes that still endure. The most commonly venerated deities include Nanni Orku, Sorapiss, Maimone, and Pantà sema (the latter especially among the Old Covens). All of these are benevolent or neutral deities that remain embedded in the fabric of reality.
Life Domain Spells - Covens and Pagan Cults Variant
Cleric Level | Spells |
1st | create or destroy water, healing word |
3rd | augury, warding bond |
5th | dispel magic, mass healing word |
7th | control water, stone shape |
9th | commune, dispel evil and good |
CLASS FEATURES COMMON TO ALL VARIANTS
BONUS PROFICIENCY
When the Cleric chooses this domain at 1st level, they gain proficiency with heavy armor.
DISCIPLE OF VITALITY
Starting at 1st level, the Cleric hones their healing powers. Whenever they use a 1st-level or higher spell to restore a creature’s hit points, that creature regains additional hit points equal to 2 + the level of the spell.
CHANNEL DIVINITY: PRESERVE LIFE
Beginning at 2nd level, the Cleric can call upon the energy of their faith and use Channel Divinity to aid those who are injured.
As an action, the Cleric holds their holy symbol and recites a prayer, healing a total amount of hit points equal to five times their Cleric level. They choose the creatures within 30 feet to benefit from this rite and distribute this pool of hit points among them. This feature can restore a creature’s hit points up to, but not beyond, half of its hit point maximum. This feature has no effect on constructs or undead.
CONSECRATED HEALER
Starting at 6th level, the healing spells the Cleric casts on others also affect themself.
When the Cleric casts a 1st-level or higher spell that restores hit points to creatures other than themself, they regain hit points equal to 2 + the level of the spell.
DIVINE STRIKE
At 8th level, the Cleric can imbue their weapon with divine energy to unleash radiant strikes.
Once on each of their turns, when the Cleric hits a creature with a weapon attack, they can deal an additional 1d8 radiant damage. At 14th level, the radiant damage dealt by Divine Strike increases to 2d8.
SUPREME HEALING
Starting at 17th level, when the Cleric rolls dice to restore hit points with a spell, they instead use the highest possible result for each die. For example, instead of restoring 2d6 hit points, they would restore 12 hit points.
Here’s the reimagined LCleric of Life we’re introducing for Nightfell, but I hope it can also serve as an example of how you can adapt your favorite classes and options to fit our horror-fantasy setting.
Have you ever adapted a class to the Nightfell setting or vice versa? Tell us your experience in the comments!
Comentarios