Let’s pick this series back up and talk about how to translate another core class from D&D 5e into Fabula Ultima. The Cleric is an interesting option because like the Rogue, there is one FU class that covers much of the core identity of the class – namely the Spiritist – but Clerics are also a highly flexible character class that can lean into a few different styles of support, and also have quite a bit of variance in their tone and playstyle depending on which Domain is chosen.
Before we start looking into the options, let’s define the core identity we’re aiming at. The defining features of the 5e Cleric are a Wisdom-based support caster that is specialized in combating the Undead. In addition, before getting Domains involved, Clerics tend to lean towards being either heavily armored frontline support, or backline spellcaster support, which also tends to determine whether they rely on weapons or cantrips to supplement their damage.
So, let’s start with the Spiritist and build from there.
Cleric Core – Light, Healing, and Domain
On paper, the Spiritist the obvious starting point. As the “white mage” of FU, it has access to incredibly strong support spells like Cleanse, Heal, Barrier, and Aura, along with Support Magic and Healing Power to add extra healing and check bonuses to allies that you target with spells.
As for the Undead, the Spiritist has two very particular tricks up their sleeves: First, as a baseline, most Undead creatures in FU are weak to Light damage, which they can reliably deal with the Lux spell. Even better, when an Undead is healed, the source of the healing can choose to make them lose half as many Hit Points as they would have been healed, no check required. This makes Heal – already one of the strongest restorative spells in the game – into a reliable zombie nuke.
Filling in the rest of the gaps, Spiritists gain Ritualism Rituals, as well as Spiritist rituals with a skill point. Rituals are a very strong and flexible system, and this combination lets you handle basic magical problems like finding/manipulating/identifying magical sources, as well as gaining influences over minds and emotions, both to bolster and control.
Finally, Vismagus lets you spend HP instead of MP for casting spells. While not strictly a Cleric thing, for 1 skill point this does give you options for additional support casting in emergencies, or as a build option for a Cleric that specializes in Might/stacking HP, which is nice for the front line path.
Arcanist Aside
Before going into the two main role options, an honorable mention should be made for the Arcanist. While on paper this class is presented as something like the Summoner from games like Final Fantasy, it is an incredibly flexible class that can single-handedly do the job of several Domains or even sub in for the Spiritist as your primary Cleric Class.
The core mechanic is that you get access to Arcana, which all basically work like so: spend a large sum of MP to gain access to some kind of benefit for you and/or your allies, and then later you can Dismiss the Arcanum for a big, splashy effect, usually a lot of damage or healing. You get one Arcanum for free at character creation and can obtain more during play; furthermore, Arcana each come with roughly three domains that you can use with Ritual Arcanism to produce ritual effects in line with those domains.
While the basic expectation is that each Arcanum is some kind of unique spirit that you have bonded with, the class is ripe for reflavoring – consider making them different Aspects of a god that your Cleric worships, or a collection of Grand Litanies to your god that produce different effects when recited – which could be collected during the adventure as part of a pilgrimage.
While a less obvious path for a Cleric, if you want to lean hard into a specific Domain, it can be a strong supplemental or alternative option.
Frontline Martial Support
For heavily armored Clerics, the Guardian is a very attractive choice. You get free access to martial armor and martial shields by taking the Class, and Protect gives you another option to get in the way of damage and keep your allies safe without using up your Action. Defensive Mastery helps your HP go further and makes you less reliant on healing yourself, and Fortress can give you a huge pool of HP; a resource you can combine with Vismagus to keep casting even when you run out of MP. Dual Shieldbearer can get you some of the highest levels of Defense and Magic Defense available in the game without interfering with your casting, and all of that together can make you a one-stop support source for your group.
If you want to lean into the martially-focused Cleric, you can also supplement this with Weaponmaster or Sharpshooter, or go Commander for offensive support options.
Backline Caster Support
While the Spiritist is already a solid spellcaster, if you want to lean into that role there are a few options that stand out as having decent Cleric flavor and synergy: Elementalist and Esper.
The Elementalist gives you another spellcasting class with a vast array of elemental damage spells, letting you supplement your Lux with a blast of holy flame using Ignis and Flare. Elemental Weapon and Elemental Shroud are also strong support spells that let you target the majority of damage types to either exploit an enemy Vulnerability or give your squishy teammates protection, and both will also work with Support Magic and Healing Power. Cataclysm and Magical Artillery can both ensure that your offensive spells hit reliably and hard.
The Esper from the Techno-Fantasy Atlas is a bit less obvious as a choice, but with some reflavoring (“gifts” can easily become “blessings”, for instance), they have a lot of synergy as a caster. Applying your Focus to an ally gives you even more bonus healing and MP efficiency for your support spells, and Navigator can help you coordinate your team over large distances. Psychic Gifts give you a range of triggered effects that let you convert your own damage to another type, reactively heal, or boost your own defenses in an emergency.
Summing Up
- For the core of a Cleric, Spiritist and/or Arcanist will cover most of the bases.
- For heavily armored Clerics, Guardian is a strong choice.
- If you want to lean into spellcasting, Elementalist or Esper are both solid options.
Next time, I’ll talk about Cleric Domains and how to express them in FU!
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