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CLERIC

Madness Domain

CLERIC

A Madness Cleric is a devout practitioner whose mind has become a conduit for chaotic and enigmatic forces. Proficient with all sorts of torturous implements, they blend physical prowess with an unsettling mastery of deception and intimidation, using their strange insight to manipulate the minds of others. Striking fear into the hearts of foes, a Madness Cleric's successful attacks can render enemies paralyzed and frozen in terror, as their speed grinds to a halt.

As the cleric delves further into the depths of madness, their abilities intensify.


Agent of Madness

When you choose this domain at 1st level you gain proficiency with martial weapons as well as the Deception and Intimidation skills.  You can use your Wisdom score instead of your Charisma for checks made with these skills, tapping into your strange and warped mind.

Blessings of the Mad God

Also starting at 1st level, when you hit a creature with an attack you can force the creature to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn, and its speed is reduced to 0.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) and regain all expended uses at the end of a long rest.

Domain Spells

You gain domain spells at the cleric levels listed in the Madness Domain Spells table. See the Divine Domain class feature for how domain spells work.

Madness Domain Spells

Channel Divinity: Induce Madness

Starting at 2nd level  you can use your Channel Divinity to induce madness within the minds of others. 

As an action you can force a number of creatures within 60 feet of you, that you can see, to make a Charisma saving throw or suffer a random short-term madness for 1 minute. The number of creatures is equal to 1 + half your proficiency bonus.  A creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, or whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on itself on a success.

You can roll on the Short Term Madness table in the basic rules, or on the expanded madness table at the end of this subclass.

D100

Effect

1

The character begins narrating their actions as if a sentient, otherworldly entity were controlling their every move.

2

The character begins speaking in an accent that is not their own. If the character is incapable of speech, they gesticulate oddly with their hands while communicating.

3-5

The creature hears everything as a song and is compelled to join in. They can only speak by singing their words.

6-8

The character believes they are invisible and will rationalize any discrepancies.

9-11

The character believes an enemy towards their goals is scrying on them, and they can see the invisible sensor.

12-14

Adrenaline courses through the character's veins and they cannot distinguish friend from foe. The character gains advantage on all Strength-based attack rolls and regards all creatures as hostile.

15-17

The character begins speaking in tongues. They can only communicate verbally or telepathically and can only cast spells if they know Infernal, Celestial, or Sylvan.

18-20

The character feels tiny bugs crawling under their skin. At the start of the creature's turns if it has not taken damage since the start of its last turn, it will use its action to try to dig out the infestation and take 1 point of slashing damage.

21-23

The character sees tiny doll-like humanoids standing behind them, only following while their back is turned to them. The character's movement speed is reduced by half, only allowing themselves to walk backwards.

24-26

The character is compelled to consume their own blood. At the start of each of the creature's turns they use a melee weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage and deal 1 point of damage to themselves. If the creature has no weapon, they will use their teeth or claws and instead take 2 points of piercing or slashing damage.

27-29

The character is overcome with the sound of their own heartbeat. They are deafened.

30-31

The character believes they are a Spellcaster if they are not one, and believes they are not a significantly weaker spellcaster if they are one. If a creature cannot cast spells and is targeted by a hostile spell, it will waste its reaction attempting to counter the spell. If the creature can cast spells, it will not attempt to counter a spell.

32-33

The character believes there are enemies chasing them from all sides and must constantly escape. On their turn, the creature's movement can only be taken in a strait line in a randomly determined direction.

34-35

The character experiences an overpowering urge to eat something strange such as dirt, slime, or offal.

36-37

The character begins babbling and is incapable of normal speech or spellcasting.

38-39

The character becomes frightened and must use his or her action and movement each round to flee from the source of the fear.

40-41

The character screams at the top of its lungs when it speaks or uses a verbal component. Each time it does, it must succeed a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. After 3 failures the creature cannot speak verbally until it regains hit points.

42-43

The character is overcome with vanity. If the character sees its own reflection, it becomes incapacitated with a movement speed of 0 until it can no longer see its reflection.

44-45

The character hyper-focuses on their breathing. They suffer disadvantage on concentration checks.

46-47

The character believes they have spontaneously combusted. At the start of each of their turns they take 1d4 psychic damage unless they use an action to put out the flames. If they do, they flames disappear, but return after 1 minute.

48-49

The character feels the uncontrollable urge to press its skin against another surface or creature. The creature will use its movement to move to the nearest tree, wall, statue or other Large object and gentle rub against it (no action required). If no suitable object is within the character's movement speed it will attempt to grapple the nearest creature to it If no creature is within it's movement speed, it will fall prone and use half its movement speed to roll on the ground.

50-51

The character believes they are holding an infant child or animal in one of their hands. They cannot wield two-handed weapons and will drop whatever they are holding in the hand they believe is holding the infant.

52-53

The character regards a random object they are holding or wearing to be affected by the Heat Metal spell, even if the object is not made of metal. They take no damage from the madness, but exhibit all other effects of the spell.

54-55

The character selects a random ally they can see. The character has disadvantage on attack rolls while more than 5 feet away from the ally. When the ally is targeted by an attack from an attack within 5 feet of it, the character must use their reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.

56-57

The character is overcome with tremors and has disadvantage on Dexterity ability checks and weapon attacks that rely on Dexterity.

58-59

The character begins ripping out chunks of hair at the end of each of its turns. If it has no hair or no hair left, it will begin scratching at its own head or body, dealing 2 piercing damage at the end of every minute.

60-61

The character is tormented by the mistakes of their past and feel they must be punished. Before they take a hostile action or bonus action they must take piercing damage equal to their proficiency bonus, which cannot be reduced in any way.

62-63

The character believes they are the reincarnation of a peaceful demi-god. They will not harm another creature and evangelize their truth.

64-65

The character is terrified of the world beyond where it currently stands. The creature has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws if it moves beyond 15 feet of the location where it gained this madness.

66-67

The character believes the dead are coming back to life. The first time on a turn the creature sees a corpse, they must use the attack action to make an attack against it, moving within attacking range of the corpse if needed.

68-69

The character believes they are a primal beast of nature, such as a bear, lion, or mighty chicken. They drop all items they are holding, will move across the ground using all of their limbs, and only attack using natural weapons or unarmed strikes.

70-71

The character is overcome with empathy towards another random allied creature. Once per turn whenever the random ally takes damage, the creature takes 1d6 psychic damage. If there is no allied creature, the character is charmed by the nearest hostile creature until it takes damage, ending the madness.

72-73

The character becomes filled with despair and fills their allies with doubt. On the start of each of the creature's turn, they choose a random ally they can see within 30 feet. That ally has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes. If no ally is in range, the creature does nothing.

74-75

The character experiences vivid hallucinations and has disadvantage on ability checks.

76-77

The character must use his or her action each round to attack the nearest creature.

78-79

The character is incredibly paranoid and will not consider themselves willing to any spell cast on them by another creature.

80-81

The character believes they have become a vampire. They will only attack using a Bite attack (if they have a Bite attack) or an unarmed strike or natural weapon attack if they do not have a Bite attack.

82-83

The character becomes feral and must use their action each round to take the Attack action against the nearest creature before using their movement. If no creature is in range, the creature does nothing.

84-85

The character leaves everything to chance. Before the creature takes an Action, Bonus action, or movement, it must first roll a d20. On a 1-9, the action or movement is wasted. On a 10-20, the creature may take the action or movement normally.

86-87

The character is overcome with movement and needs to dance. They are under the effects of the Irresistible Dance spell. This madness ends whenever the creature takes damage or when the madness ends normally.

88-89

The character believes they are a potted plant.

90-91

The character develops agoraphobia. The creature suffers disadvantage on attack rolls if more than one creature is within 30 feet of them.

92-93

On the start of the creature's turn, they must roll a d8, on an 8 the creature believes a Fireball spell has been cast in their direction. They must succeed a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 8d6 psychic damage on a failure.

94

The character become enraged that it cannot witness its own forehead. It enters a rage as per the Barbarian's Rage feature which lasts until the madness ends.

95

The character becomes suffused with fanatical energy. The first time this creature is reduced to 0 hit points while mad, they drop to 1 hit point instead.

96

The character retreats into his or her mind and becomes paralyzed. The effect ends if the character takes any damage.

97

The character becomes incapacitated and spends the duration screaming, laughing, or weeping.

98

The character does whatever anyone tells him or her to do that isn’t obviously self-­destructive.

99

The character is stunned.

100

The character falls unconscious.

Shattered Mind

Starting at 6th level, you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, or possessed and you are immune to any effect that would sense your emotions or read your thoughts. Starting at 10th level, when you succeed on a saving throw against being charmed, frightened, or possessed, the creature that forced the saving throw takes psychic damage equal to your Cleric level.

Blades of Madness

At 8th level, you can inflict mind-splitting pain upon your enemies with your strikes. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 psychic damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Cloak of the Yellow Lord

At 17th-level you can absorb the latent madness lurking around you and within the minds of your allies, while also sending that madness and chaos into your enemies in a wave of yellow-tinted energy rippling out from you in a 30-foot radius.  As an action, you can enter this state for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated, or end it as a bonus action.  


For the duration, creatures of your choice (including yourself) in the area are immune to being charmed, frightened, or possessed, have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws, are resistant to psychic damage, and regain the maximum amount from any healing.  Creatures of your choice in the area also deal an additional 1d8 psychic damage.


Hostile creatures in this area must succeed a Wisdom saving throw at the start of each of their turns or when they enter the area for the first time on their turn.  On a failure, their movement speed is reduced by half, have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks, and are vulnerable to psychic damage.  Hostile creatures in this area also have disadvantage on saving throws made to resist your Induce Madness Channel Divinity.


While you are in this state, you are placed under the effects of the confusion spell, however you can still take a bonus action any time the spell states your turn would otherwise end. At the start of each of your turns while in this state, you can expend a spell slot of 2nd-level or higher to take your turn as normal. 


Once you have used this feature you cannot do so again until you have completed a long rest.

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