Abbreviations : In the following I am referring to Dungeons and Dragons as D&D , the Players Handbook as the PHB , the 2014 version as 5E and to the 2024 version as 5.5.

I am assuming that the reader is familiar with the 5E PHB, so I am primarily commenting on things that are new or different from the 5E version.

The Cleric Class

Note : In the D&D 5.5 PHB every class has 4 subclasses that they get at third level.
The descriptions below have been abbreviated. They are intended to serve as a guide to the changes. Please don’t consider these to be the rules, refer to the text in the book.

CORE CLERIC TRAITS

Hit Point Die : d8 per Cleric Level
Saving Throw Proficiencies : Wisdom and Charisma
Skill Proficiencies : Choose 2 from History, Insight, Medicine, Persuasion, or Religion
Weapon Proficiencies : Simple Weapons
Armor Training : Light and Medium Armor and Shields
Choose A or B:
    (A): Chain Shirt, Shield, Mace, Holy Symbol, Priest’s Pack, and 7 gp;
    (B): 110 gp

CLASS FEATURES

Level 1, Spellcasting .
   Cantrips. Whenever you gain a Cleric level, you can replace one of your Cantrips with a different one.
   Spell Slots. No change.
   Prepared Spells. The number of spells you can have prepared is no longer dependent on your WIS score, but is listed on the Cleric Features table.
Level 1, Divine Order. (This is new.) Choose Protector or  Thaumaturge.
   Protector; proficiency with Martial weapons and training with Heavy armor -or-
   Thaumaturge; one extra cantrip and a bonus to your Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) checks.
Level 2, Channel Divinity. (This has changed a bit.) You have 2 uses of Channel Divinity. You get one use back after a short rest and all uses back after long rest. In 5E you got only one that you got back after a short or long rest.
   Turn Undead. Instead of being frightened for 1 minute or until they take any damage, they now have the Frightened and Incapacitated conditions for 1 minute, and it ends if they take damage, or if you have the Incapacitated condition, or if you die.
   Divine Spark. This is new. You can either heal 1d8 + WIS mod or cause that much damage to a creature within 30 ft. (half if they save).
Level 3, Subclass. (Described later)
Level 4, Ability Score Improvement. “You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat (see chapter 5) or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Cleric levels 8, 12, and 16.” This is the same as it was in 5E, it just made the ability score improvement a feat, and lets you choose another feat instead if you want to. Another minor change is that you don’t get this at level 19 anymore, you will get an Epic Boon instead (see below).
Level 5, Sear Undead. (This replaces the feature that was called “Destroy Undead” in 5E). Each Undead saves (DC = your WIS modifier number of d8s) or takes that amount of damage.
Level 7, Blessed Strikes. (This is new) You gain one of the following:
   Divine Strike. Do extra 1d8 Necrotic or Radiant damage when you hit.
   Potent Spellcasting. Add your WIS mod to any cantrip damage.
Level 10, Divine Intervention. This was completely changed.) Once per long rest you can cast any non-reaction Cleric spell of level 5 or lower, without using a spell slot or Material components.
Level 14, Improved Blessed Strikes. Divine Strike extra damage increases to 2d8. And, when you do damage with a cantrip you can give 2 times your WIS mod Temporary Hit Points to yourself or another within 60 ft.
Level 19, Epic Boon. All classes get an epic boon feat at 19th level. There is a separate list of feats that are in the Epic Boon Category.
Level 20, Greater Divine Intervention. Once in 2d4 long rests, you can cast the Wish spell.

SUBCLASSES

The D&D 5.5 PHB has 4 subclasses; the domains of Life, Light, Trickery, and War. The PHB 5E had 7 domains. The domains of Knowledge, Nature, and Tempest have been omitted.

Level 3, Disciple of Life. No change other than it starts at level 3.
Level 3, Life Domain Spells. The spells for this domain are:
   Cleric Level 3 – Aid, Bless, Cure Wounds, Lesser Restoration
   Cleric Level 5 – Mass Healing Word, Revivify
   Cleric Level 7 – Aura of Life, Death Ward
   Cleric Level 9 – Greater Restoration, Mass Cure Wounds
Level 3, Preserve Life. (Renamed Disciple or Life and changed it.) Heal HP = 5 x your Cleric level. Creatures within 30 feet of you that hare down by more than half (now called Bloodied) divide those points between them, restoring them up to half their Hit Point maximum.
Level 6, Blessed Healer. No change other than it uses the spell slot’s level rather than the spell’s level.
Level 17, Supreme Healing. No change.

The Light Domain

Level 1, Light Domain Spells. The spells for this domain are:
   Cleric Level 3 – Burning Hands, Faerie Fire, Scorching Ray, See Invisibility
   Cleric Level 5 – Daylight, Fireball
   Cleric Level 7 – Arcane Eye, Wall of Fire
   Cleric Level 9 – Flame Strike, Scrying
Level 3, Radiance of the Dawn. This is slightly re-worded but remains basically the same.
Level 3, Warding Flare. This is slightly re-worded but remains basically the same.
Level 6, Improved Warding Flare. Once per Short or Long Restm on using Warding Flare you can give the target Temporary Hit Points = 2d6 plus your WIS mod.
Level 17, Corona of Light. This is slightly re-worded but remains basically the same.

The Trickery Domain

Level 3, Blessing of the Trickster. No change other than you can choose anyone within 30 ft. and it last ’till you finish a Long Rest.
Level 3, Invoke Duplicity. This is slightly re-worded improved somewhat.
Level 3, Trickery Domain Spells. The spells for this domain are:
      Cleric Level 3 – Charm Person, Disguise Self, lnvisibility, Pass without Trace
      Cleric Level 5 – Hypnotic Pattern, Nondetection
      Cleric Level 7 – Confusion, Dimension Door
      Cleric Level 9 – Dominate Person, Modify Memory
Level 6, Trickster’s Transposition. (This is new.) “Whenever you take the Bonus Action to create or move the illusion of your Invoke Duplicity, you can teleport, swapping places with the illusion.”
Level 17, Improved Duplicity. (This is completely different.) It adds,
   Shared Distraction. Attack rolls you and your allies make within 5 feet of the illusion are made with Advantage.
   Healing Illusion. When illusion ends, you regains a Hit Points = your Cleric level.

The War Domain

Level 3, Guided Strike. No change other than it moves to level 3.
Level 3, War Domain Spells. The spells for this domain are:
   Cleric Level 3 – Guiding Bolt, Magic Weapon, Shield of Faith, Spiritual Weapon
   Cleric Level 5 – Crusader’s Mantle, Spirit Guardians
   Cleric Level 7 – Fire Shield, Freedom of Movement
   Cleric Level 9 – Hold Monster, Steel Wind Strike
Level 3, War Priest. The only change is that it renews on a short or long rest.
Level 6, War God’s Blessing. (This one completely changed.) You can cast Shield of Faith or Spiritual Weapon, it doesn’t require Concentration and lasts for l minute.
Level 17, Avatar of Battle. You gain Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage. (It leaves off “from nonmagical weapons.” This appears to be typical for everywhere it appears in the new 5.5 books.)

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