Trickery Domain Cleric Guide for Beginners: Mastering the Trickery Cleric in D&D 5e

The Trickery Domain Cleric is a divine trickster, channeling the power of deception, illusion, and mischief to confound enemies and aid allies. Introduced in the Player’s Handbook, this subclass is perfect for players who want to blend divine magic with stealth, deception, and illusion-based trickery.

Unlike traditional Clerics who focus on healing and protection, Trickery Clerics specialize in misdirection, subterfuge, and battlefield manipulation. If you love the idea of a charismatic rogue-priest who deceives enemies and creates chaos while still supporting the party, this subclass is for you!

Why Play a Trickery Domain Cleric?

Key Benefits

• Stealth & Illusions – Gain access to Illusion and Enchantment spells to confuse and deceive.
• Duplicate Yourself for Tactical Advantage – Create an illusionary clone with Invoke Duplicity to gain advantage on attacks and spells.
• Invisibility & Teleportation – Turn yourself or allies invisible and enhance mobility.
• Excels in Social & Intrigue-Based Campaigns – Perfect for spies, con artists, and divine tricksters.
• Flexible Playstyle – Works as a debuff-focused caster, sneaky spellcaster, or support illusionist.

Compared to other Clerics, Trickery Clerics play more like illusionist Rogues or Bards, using deception and misdirection to control the battlefield.

Core Features

Key Mechanics and Abilities

Blessing of the Trickster (Level 1)

• Grant an ally advantage on Stealth checks for 1 hour.
• Example: Sneaking into an enemy stronghold? Bless the Rogue to make them even stealthier.

Channel Divinity: Invoke Duplicity (Level 2)

• Create an illusionary duplicate of yourself that lasts for 1 minute.
• You and allies can gain advantage on attacks against creatures near the duplicate.
• Example: Position your duplicate behind an enemy to flank them for free advantage on all melee attacks.

Channel Divinity: Cloak of Shadows (Level 6)

• Turn invisible for 1 round as an action.
• Example: An enemy targets you—vanish and reposition to escape or ambush them.

Divine Strike (Level 8)

• Once per turn, add 1d8 poison damage to a weapon attack (increases to 2d8 at level 14).
• Example: Your dagger attack now deals 1d4 + Dexterity modifier + 1d8 poison damage.

Improved Duplicity (Level 17)

• Create up to 4 duplicates of yourself instead of just 1.
• Example: Confuse enemies by surrounding them with clones while casting spells from a hidden location.

These abilities make Trickery Clerics excellent at battlefield deception, stealth-based play, and confusing enemies while supporting allies.

Suggested Ability Scores

• Primary: Wisdom – Boosts spell effectiveness and save DCs.
• Secondary: Dexterity – Enhances stealth, AC, and initiative.
• Tertiary: Charisma – Improves social deception and persuasion.

Recommended Races

Since Trickery Clerics focus on deception, stealth, and illusions, the best races include:

• Changeling – Shape-shifting abilities complement Trickery magic perfectly.
• Tiefling (Glasya or Asmodeus) – Innate spells like Disguise Self enhance deception.
• Elf (Drow or Eladrin) – Darkvision and Fey Step provide extra trickery tools.
• Variant Human – Gain a free feat at level 1, such as Magic Initiate (Illusion) or Lucky.

Playing as a Trickery Domain Cleric

Role in a Party

• Illusion & Deception Specialist – Creates clones, vanishes, and misleads enemies.
• Support & Control Caster – Buffs allies while debuffing enemies with illusion magic.
• Stealthy Spellcaster – Plays more like a sneaky rogue than a traditional Cleric.

Compared to other Clerics, Trickery Clerics focus on stealth, illusions, and battlefield trickery rather than direct healing or tanking.

Tips for New Players

• Use Invoke Duplicity often – Grants free advantage on attacks and spellcasting.
• Turn Invisible at the Right Moment – Escape fights or set up sneak attacks.
• Pair with a Rogue or Assassin – They benefit greatly from your ability to create flanking positions.
• Use Trickery in Roleplay – Deception and disguise magic make you a master infiltrator.

Roleplay Suggestions

• The Divine Charlatan – A silver-tongued con artist posing as a priest.
• The Phantom Cleric – A shadowy figure who operates from the shadows.
• The Illusionist Prophet – A divine trickster who uses illusions to "perform miracles".

Gear and Dice Recommendations

Suggested Equipment

Weapons

• Daggers or Rapiers – Suits the deceptive, roguish playstyle.
• Quarterstaff – Pairs well with illusion magic for a mystical aesthetic.

Armor

• Studded Leather or Half Plate – Good balance of AC and stealth.
• Cloak of Elvenkind – Enhances Stealth checks and makes you harder to detect.

Magic Items

• Ring of Invisibility – Permanently turn invisible when needed.
• Hat of Disguise – Allows unlimited use of Disguise Self.
• Amulet of the Devout – Boosts spell save DC for illusion spells.

Dice Recommendations from Runic Dice

• Enhance your mischievous, illusionist aesthetic with these trickery-themed dice sets:
  Shadow Trickster: For dark purple and silver tones evoking deception and mystery, consider the Purple Gemstone Amethyst DND Dice Set. Handcrafted from genuine amethyst, these dice feature a rich purple hue, symbolizing the enigmatic nature of a trickster.
• Misdirection’s Gambit: To represent divine trickery with gold and black colors, the Black Inked Lightning Cracked Glass DND Dice Set is an excellent choice. This set showcases a striking cracked glass design with black inked numerals, capturing the essence of cunning and misdirection.
• Phantom Illusion: For swirling blues and grays mirroring illusion magic, the Blue Smoke Resin DND Dice Set offers deep blue tones with swirling patterns, embodying the ethereal nature of illusions.

Advanced Tips and Tricks

Optimization Strategies

• Feats:

  • Lucky – Reroll failed saving throws or attack rolls.
  • Magic Initiate (Illusion) – Grants an extra illusion spell like Minor Illusion.
  • Mobile – Boosts movement and makes escaping enemies easier.

• Multiclassing:

  • Rogue (Arcane Trickster) – Combines sneak attacks with illusion magic.
  • Bard (College of Whispers) – Enhances deception and social manipulation.

The Trickery Domain Cleric is one of the most unique and unconventional Cleric subclasses in D&D 5e, excelling at deception, illusion magic, and battlefield manipulation. If you want to outwit enemies, play mind games, and support your party with trickery and stealth, this subclass is for you.