The 12 Best Armor For Clerics in D&D 5e [Ranked]

The world of D&D lets adventurers pick and choose between various armors, shields, and defensive trinkets.

However, some armors stand out above the rest, fitting an adventurer’s background, build, flavor and simply giving more useful stats to that character.

In the case of Clerics, their backstories and playstyles mainly have them don heavy armor and medium armor and use shields.

Clerics are known as the divine spellcasters of their group, similar to Paladins, but slightly less tanky and focused more on fighting with spells and staying alive thanks to their high AC.

Cleric Armor Proficiency

• Light armor
• Medium armor
• Shields

Best Armor for the Cleric in 5e

12. Scale Mail

Armor Class (AC): 14 + Dexterity modifier (max 2)

Strength: –

Stealth: Disadvantage

Weight: 45 lbs

Cost: 50 GP

Explanation

Clerics often start with Scale Mail, as it is relatively cheap and provides great AC for a starting armor set.

There isn’t much to say about Scale Mail other than it’ll also give you a disadvantage on Stealth, but most Clerics don’t try sneaking around anyway.

11. Living Armor

Rarity – Very Rare (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Armor (any)

Description

To attune to this armor, you must wear it for the entire attunement period, feeling as the tendrils on the inside burrow into you.

Wearing the armor gives you a +1 bonus to AC and bestows you with resistance to Necrotic, Poison, and Psychic damage types.

Symbiotic Nature – While attuned to you, the armor cannot be removed, and your attunement cannot be voluntarily ended. It can only be ended by a spell that ends the curse, detaching the armor from you.

The armor will require you to feed it fresh blood, and immediately after finishing any long rest, you must take 1 level of exhaustion or feed half of your remaining Hit Dice to the armor (rounded up).

Explanation

Living Armor is an interesting choice for Clerics, as the nature of this set is inherently evil, but remember one thing, certain Clerics can also be evil.

In other words, the Living Armor can be a key turning point for a Death, Trickery, or War Cleric who would eventually turn evil and betray his party.

Not only that, but the armor is already immensely powerful, and the symbiotic relationship it has with the Cleric will definitely affect him mentally.

10. Chain Mail

Armor Class (AC): 13 + Dexterity modifier (max 2)

Strength: –

Stealth: –

Weight: 20 lbs

Cost: 50 GP

Explanation

Certain Clerics stray away from medium armor, looking for armor that gives more AC through unlocking proficiency with heavy armor through a domain.

If you’re going that route, Chain Mail will be your starting point, and you’ll go on to other armors as they become financially viable or stumble upon them in your travels.

9. Dragon Scale Mail

Rarity – Very Rare (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Armor (scale mail)

Description

This armor is made of the scale of one kind of dragon, and while wearing the armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. 

You also get advantage on saving throws against Frightful Presence as well as breath weapons of dragons, and have resistance against one damage type on the table below.

You may also focus your senses as an action to magically discern direction and distance to the closest dragon within 30 miles, which is the same type as the armor. This special action cannot be used again until the next break of dawn.

Explanation

Dragon Scale Mail is a great set of armor for Clerics who are looking for an upgrade from their normal Scale Mail.

Not only does it work well when taken in a campaign with a bunch of dragons, but it gives sufficient AC and, most importantly, leaves you with resistance to one damage type in the table above.

You might think resistance to one damage type isn’t much, but it’s extremely powerful throughout the entire game, especially against Poison or Fire.

8. Plate

Armor Class (AC): 18

Strength: 15

Stealth: Disadvantage

Weight: 65 lbs

Cost: 1,500 GP

Explanation

Full Plate is the go-to armor for heavy armor fanatics, as well as Life Clerics.

It provides 18 AC, and when combined with a shield, it gives you a total of 20 AC, which is crazy considering you’re only using basic armor found throughout the world.

7. Efreeti Chain

Rarity – Legendary (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Armo (chain mail)

Description

Wearing this armor lets you gain a +3 bonus to AC, gives you immunity to Fire damage, and means you understand and speak Primordial. 

You can also stand as well as walk across molten rock as if it were solid ground.

Explanation

Chain Mail can be quite protective, but it becomes weaker the longer the game continues, so that’s why you’ll need to upgrade to Efreeti Chain.

Not only does it give you +3 AC, totaling 16 AC, but you’ll also gain immunity to Fire damage as well as be able to speak Primordial.

Then, if you add a shield, your AC goes up to 18, so you can definitely see just how busted this armor can be

6. Shield

Armor Class (AC): +2

Strength: –

Stealth: –

Weight: 6 lbs

Cost: 10 GP

Explanation

Clerics benefit from their Holy Symbol, and the fact that you can put it on your shield means there’s no reason not to take a shield.

However, the bonus +2 it gives to AC isn’t to be scoffed at either, and it remains a great addition to your build.

5. Spellguard Shield

Rarity – Very Rare (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Armor (shield)

Description

Holding this shield gives you advantage on saving throws against spells as well as other magical effects. Spells have disadvantage against you.

Explanation

Normal shields are exceptional in the early and mid-game, but the longer a game goes on, the more enemies you face will start using spells.

When that time comes, be sure to pick up the Spellguard Shield to stop any unnecessary spells from reaching you or your party.

4. Mizzium Armor

Rarity – Rare

Item Type – Armor (heavy or medium, but not hide)

Description

This armor is magically reinforced with the enhanced metal alloy mizzium, made in Izzet foundries. Wearing the armor means any critical hit against you will become a normal hit.

When subjected to magical effects allowing you to make a Strength or Constitution save to only take half damage, you will instead take no damage on a successful save.

Explanation

If you think Adamantine Armor is powerful, wait until you get your hands on Mizzium Armor.

Not only will you become immune to critical hits against you, but the fact that you take zero damage from Constitution and Strength saves for half damage means certain damage spells simply won’t work on you.

Mizzium Armor can also be put on medium armor, meaning you’ll have a field day if you want to avoid crits!

3. Shield of the Hidden Lord

Rarity – Legendary (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Armor (shield)

Description

The Shield of the Hidden Lord is of celestial origin, serving as a prison for Gargauth, a pit fiend whose mortal followers revere it as a god. 

Gargauth’s evil has warped the shield’s appearance over time, twisting its celestial motif and designs and deforming it into a fiendish face that moves in disturbing ways.

Holding the shield lets you gain a +2 bonus to AC and resistance to Fire damage.

The shield also has various other properties like Sentience, Gargauth’s Personality, and Freeing Gargauth.

Explanation

Much like the Living Armor, the Shield of the Hidden Lord is a very flavorful item, giving the wielder powerful buffs like gaining +2 AC and resistance to Fire damage.

However, the shield also gives you access to spells, a frightening aura ability, and can speak to entities in Common or Infernal in a deep, hollow whisper.

Be warned, while most Clerics would avoid this shield’s evil, Clerics from the Death, Trickery, or War domains can become corrupted and turn evil. 

Note: You can also have a good Cleric confront the pit fiend and ally itself with it, working as a team, but that would take incorruptible will and exceptional resolve, so it’s good for flavor!

2. Half Plate

Armor Class (AC): 15 + Dexterity modifier (max 2)

Strength: –

Stealth: –

Weight: 6 lbs

Cost: 10 GP

Explanation

Most Clerics who don’t want heavy armor will end in Half Plate, and that’s fair because it gives a maximum AC of 17 (with 14 Dexterity), which is just as good as Splint armor.

It’s not a crime to sit in Half Plate, it’s good, and it doesn’t require you to do anything fancy, so stick with it if you’re not interested in chasing magical armor, but just get yourself a shield!

1. Armor of Invulnerability

Rarity – Legendary (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Armor (plate)

Description

Gain resistance to nonmagical damage while wearing this armor. You can also use an action to make yourself immune to damage for 10 minutes or until you’re no longer wearing the armor.

Once this special action has been used, it cannot be used again until the break of the next dawn.

Explanation

Nonmagical damage will be the most common damage you’ll face throughout D&D, even at higher levels.

However, that isn’t the most ridiculous part of this armor. The fact that you can make yourself immune to damage for 10 minutes with an ACTION is, and it’s usable again at dawn!

The only drawback to the Armor of Invulnerability is that you need Plate armor, so Clerics who don’t have proficiency with heavy armor will need to get it if they want this armor.

Final Thoughts

For the most part, each class in D&D has its most used or beloved armor that is both iconic and functional.

Though some of these armors might not be the best D&D armor overall, they remain the best option for that character at the moment.

A good example would be the choice between a set of heavy armor and medium, as going with heavy leaves you with more AC, but going with medium takes away your Stealth disadvantage but has less base AC.

In the end, whether you decide to take a conventional or unconventional armor, as long as you like it and it fits your playstyle, you should roll with it!