The 15 Best Cleric Feats in D&D 5e [Ranked]

Clerics are known for their consistent healing and impressive damage. While they also have great AC, the best Feats for Clerics focus on their healing, spellcasting, or overall damage.

Certain Feats might work better on Clerics that play specific races or choose a particular subclass, but most Cleric Feats can be used for all Cleric builds.

That said, depending on what you want to do as a Cleric (Heal, deal damage, or both), you can always choose Feats that appeal to one of your options or multiple, depending entirely on your playstyle.

Best Cleric Feats in 5e

15. Inspiring Leader

Description

Spend 10 minutes inspiring your companions, choosing up to six friendly creatures (including yourself) within 30 feet of you who can hear, see, and understand you.

Each chosen creature gains temporary HP equal to your level + your Charisma modifier. A creature cannot gain the temporary HP from this feat again until it has finished a short or long rest.

Note: Your Charisma must be 13 or higher to obtain Inspiring Leader.

Explanation

Many parties struggle with healing, and as a Cleric, a lot of pressure is put on you to provide healing while in combat.

Inspiring Leader can address this issue with its temporary HP, but the only issue is that most Clerics don’t have enough Charisma to make it work as well as Bards or Paladins.

Even so, it can still be a good choice if you feel like your healing can’t compete with how quickly your party takes damage.

14. Telekinetic

Description

Learn to move objects with your mind, gaining the benefits:

Increase Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 1 (maximum 20).
Learn Mage Hand casting it without Verbal or Somatic components and making the handle invisible.

If you already know Mage Hand, increase its range by 30 feet, and the spellcasting ability is increased by the Ability Score increased by this feat.

Using a Bonus action lets you try and shove a visible creature within 30 feet of you.

The target must succeed a Strength save (DC 8 + your Proficiency bonus + ability modifier of score increased by feat) or be moved 5 feet away or toward you. A creature may willingly fail the save.

Explanation

Telekinetic by itself is an excellent Feat, but many Clerics find more value in using their Bonus action on something like Spiritual Weapon.

However, Telekinetic works perfectly if you don’t have to deal too much damage and want to have a more utility-focused kit.

13. Skilled

Description

Gain Proficiency in any combination of three tools or skills you choose.

Explanation

Clerics have a lot of skills to start with, but if you need more and need to support your party, then Skilled can give you a lot of value.

Just make sure you NEED it. If you don’t need many skills, consider a different Feat or just increase your ability score instead.

12. Sentinel

Description

You’ve mastered techniques to take advantage of an enemy’s guard. Gain the following benefits:

Hitting a creature with an opportunity attack lowers the creature’s speed to 0 for the rest of the turn.
Creatures will provoke your opportunity attacks even if they use the Disengage action before leaving your reach.
If a creature makes an attack against a target other than you within 5 feet of you (and the target doesn’t also have Sentinel), you may use your Reaction and make a melee weapon attack against the creature that’s attacking.

Explanation

Abilities like Divine Strike make melee Clerics very powerful, so Sentinel can be put to good use in those instances.

Note: War Caster is considered to be a better option for a Cleric.

11. War Caster

Description

Practicing casting spells in combat means you gain the following benefits:

Gain advantage on Constitution saving throws you make to maintain Concentration on a spell when taking damage.
You may perform somatic components of spells when you have a shield or weapons in one or both hands.
A hostile creature’s movement, provoking an opportunity attack from you, lets you use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature. The spell must target only the creature and have a casting time of 1 action.

Note: You must have the ability to cast at least one spell to be able to take War Caster.

Explanation

Many melee-focused Clerics, especially those who wear heavy armor, often cross into melee range with enemies. War Caster lets you cast spells without a Somatic component and helps you hold Concentration.

However, if you’re mainly concerned with keeping your Concentration up for as long as possible, then Resilient would be a better option.

10. Gift of the Metallic Dragon

Description

Manifest powers from metallic dragons, gaining benefits:

Draconic Healing – Learn Cure Wounds and be able to cast it without having to expend a spell slot. Casting the spell like this restricts you from casting it again until you’ve finished a long rest.

The spell may also be cast using spell slots you have. The spellcasting ability for it is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma when cast with this feat (choose upon gaining the feat).

Protective Wings – Manifest protective wings capable of shielding others. If you or another visible creature within 5 feet is hit by an attack roll, use a reaction to manifest spectral wings from your back for a brief moment.

This grants a bonus to the target’s AC (equals your Proficiency bonus) against the attack roll, causing it to potentially miss. The reaction can be used a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus.

All expended uses are regained when you finish a long rest.

Explanation

Protective Wings can be quite valuable because of its AC bonus, and obtaining Cure Wounds is a big plus to your healing abilities, especially in the early game.

While it’s not the best protective Feat, it does have a lot of value, especially if you want to grant others AC bonuses without using spells.

Gift of the Metallic Dragon makes it easier to focus on your best spells rather than having to take spells you don’t want.

9. Shadow Touched

Description

Exposure to Shadowfell’s magic changed you, granting benefits:

Increase Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 1 (maximum of 20).
Learn Invisibility (spell) and one 1st-level spell you chose from the Illusion or Necromancy schools.

You may cast these spells without using a spell slot, but casting it this way means you can’t cast the spell like this again until you’ve finished a long rest.

The spells can also be cast using your spell slots of the appropriate level. The spellcasting ability for the spells is the ability you increased with the feat.

Explanation

Clerics don’t get invisibility, and having other 1st-level spell options also gives Shadow Touched a lot of value.

The Trickery Domain Cleric fits in perfectly with Shadow Touched, and it can even open up new ways for you to play and build it.

8. Skill Expert

Description

You may increase one of your ability scores by 1, but only to a maximum of 20, and you’ll gain proficiency with one skill you choose.

Then, you may choose one skill you have proficiency with, gaining expertise with that skill and doubling any ability checks made with it.

The chosen skill must be one that isn’t currently benefiting from a feature (like Expertise), which can double your proficiency bonus.

Explanation

Clerics have high Wisdom stats, so you can easily get expertise in Perception.

The fact that you can increase any ability by 1 and also gain proficiency with one more skill makes it even easier to incorporate into your build, making Skill Expert a pretty decent option.

7. Observant

Description

You’re quick to notice details of your environment, gaining benefits:

Increase Intelligence, or Wisdom, by 1 (maximum of 20).
Seeing a creature’s mouth while it’s speaking a language you understand lets you interpret what it’s saying by looking at its lips.
Gain a +5 bonus to passive Wisdom (Perception) and passive Intelligence (Investigation).

Explanation

As mentioned earlier, Clerics already have high Wisdom, so having it increased further and gaining proficiency with Investigation turns your Cleric into the perfect detective.

A Cleric like this can also double as a scouting partner for someone like a Rogue or Ranger, so if you take Observant, think of that.

6. Lucky

Description

Gain 3 luck points. When making an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you may spend one luck point to roll an additional d20.

You may choose to spend one luck point after rolling the die but before the outcome is determined. You then choose which d20 will be used for the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

You may also spend one luck point when an attack roll is made against you, rolling a d20 to choose whether the attack uses your roll or the attacker’s.

More than one creature spending a luck point to influence the outcome of a roll will cancel each other out, and no additional dice will be rolled.

Expended luck points are regained when you’ve finished a long rest.

Explanation

Lucky is one of those Feats that just works in any class, so if you want to take a Feat but are worried about whether it’s good or not, just take Lucky. There’s not much that can go wrong with choosing Lucky.

5. Gift of the Chromatic Dragon

Description

Manifest powers from chromatic dragons, gaining benefits:

Chromatic Infusion allows you to use a bonus action and touch a martial or simple weapon, infusing it with one of these damage types: Poison, Lightning, Fire, Cold, or Acid.

For a minute, the weapon now deals an extra 1d4 damage on a hit of the infused damage type. After using this bonus action, you can’t do so again until after finishing a long rest.

Reactive Resistance lets you use your reaction to give yourself resistance to whichever damage you took out of the following types: Poison, Lightning, Fire, Cold, or Acid damage.

The reaction can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you’ll regain all uses whenever you finish a long rest.

Explanation

You can easily share Chromatic Infusion with an ally, and Reactive Resistance acts like Absorb Elements.

Not only will this give you a powerful buff to put on high-damage frontlines, but it also stops you from overexerting your healing by using Reactive Resistance instead.

Gift of the Chromatic Dragon can make your job as a Cleric much easier with its buffing and shielding abilities.

4. Fey Touched

Description

Gain the following benefits:

Increase Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 1 (maximum of 20)
Learn Misty Step and one 1st-level spell you choose. The 1st-level spell must be Divination or Enchantment, and both spells can be used without expending a spell slot.

Casting a spell this way means you cannot cast it like this again until you’ve finished a long rest.

These spells can also be cast using spell slots of the appropriate level, and these spells use the spellcasting ability increased by the feat.

Explanation

One of the go-to spells that most characters go for after getting Fey Touched is Misty Step, which you can’t normally get on a Cleric.

There are other options, but most Clerics already have access to them. Compelled Duel can work for melee Clerics, so that is a good option.

Otherwise, having Fey Touched means having access to unlocking more spells, which is never bad, especially if you don’t have access to spells you really wanted but couldn’t get.

3. Resilient

Description

You gain the following benefits and choose one ability score:

Chosen ability score increased by 1 (maximum of 20)
Gain Proficiency in the chosen ability in saving throws

Explanation

If you want to keep your Concentration up, get Resilient.

Clerics can have quite a lot of Concentration spells, and Constitution saves are pretty common, so having proficiency with it grants a lot of value.

2. Gift of the Gem Dragon

Description

Manifest powers from gem dragons, gaining benefits:

Ability Score Increase – Increase Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 1 (maximum of 20).

Telekinetic Reprisal – Taking damage from a creature within 10 feet of you lets you use a reaction to emanate telekinetic energy.

The creature that dealt damage to you is forced to make a Strength save (DC equals 8 + your Proficiency bonus + ability modifier score increased by feat).

If the save fails, the creature will take 2d8 Force damage while being pushed up to 10 feet away from you.

If the save succeeds, the creature takes half damage and is not pushed. The reaction can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You also regain all expended uses when finishing a long rest.

Explanation

Clerics adorned in heavy armor on the frontline will need Gift of the Gem Dragon, as it gives them use for their rarely-used Reaction, and the Wisdom increase doesn’t hurt.

Other Clerics can also use this Feat, but taking damage isn’t too good for Clerics who mainly heal or cast supportive spells.

1. Metamagic Adept

Description

Exert your will on spells, altering how they function:

Learn two Metamagic options you choose from the Sorcerer class. Only one Metamagic option may be used when casting a spell.

Reaching a level granting the Ability Score Improvement feature lets you replace one Metamagic option with another from the Sorcerer class.

Gain 2 sorcery points for Metamagic (added to other sorcery points from other sources, but only works for Metamagic).

All expended sorcery points can be regained when you finish a long rest.

Note: You must have the Spellcasting or Pact Magic feature to be able to use Metamagic Adept.

Explanation

Metamagic Adept is exceptional on any spellcaster.

Clerics can choose to empower damage spells, extend buffing spells, or even increase the range of the spell.

There are up to 11 options that are all exceptionally powerful.

Final Thoughts

Clerics function the best with Feats that target their strengths, like healing or damage dealing, but depending on what your party needs and how you want to play your Cleric, that may change.

While it’s not too difficult to identify the best Feats, it’ll take a bit of thinking before you can pick the Feat that fits your Cleric best.

You might also be interested in the following: