Some of the more savage deities of nature like Karaan, Bastra, Thard Harr, or Piper grant the ability to know and commune with the beasts of the world, both magical and mundane. For clerics of these deities, the power inherent in the creatures of the world manifests in the form of a divine familiar and the ability, through that familiar, to commune directly with the cleric’s deity. Some of the deities have a specific animal that they are dominant over, many have an affinity and care for all creatures great and small.
The opposing force to this domain is Machine, which is inorganic and lifeless.
Animal Domain Spells
You gain domain spells at the cleric levels listed in the Animal Domain Spells table. See the Divine Domain class feature for how domain spells work.
| Cleric Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | animal friendship, beast bond |
| 3rd | locate animals or plants (animals only), summon beast |
| 5th | aura of vitality, conjure animals |
| 7th | dominate beast, giant insect |
| 9th | awaken, hold monster |
Bestial Acolyte
At first level, you learn any one cantrip from the Druid list. This cantrip is in addition to those you normally get as a cleric. You also gain proficiency in Handle Animals.
Channel Divinity: Familiar Communion
For clerics with this domain, a communion familiar serves as a direct conduit between a cleric and his deity. When the cleric gains Channel Divinity at second level, they also receive a familiar as a gift from their deity. This familiar is a creature that is either in line with the deity’s portfolio, or one chosen by the deity itself.
It foregoes most of the normal benefits of a cleric’s familiar, but through the familiar, the cleric can speak directly with his deity.
And, at times of the deity’s choosing, the familiar can actually serve as a minor avatar –the deity can see through its eyes, speak with its voice, and take action with its body.
Any standard, greater, or supreme familiar can serve as a communion familiar. When a cleric of the animal domain receives their familiar at second level, it is a standard familiar. Greater and Supreme familiars may be chosen by gaining the advantages. These clerics are presumed to have the Summon Familiar ability for purposes of meeting the prerequisites for greater and supreme familiars.
A communion familiar possesses only the natural armor, intelligence, and empathic link of a cleric’s familiar. While they do not possess the other abilities of a normal familiar. they instead possess the following abilities:
- Augury (Sp): The familiar can tell whether a particular action will bring good or bad results for itself or its master in the immediate future. This ability operates as per the spell augury.
- Commune: Upon reaching at least 10th level, the cleric can use the familiar to gain needed information, as per the commune or commune with nature spell (cleric’s choice). Calling upon this ability requires two uses of channel divinity. Over-using this ability can result not only in gaining no answer (as per the spell) but in falling out of favor with the deity which can, at the GM’s option, bring all manner of ill fortune upon the PC.
- Healing/inflicting Touch: The communion familiar of a good deity can touch any creature and heal 1d8 points of damage, plus the cleric’s Wisdom modifier. A communion familiar of an evil deity instead inflicts 1d8 points of damage plus the cleric’s Wisdom modifier with its touch. Clerics of a neutral deity must choose whether their familiar imparts healing or inflicts damage when the familiar manifests and this choice cannot be changed. This ability works in all ways like the cure wounds spell, and the cleric can devote additional uses of channel divinity to increase the effective spell level (each additional use increases the effective level by one).
The cleric may call upon any of these abilities while within 30 feet of his familiar by expending one use of his channel divinity class feature. In addition to these abilities, the communion familiar is a living connection between this world and the cleric’s deity. What this means exactly depends on the deity, the familiar, the cleric, and the situation. Ultimately, the communion familiar is a tool of the Game Master to be used however he sees fit to help flesh out a campaign.
Friend of Beasts
At 6th level, no beast will attack you under any circumstances, unless you attack it first. Beasts will always submit to your authority in whatever way is common to their species – dogs, for example, will crouch to the ground, their ears folded back. This ability does not automatically give you the ability to command beasts; it simply means they will be docile around you and not attack you. They may, if threatened, flee from you.
If the beast is magically commanded to attack you, you may use your reaction to make an opposed Charisma check against the creature’s master’s spellcasting ability to negate the command.
Talon and Fang
At 8th level, you gain the ability to manifest natural weapons as a beast. You may as a bonus action, sprout claws, fangs or horns (your choice). These natural weapons deal 1d8 damage plus your strength modifier. The natural weapons last for your cleric level in rounds. When you use this ability, you must complete a long rest before using it again.
Master of Beasts
At 17th level, you have control over the beasts of the world. You may command and control any beast you encounter.
In addition, you may communicate with all beasts freely, expressing detailed concepts and thoughts. If the beast you encounter is under the control of another, you may make an opposed Charisma check against the current controller to wrest control of the beast from their power. Familiars bonded to another may not be controlled in this manner.
Shadows of Dakaron 