The Nature Domain subclass for the Cleric class in Baldur’s Gate 3 acts as a tank and crowd control hybrid. Their job is to soak up damage while steering the flow of combat in a way advantageous to allies, usually in the form of defensive buffs or impeding enemy movement. If that is the role you intend to play in your party composition and make it the best one, our Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Nature Domain build should get you started.
Starting Abilities and Skills for Cleric Nature Domain
Being a tanky subclass, Nature Domain Clerics in BG3 are naturally proficient in Heavy Armor, so you don’t have to worry about being weak or spending an extra Feat point. They can be a good option for Bg3 Tank Build, so you should also check them out.
Race: Dwarf, primarily the Gold Dwarf subrace during character creation as the racial bonus ‘Dwarven Toughness’ which raises your HP by 1 and an additional 1 for each level. Darkvision and poison resistance are extra bonuses.
Ability Point Distribution: CON 14(+2), WIS 16(+1). Rest are default.
Wisdom and Constitution are your main stats as a nature cleric. Since you’ll be a frontline tank primarily, the HP and concentration boost from Constitution will be important, while Wisdom helps to strengthen your spells.
Skills: Medicine, Athletics, Survival, Religion, Nature
Best Background
The best background for the Cleric Nature Domain subclass build in BG3 is Outlander. Athletics supports the tanky playstyle of the subclass while Survival scales with Wisdom for better proficiency out in the wilds.
Best Feats for Cleric Nature Domain build
Below is my recommendation of the best feats to unlock for the Cleric Nature Domain subclass in BG3 using the 3 points you get.
Level 4: Ability Improvement. As a Wisdom scaling class, Ability Improvement adds more points to WIS. Our goal is to hit 20 WIS as quickly as possible.
Level 8: War Caster. Since a decent amount of your terrain-altering spells do still require concentration, it would help you to invest in the War Caster feat to avoid getting interrupted, especially since you’ll be on the frontlines.
Level 12: Ability Improvement. Since the Nature Domain Cleric build serves as a tank, we have to increase our HP. For that, invest your last Feat point in Constitution, as other equipment will have already given you 20 WIS by now.
Best Spells and Cantrips for Cleric Nature Domain Build
Cantrips that force movement, such as thorn whip, will be useful because they synergize with your terrain-altering spells, such as Spike Growth, forcing opponents into it. Beyond that, the nature domain exclusive cantrip ‘Shillelagh’ is also quite good, as it gives your weapon an attack bonus based on the level of your WIS stat. Resistance is also a solid choice for a cantrip.
Domain exclusive spells
Level 1: Pick Animal Friendship. You can use it in certain dialogue to pass charisma checks, and in battle, it temporarily pacifies the target for a few turns.
Level 3: Pick Spike Growth. When paired with forced movement spells such as thorn whip, great movement inhibition can greatly hamper enemy offense.
Level 5: Sleet Storm is an impressive AoE spell that disrupts concentration-heavy foes. It also creates ice terrain and cleanses flame, adding to your terrain control skills.
Level 7: Grasping Vine. This spell summons a grasping vine minion with low health that pulls enemies toward itself. This has good synergy with your terrain-altering spells, as you can position the minion in different altered terrain, pulling them from one impeding terrain onto another.
Level 9: Insect Plague. This is a very nice terrain-altering spell. Apart from various debuffs to perception checks for anyone caught in the AoE, it also deals lingering damage to anyone who doesn’t get out of the terrain at the turn end.
General spells
Level 1: Inflict wounds for damage, Cure wounds for healing.
Level 2: Command for crowd control.
Level 3: Consider Silence as a boon against Mage class opponents. The thunder immunity is a nice bonus in such encounters to effectively box in an opponent with less fear of external interference.
Level 4: Prayer of Healing. Good utility out of combat.
Level 5: Glyph of Warding. It has good terrain control utility as it sets a trap on a tile. Use certain spells or cantrips, such as thorn whip, to force enemies onto these tiles for good damage.
Level 6: Animate dead. It is useful for creating a meat shield to aggro and disperse hits taken.
Level 7: Banishment for temporary crowd control.
Level 9: Contagion is a solid debuff spell to turn the tide of battle.
Level 10: Planar Binding. Situational but useful crowd control spell.
Level 11: Blade Barrier is a good terrain-altering spell and with the plethora of forced movement spells at your disposal, it can be quite dangerous for your enemies.
Best armor and weapons
Helm: Helm of Balduran—You gain +2 health at the start of each turn and +1 to armor class and saving throws. It also grants Stun immunity and prevents you from being critically hit.
Back: Cindermoth Cloak – Deals fire damage to any nearby enemies that attack you.
Armor: Blackguard’s Plate reduces incoming damage by 1 and gives an advantage to Wisdom Saving Throw Checks.
Hands: Hr’a’cknir bracers. The Telekinesis ability from this is especially useful for disrupting enemy formations and synergizing with your own terrain-altering spells.
Amulet: Amulet of Greater Health – Increases Con to 23. If your HP is good enough though, swap this for the ‘Unflinching Protector Amulet’ instead, which allows you to use a reaction to make any attack targeted at a nearby ally miss.
Melee weapon: Devotee’s Mace – Through the class action Healing Incense Aura bound to the mace, you and your allies are healed for ten turns at the start of each turn. Quite a good pick for increased survival for you and allies alike.
Rings: Ring of Regeneration and Ring of Salving to improve your resilience.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Nature Domain Build level progression
Level 1: Choice of 2 Domain Spells. I recommended Animal friendship in the previous section. Besides that, you will also unlock the Nature Domain subclass and the Shillelagh cantrip. You’ll also obtain access to 3 cantrips and two level 1 spell slots.
Level 2: Unlock the Charm Animals and Plants action. Consumes a channeled divinity charge to do exactly what the skill name suggests. You also get one more level 1 spell slot.
Level 3: Choice between 2 Domain spells again. I recommended Spike Growth here previously. You also unlock two level 2 spell slots and one more level 1 spell slot.
Level 4: You unlock one more cantrip, one more level 2 spell slot, and one more ‘Feat’, as mentioned previously.
Level 5: You unlock two level 3 spell slots and again have a choice between two Domain spells. I recommended Sleet Storm for the crowd control utility.
Level 6: Unlock an additional level 3 spell slot.
Level 7: You have a choice between 2 Domain spells again. Grasping Vine was recommended for crowd control. You also unlock 1 level 4 spell slot.
Level 8: Unlock the action ‘Divine Strike: Elemental Fury’, which adds about 1-8 ice/fire/thunder damage on top of your regular melee weapon attack. You also unlock 1 additional level 4 spell slot and another ‘Feat’.
Level 9: You have a choice between 2 Domain spells again. Insect Plague was recommended previously. You also unlock one additional level 4 spell slot and one level 5 spell slot.
Level 10: You unlock 1 more cantrip and one more level 5 spell slot.
Level 11: You unlock one level 6 spell slot.
Level 12: You unlock 1 more ‘Feat’.
