Dark Domains
Domains, while not the most mechanically-relevant class feature for most clerics, are still a fun way to customize your character and add a little bit of extra oomph to his repertoire, so it’s always nice to have a few new options, especially when some domains (I’m looking at you, air and earth) have abilities that don’t quite fit your vision of the domain. So, why aren’t there more domains? Well, for one thing, because of the restrictions on domains, it’s hard to actually add new ones, without having to also add them to the portfolios of the various gods in your game’s pantheon.
One of the nice things about subdomains (introduced in the Advanced Player’s Guide) is that they allow publishers to create new domains without anyone having to rearrange their pantheon in order to fit in the new domains. As a result, I’ve come up with three new subdomains, which (quite unintentionally) wound up with a kind of dark theme. Enjoy!
Blindness
Associated Domain: Darkness.
Replacement Power: The following granted power replaces the eyes of darkness power of the Darkness domain.
Blinding Touch (Su): At 8th level, you can impose blindness on your foes with a touch. Doing so requires a melee touch attack made as a standard action. If the attack hits, the target must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your cleric level + your Wisdom modifier). Success indicates that the target is only blinded until the end of his next turn. Failure indicates that the target is blinded permanently. You can use this ability 3 times per day.
Replacement Domain Spells: 4th—communal nondetection (UC), 5th—false vision, 6th—echolocation (UM), 8th—power word blind.
Mud
Associated Domain: Earth.
Replacement Powers: The following granted powers replace the acid dart and acid resistance powers of the Earth domain.
Mud Sling (Sp): As a standard action, you can fling a glob of mud at a single creature within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. This glob of mud inflicts 1 point of damage, and imposes a 20% miss chance on all attacks the target makes, as mud gets in his eyes. The target can end this effect as a move action, but the effect ends automatically after a number of rounds equal to 1/5 your cleric level (rounded down, minimum 1). You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Earth Glide (Sp): Beginning at 8th level, you can travel through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, you can even glide through lava. This movement leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of your presence. A move earth spell cast on the area while you are ,using this ability flings you back 30 feet, stunning you for 1 round unless you succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save. Your movement speed while burrowing in this way is equal to your land speed. You can burrow in this way for a total number of minutes per day equal to your cleric level. This time need not be used all at once, but must be used in 1-minute increments.
Replacement Domain Spells: 1st—grease, 4th—burrow (UM), 5th—transmute rock to mud, 7th—stone to flesh, 9th—cursed earth (UM).
Suicide
Associated Domain: Death.
Replacement Power: The following granted power replaces the death’s embrace power of the Death domain.
Grip of Death (Su): Beginning at 8th level, you can interfere with the life force of a nearby creature, causing it to be harmed by energy that would normally heal it. As a move action, choose a single creature within 30 feet of you. That creature must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your cleric level + your Wisdom modifier), or else be harmed by energy that would normally heal it for a number of minutes equal to your Wisdom modifier. If the creature is undead, this means it is harmed by negative energy, instead of healed by it. If the creature is living, it is harmed by positive energy, instead of healed by it. The creature is still harmed by the type of energy that normally harms it (effectively causing it to be harmed by both positive and negative energy). This effect applies to both channeled energy (such as with the channel energy class feature) and spells like cure light wounds.
Replacement Domain Spells: 1st—doom, 3rd—reckless infatuation (UM), 4th—terrible remorse (UM), 6th—vengeful outrage (UM), 8th—clone.