Tempest Cleric / Storm Sorcerer: Mastering the Storm
Combining the divine fury of the Tempest Domain Cleric with the innate elemental power of the Storm Sorcerer creates a potent spellcaster capable of unleashing devastating lightning and thunder damage, while maintaining surprising resilience and battlefield control.
Core Synergies
The strength of this multiclass lies in the powerful interaction between key features from both classes:
- Destructive Wrath (Tempest Cleric): The cornerstone of the build. When you roll lightning or thunder damage, you can use your Channel Divinity to deal maximum damage instead of rolling. This significantly boosts the impact of your offensive spells.
- Metamagic (Sorcerer):
- Transmuted Spell: Allows you to change the damage type of many spells to lightning or thunder, making them eligible for Destructive Wrath. This dramatically expands your maximized damage options.
- Quicken Spell: Cast a spell as a bonus action, enabling potent spell combinations in a single turn, or a spell followed by a cantrip.
- Twinned Spell: Affect two targets with a single-target spell, excellent for spells like a transmuted Chromatic Orb.
- Tempestuous Magic (Storm Sorcerer): As a bonus action immediately before or after casting a spell of 1st level or higher, you can fly up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks. This provides excellent mobility and kiting potential.
- Heart of the Storm (Storm Sorcerer): Grants resistance to lightning and thunder damage. Additionally, when you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that deals lightning or thunder damage, you can deal minor automatic damage to creatures of your choice within 10 feet.
Build Progression and Considerations
Effective construction is key to maximizing this multiclass's potential.
Level Splits:
- Tempest Cleric 2 / Storm Sorcerer X: The most common and generally recommended split. It secures Destructive Wrath early and focuses on Sorcerer spell progression and sorcery points.
- Tempest Cleric 6 / Storm Sorcerer X: Provides a second use of Channel Divinity per short rest and Wrath of the Storm improvement, but delays higher-level Sorcerer spells and features.
Ability Scores: Prioritize Charisma for Sorcerer spellcasting, followed by Wisdom (minimum 13 for multiclassing, also aids Cleric spells/features). Constitution is crucial for hit points and concentration. Strength is needed for heavy armor if not using Dexterity with medium armor.
Armor and Weapons: Tempest Cleric grants proficiency with all armor and shields, and martial weapons. Heavy armor and a shield are typically optimal for survivability.
Key Feats:
- War Caster: Advantage on Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration and the ability to cast spells as opportunity attacks.
- Metamagic Adept: Grants two additional sorcery points and two more metamagic options.
- Elemental Adept (Lightning or Thunder): Spells ignore resistance to the chosen damage type, and when you roll damage for a spell that deals that type, you treat any 1 on a damage die as a 2.
Spell Selection Highlights
Focus on spells that can deal lightning or thunder damage, or can be transmuted to do so.
Cleric Spells:
- Cantrips: Sacred Flame, Guidance, Light.
- 1st Level: Bless, Healing Word, Shield of Faith, Thunderwave.
- 2nd Level: Spiritual Weapon (if Wisdom is decent), Aid.
- 3rd Level: Call Lightning (synergizes exceptionally well with Destructive Wrath, especially when upcast).
Sorcerer Spells:
- Cantrips: Shocking Grasp, Booming Blade, Lightning Lure, Ray of Frost (can be transmuted).
- 1st Level: Shield, Absorb Elements, Chromatic Orb (transmute to lightning/thunder).
- 2nd Level: Shatter.
- 3rd Level: Lightning Bolt, Thunder Step.
- Higher Levels: Storm Sphere, Chain Lightning.
Playstyle and Strengths
This build excels at:
- Burst Damage: Combining Destructive Wrath with high-damage lightning/thunder spells (often enhanced by Metamagic) results in significant nova potential.
- Area of Effect Control: Many core spells like Thunderwave, Shatter, Lightning Bolt, and Call Lightning affect multiple targets.
- Enhanced Survivability: Heavy armor, shields, defensive spells (Shield, Absorb Elements), and resistance from Heart of the Storm contribute to strong defenses.
- Mobility: Tempestuous Magic offers tactical repositioning.
Potential Considerations
- Multiple Ability Score Dependency (MAD): Requires investment in Charisma, Wisdom, and Constitution.
- Delayed Spell Progression: As with any multiclass, access to higher-level spells from a single class is delayed.
- Resource Management: Channel Divinity uses and sorcery points must be managed carefully for optimal impact.
The Tempest Cleric/Storm Sorcerer offers a uniquely thematic and powerful approach to spellcasting, capable of dominating the battlefield with electrifying power and divine retribution.
