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IE, I'm a cloistered cleric of Syreth. My domains are Protection, Healing, and Knowledge, which I trade for Protection Devotion, Healing Devotion, and Knowledge Devotion.

Does my 1-per-level domain spell slot just go away? Or can I still use it to power Cure spells, etc? The SRD and Complete Champion don't leave me feeling like I fully understand the mechanics.

John
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  • Note: Neither Healing Domain nor Healing Devotion are particularly good. The bonus on healing spells is ridiculously low and Fast Healing 5 is merely 50 HP over 1 min: it's too slow for emergencies, and there are other solutions for low-cost healing when time is less of a concern. I would recommend picking another domain, if possible. Protection Devotion can be nice, especially when gaining more uses with Turn Or Rebuke (if the campaign doesn't use them). Make sure the GM does not meta-game and raise the monsters' AR in response. – Matthieu M. Jan 22 '17 at 20:34
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    @MatthieuM. A now-related analysis of domain feats. – Hey I Can Chan Jan 22 '17 at 20:45

2 Answers2

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A cleric that's traded away all his domains for domain feats still possesses those domain spell slots, but, without domains, he has nothing to prepare in those slots. To prepare spells in those domain slots, such a cleric must gain access to a domain in another fashion (e.g. taking levels in a prestige class that grants the cleric access to a domain).

Also, the domain spell slot can't be used to spontaneously cast cure and inflict spells. Spontaneous Casting says, "The cleric can 'lose' any prepared spell that is not a domain spell in order to cast any cure spell of the same spell level or lower (a cure spell is any spell with “cure” in its name)" (PH 32).

Hey I Can Chan
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You can’t use that slot to prepare any spells. You still “have” that slot, you just can’t use it for anything. If some feat or whatever allowed you to do something else with your domain slot, or let you prepare other spells from that slot, or just gave you another domain so you could prepare domain spells, then you could use it. But with nothing to prepare there, you cannot use it for anything.

That includes attempting to use the slot to spontaneously cast cure instead. Domain slots cannot be used for that even when you have them.

Generally speaking, it is best for clerics (at least, those who intend to stay cleric instead of just dipping the class for one level, which is a popular choice) to not trade away all their domains for domain feats for exactly this reason.

Houseruling the situation to allow for using those slots to spontaneously cast cure (or inflict) seems fair to me, but I would still recommend against doing that. Cure (and inflict) spells are awful, and while it’s nice to always have them available in case of emergency, giving up the opportunities you could have from your domain spells is bad, and getting cure (or inflict) spells in return doesn’t change that.

KRyan
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