Hestale

Hestia’s symbol is the perpetually lit fire in her temple, guarded by her priestesses, the Hestales. Every March 1 the fire is renewed. The Hestales must observe absolute chastity for 30 years. They cannot show excessive care of their person, and they must not let the fire go out. If a Hestale breaks her vow of chastity before the 30 years are up, she is condemned to be buried alive in the Campus Sceleris (camp of damned people). The Hestales wear a tunica, a simple dress that they use for both the temple and everyday life.

Table: Hestale Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells
1st burning hands, sanctuary
3rd flame blade, warding bond
5th elemental weapon, spirit guardians
7th fire shield, wall of fire
9th flame strike, hallow

Bonus Proficiency

When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor.

Shield of The Faithful

Starting at 1st level, you gain the ability to hinder attacks intended for others. When a creature attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. To do so, you must be able to see both the attacker and the target.

You interpose an arm, a shield, or some other part of yourself to try to throw the attack off target.

Channel Divinity: Fiery Defense

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to cloak your allies in flaming armor. As an action, you channel blessed energy into an ally that you can see within 30 feet of you. The first time that ally is hit by an attack within the next minute, the attacker takes fire damage equal to 2d10 + your cleric level.

Blessed Healer

Beginning at 6th level, the healing spells you cast on others can heal you as well. When you cast a spell with a spell slot and it restores hit points to any creature other than you this turn, you regain hit points equal to 2 + the spell’s level.

Hestia’s Strike

At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 fire damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Indomitable Defense

At 17th level, you gain resistance to two damage types of your choice, choosing from bludgeoning, fire, piercing, radiant, and slashing. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can change the damage types you chose.

As an action, you can temporarily give up this resistance and transfer it to one creature you touch. The creature keeps the resistance until the end of your next short or long rest or until you transfer it back to yourself as a bonus action.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

5E RPG: Ancient Adventures. Copyright 2020, Mal and Tal, LLC; Author Michael Tresca.