Cavern Domain
The Cavern Domain treats caves, hidden stone passages and the deep earth as sacred territory. Its priests read worked stone almost instinctively and use magic built for navigating, entering, sheltering within and weaponising underground spaces.
At a Glance
| Divine Sphere | Caverns, caves, subterranean passages, hidden doors, stone chambers and the deep earth |
|---|---|
| Typical Role | Underground explorer, stone-lore specialist and subterranean controller |
| Published Rules | D&D 3.5e Forgotten Realms supplemental material |
| Pathfinder 1e Status | No official same-named Cavern Domain in the Pathfinder Core domain list. |
| Modern D&D Status | No official same-named Cavern Domain in D&D 5e/2014 or the 2024 Cleric rules. |
| Strong Campaign Patron | Geb, where earth and stone are genuinely established in the divine portfolio |
Edition Applicability
The Cavern Domain is published for D&D 3.5e in Player’s Guide to Faerûn and is also consolidated in the Spell Compendium domain appendix. It is not treated here as a generic domain available in every edition.
Cavern Domain — D&D 3.5e
Rules status: official D&D 3.5e Forgotten Realms supplemental domain.
Granted Power: Stonecunning
You gain the dwarf stonecunning ability. If you already have stonecunning, your racial bonus on checks to notice unusual stonework increases from +2 to +4.
D&D 3.5e Cavern Domain Spells
| 1st | Detect Secret Doors |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Darkness |
| 3rd | Meld into Stone |
| 4th | Secure Shelter |
| 5th | Passwall |
| 6th | Find the Path |
| 7th | Maw of Stone |
| 8th | Earthquake |
| 9th | Imprisonment |
How the Cavern Domain Plays
Cavern is strongest in exploration-heavy campaigns. The spell list repeatedly solves problems that matter underground: finding hidden entrances, moving through stone, establishing shelter, navigating impossible tunnel networks and eventually turning the cave itself into a weapon. Its granted power is quiet but constantly useful in worked-stone environments.
Who Grants the Cavern Domain?
Geb is a strong fit where stone and the earth are already central to his established portfolio. The old page also listed Nyx, but darkness alone is not enough to justify Cavern; subterranean stone, caves or the deep earth should actually belong to the granting power’s sphere.
Priests, Temples and Rites
Cavern clergy keep shrines in natural chambers, guard sacred mines, map hidden passages and interpret unusual stone formations as divine signs. Their rites may involve echo, darkness, mineral offerings, sealed chambers or deliberate journeys below the surface.
What Are Cavern Priests Doing Now?
They are reopening collapsed sacred routes, investigating tunnels that appeared overnight, negotiating with underground peoples, tracing tremors through old cave systems and deciding whether a newly exposed chamber should be entered, sealed or worshipped from a distance.
Related Domains and Character Options
Rules Sources and Licensing
- D&D 3.5e: stonecunning and the spell list follow the Cavern Domain from Player’s Guide to Faerûn; the same domain progression appears in the Spell Compendium appendix.
- Other editions: no same-named Pathfinder 1e, 2014 D&D or 2024 D&D domain is presented as official.