Sun Domain
The Sun Domain gives priests of the solar powers a way to guard the living and drive back the restless dead. The Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e panels use published domain rules. The D&D 2024 and 2014 panels are explicitly original campaign conversions, distinct from the official Light Domain.
At a Glance
| Divine Sphere | Sunlight, solar fire, revelation, purification and power against undead |
|---|---|
| Typical Role | Anti-undead cleric, radiant/fire caster and solar ritual specialist |
| Published Rules | Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e |
| Modern D&D Status | Original, GM-approved Sun Domain conversions for 2024 and 2014; not official subclasses. The Light Domain is the published modern alternative. |
| Typical Patrons | Apollo, Sol Invictus, Päivätär, Lugh where solar power is established in the deity’s portfolio |
Edition Applicability
This page provides four playable editions. The 2024 and 2014 Sun Domain subclasses are site-original conversions requiring GM approval; their features and spell-access levels match their own Cleric editions. The Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e panels preserve each ruleset’s printed powers and nine domain-slot spell levels. The same name does not imply identical rules.
Sun Domain — D&D 5.5e / 2024
Rules status: original SpiralWorlds 2024 Cleric subclass conversion (GM approval required). This is not an official 2024 Player’s Handbook Sun Domain. Take this subclass at Cleric level 3; the ordinary Cleric’s Divine Order, Blessed Strikes, Channel Divinity uses and spellcasting are unchanged.
2024 Sun Domain Spells
When you reach each Cleric level below, the spells shown are thereafter always prepared and do not count against the number you can prepare. They are Cleric spells for you even if ordinarily from another spell list.
| Cleric Level | Always-Prepared Spells |
|---|---|
| 3 | Burning Hands, Faerie Fire, Lesser Restoration, Scorching Ray |
| 5 | Daylight, Revivify |
| 7 | Death Ward, Fire Shield |
| 9 | Flame Strike, Greater Restoration |
Level 3: Sun’s Vigil
You learn the Light cantrip; if you already know it, choose another Cleric cantrip. Once on each of your turns when a spell you cast deals Radiant damage to an Undead creature, one Undead damaged by the spell takes extra Radiant damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. This bonus applies to only one creature per turn.
Level 3: Channel Divinity — Dawn of Renewal
As a Magic action, present your Holy Symbol and expend one use of Channel Divinity. Choose up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum one) living creatures you can see within 30 feet; each regains Hit Points equal to 1d6 plus your Cleric level. This feature cannot heal Undead or Constructs. You may also choose one Undead you can see within 30 feet; it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your Cleric spell save DC or be Blinded until the end of your next turn. The healing and the Undead effect resolve as part of the same action.
Level 6: Shelter of the Rising Sun
When you or a creature you can see within 30 feet takes Necrotic damage, you can use your Reaction to give that creature Resistance to Necrotic damage against the triggering damage. You can use this Reaction a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum once), regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Level 17: Crown of Noon
As a Bonus Action, you radiate Bright Light in a 30-foot radius and Dim Light for another 30 feet for 1 minute, or until you have the Incapacitated condition. The light is sunlight. While it lasts, you and your allies in the Bright Light have Advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the Frightened condition imposed by Undead. Once on each of your turns when you restore Hit Points with a Cleric spell, one creature healed by that spell regains an additional 1d8 Hit Points. Once you activate this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a Long Rest.
Sun Domain — D&D 5e / 2014
Rules status: original SpiralWorlds 2014 Cleric domain conversion (GM approval required). This is not a published 2014 Player’s Handbook Sun Domain. Choose it at Cleric level 1; use 2014 rules for the base Cleric class.
2014 Sun Domain Spells
These spells are always prepared at the listed Cleric levels, do not count against your normal number of prepared spells, and count as Cleric spells for you.
| Cleric Level | Always-Prepared Spells |
|---|---|
| 1 | Burning Hands, Faerie Fire |
| 3 | Lesser Restoration, Scorching Ray |
| 5 | Daylight, Revivify |
| 7 | Death Ward, Fire Shield |
| 9 | Flame Strike, Greater Restoration |
Level 1: Bonus Cantrip and Sun’s Vigil
You learn the Light cantrip if you do not already know it; this does not count against your Cleric cantrips known. Once on each of your turns when a Cleric cantrip you cast deals Radiant damage to Undead, add your Wisdom modifier (minimum +1) to one damage roll against one such target.
Level 2: Channel Divinity — Warming Dawn
As an action, present your holy symbol and expend a use of Channel Divinity. Choose up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum one) living creatures you can see within 30 feet; each regains 1d6 plus your Cleric level Hit Points. This effect cannot heal Undead or Constructs. One chosen recipient may also immediately repeat a saving throw against the Frightened condition, ending it on a success; the DC is the original effect’s DC.
Level 6: Dawn’s Shelter
When a creature you can see within 30 feet takes Necrotic damage, you can use your reaction to grant it resistance to the triggering Necrotic damage. You can do so a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum once), regaining all uses when you finish a long rest.
Level 8: Potent Spellcasting
Add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any Cleric cantrip. This feature follows the 2014 Cleric domain progression.
Level 17: Heart of Midday
As an action, radiate bright sunlight in a 30-foot radius and dim light for another 30 feet for 1 minute. While the effect lasts, you and allies inside the bright light have resistance to Necrotic damage. This ends early if you are incapacitated. After using this feature, you must finish a long rest before using it again.
Sun Domain — Pathfinder 1e
Rules status: published Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook domain.
Sun’s Blessing
Whenever you channel positive energy to harm undead, add your Cleric level to the damage dealt. Undead do not add channel resistance to their saving throws against this channeled energy.
Nimbus of Light
At 8th level, emit a 30-foot nimbus for a total number of rounds per day equal to your Cleric level. It functions as Daylight. Undead within the nimbus take damage equal to your Cleric level at the start of their turns. Spells and spell-like abilities with the darkness descriptor are automatically dispelled if brought into the nimbus.
Pathfinder 1e Sun Domain Spells
| 1st | Endure Elements |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Heat Metal |
| 3rd | Searing Light |
| 4th | Fire Shield |
| 5th | Flame Strike |
| 6th | Fire Seeds |
| 7th | Sunbeam |
| 8th | Sunburst |
| 9th | Prismatic Sphere |
Sun Domain — D&D 3.5e
Rules status: published D&D 3.5e SRD domain.
Granted Power: Greater Turning
Once per day, you can perform a greater turning against undead in place of a normal turning attempt. Undead that would normally be turned are destroyed instead.
D&D 3.5e Sun Domain Spells
| 1st | Endure Elements |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Heat Metal |
| 3rd | Searing Light |
| 4th | Fire Shield |
| 5th | Flame Strike |
| 6th | Fire Seeds |
| 7th | Sunbeam |
| 8th | Sunburst |
| 9th | Prismatic Sphere |
How the Sun Domain Plays
The original 2024 conversion is a dawn-side protector: use Dawn of Renewal when several living allies need healing and a dangerous undead foe needs its vision checked. The separate original 2014 conversion relies on Warming Dawn, a short-range healing rite and necrotic protection. Neither modern conversion grants extra domain slots.
Pathfinder makes the Sun cleric a persistent anti-undead specialist: channelled energy becomes more dangerous and Nimbus of Light punishes undead simply for remaining nearby. D&D 3.5e concentrates the domain’s special power into one decisive greater turning each day.
Who Grants the Sun Domain?
Apollo, Sol Invictus, Päivätär and Lugh support different solar traditions where their established pages justify it. Solar identity may mean radiance, seasonal order, healing, kingship, revelation or the destruction of hostile darkness; those traditions should not be flattened into one generic cult.
Priests, Temples and Rites
Sun priests maintain calendars, hilltop beacons, dawn observances and rites tied to seasonal change. Some specialise in hunting undead or cleansing magically darkened places, while others serve communities whose agriculture, navigation or kingship depends on solar cycles.
What Are Sun Priests Doing Now?
Sun priests are investigating eclipses that last too long, restoring beacon networks, destroying undead that cannot tolerate daylight, recovering stolen solar relics and settling disputes over calendars, feast days and claims that a particular ruler has lost divine favour.
Legacy Celtic Sun Variant
Status: legacy third-party material preserved from the earlier page, attributed there to Dominique Crouzet. It is not Pathfinder Core, D&D 3.5e SRD or modern D&D rules.
The older site version presented a Celtic-flavoured Sun variant associated with Belenus and Lugh. Its custom spell progression includes Sun Lights, Sunspear, Searing Light, Purifying Flames, Flame Strike, Fire Seeds, Sunbeam, Sunburst and Chariot of Sustarre. Keep it only when deliberately using that legacy third-party rules tradition.
Related Domains and Character Options
Rules Sources and Licensing
- D&D 5.5e / 2024 and D&D 5e / 2014: the Sun Domain panels are original campaign adaptations, not Wizards of the Coast published subclasses; use them only with GM approval. Base Cleric class and spell rules follow their corresponding editions.
- Pathfinder 1e: Sun’s Blessing, Nimbus of Light and the spell list follow the Pathfinder Core Rulebook Sun Domain.
- D&D 3.5e: Greater Turning and the spell list follow the 3.5 SRD Sun Domain.
- Legacy Celtic variant: retained as explicitly labelled third-party material rather than blended into either official ruleset.
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