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| Description |
Beginning at 10th level, you can call on your deity to intervene on your behalf when your need is great. Imploring your deity’s aid requires you to use your action. Describe the assistance you seek, and roll percentile dice. If you roll a number equal to or lower than your cleric level, your deity intervenes. The GM chooses the nature of the intervention; the effect of any cleric spell or cleric domain spell would be appropriate. If your deity intervenes, you can’t use this feature again for 7 days. Otherwise, you can use it again after you finish a long rest. At 20th level, your call for intervention succeeds automatically, no roll required. |
|---|---|
| Source | Player’s Handbook 🛒 |
| Level | 10 |
| Class | Cleric |
Picture this: Your adventuring party stands on the brink of defeat, hit points are dwindling, and all spell slots are exhausted. In this moment of greatest need, a cleric of 10th level or higher can attempt the impossible – make a direct appeal to their deity. Divine Intervention is one of the most fascinating and dramatic abilities in all of Dungeons & Dragons.
The Power of the Gods at the Gaming Table
Divine Intervention works elegantly simple: The cleric describes what kind of help they hope for from their deity, then rolls percentile dice (d100). If the result is at or below the current cleric level, the deity actually intervenes. A 15th-level cleric thus has a 15% chance of success – not exactly overwhelming, but in critical moments this small chance can mean the difference between life and death.
What makes this ability special lies in its unpredictability and the creative freedom it gives the Dungeon Master. Unlike normal spells, the exact effect isn’t predetermined. Instead, the Dungeon Master chooses an appropriate divine response – often in the form of a cleric spell or domain spell, but the possibilities are theoretically limitless.
Creative Uses
The true strength of Divine Intervention lies not in its reliability, but in its dramatic potential. A successful use can create legendary gaming moments: The deity could cast a powerful healing spell, send reinforcements, confuse enemies, or even temporarily suspend the laws of nature.
Clever clerics use this ability strategically. Since it becomes unavailable for a week after success, it should be saved for truly desperate situations. On a failed attempt, however, you can try again after a long rest – a small comfort for unlucky dice rolls.
Roleplay Gold Mine
From a roleplay perspective, Divine Intervention offers inexhaustible possibilities. How does your deity communicate? Do they appear personally, send a messenger, or does their power simply manifest in the world? This ability can provide deep insights into the relationship between cleric and deity and create epic moments that will be talked about at the gaming table for years to come.
Upon reaching 20th level, this ability becomes absolute certainty – no more rolling needed. At this stage, the cleric is so closely connected to their deity that divine help is available on demand. A worthy culmination for the spiritual journey of this powerful class, which is described in detail in the Player’s Handbook 🛒.
This article was created using AI, based on data from the 5e-database project (D&D 5e System Reference Document, licensed under CC BY 4.0).
