Cleric Spells Pathfinder: 10 Ultimate Spells for Divine Intervention

As a cleric in Pathfinder, your spellcasting abilities are a pivotal aspect of your divine arsenal. From healing the wounded to vanquishing unholy foes, your spells empower you to shape the fate of your party and influence the world around you. To aid you in your sacred quest, we present the 10 ultimate cleric spells that will elevate your gameplay and unleash your full potential:

1. Bane: A Curse on Evil

Level: 1
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 minute/level

Bane is an indispensable spell for weakening your enemies. It inflicts a -1 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws against fear effects. This malediction proves particularly effective against evil creatures, who suffer an additional -2 penalty. Whether you're facing a horde of orcs or a formidable demon, Bane will hamper their abilities and give your party a vital edge.

2. Bless: Divine Favor

Level: 1
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 minute/level

Bless is the antithesis of Bane, bestowing divine favor upon your allies. It grants a +1 bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws. This enchantment empowers your party members, enhancing their combat prowess and bolstering their resilience. Use Bless to rally your comrades before a major encounter or to bolster their spirits in the face of adversity.

3. Cure Wounds: Healing Touch

Level: 1
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

Cure Wounds is the quintessential healing spell for clerics. It restores 1d8 hit points to the target creature, mending their wounds and restoring their vitality. As you advance in levels, Cure Wounds becomes more potent, healing more hit points and extending its range. Whether you're tending to fallen comrades or succoring the innocent, Cure Wounds is your lifeline to preserve life and mitigate suffering.

4. Guiding Hand: Divine Direction

Level: 2
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour/level

Guiding Hand is a versatile spell that enhances your senses and guidance. It grants you a +1 bonus on all skill checks related to navigating, tracking, and interacting with the environment. Whether you're traversing treacherous mountains or seeking hidden treasure, Guiding Hand ensures that you always make the right decisions and stay on the path of righteousness.

5. Prayer: Divine Intervention

Level: 2
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 100 ft.
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

Prayer is a powerful spell that harnesses the might of your deity. You invoke your patron's power to grant a single beneficial effect to a target within range. This effect can take various forms, such as healing, protection, or insight. The precise nature of the benefit varies depending on your deity and the circumstances of the invocation.

6. Remove Curse: Dispelling Malevolence

Level: 3
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

Remove Curse is an invaluable spell for countering the effects of curses and other negative enchantments. It removes a single curse or enchantment from the target creature, restoring them to their natural state. Whether you're liberating a comrade from the clutches of a wicked spell or neutralizing the effects of an ancient artifact, Remove Curse is your weapon against the forces of darkness.

7. Summon Monster: Divine Reinforcements

Level: 3
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 hour/level

Summon Monster allows you to call forth a celestial or elemental ally to aid you in battle. The type of creature you summon depends on the level of the spell and your choice. These summoned creatures possess unique abilities that can turn the tide of battle in your favor. From angelic guardians to fiery elementals, Summon Monster provides you with invaluable reinforcements to bolster your party.

8. Heal: Divine Healing

Level: 4
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

Heal is a powerful healing spell that restores a large amount of hit points to the target creature, making it an indispensable weapon in the battle against death. It heals 2d8 + your caster level hit points, providing a swift and effective means of mending severe wounds. Whether you're rescuing a fallen ally or facing down a formidable foe, Heal will ensure that your party remains in fighting shape.

9. Holy Word: Divine Ultimatum

Level: 6
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: All creatures within range
Duration: Instantaneous

Holy Word is a devastating spell that unleashes the wrath of your deity upon all creatures within range. It deals 6d6 + your caster level damage to all evil creatures and half that damage to good creatures. This spell is particularly effective against large groups of enemies, as it can decimate their ranks and turn the tide of battle in your favor.

10. Raise Dead: Resurrection of the Fallen

Level: 5
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

Raise Dead is the ultimate spell for resurrecting fallen comrades. It restores life to a creature that has been dead for no more than 10 days. This spell requires a costly material component of 500 gp worth of diamonds, but it is worth the investment to preserve the lives of your closest allies. Raise Dead is your beacon of hope in the face of death, allowing you to bring back your friends from the clutches of the grave.

Useful Tables

• Table 1: Spell Level vs. Healing
  | Spell Level | Hit Points Healed |
  |---|---|
  | 1 | 1d8 |
  | 2 | 2d8 + caster level |
  | 3 | 3d8 + caster level |
  | 4 | 4d8 + caster level |
  | 5 | 5d8 + caster level |

• Table 2: Spell Level vs. Damage
  | Spell Level | Damage |
  |---|---|
  | 1 | 1d4 + caster level |
  | 2 | 2d4 + caster level |
  | 3 | 3d6 + caster level |
  | 4 | 4d6 + caster level |
  | 5 | 5d8 + caster level |

• Table 3: Spell Level vs. Effect Duration
  | Spell Level | Duration |
  |---|---|
  | 1 | 1 minute/level |
  | 2 | 1 hour/level |
  | 3 | 1 day/level |
  | 4 | 1 week/level |
  | 5 | 1 month/level |

• Table 4: Alignment vs. Bane/Bless Bonus
  | Alignment | Bane Penalty | Bless Bonus |
  |---|---|---|
  | Good | -0 | +1 |
  | Neutral | -1 | +0 |
  | Evil | -2 | -1 |

Effective Strategies

• Stack Bless and Bane: Combine Bless and Bane on the same target to maximize your party's combat effectiveness and undermine your enemies.
• Use Healing Potions: Carry a supply of healing potions to supplement your spellcasting abilities and keep your party healthy in between rests.
• Summon Early and Often: Utilize your Summon Monster ability as soon as possible in combat to gain an advantage in numbers and overwhelm your foes.
• Prepare Holy Word: Always have Holy Word prepared for high-level encounters. It is a potent spell that can turn the tide of battle in your favor against large groups of enemies.
• Use Create Food and Water: Cast Create Food and Water to provide sustenance for your party during extended excursions, conserving your resources and ensuring their survival.

Tips and Tricks

• Avoid Channel Negative Energy: As a cleric, you have the ability to channel negative energy to harm undead creatures. However, this ability requires you to make a Will save to avoid damage yourself. Consider using other spells to deal with undead instead, such as Turn Undead or Holy Word.
• Cast Divine Favor on Yourself: Before entering combat, cast Divine Favor on yourself to enhance your own combat abilities. This spell grants you a +1 bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws.
• Use Reach Spell: If you have access to the Reach Spell feat, you can extend the range of your touch spells by 10 feet. This allows you to heal or buff allies from a safer distance.
• Prepare spells that counter undead: Undead creatures are common enemies in Pathfinder. Prepare spells like Turn Undead, Holy Word, and Death Ward to effectively deal with these threats.
• Choose spells that match the party's needs: Different party compositions require different spell selections. Consider the party's strengths, weaknesses, and preferred tactics when selecting your spells.

How to Step-by-Step Approach

Step 1: Choose Your Deity