Trickery Domain Subclass Guide and Build

The Trickery Domain is a Cleric subclass in Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3). Check out our guide for how to unlock the Trickery Domain subclass, its features, best races to use, as well as its best build.

Cleric Subclasses Cleric Class Guide
Knowledge Domain	Light Domain	Life Domain
Nature Domain	Tempest Domain	Trickery Domain
War Domain

Trickery Domain Subclass Overview

Trickery Domain Basic Information

Subclass Overview
	Trickery Domain A domain shared by wicked, chaotic, and mischievous deities alike, those who channel Trickery specialize in deception and illusion magic.
Main Class	Cleric
How to Unlock	Available during Character Creation.
Spellcasting Ability	Wisdom
Starting Subclass Features
・Grants the Blessing of the Trickster Class Action ・Access to Level 1 Trickery Domain Spells. 　┣ Disguise Self Spell 　┗ Charm Person Spell ・All Cleric Class Features and Proficiencies.

In battle, Trickery Domain Clerics specialize in confusing their foes using spells from the illusion and enchantment magic trees. However, it is outside of battle where Trickery Domain Clerics truly shine, as they can offer multiple stealth check buffs for allies looking to be sneaky.

How to Unlock the Trickery Domain Subclass

Available When Creating a Cleric

The Trickery Domain subclass will become available once you start creating a Cleric at the Character Creation screen. Unlike most classes, Clerics are one of the few that get to pick out their subclass before they start the game.

Trickery Domain Subclass Features

Trickery Domain Features
Trickery Domain Spells	Blessing of the Trickster
Invoke Duplicity	Divine Strike: Poison
▼ Subclass Progression Table ▼

Trickery Domain Spells

Unlike most spellcasting classes, Cleric Domain Spells occupy their own spell list and are entirely separate from your existing Prepared Spell List. This means that as soon as you unlock them, you will be able to cast them without having to switch out your currently equipped spells.

Trickery Domain Clerics will gain access to their Domain spells at Levels 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. Each level will grant you 2 new spells from the Trickery Domain. At Level 1, you will start with Disguise Self and Charm Person unlocked.

Trickery Domain Spell List

Cleric Level	Domain Spells Unlocked
Level 1	・Disguise Self (Illusion) ・Charm Person (Enchantment)
Level 3	・Mirror Image (Illusion) ・Pass Without Trace (Abjuration)
Level 5	・Bestow Curse (Necromancy) ・Fear (Illusion)
Level 7	・Dimension Door (Conjuration) ・Polymorph (Transmutation)
Level 9	・Dominate Person (Enchantment) ・Seeming (Illusion)

Blessing of the Trickster

At Level 1, Trickery Clerics will have access to a special class action called Blessing of the Trickster. When cast, it grants your allies Advantage on Stealth Checks. Use this blessing if you have a party member that plays around the Hide action during and outside of combat.

Do note that this spell requires concentration and it can only be applied to one creature at a time. Additionally, your Trickery Cleric cannot cast it on themselves.

Channel Divinity: Invoke Duplicity

Once you hit Level 2, your Channel Divinity power called Invoke Duplicity will become available. Spend one Channel Divinity Charge to cast this illusion. Once on the battlefield, allies caught in its AoE will have an easier time landing hits against their foes.

However, do note that in order to gain the Attack Roll Advantage, both you (or your ally) and your enemy will have to be inside the 3m radius of the illusion.

Divine Strike: Poison

At Level 8, your Trickery Domain Cleric will unlock an action called Divine Strike: Poison. Once per turn during combat, you can deal 1d8 Poison damage on top of your weapon damage when performing a melee attack.

Trickery Domain Level Progression

Level	Subclass Features Unlocked
Level 1	・Grants 2 Trickery Domain Spells ・Blessing of the Trickster (Action)
Level 2	・Invoke Duplicity (Channel Divinity)
Level 3	・Grants 2 Trickery Domain Spells
Level 5	・Grants 2 Trickery Domain Spells
Level 7	・Grants 2 Trickery Domain Spells
Level 8	・Divine Strike: Poison (Action)
Level 9	・Grants 2 Trickery Domain Spells

Best Trickery Domain Cleric Builds

Support Trickery Cleric Early Game Build Overview

Trickery Early Game Overview
Trickery Equipment
Helm					Diadem of Arcane Synergy / Grymskull Helm
Cloak					Player's Choice
Armor					Dark Justiciar Half-Plate
Gloves					Hellrider's Pride
Boots					Vital Conduit Boots
Trickery Weapons
Slot					Main Hand					Off-Hand
Melee					The Baneful					Glowing Shield
Ranged					Hellfire Hand Crossbow					-
Trickery Accessories
Amulet					Spellcrux Amulet
Ring 1					Strange Conduit Ring
Ring 2					The Whispering Promise
These items help the Trickster Cleric increase their survivability and the damage they can dish out while supporting your other party members along the way.

Equipment of Choice

Diadem of Arcane Synergy

Whenever you inflict a condition, this circlet lets you gain Arcane Synergy which lets you deal additional damage based on your Spellcasting Ability. This synergizes very well with the spells the Trickery Cleric gets, since most of them can inflict a condition.

Grymskull Helm

If you chose the Gold Dwarf race, equip the Grymskull Helm to increase your tankiness as this negates all critical hits from enemies.

Grymskull Helm: Armor Guide and How to Get

Dark Justiciar Half-Plate

With the Trickery Cleric excelling in stealth and distractions, this item provides you Advantage with stealth checks when you're obscured. This lets you sneak past enemies and avoid combat, or to surprise them so your team gains an extra turn at the start of battle.

Dark Justiciar Half-Plate: Armor Guide and How to Get

Hellrider's Pride

The Trickery Cleric has access to a lot of healing spells to help you and your party sustain in a battle. Hellrider's Pride enhances your healing by giving whoever you heal additional resistances to Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing damage.

Hellrider's Pride: Armor Guide and How to Get

Vital Conduit Boots

The Vital Conduit Boots gives you more sustainability by granting you temporary hit points whenever you are concentrating on a spell. This naturally synergizes with your spell rotation since many spells of the Trickery Cleric, such as Bless, require concentration.

The Baneful

The Baneful is a weapon that has a chance to inflict Bane on your enemies on hit. This is useful for debuffing strong enemies and make them less threatening while also dealing damage.

The Banefult: Weapon Guide and How to Get

Glowing Shield

Equipping the Glowing Shield increases your chances of surviving even further, as you gain 8 temporary hit points when you are below 50% hit points and taking damage.

Take note that this effect only activates once per Short Rest.

Glowing Shield: Shield Guide and How to Get

Hellfire Hand Crossbow

The Hellfire Hand Crossbow has a chance to inflict additional Burning damage to the enemy if you are hiding or invisible. Since the Trickery spells lets you hide easier, you can consistently activate the effect of this weapon. This allows you to significantly lower the health of your enemies and surprise them at the same time.

Hellfire Hand Crossbow: Weapon Guide and How to Get

Spellcrux Amulet

The Trickery Cleric is reliant on their spells to be efficient in and out of battle. Without their spells, they become significantly weaker. The Spellcrux Amulet remedies this by allowing you to restore any Spell Slot without having to take a Long Rest.

Spellcrux Amulet: Accessory Guide and How to Get

Strange Conduit Ring

The Strange Conduit Ring lets you deal additional Psychic damage whenever you are concentrating on a spell. This synergizes with most of the spells you have access to, because many of them require you to concentrate when casting it.

The Whispering Promise

The Whispering Promise enhances your healing by granting an additional 1d4 to the Attack Rolls and Saving Throws of who you healed. This lets you and your team sustain through fights while dealing even more damage.

Best Races to Use as Trickery Domain

Wood Elf

The Wood-Elf is a great choice for Trickery Domain as they are proficient with the use of bows which fits perfectly for this subclass as you won't be battling enemies head on and would mostly rely on illusion spells, allowing for surprise attacks at longer ranges once you've successfully deceived them.

・Elven Weapon Training - Grants proficiency with Shortbows and Longbows
・Fleet of Foot - With a 1.5 movement speed bonus, you'll be given extra movement during a turn to manuever out of an enemy's range.
・Darkvision - Allows you to be efficient in dimly lit areas and negates the disadvantage when spellcasting in the dark.

Wood Elf Subrace Guide and Best Classes

Gold Dwarf

The Gold Dwarf for a Trickery Domain is perfect for those who prefer a bit of a more aggressive playstyle, slashing and hammering their way through fights while still confusing their foes with illusion spells.

・Dwarven Combat Training - Grants proficiency with axes and hammers. Gives you a fighting chance when you get surrounded by enemies.
・Darkvision - Allows you to see in the dark up to 12m and be able to cast spells without the darkness disadvantage within that range.
・Dwarven Toughness - Makes you tankier as your maximum Hit Points is increased by 1, and increases by 1 again each time you level up.
・Dwarven Resilience - Provides resistance to poison damage; adding another extra layer of defense on top of having a beefy hit point cap. Poison is usually used by enemies so having this passive can definitely save you in dire moments of battle.

Gold Dwarf Subrace Guide and Best Classes

Best Trickery Domain Cleric Ability Scores

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12	14	15 (+1)	8	17 (+2)	8

As with all clerics, pump your points to Wisdom up until 17 +2 to be effective at spellcasting as a Trickery Domain. Constitution should be set 15 +1 to bulk up your hit points.

Strength at 12 to be decent at melee combat. If you chose to be a Gold Dwarf, having that dwarven combat passive makes you more effective with melee, specifically with the use of axes and hammers.

Dexterity at 14 to receive that +2 DEX bonus for Medium Armor. Also increases your inititative in combat.

Intelligence and Charisma can be your dump stats.

Best Trickery Domain Feats

Shield Master

Shield Master grants you a +2 to Dexterity Saving Throws. This increases your survivability and durability by avoiding these types of attacks, and it can also negate spells entirely if it requires you to do a Dexterity Saving Throw and you pass it.

Shield Master Feat Guide and Effects

Lucky

Lucky gives you Advantage on Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, Saving Throws, or make enemies reroll their Attack Rolls. This is useful inside and outside of battles as it allows you to get a high roll on your dice, which makes your buffs, debuffs, and attacks more potent.

Lucky Feat Guide and Effects

War Caster

War Caster helps maintain your concentration when casting spells that require it. This lets you consistently maintain spells that buff allies, such as Shield of Faith.

Additionally, this feat allows the user to use Shocking Grasp as a reaction on targets who are moving out of melee range.

War Caster Feat Guide and Effects

Baldur's Gate 3 Related Guides

Cleric Class Guide

All Cleric Subclasses

All Cleric Subclasses
Knowledge Domain	Light Domain	Life Domain
Nature Domain	Tempest Domain	Trickery Domain
War Domain