Update 8 Baldur's Gate 3 has been announced for 2025. The new update will introduce 12 new subclasses, one for each class. Many of these new additions were excellent choices and fit well into the existing game. Many have pointed out the potential for a Shadow Magic sorcerer in the Shadow-Cursed lands or how the Swashbuckler fits in with the pirate characters found in Act 3.
The newest cleric subclass is Death Domain. This is a subclass focused on dealing necrotic damage and comes with spells unique to Necromancy. It also comes with a new Homebrew ability, which allows players to explode nearby corpses. It's also the perfect choice for one of the original characters from BG3 and it's not hard to figure out who.
Death Domain is Perfect for Shadowheart
In Dungeons & Dragons, Clerics of Shar follow the domain of death or trickery
Baldur's Gate 3 takes place within the world of Dungeons and Dragonsand most of its lore and mechanics are drawn from D&D books. However, there is a feature that works a little differently. In Dungeons and Dragonsclerics will generally be limited to certain subclasses, or “domains“depending on your deity. For example, clerics of Kelemvor, the god of the dead, have the options of the Death and Grave domains. However, this is not exactly defined and obviously the rules vary from table to table.
Many Baldur's Gate 3 players prefer other cleric subclasses to the trickery domain, which defaults to Shadowheart and is one of Shar's canonical domains. But before Patch 8, there was no other option for another subclass with accurate knowledge for Shadowheart. While there is nothing stopping the player from changing Shadowheart into something like a Light Cleric, it is very unlikely that this is something that Shar, the goddess of darkness, would entertain. However, the deathdomain cleric is among the 12 new subclasses coming in Patch 8. This is the second domain available to Clerics of Shar in DnD.
Personality-wise, either subclass works great for Shadowheart, but Death Domain would make more sense for a play where it becomes a dark judge in Baldur's Gate 3. Turning her from trickster to dangerous sorceress works perfectly for an unholy warrior. It makes sense for her to pursue the trickery domain initially, given how she can sneak in and out of a Githyanki nursery unharmed with the Astral Prism, so it's established early on that she is cunning and sneaky, but respecting her Death Domain. in Act 2 can make your character arc feel more real and compelling.
Will death mastery be better than cheat mastery?
Subclasses have different focuses
Since launch, Death Domain has been a highly requested subclass, as players have felt that Trickery Domain's transition from tabletop to video game has been rather lackluster. The Deception Domain cleric's abilities can be useful in certain situations, but they are often quite challenging to use correctly and will often be overshadowed by other cleric classes and subclasses. Many unique spells that come with his subclass can also be learned by rogues, which players can use better, although the Trickery cleric does well in multiple classes with the rogue class.
In Baldur's Gate 3Clerics are the least popular class and many underestimate their ability to cause damage. Death Domain is a damage-focused subclass, while Deception Domain functions more as a support, confusing enemies and strengthening allies with your “trickster's blessing” or “summon duplicity” ability to give your party an advantage on attack rolls. As the subclass has not been officially released, it is difficult to accurately compare the Deception and Death domains. But with new necrotic damage cantrips being introduced specifically for the latter, it's safe to say he'll likely perform better as an offensive caster.
Death Domain is a highly anticipated addition and is perfect for any cleric player who doesn't want to play as a healer or is just looking for their character to have a slightly darker theme, like Shadowheart. The subclass has a lot of potential for interesting interactions and story implications, especially with Withers, who already have unique dialogue with the clerics of Kelemvor. For those dissatisfied with the Trickery domain in Baldur's Gate 3 but still want the Shadowheart class to stay true to tradition, the Death domain will be the best choice.
Source: Baldur's Gate 3/X, Larian Studios Community Update #30