Rules edition: This guide uses the legacy Grung traits from One Grung Above with the 2014 fifth-edition Cleric. Grung are supplemental material; ask your DM whether the option is available in your campaign. The 2024 Cleric uses revised class rules and is outside this build.
A Grung Cleric can work well as a mobile support caster, but its poison is a situational racial feature rather than a damage engine. Build around Wisdom and Constitution, use Dexterity for defense in light or medium armor, and plan for the Grung’s daily water requirement. The advice below assumes the legacy ability bonuses and rules.
Legacy Grung traits that matter
The legacy Grung has a +2 Dexterity and +1 Constitution increase, along with Amphibious, Poison Immunity, Poisonous Skin, Standing Leap, and Water Dependency. These are Grung traits from One Grung Above, not general rules for every frog-like character or a 2024 species option. The official D&D Beyond species listing identifies the source and these traits.
Poisonous Skin is a condition, not automatic damage
Poisonous Skin calls for a DC 12 Constitution saving throw when a creature grapples the Grung or otherwise comes into direct contact with its skin. On a failure, the creature is poisoned for 1 minute and can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. The trait does not deal 2d4 poison damage when someone hits the Grung, and it does not make every nearby melee attack poisonous. Follow the source’s separate rules for applying the Grung’s poison to a piercing weapon; do not treat that as the skin-contact effect.
Poison Immunity protects the Grung from poison and the poisoned condition. Poison resistance, immunity, or other monster features can also change how useful this feature is against a particular foe. It is a small deterrent when direct skin contact happens, not a replacement for armor, healing, or a control spell.
Standing Leap and Water Dependency
Standing Leap gives the Grung a 25-foot long jump and a 15-foot high jump, with or without a running start. The jump still uses movement and follows the normal rules for jumping, space, obstacles, and a creature’s available speed. It does not by itself escape a grapple, ignore difficult terrain, or prevent opportunity attacks.
Water Dependency requires the legacy Grung to immerse itself in water for at least 1 hour each day or suffer exhaustion as the trait describes. Work out how the table tracks this and what water access looks like before the adventure begins. The 2014 Cleric spell create or destroy water can help with water logistics, but it does not remove the trait’s immersion requirement unless your DM rules that it does.
Ability scores and a legal starting array
With 27-point buy, one workable pre-species array is Strength 8, Dexterity 14, Constitution 13, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 15, and Charisma 12. It costs 27 points. Apply the legacy Grung bonuses to reach Strength 8, Dexterity 16, Constitution 14, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 15, and Charisma 12. At level 1, that gives a Cleric spell save DC of 13 and supports concentration without sacrificing the class’s main ability score. Point buy and the Cleric’s Wisdom-based spellcasting follow the 2014 rules.
Raise Wisdom first when you reach an Ability Score Improvement. Constitution is a useful later investment if you often maintain concentration under attack. Dexterity supports initiative and AC in light or medium armor. You do not need to invest in Strength unless your chosen armor or campaign plans make it useful.
Armor and movement
Being Small does not prohibit medium armor or heavy armor. The 2014 armor rules impose a 10-foot speed reduction when a character wears heavy armor without meeting that armor’s Strength requirement; size is not the cause. A Grung with Dexterity 16 wearing scale mail and a shield has AC 18 (14 + up to 2 Dexterity + 2 shield), assuming proficiency and no other modifiers. Leather armor and a shield give AC 16 with Dexterity 16. Use the armor and equipment actually available to your character.
Clerics are proficient with light armor, medium armor, and shields. A domain can add proficiencies, but proficiency does not erase an armor’s Strength requirement. Nature, Tempest, and War are among the 2014 domains that grant heavy armor proficiency; choose the domain for its actual features and your deity or campaign, not because the Grung is supposedly unable to wear armor.
Choosing a 2014 Cleric domain
Nature: Choose it for a wilderness or guardian concept. It grants heavy armor proficiency and a druid cantrip, with later features for channeling nature and protecting nearby allies. Its 8th-level Divine Strike adds the domain’s specified extra damage to a weapon hit once on each of your turns; the feature does not add poison damage.
Light: This domain supports a radiant and fire-focused caster. Its features include Warding Flare and, at 6th level, Improved Flare. It does not grant a feature called Radiant Soul, which belongs to a different option.
Tempest: This is a sturdier storm-themed choice with heavy armor proficiency, Wrath of the Storm, and a Channel Divinity option for lightning or thunder damage. Those features do not improve Poisonous Skin.
All 2014 Clerics use Wisdom for Cleric spell attack rolls and save DCs, gain domain spells at the listed Cleric levels, and prepare Cleric spells after a long rest. Select your domain and spells using the 2014 class rules and the sources allowed by your DM.
Spells, feats, and action economy
Bless is a reliable concentration spell for supporting several allies. Healing word is a bonus-action option for an ally at range, while cure wounds requires touch. Spirit guardians requires concentration and calls for saves when creatures are affected; it is not automatic damage. Spiritual weapon deals force damage and does not require concentration under the 2014 rules, but casting it uses a bonus action and the spell has its own later bonus-action attacks. Those action costs compete with features such as War Priest.
War Caster can help with concentration and somatic components in its stated circumstances. Its opportunity-spell option only applies when a creature provokes an opportunity attack from you; the spell must have a casting time of 1 action and target only that creature. Do not assume that a leap creates an opportunity attack or that every touch spell qualifies.
Resilient (Constitution) is another concentration option if your Constitution score is odd. Feats are optional in the 2014 rules and require your DM’s campaign to use them.
Playing the character
Stay useful through Cleric spellcasting, positioning, and support. Save the skin-contact poison for situations where direct contact is plausible and the saving throw matters. Ask before assuming how clothing, gloves, armor, healing, or physical contact interact with the supplemental trait; do not invent a rule that makes healing allies dangerous. Describe the character’s habits and limits with your DM, especially the daily immersion requirement and the Grung culture your character actually comes from.
Grung lore and campaign access depend on the source and setting. A character who leaves a caste-based community, adopts a different faith, or interprets its traditions in a new way can create a strong roleplaying hook without changing any mechanics.
Official rules sources
- D&D Beyond species index: Grung from One Grung Above
- One Grung Above on the official D&D Beyond marketplace
- D&D Beyond Basic Rules (2014): Cleric class and domains
- D&D Beyond Basic Rules (2014): character creation and ability scores
- D&D Beyond Basic Rules (2014): movement, jumping, armor, and opportunity attacks
- D&D Beyond Basic Rules (2014): Cleric spells
