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[GUIDE] My Word Is My Sword: The Paladin Guide
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<blockquote data-quote="Gladius Legis" data-source="post: 6779081" data-attributes="member: 68748"><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>II. Basics of the Class</strong></span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Hit Die - d10</strong></span>: Only the Barbarian has it better than this. You’re on par with the Fighter and Ranger here, definitely suitable for being in the thick of a melee.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>Proficiencies</strong></span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Armor</strong></span>: All armor and shields is as good as it gets.</p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Weapons</strong></span>: All simple and martial weapons is as good as it gets.</p><p><span style="color: red"><strong>Tools</strong></span>: None. If you get any proficiencies here, they'll likely be from your background. Also, at least you can actually spend money and downtime to pick up proficiencies in this category.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Saving Throws</strong></span>: Every class gets one "common" save (DEX, CON, WIS) and one "uncommon" save (STR, INT, CHA). Yours are Wisdom and Charisma. Wisdom is the target for some of the nastiest mind-effecting conditions in the game, so to have proficiency here is both thematic and very good in practice. And while Charisma saves are very rare, they mostly deal with banishment effects, so it’s sure nice to have around when something’s trying to send you to another plane.</p><p></p><p><strong>Skills</strong>: Pick two from the following. (Your background will give you more skill proficiencies, which are not restricted to this list. Your race may also give you more chances to pick skill proficiencies, again not limited to this list.)</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Athletics (STR)</strong></span>: Mandatory if you’re a <span style="color: goldenrod"><strong>STR-attacker</strong></span>. Helps you climb, jump, and swim. More importantly, it can help you break out of grapples and resist shoves. And grappling and shoving become viable combat options for you. Shoving is especially important for any Paladin taking either Oath of Conquest or the Shield Master feat. <strong>DEX-attackers</strong> will favor Acrobatics, though this skill still isn't bad for them.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: blue"><strong>Insight (WIS)</strong></span>: Good for countering against lies and attempts to deceive you, so it’s a fairly important skill. Taking proficiency in this helps make up for a likely average WIS.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: blue"><strong>Intimidation (CHA)</strong></span>: One of the social skills you're bound to be good at with a high CHA. Whether you pick proficiency in this or Persuasion will largely depend on personality; if you want to be a mean Paladin, take this.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Medicine (WIS)</strong></span>: Bleh. Your WIS will probably be average, and besides that, you throw around enough healing magic in various forms to where the need to mundanely stabilize someone or diagnose a disease are rare.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Persuasion (CHA)</strong></span>: Another social skill, and while YMMV, probably comes up in more crucial gatherings, if not more often than Intimidation in a lot of cases. In any case, a prime pick.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: red"><strong>Religion (INT)</strong></span>: Uses the attribute that is very likely to be your dump stat, and even if it didn’t, it’s not exactly a useful skill to begin with. Do not waste your proficiency on this.</li> </ul><p></p><p><em>Non-class skills: </em>You can’t get these with your class options, but you might get these from your background or race:</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: goldenrod"><strong>Perception (WIS)</strong></span>: If you can get proficiency in this all-important skill somehow, do so. Group Perception checks are common when spotting enemies trying to ambush you, and you don’t want to be a liability.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Stealth (DEX)</strong></span>: If you choose to attack using DEX instead of STR (a viable option for a Paladin this time around), you just might want proficiency here. Assassin allies will thank you for it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Acrobatics (DEX)</strong></span>: The DEX option for escaping from grapples and resisting shoves (but NOT for grappling or shoving yourself), and thus mandatory for <span style="color: goldenrod"><strong>DEX-Paladins</strong></span>. It can also do things like help you stay on your feet or on a tightrope. Not quite as important for <strong>STR-Paladins</strong>.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: blue"><strong>Survival (WIS</strong>)</span>: An all-around useful skill in the exploration tier when stuck in the wilderness.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: blue"><strong>Deception (CHA)</strong></span>: You’ll certainly be good at it, and it can be useful if you need to work undercover, stay in disguise, and so forth. Out of character for Oath of Devotion, but others can appreciate it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Animal Handling (WIS)</strong>: You might consider this one if you plan on being mounted a lot.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Sleight of Hand (DEX)</strong>: Shouldn’t be a priority, but not really a waste either if you get it from a background. Can come in handy.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Performance (CHA)</strong></span>: Can be a solid source of income during downtime, if nothing else. Definitely not a priority, though.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Investigation (INT)</strong></span>: The only remotely useful INT skill, but not good enough to want to invest in that attribute.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: red"><strong>Arcana/History/Nature (INT)</strong></span>: Like Religion, you won’t be any good at these, so don’t bother.</li> </ul><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>Attributes</strong></span></p><p></p><p>In general, if you play a game that uses point buy, you'll definitely want to buy an array that starts with two 15s to put in your attack stat and Charisma. (e.g. 15, 15, 13, 10, 10, 8). Depending on your race and the attribute bonuses you get from your race, you might make a fine adjustment to 15, 14, 14, etc., or whatever.</p><p></p><p>The attributes in order of how you'll want to prioritize them:</p><p></p><p></p><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><span style="color: goldenrod"><strong>Strength OR Dexterity</strong></span>: Your attack attribute. You are a weapon-based combatant, first and foremost. You want to start at least a 16 after racial bonuses if at all possible, and you want to get it to the maximum 20 ASAP. (And yes, indeed, Paladins who attack with DEX using a finesse weapon are completely viable in this edition; they lose nothing out of their class features from doing so and carry with them their own advantages such as a higher Initiative, cheaper armor, a saving throw that is tested far moreso than Strength is, the ability to go stealthy, and better ranged weapon options.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Charisma</strong></span>: Every Paladin needs this. CHA does many things for this class. Arguably the most significant is the bonus to all of your saves (and nearby allies' saves) that gets applied starting at 6th level with Aura of Protection. Also of importance, your spell and Channel Divinity DC are based on CHA. And finally, it determines the amount of times per day you can use Divine Sense and, later, Cleansing Touch. Start this at 16 after racial bonuses if at all possible. Topping this out at 20 eventually (but only after Strength/Dexterity) should be a goal, but stopping at 18 in favor of a feat is acceptable for most. However, certain Oaths (<span style="color: goldenrod"><strong>Conquest and Redemption</strong></span>, in particular) might, in fact, want to prioritize this just as much or even more than their attack stat, since their playstyles rely even more heavily on their CHA-based abilities than others. A highly feat-intensive damage-focused build (e.g. Vengeance Polearm Master/Great Weapon Master/Sentinel) can justify leaving CHA at 16, but that’s about it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><span style="color: blue"><strong>Constitution</strong></span>: Should definitely be your third-highest stat. More hit points is always good, for one. Constitution is also an attribute that, like Wisdom, gets targeted often and by some of the nastiest effects in the game. And finally, if you plan on casting Concentration spells in the middle of combat, you want a decent score here to maintain them when taking damage. You'll want this around 14-16 for most of your career; if you're playing in a game where feats aren't an option, definitely put any ability score increases after maxing out your attack stat and Charisma here.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>Wisdom</strong>: A stat you can be content to leave in the 10-12 range. It helps that the Paladin is proficient in Wisdom saves. Boost Charisma instead and let Aura of Protection take care of the rest. You do NOT want a penalty here, though; aside from it being a major save attribute, some very good skills are attached to this attribute.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>Dexterity OR </strong><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Strength</strong></span>: Basically, whichever of the two you didn't take as your attack stat. You do NOT want a penalty in Dexterity if you’re attacking with Strength, however, since you don't want a penalty to initiative and to its oft-tested saving throw. Put a 10 there and be done with it. On the other hand, if you’re attacking with Dexterity, Strength is actually a viable dump stat IF you don’t plan to multiclass. (If you DO plan to multiclass, you’ll need STR 13 to qualify.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><span style="color: red"><strong>Intelligence</strong></span>: The "Paladunce" is alive and well. And for good reason, as INT is the least-tested saving throw, even less so than STR and CHA, is attached to skills you will likely never use, and helps none of your class features. Dump it. Hard.</li> </ol><p></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 12px">Most common weapon setups</span></strong></p><p></p><p>Since you’re primarily a combat-focused class that will use your Attack action most rounds, which weapon setup you want to use (sword-and-board, great weapon, etc.) will be one of your big early decisions. It affects what Fighting Style you’re going to take, what feats you’ll select, your battle strategy, and so forth.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>One-handed + shield (a.k.a. Sword-and-Board)</strong></span>: This is the supremely reliable, can’t-go-wrong setup for any Paladin. It works wonders for STR- and DEX-based Paladins alike. The +2 AC from a shield is always welcome, and most Paladins won’t even give up all that much offense vs. using a great weapon, since the class’ greatest damage boosts (e.g. Divine Smite, Improved Divine Smite, smite spells, <em>Divine Favor</em>, <em>Crusader’s Mantle</em>, Oathbreaker’s Aura of Hate, etc.) add the same amount of damage regardless of the weapon you’re using. It’s versatile, too, being compatible with two Fighting Styles (Dueling, Protection). An Athletics-proficient STR-Paladin can also just drop the shield and grapple if it feels the need to in any given fight.</p><p></p><p><strong>Great weapon</strong>: Remember that most of the Paladin’s damage boosts are independent of the weapon you’re using, which means this setup takes A LOT of work if you’re going to make it worth picking over sword-and-board and forgoing the +2 AC. If <span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>your DM ignores Sage Advice</strong></span> for Great Weapon Fighting Style and applies it to Divine Smite, Improved Divine Smite, etc., then this does become more worthwhile. The chief damage boost from the great weapon, however, comes with the Great Weapon Master feat with its -5 hit/+10 damage trade, but to make that work for you, you DEFINITELY need some source of attack roll boosts, and preferably ways to get additional attacks, too. At the VERY least, you’d want to cast <em>Bless</em> before using the hit/damage trade. <span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Devotion</strong></span> with CHA 18 or higher goes one better with Sacred Weapon. <span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Vengeance</strong></span> with Vow of Enmity is better still, and at higher levels even better again with additional attacks from <em>Haste</em> and Soul of Vengeance. <span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Party makeup</strong></span> is also a factor; again, this is more effective if your party is good at creating advantage for you.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Dual-wielding</strong></span>: Even despite the lack of in-class access to Two-Weapon Fighting Style, dual-wielding is surprisingly good for Paladins; in fact, the Paladin is arguably the only class other than the Rogue for whom dual-wielding is worth it higher than Lv. 10. True, your base-line DPR won’t be all that much better (in some cases not at all), than one-handed + shield with Dueling Style, but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is that an off-hand attack gives you another chance every round to hit (and more importantly crit) and apply Divine Smite. Your off-hand attack also benefits from Improved Divine Smite from Lv. 11 on, which mostly makes up for not having the TWF style in-class. Damage-buff spells like <em>Divine Favor</em> and <em>Crusader’s Mantle</em> also apply to your off-hand. Of the Oaths, Vengeance makes the best use of dual-wielding, since getting advantage so easily also effectively doubles your chance to crit on that additional attack. Oathbreakers can also do especially well dual-wielding, since they add Aura of Hate damage to their off-hand, too.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Polearm</strong></span>: You DEFINITELY want the Polearm Master feat if you’re going to use this weapon; don’t bother <span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>otherwise</strong></span>. If you can squeeze in Great Weapon Master and/or Sentinel, it gets even better. With Polearm Master, this makes for what is essentially a better version of dual-wielding, with reach, that adds STR-modifier damage to the butt-end bonus-action attack and is fully compatible with the GWM hit/damage trade. This is an especially strong pick for Vengeance and Conquest Paladins. For Vengeance, specifically, a build that takes Polearm Master, GWM AND Sentinel is probably the ONLY Paladin build worth keeping Charisma at 16 for.</p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>Backgrounds</strong></span></p><p></p><p>You can customize your background with help from your DM, but here are the "official" backgrounds.</p><p></p><p>Also keep in mind that if a background gives you a skill you already had from your class or race, you get to pick any other skill to replace it (including a non-class skill). This is a good way to pick up something like Perception, Acrobatics or Stealth.</p><p></p><p>[spoiler=PHB backgrounds]</p><p><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Acolyte</strong></span>: Thematically appropriate, for sure, but mechanically it leaves a lot to be desired. Insight is good; Religion, not so much. No tools proficiency, either; tools are generally a better proficiency to begin with than languages (although you can learn both anyway through downtime and money). At least the free healing and care from temples of your religion is nice?</p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Charlatan</strong></span>: Interesting dissonance in theme versus the typical Paladin, to say the least, but actually pretty solid for a DEX-Paladin. Deception’s good, Sleight of Hand is OK. Also nice tool proficiencies in disguise kit and forgery kit, and False Identity is a feature that can come in handy.</p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Criminal/Spy</strong></span>: Another dissonant theme (maybe less so if you say you're a Spy), but damn, it's a great pick for DEX-Paladins, especially if you want to go Stealth. You'll make great use of Deception as well, and proficiency in thieves' tools is icing on the cake. Having contacts is pretty nifty, too.</p><p><strong>Entertainer/Gladiator</strong>: You'll certainly put Performance to good use, and if you're a DEX-Paladin, Acrobatics as well. Other than that, pretty average.</p><p><strong>Folk Hero</strong>: Pretty average as well. Animal Handling is OK and Survival is solid, though.</p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Guild Artisan/Guild Merchant</strong></span>: Good skill proficiencies in Insight and Persuasion, with a set of artisan's tools (or navigator's if Merchant) as a proficiency. And guild membership's benefits are pretty nice.</p><p><span style="color: red"><strong>Hermit</strong></span>: Nope. One marginal at best skill and another that's completely worthless to you.</p><p><strong>Noble/Knight</strong>: Very thematically appropriate, but a mixed bag mechanically. Persuasion is awesome, but History is worthless. Position of Privilege or (if a Knight) Retainers are both nice features, though.</p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Outlander</strong></span>: Athletics is great, Survival is good, and the Wanderer feature's exploration benefits and free food and fresh water make for a solid background.</p><p><span style="color: red"><strong>Sage</strong></span>: Worthless skills, and the feature isn't something a Paladin is likely to use either. Avoid.</p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Sailor/Pirate</strong></span>: Two winning skills in Athletics and Perception. Good tools proficiencies in navigator's tools and water vehicles, and both Ship's Passage and the Pirate's Bad Reputation certainly have their uses. A top background choice, for sure. (Pirate’s got some interesting dissonance, though.)</p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Soldier</strong></span>: Two skills right up a Paladin's alley in Athletics and Intimidation, land vehicles profieicncy and the potentially wonderful campaign benefits of Military Rank. Can't ask for much better than that. Thematically perfect for a classic Paladin, too.</p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Urchin</strong></span>: Much like Criminal/Spy, great for DEX-Paladins who want to go Stealth. You get Sleight of Hand, too, and also thieves' tools and disguise kit proficiencies. And City Secrets is great for navigation in urban areas.[/spoiler]</p><p></p><p></p><p>[spoiler=SCAG backgrounds]</p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>City Watch</strong></span>: Two worthy skills in Athletics and Insight, and a solid urban benefit in Watcher’s Eye. Plus thematically appropriate for Oath of the Crown, in particular. The <span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Investigator</strong></span> variant isn’t your thing, though, since it replaces Athletics with an INT-based skill.</p><p><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Clan Crafter</strong></span>: The main draws are artisan tool proficiency and you have good relations with Dwarves. History as a skill is a waste for you, though.</p><p><span style="color: red"><strong>Cloistered Scholar</strong></span>: Ah, no.</p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Courtier</strong></span>: Two good skills in Insight and Persuasion, two languages and a useful feature when dealing with nobility and government. Thematically appropriate for many Paladins, too.</p><p><strong>Faction Agent</strong>: Always gets Insight as a skill, which is solid. However, most of the Forgotten Realms factions listed have their second skill as an INT-based knowledge skill, which isn’t so good. Safe Haven is a strong feature, though, considering the power these factions tend to have in the world. Zhentarim has Deception instead of a knowledge skill, which might be handy for a Paladin Oath that doesn’t necessarily object to using that skill.</p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Far Traveler</strong></span>: Perception is king, of course, and Insight is good, too. All Eyes on You can be beneficial in diplomatic settings, as well.</p><p><strong>Inheritor</strong>: Survival is nice, but the INT-based knowledge skill not so much. The Inheritance feature can make for a neat story … or a powerful magic item down the line.</p><p><strong>Knight of the Order</strong>: Similar to Faction Agent, except your universal skill is Persuasion, a staple for your class. Knowledge skill, again, isn’t the best, though Knightly Regard is strong as reflects the general power knightly orders have in the Realms.</p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Mercenary Veteran</strong></span>: Two very good Paladin skills in Athletics and Persuasion, and Mercenary Life lets you maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Solid choice.</p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Urban Bounty Hunter</strong></span>: You actually get to pick two from a list of four very good skills: Deception, Insight, Persuasion and Stealth. This background can thus fit a diverse set of Paladin builds very well. You can also get Thieves’ Tools proficiency, which is great. And Ear to the Ground lets you have contact with a variety of urban types, both high and low class.</p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Uthgardt Tribe Member</strong></span>: A bit out of character for a lot of Paladins, but there’s no denying the worthiness of the skills (Athletics, Survival), the enhanced survival benefits of Uthgardt Heritage and being allied with druids circles, Harpers, and the like.</p><p><strong>Waterdhavian Noble</strong>: One good skill (Persuasion), one not so good (History). Besides that, you’re pretty much guaranteed to live comfortably. Eh.</p><p>[/spoiler]</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>Class Features</strong></span></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Lv. 1</strong></em></p><p></p><p><strong>Divine Sense</strong>: No longer the always-on evil radar that it was in editions past, you now have to be judicious about when to use this with its limited uses per day. The range is very limited on it, too (just 60 feet). It's probably most likely to be used in situations when you might suspect something is a fiend in disguise.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Lay on Hands</strong></span>: The classical Paladin healing ability, and this time around its versatility is greatly increased. Its raw healing numbers, which scale well with level, are solid for a power supplemental to your (or the Cleric's or Bard's) healing spells, but better still is the ability to neutralize poison and cure diseases with your touch (costing 5 HPs from the pool).</p><p></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Lv. 2</strong></em></p><p></p><p><strong>Fighting Style</strong>: Choose one among the following.</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Defense</strong>: Nothing wrong with it, per se, but an offensive style should be a higher priority. That said, this does make a fine <span style="color: blue"><strong>second style</strong></span> if you get one from, say, a Fighter multiclass. It’s also pretty much your default choice if you want to dual-wield, since you don’t get in-class access to Two-Weapon Fighting Style.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Dueling</strong></span>: Don’t scoff at a flat +2 damage per hit. At early levels that amounts to well more than a 20% increase in damage done. That proportion decreases somewhat at higher levels, but it’s always going to be a noticeable boost to your offense with a one-handed weapon. Note that you CAN use a shield with this style (just not a second weapon).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Great Weapon Fighting</strong>: If your DM is going by the Sage Advice that says your damage rerolls of 1s and 2s are limited to just the weapon damage, then this style is merely average, though probably still your go-to if using a two-hander (since some damage boost is better than none). If your DM <span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>sticks to the book RAW</strong></span> here, and thus makes it apply to things like Divine Smite, Improved Divine Smite, and some of the Paladin’s damage buff spells, then the value of this jumps exponentially.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Protection</strong>: Again, I prefer offense, but this shield-exclusive style is good at what it does. With this, you’ll want to finish your movement for the round next to someone under duress when you need to protect them. Does lose its value if you plan to get <span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>other defender-style reactions</strong></span> like from the Sentinel feat or Oath of the Crown.</li> </ul><p></p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Spellcasting</strong></span>: Despite being only a half-caster, the Paladin’s spellcasting ability — which comes online earlier than ever before — is quite potent and is where much of the class’ power lies. And as far as spellcasting mechanics go, Paladins have it pretty damn good. They get immediate access to their class’ entire spell list as they hit the levels for new spells, and they prepare their spells (rather than learn a limited repertoire), giving them amazing day-to-day versatility. They use a holy symbol as their standard material component/focus, which is about the best type there is since it can either be worn as an amulet or embossed on their shield. Their spell list is pretty solid, too, full of some of the most staple combat buffs, quality healing spells and bonus-action smite spells that make them do a burst of extra damage and often a harsh status effect on a following weapon hit.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Divine Smite</strong></span>: The cornerstone of your burst damage ability. This one can especially become devastating on a critical hit, in which case the damage dice from this are doubled. (Incredible especially if you're attacking something under, say, a <em>Hold Person/Monster</em> spell!) Another key thing to remember about this is that it uses no action whatsoever, which means you can use it multiple times per round if you have additional attacks, can use it on the same turn you cast a bonus action spell (including stacking this on top of a smite spell!), and can use it on reaction attacks (making your Opportunity Attacks or attacks from the Sentinel feat especially threatening!). <strong>NOTE:</strong> The 5d8 cap means the maximum damage from this uses a 4th-level spell slot, so you get no benefit from blowing a 5th-level slot. This may need to be errata-ed to a 6d8 cap.</p><p></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Lv. 3</strong></em></p><p></p><p><strong>Oaths</strong> will be described under their own section.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Divine Health</strong></span>: Immunity to diseases, straight up. Certainly nice when it comes up.</p><p></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Lv. 4 (8, 12, 16, 19)</strong></em></p><p></p><p><strong>Ability Score Improvements</strong>: You get the standard 5 that everyone else who isn't the Fighter or Rogue gets. Because you want both a high physical attack stat (STR or DEX) and a high CHA, you're only going to have room for one or two feats if your game includes them.</p><p></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Lv. 5</strong></em></p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Extra Attack</strong></span>: Obviously great; at this level it literally doubles the power of your Attack action. Like every other major weapon-using class that isn't the Fighter, this caps at two attacks.</p><p></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Lv. 6</strong></em></p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Aura of Protection</strong></span>: Arguably the signature of the Paladin class, where you add your CHA modifier to all of your saving throws. And if allies are within 10 feet, they get that benefit, too. For you, this typically means a strong WIS save between proficiency there and letting CHA do the rest. Also, with a CON around a +2 or +3 modifier, add this on top of it and your CON saves will be at least passable for a few levels despite lack of proficiency; very important if you want to maintain Concentration spells. If you do somehow get CON save proficiency (such as from taking the Resilient feat), this feature can help push most of your Concentration checks into auto-save territory, which is a godsend.</p><p></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Lv. 10</strong></em></p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Aura of Courage</strong></span>: Frightened can be quite nasty for a melee combatant, which you are, because it not only invokes disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks, but it also prevents you from moving towards the source of the frightening. And more than a few of the more formidable entries in the Monster Manual have some sort of frightening effect. So, yes, being flat immune to this condition is a pretty big deal, and it's also nice that you get to extend it to your allies.</p><p></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Lv. 11</strong></em></p><p></p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Improved Divine Smite</strong></span>: A constant +1d8 extra radiant damage on all attacks with melee weapons (and note that unlike with Divine Smite, this DOES work with thrown melee weapons, a la javelins). This is your second-half boost to baseline damage, not as much as what a Fighter’s third attack is capable of, but still quite welcome to have around. And it does have its own advantages, namely applying to ALL attacks, including off-hand attacks (making dual-wielding quite viable), Polearm Master bonus attack, Sentinel’s attacks, Opportunity Attacks, Hasted attack, etc., making those more threatening in your hands than the Fighter’s. Having a constant source of radiant damage from this also makes fights easier against certain undead with powerful features that are shut down by radiant damage.</p><p></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Lv. 14</strong></em></p><p></p><p><strong>Cleansing Touch</strong>: Negate a hostile spell on yourself or an ally with your action, with CHA-mod uses per day. Pretty neat ability, if not quite a flat-out gamechanger.</p><p></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Lv. 18</strong></em></p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Aura Improvements</strong></span>: All those lovely Auras you get (Protection, Courage, anything from your Oath) expand from 10 feet to 30 feet. Whereas before it was pretty situational that your allies got your Auras' benefits, now it's practically a sure thing.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Gladius Legis, post: 6779081, member: 68748"] [SIZE=5][B]II. Basics of the Class[/B][/SIZE] [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Hit Die - d10[/B][/COLOR]: Only the Barbarian has it better than this. You’re on par with the Fighter and Ranger here, definitely suitable for being in the thick of a melee. [SIZE=3][B]Proficiencies[/B][/SIZE] [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Armor[/B][/COLOR]: All armor and shields is as good as it gets. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Weapons[/B][/COLOR]: All simple and martial weapons is as good as it gets. [COLOR=red][B]Tools[/B][/COLOR]: None. If you get any proficiencies here, they'll likely be from your background. Also, at least you can actually spend money and downtime to pick up proficiencies in this category. [COLOR=blue][B]Saving Throws[/B][/COLOR]: Every class gets one "common" save (DEX, CON, WIS) and one "uncommon" save (STR, INT, CHA). Yours are Wisdom and Charisma. Wisdom is the target for some of the nastiest mind-effecting conditions in the game, so to have proficiency here is both thematic and very good in practice. And while Charisma saves are very rare, they mostly deal with banishment effects, so it’s sure nice to have around when something’s trying to send you to another plane. [B]Skills[/B]: Pick two from the following. (Your background will give you more skill proficiencies, which are not restricted to this list. Your race may also give you more chances to pick skill proficiencies, again not limited to this list.) [LIST] [*][COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Athletics (STR)[/B][/COLOR]: Mandatory if you’re a [COLOR=goldenrod][B]STR-attacker[/B][/COLOR]. Helps you climb, jump, and swim. More importantly, it can help you break out of grapples and resist shoves. And grappling and shoving become viable combat options for you. Shoving is especially important for any Paladin taking either Oath of Conquest or the Shield Master feat. [B]DEX-attackers[/B] will favor Acrobatics, though this skill still isn't bad for them. [*][COLOR=blue][B]Insight (WIS)[/B][/COLOR]: Good for countering against lies and attempts to deceive you, so it’s a fairly important skill. Taking proficiency in this helps make up for a likely average WIS. [*][COLOR=blue][B]Intimidation (CHA)[/B][/COLOR]: One of the social skills you're bound to be good at with a high CHA. Whether you pick proficiency in this or Persuasion will largely depend on personality; if you want to be a mean Paladin, take this. [*][COLOR=darkviolet][B]Medicine (WIS)[/B][/COLOR]: Bleh. Your WIS will probably be average, and besides that, you throw around enough healing magic in various forms to where the need to mundanely stabilize someone or diagnose a disease are rare. [*][COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Persuasion (CHA)[/B][/COLOR]: Another social skill, and while YMMV, probably comes up in more crucial gatherings, if not more often than Intimidation in a lot of cases. In any case, a prime pick. [*][COLOR=red][B]Religion (INT)[/B][/COLOR]: Uses the attribute that is very likely to be your dump stat, and even if it didn’t, it’s not exactly a useful skill to begin with. Do not waste your proficiency on this. [/LIST] [I]Non-class skills: [/I]You can’t get these with your class options, but you might get these from your background or race: [LIST] [*][COLOR=goldenrod][B]Perception (WIS)[/B][/COLOR]: If you can get proficiency in this all-important skill somehow, do so. Group Perception checks are common when spotting enemies trying to ambush you, and you don’t want to be a liability. [*][COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Stealth (DEX)[/B][/COLOR]: If you choose to attack using DEX instead of STR (a viable option for a Paladin this time around), you just might want proficiency here. Assassin allies will thank you for it. [*][COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Acrobatics (DEX)[/B][/COLOR]: The DEX option for escaping from grapples and resisting shoves (but NOT for grappling or shoving yourself), and thus mandatory for [COLOR=goldenrod][B]DEX-Paladins[/B][/COLOR]. It can also do things like help you stay on your feet or on a tightrope. Not quite as important for [B]STR-Paladins[/B]. [*][COLOR=blue][B]Survival (WIS[/B])[/COLOR]: An all-around useful skill in the exploration tier when stuck in the wilderness. [*][COLOR=blue][B]Deception (CHA)[/B][/COLOR]: You’ll certainly be good at it, and it can be useful if you need to work undercover, stay in disguise, and so forth. Out of character for Oath of Devotion, but others can appreciate it. [*][B]Animal Handling (WIS)[/B]: You might consider this one if you plan on being mounted a lot. [*][B]Sleight of Hand (DEX)[/B]: Shouldn’t be a priority, but not really a waste either if you get it from a background. Can come in handy. [*][COLOR=darkviolet][B]Performance (CHA)[/B][/COLOR]: Can be a solid source of income during downtime, if nothing else. Definitely not a priority, though. [*][COLOR=darkviolet][B]Investigation (INT)[/B][/COLOR]: The only remotely useful INT skill, but not good enough to want to invest in that attribute. [*][COLOR=red][B]Arcana/History/Nature (INT)[/B][/COLOR]: Like Religion, you won’t be any good at these, so don’t bother. [/LIST] [SIZE=3][B]Attributes[/B][/SIZE] In general, if you play a game that uses point buy, you'll definitely want to buy an array that starts with two 15s to put in your attack stat and Charisma. (e.g. 15, 15, 13, 10, 10, 8). Depending on your race and the attribute bonuses you get from your race, you might make a fine adjustment to 15, 14, 14, etc., or whatever. The attributes in order of how you'll want to prioritize them: [LIST=1] [*][COLOR=goldenrod][B]Strength OR Dexterity[/B][/COLOR]: Your attack attribute. You are a weapon-based combatant, first and foremost. You want to start at least a 16 after racial bonuses if at all possible, and you want to get it to the maximum 20 ASAP. (And yes, indeed, Paladins who attack with DEX using a finesse weapon are completely viable in this edition; they lose nothing out of their class features from doing so and carry with them their own advantages such as a higher Initiative, cheaper armor, a saving throw that is tested far moreso than Strength is, the ability to go stealthy, and better ranged weapon options.) [*][COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Charisma[/B][/COLOR]: Every Paladin needs this. CHA does many things for this class. Arguably the most significant is the bonus to all of your saves (and nearby allies' saves) that gets applied starting at 6th level with Aura of Protection. Also of importance, your spell and Channel Divinity DC are based on CHA. And finally, it determines the amount of times per day you can use Divine Sense and, later, Cleansing Touch. Start this at 16 after racial bonuses if at all possible. Topping this out at 20 eventually (but only after Strength/Dexterity) should be a goal, but stopping at 18 in favor of a feat is acceptable for most. However, certain Oaths ([COLOR=goldenrod][B]Conquest and Redemption[/B][/COLOR], in particular) might, in fact, want to prioritize this just as much or even more than their attack stat, since their playstyles rely even more heavily on their CHA-based abilities than others. A highly feat-intensive damage-focused build (e.g. Vengeance Polearm Master/Great Weapon Master/Sentinel) can justify leaving CHA at 16, but that’s about it. [*][COLOR=blue][B]Constitution[/B][/COLOR]: Should definitely be your third-highest stat. More hit points is always good, for one. Constitution is also an attribute that, like Wisdom, gets targeted often and by some of the nastiest effects in the game. And finally, if you plan on casting Concentration spells in the middle of combat, you want a decent score here to maintain them when taking damage. You'll want this around 14-16 for most of your career; if you're playing in a game where feats aren't an option, definitely put any ability score increases after maxing out your attack stat and Charisma here. [*][B]Wisdom[/B]: A stat you can be content to leave in the 10-12 range. It helps that the Paladin is proficient in Wisdom saves. Boost Charisma instead and let Aura of Protection take care of the rest. You do NOT want a penalty here, though; aside from it being a major save attribute, some very good skills are attached to this attribute. [*][B]Dexterity OR [/B][COLOR=darkviolet][B]Strength[/B][/COLOR]: Basically, whichever of the two you didn't take as your attack stat. You do NOT want a penalty in Dexterity if you’re attacking with Strength, however, since you don't want a penalty to initiative and to its oft-tested saving throw. Put a 10 there and be done with it. On the other hand, if you’re attacking with Dexterity, Strength is actually a viable dump stat IF you don’t plan to multiclass. (If you DO plan to multiclass, you’ll need STR 13 to qualify.) [*][COLOR=red][B]Intelligence[/B][/COLOR]: The "Paladunce" is alive and well. And for good reason, as INT is the least-tested saving throw, even less so than STR and CHA, is attached to skills you will likely never use, and helps none of your class features. Dump it. Hard. [/LIST] [B][SIZE=3]Most common weapon setups[/SIZE][/B] Since you’re primarily a combat-focused class that will use your Attack action most rounds, which weapon setup you want to use (sword-and-board, great weapon, etc.) will be one of your big early decisions. It affects what Fighting Style you’re going to take, what feats you’ll select, your battle strategy, and so forth. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]One-handed + shield (a.k.a. Sword-and-Board)[/B][/COLOR]: This is the supremely reliable, can’t-go-wrong setup for any Paladin. It works wonders for STR- and DEX-based Paladins alike. The +2 AC from a shield is always welcome, and most Paladins won’t even give up all that much offense vs. using a great weapon, since the class’ greatest damage boosts (e.g. Divine Smite, Improved Divine Smite, smite spells, [I]Divine Favor[/I], [I]Crusader’s Mantle[/I], Oathbreaker’s Aura of Hate, etc.) add the same amount of damage regardless of the weapon you’re using. It’s versatile, too, being compatible with two Fighting Styles (Dueling, Protection). An Athletics-proficient STR-Paladin can also just drop the shield and grapple if it feels the need to in any given fight. [B]Great weapon[/B]: Remember that most of the Paladin’s damage boosts are independent of the weapon you’re using, which means this setup takes A LOT of work if you’re going to make it worth picking over sword-and-board and forgoing the +2 AC. If [COLOR=#0000ff][B]your DM ignores Sage Advice[/B][/COLOR] for Great Weapon Fighting Style and applies it to Divine Smite, Improved Divine Smite, etc., then this does become more worthwhile. The chief damage boost from the great weapon, however, comes with the Great Weapon Master feat with its -5 hit/+10 damage trade, but to make that work for you, you DEFINITELY need some source of attack roll boosts, and preferably ways to get additional attacks, too. At the VERY least, you’d want to cast [I]Bless[/I] before using the hit/damage trade. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Devotion[/B][/COLOR] with CHA 18 or higher goes one better with Sacred Weapon. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Vengeance[/B][/COLOR] with Vow of Enmity is better still, and at higher levels even better again with additional attacks from [I]Haste[/I] and Soul of Vengeance. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Party makeup[/B][/COLOR] is also a factor; again, this is more effective if your party is good at creating advantage for you. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Dual-wielding[/B][/COLOR]: Even despite the lack of in-class access to Two-Weapon Fighting Style, dual-wielding is surprisingly good for Paladins; in fact, the Paladin is arguably the only class other than the Rogue for whom dual-wielding is worth it higher than Lv. 10. True, your base-line DPR won’t be all that much better (in some cases not at all), than one-handed + shield with Dueling Style, but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is that an off-hand attack gives you another chance every round to hit (and more importantly crit) and apply Divine Smite. Your off-hand attack also benefits from Improved Divine Smite from Lv. 11 on, which mostly makes up for not having the TWF style in-class. Damage-buff spells like [I]Divine Favor[/I] and [I]Crusader’s Mantle[/I] also apply to your off-hand. Of the Oaths, Vengeance makes the best use of dual-wielding, since getting advantage so easily also effectively doubles your chance to crit on that additional attack. Oathbreakers can also do especially well dual-wielding, since they add Aura of Hate damage to their off-hand, too. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Polearm[/B][/COLOR]: You DEFINITELY want the Polearm Master feat if you’re going to use this weapon; don’t bother [COLOR=#ff0000][B]otherwise[/B][/COLOR]. If you can squeeze in Great Weapon Master and/or Sentinel, it gets even better. With Polearm Master, this makes for what is essentially a better version of dual-wielding, with reach, that adds STR-modifier damage to the butt-end bonus-action attack and is fully compatible with the GWM hit/damage trade. This is an especially strong pick for Vengeance and Conquest Paladins. For Vengeance, specifically, a build that takes Polearm Master, GWM AND Sentinel is probably the ONLY Paladin build worth keeping Charisma at 16 for. [SIZE=3][B]Backgrounds[/B][/SIZE] You can customize your background with help from your DM, but here are the "official" backgrounds. Also keep in mind that if a background gives you a skill you already had from your class or race, you get to pick any other skill to replace it (including a non-class skill). This is a good way to pick up something like Perception, Acrobatics or Stealth. [spoiler=PHB backgrounds] [COLOR=darkviolet][B]Acolyte[/B][/COLOR]: Thematically appropriate, for sure, but mechanically it leaves a lot to be desired. Insight is good; Religion, not so much. No tools proficiency, either; tools are generally a better proficiency to begin with than languages (although you can learn both anyway through downtime and money). At least the free healing and care from temples of your religion is nice? [COLOR=blue][B]Charlatan[/B][/COLOR]: Interesting dissonance in theme versus the typical Paladin, to say the least, but actually pretty solid for a DEX-Paladin. Deception’s good, Sleight of Hand is OK. Also nice tool proficiencies in disguise kit and forgery kit, and False Identity is a feature that can come in handy. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Criminal/Spy[/B][/COLOR]: Another dissonant theme (maybe less so if you say you're a Spy), but damn, it's a great pick for DEX-Paladins, especially if you want to go Stealth. You'll make great use of Deception as well, and proficiency in thieves' tools is icing on the cake. Having contacts is pretty nifty, too. [B]Entertainer/Gladiator[/B]: You'll certainly put Performance to good use, and if you're a DEX-Paladin, Acrobatics as well. Other than that, pretty average. [B]Folk Hero[/B]: Pretty average as well. Animal Handling is OK and Survival is solid, though. [COLOR=blue][B]Guild Artisan/Guild Merchant[/B][/COLOR]: Good skill proficiencies in Insight and Persuasion, with a set of artisan's tools (or navigator's if Merchant) as a proficiency. And guild membership's benefits are pretty nice. [COLOR=red][B]Hermit[/B][/COLOR]: Nope. One marginal at best skill and another that's completely worthless to you. [B]Noble/Knight[/B]: Very thematically appropriate, but a mixed bag mechanically. Persuasion is awesome, but History is worthless. Position of Privilege or (if a Knight) Retainers are both nice features, though. [COLOR=blue][B]Outlander[/B][/COLOR]: Athletics is great, Survival is good, and the Wanderer feature's exploration benefits and free food and fresh water make for a solid background. [COLOR=red][B]Sage[/B][/COLOR]: Worthless skills, and the feature isn't something a Paladin is likely to use either. Avoid. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Sailor/Pirate[/B][/COLOR]: Two winning skills in Athletics and Perception. Good tools proficiencies in navigator's tools and water vehicles, and both Ship's Passage and the Pirate's Bad Reputation certainly have their uses. A top background choice, for sure. (Pirate’s got some interesting dissonance, though.) [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Soldier[/B][/COLOR]: Two skills right up a Paladin's alley in Athletics and Intimidation, land vehicles profieicncy and the potentially wonderful campaign benefits of Military Rank. Can't ask for much better than that. Thematically perfect for a classic Paladin, too. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Urchin[/B][/COLOR]: Much like Criminal/Spy, great for DEX-Paladins who want to go Stealth. You get Sleight of Hand, too, and also thieves' tools and disguise kit proficiencies. And City Secrets is great for navigation in urban areas.[/spoiler] [spoiler=SCAG backgrounds] [COLOR=blue][B]City Watch[/B][/COLOR]: Two worthy skills in Athletics and Insight, and a solid urban benefit in Watcher’s Eye. Plus thematically appropriate for Oath of the Crown, in particular. The [COLOR=darkviolet][B]Investigator[/B][/COLOR] variant isn’t your thing, though, since it replaces Athletics with an INT-based skill. [COLOR=darkviolet][B]Clan Crafter[/B][/COLOR]: The main draws are artisan tool proficiency and you have good relations with Dwarves. History as a skill is a waste for you, though. [COLOR=red][B]Cloistered Scholar[/B][/COLOR]: Ah, no. [COLOR=blue][B]Courtier[/B][/COLOR]: Two good skills in Insight and Persuasion, two languages and a useful feature when dealing with nobility and government. Thematically appropriate for many Paladins, too. [B]Faction Agent[/B]: Always gets Insight as a skill, which is solid. However, most of the Forgotten Realms factions listed have their second skill as an INT-based knowledge skill, which isn’t so good. Safe Haven is a strong feature, though, considering the power these factions tend to have in the world. Zhentarim has Deception instead of a knowledge skill, which might be handy for a Paladin Oath that doesn’t necessarily object to using that skill. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Far Traveler[/B][/COLOR]: Perception is king, of course, and Insight is good, too. All Eyes on You can be beneficial in diplomatic settings, as well. [B]Inheritor[/B]: Survival is nice, but the INT-based knowledge skill not so much. The Inheritance feature can make for a neat story … or a powerful magic item down the line. [B]Knight of the Order[/B]: Similar to Faction Agent, except your universal skill is Persuasion, a staple for your class. Knowledge skill, again, isn’t the best, though Knightly Regard is strong as reflects the general power knightly orders have in the Realms. [COLOR=blue][B]Mercenary Veteran[/B][/COLOR]: Two very good Paladin skills in Athletics and Persuasion, and Mercenary Life lets you maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Solid choice. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Urban Bounty Hunter[/B][/COLOR]: You actually get to pick two from a list of four very good skills: Deception, Insight, Persuasion and Stealth. This background can thus fit a diverse set of Paladin builds very well. You can also get Thieves’ Tools proficiency, which is great. And Ear to the Ground lets you have contact with a variety of urban types, both high and low class. [COLOR=blue][B]Uthgardt Tribe Member[/B][/COLOR]: A bit out of character for a lot of Paladins, but there’s no denying the worthiness of the skills (Athletics, Survival), the enhanced survival benefits of Uthgardt Heritage and being allied with druids circles, Harpers, and the like. [B]Waterdhavian Noble[/B]: One good skill (Persuasion), one not so good (History). Besides that, you’re pretty much guaranteed to live comfortably. Eh. [/spoiler] [SIZE=3][B]Class Features[/B][/SIZE] [I][B]Lv. 1[/B][/I] [B]Divine Sense[/B]: No longer the always-on evil radar that it was in editions past, you now have to be judicious about when to use this with its limited uses per day. The range is very limited on it, too (just 60 feet). It's probably most likely to be used in situations when you might suspect something is a fiend in disguise. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Lay on Hands[/B][/COLOR]: The classical Paladin healing ability, and this time around its versatility is greatly increased. Its raw healing numbers, which scale well with level, are solid for a power supplemental to your (or the Cleric's or Bard's) healing spells, but better still is the ability to neutralize poison and cure diseases with your touch (costing 5 HPs from the pool). [I][B]Lv. 2[/B][/I] [B]Fighting Style[/B]: Choose one among the following. [LIST] [*][B]Defense[/B]: Nothing wrong with it, per se, but an offensive style should be a higher priority. That said, this does make a fine [COLOR=blue][B]second style[/B][/COLOR] if you get one from, say, a Fighter multiclass. It’s also pretty much your default choice if you want to dual-wield, since you don’t get in-class access to Two-Weapon Fighting Style. [*][COLOR=#0000ff][B]Dueling[/B][/COLOR]: Don’t scoff at a flat +2 damage per hit. At early levels that amounts to well more than a 20% increase in damage done. That proportion decreases somewhat at higher levels, but it’s always going to be a noticeable boost to your offense with a one-handed weapon. Note that you CAN use a shield with this style (just not a second weapon). [*][B]Great Weapon Fighting[/B]: If your DM is going by the Sage Advice that says your damage rerolls of 1s and 2s are limited to just the weapon damage, then this style is merely average, though probably still your go-to if using a two-hander (since some damage boost is better than none). If your DM [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]sticks to the book RAW[/B][/COLOR] here, and thus makes it apply to things like Divine Smite, Improved Divine Smite, and some of the Paladin’s damage buff spells, then the value of this jumps exponentially. [*][B]Protection[/B]: Again, I prefer offense, but this shield-exclusive style is good at what it does. With this, you’ll want to finish your movement for the round next to someone under duress when you need to protect them. Does lose its value if you plan to get [COLOR=darkviolet][B]other defender-style reactions[/B][/COLOR] like from the Sentinel feat or Oath of the Crown. [/LIST] [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Spellcasting[/B][/COLOR]: Despite being only a half-caster, the Paladin’s spellcasting ability — which comes online earlier than ever before — is quite potent and is where much of the class’ power lies. And as far as spellcasting mechanics go, Paladins have it pretty damn good. They get immediate access to their class’ entire spell list as they hit the levels for new spells, and they prepare their spells (rather than learn a limited repertoire), giving them amazing day-to-day versatility. They use a holy symbol as their standard material component/focus, which is about the best type there is since it can either be worn as an amulet or embossed on their shield. Their spell list is pretty solid, too, full of some of the most staple combat buffs, quality healing spells and bonus-action smite spells that make them do a burst of extra damage and often a harsh status effect on a following weapon hit. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Divine Smite[/B][/COLOR]: The cornerstone of your burst damage ability. This one can especially become devastating on a critical hit, in which case the damage dice from this are doubled. (Incredible especially if you're attacking something under, say, a [I]Hold Person/Monster[/I] spell!) Another key thing to remember about this is that it uses no action whatsoever, which means you can use it multiple times per round if you have additional attacks, can use it on the same turn you cast a bonus action spell (including stacking this on top of a smite spell!), and can use it on reaction attacks (making your Opportunity Attacks or attacks from the Sentinel feat especially threatening!). [B]NOTE:[/B] The 5d8 cap means the maximum damage from this uses a 4th-level spell slot, so you get no benefit from blowing a 5th-level slot. This may need to be errata-ed to a 6d8 cap. [I][B]Lv. 3[/B][/I] [B]Oaths[/B] will be described under their own section. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Divine Health[/B][/COLOR]: Immunity to diseases, straight up. Certainly nice when it comes up. [I][B]Lv. 4 (8, 12, 16, 19)[/B][/I] [B]Ability Score Improvements[/B]: You get the standard 5 that everyone else who isn't the Fighter or Rogue gets. Because you want both a high physical attack stat (STR or DEX) and a high CHA, you're only going to have room for one or two feats if your game includes them. [I][B]Lv. 5[/B][/I] [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Extra Attack[/B][/COLOR]: Obviously great; at this level it literally doubles the power of your Attack action. Like every other major weapon-using class that isn't the Fighter, this caps at two attacks. [I][B]Lv. 6[/B][/I] [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Aura of Protection[/B][/COLOR]: Arguably the signature of the Paladin class, where you add your CHA modifier to all of your saving throws. And if allies are within 10 feet, they get that benefit, too. For you, this typically means a strong WIS save between proficiency there and letting CHA do the rest. Also, with a CON around a +2 or +3 modifier, add this on top of it and your CON saves will be at least passable for a few levels despite lack of proficiency; very important if you want to maintain Concentration spells. If you do somehow get CON save proficiency (such as from taking the Resilient feat), this feature can help push most of your Concentration checks into auto-save territory, which is a godsend. [I][B]Lv. 10[/B][/I] [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Aura of Courage[/B][/COLOR]: Frightened can be quite nasty for a melee combatant, which you are, because it not only invokes disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks, but it also prevents you from moving towards the source of the frightening. And more than a few of the more formidable entries in the Monster Manual have some sort of frightening effect. So, yes, being flat immune to this condition is a pretty big deal, and it's also nice that you get to extend it to your allies. [I][B]Lv. 11[/B][/I] [COLOR=blue][B]Improved Divine Smite[/B][/COLOR]: A constant +1d8 extra radiant damage on all attacks with melee weapons (and note that unlike with Divine Smite, this DOES work with thrown melee weapons, a la javelins). This is your second-half boost to baseline damage, not as much as what a Fighter’s third attack is capable of, but still quite welcome to have around. And it does have its own advantages, namely applying to ALL attacks, including off-hand attacks (making dual-wielding quite viable), Polearm Master bonus attack, Sentinel’s attacks, Opportunity Attacks, Hasted attack, etc., making those more threatening in your hands than the Fighter’s. Having a constant source of radiant damage from this also makes fights easier against certain undead with powerful features that are shut down by radiant damage. [I][B]Lv. 14[/B][/I] [B]Cleansing Touch[/B]: Negate a hostile spell on yourself or an ally with your action, with CHA-mod uses per day. Pretty neat ability, if not quite a flat-out gamechanger. [I][B]Lv. 18[/B][/I] [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Aura Improvements[/B][/COLOR]: All those lovely Auras you get (Protection, Courage, anything from your Oath) expand from 10 feet to 30 feet. Whereas before it was pretty situational that your allies got your Auras' benefits, now it's practically a sure thing. [/QUOTE]
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[GUIDE] My Word Is My Sword: The Paladin Guide
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