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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: 6779083" data-attributes="member: 68748"><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>IV. Races</strong></span></p><p></p><p></p><p>[spoiler=Common Races]</p><p></p><p><strong>Dwarf</strong>: +2 to CON is a big deal, along with advantage on saves vs. and resistance to poison, and Darkvision. Bonus proficiencies in an artisan's tools are a neat little bonus.</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: blue"><strong>Mountain</strong></span>: +2 to STR makes this the obvious subrace of choice for a STR-Paladin.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Hill</strong>: Not bad for DEX-Paladins, with the extra hit point per level being quite nice, and the +1 WIS isn’t entirely a waste with the right configuration. <span style="color: red"><strong>STR-Paladins</strong></span> should definitely go Mountain, though.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Duergar (SCAG/MTOF)</strong>: +1 STR, Superior Darkvision, advantage on saves against illusions, charm and paralysis, and free Enlarge and Invisibility. Not a bad package, although Sunlight Sensitivity is regrettably quite the pain.</li> </ul><p></p><p><strong>Elf</strong>: All Elves get a +2 to DEX, so make that your attack stat. Immunity to magical sleep and advantage vs. charms are handy, as are Darkvision, Trance and automatic proficiency in the all-important skill Perception.</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Wood</strong>: +1 WIS is fair, but the real perks are bonus to speed and Stealth in lightly obscured conditions.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Drow</strong></span>: Not much of a point to being a Drow Paladin, nowadays. Sure, you get the +1 to CHA, but you could’ve instead gone Half-Elf of Drow Lineage and gotten better overall stats along with that tasty CHA-based Drow Magic, not to mention not having to deal with the full Drow’s annoying Sunlight Sensitivity.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>High</strong></span>: There are some quality options for a Wizard cantrip that are independent of your casting stat (e.g. <em>Prestidigitation, Light, Mage Hand</em>, and with SCAG and the War Caster feat in play, <em>Booming Blade</em>). The INT bonus is still useless, though. If the cantrip is the big draw for you, consider being a Half-Elf of Moon/Sun (High) Elf Lineage, instead.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Eladrin</span> (MTOF)</strong>: Now its own defined subrace instead of a DMG example, +1 CHA is a much better stat boost, and Fey Step 1/short rest is now its own thing altogether instead of simply being <em>Misty Step</em> (most notably, it works in an Antimagic Field). Fey Step also has a side effect depending on what season you are, which you can change any day you want. (Note that Winter is a frightening effect and is thus valuable for Conquest).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Sea</strong></span> <strong>(MTOF)</strong>: +1 CON is alright, but swim speed and waterbreathing are only consistently useful in a sea-based campaign.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Shadar-kai (MTOF)</strong>: +1 CON, necrotic resistance and, like the Eladrin, you have a 1/short rest teleport, but with the fixed aftereffect of resistance to all damage for a round. Pretty decent.</li> </ul><p></p><p><strong>Halfling</strong>: +2 to DEX, so you know which route to go with your attack stat. Lucky is quite nice, protecting you from that dreaded natural 1, and moving through occupied spaces opens up a lot of options on the battlefield.</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: blue"><strong>Lightfoot</strong></span>: Superior stats-wise with its +1 CHA, and if you’re somehow a stealthy type, hiding behind a Medium or larger ally is definitely useful.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: blue"><strong>Stout</strong></span>: The +1 CON of this subrace is still pretty good, and plucking the Dwarf's anti-poison defenses is useful to a wider range of builds.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong><span style="color: darkviolet">Ghostwise</span> (SCAG)</strong>: +1 WIS is OK, but not quite as good as the other variants’ bonuses, and telepathy is a pretty gimmicky trait compared to the others’ more overall useful benefits.</li> </ul><p></p><p><strong>Human</strong>: Meant to be the most versatile race. One particular <span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>variant</strong></span> delivers on that promise.</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Default/Stock</strong>: +1 to all attributes is all they get. This effectively allows you to point buy an array such as 15, 15, 14, 9, 9, 8. The +1s will bump your fourth and fifth stats out of penalty territory, and since Paladins only have one real dump stat (INT), only one of those bonus points is truly wasted. Plus you wound up with a cool net gain on your tertiary. So, for that reason, the default Human isn’t the total waste like it is for some other classes; that said, it’s hardly inspiring.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Variant</strong></span>: For as MAD as the Paladin is, and as ASI/feat-starved as you are as a direct result, the bonus feat of the Variant Human is even bigger for you than it is for many other classes. +1s also to two other stats (should be STR/DEX and CHA), and a free skill of your choice (ahem, Perception) round out what really is very likely the best race for Paladins.</li> </ul><p></p><p>[/spoiler]</p><p></p><p>[spoiler=Uncommon Races]</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Aaracocra</span> (EEPC)</strong>: At-will flight is always going to count for a lot, even with its light armor restriction. It can be campaign-breaking, potentially. Stats-wise, its +2 DEX is great for DEX-Paladins and the +1 WIS can at least round out an array. The introductory paragraph pretty much leaves it up to the DM whether or not to even allow you to play this race, and for good reason.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Dragonborn</strong></span>: +2 to STR and +1 to CHA matches up great stat-wise. Resistance to one energy type is solid, and since you're likely to have a decent CON score if you're a Paladin, you'll be able to use the Breath Weapon decently under bounded accuracy. Breath helps make up for the Paladin's general weakness against hordes. Better for <span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Conquest</strong></span>, with access to the Dragon Fear feat that gives you another frightening power.</p><p></p><p><strong>Genasi (EEPC)</strong>: All Genasi get a +2 to CON, a solid stat bonus for all characters. All subraces get a 1/day free spell with no material components.</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: blue"><strong>Air</strong></span>: +1 DEX, hold your breath forever as long as you’re not incapacitated, and <em>Levitate</em> as the racial spell. Pretty nice.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: blue"><strong>Earth</strong></span>: +1 STR, ignore some difficult terrain, and the very useful <em>Pass Without Trace</em> as the racial spell. Good.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Fire</strong></span>: +1 INT is a waste. making this the worst subrace for Paladins. Darkvision and fire resistance aren’t bad, though.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Water</strong>: +1 WIS has its uses, and breathing air and water and having a real swim speed can come in handy in campaigns with a lot of water.</li> </ul><p></p><p></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Gith</strong></span> <strong>(MTOF)</strong>: Compulsory +1 INT ensures this race choice will always make a suboptimal Paladin.</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Githyanki</strong></span>: +2 STR and you eventually get 1/long rest <em>Misty Step</em>. Meh. The Eladrin is teleporting once every short rest.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Githzerai</strong></span>: +2 WIS, and 1/long rest for <em>Shield</em> isn’t enough to make a substantial difference. Avoid.</li> </ul><p></p><p></p><p><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Gnome</strong></span>: Generally not a good race for the Paladin, thanks to +2 to INT being such a waste. Advantage on all mental stat saving throws vs. magic is about the only real positive. Stick to Halfling if you want to be small.</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: red"><strong>Forest</strong></span>: +1 DEX, a cantrip that’ll be useless without a good INT score, and a cute talk to small animals ability. Can’t say this appeals to Paladins.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: red"><strong>Rock</strong></span>: Nope. +1 CON is OK, but Paladins have no use for tech knowledge.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Deep </strong></span><strong>(SCAG/MTOF)</strong>: +1 DEX and Superior Darkvision. Probably the best Gnome Paladin race by default (damning with faint praise much?), but still not enough for success.</li> </ul><p></p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Half-Elf</strong></span>: A legit contender vis-a-vis the Variant Human as the best Paladin race. +2 CHA and +1 to two other stats (make those your attack stat and CON). Also Darkvision, and the immunity to magical sleep and advantage vs. charms that Elves get, plus another potentially strong benefit (choose from below):</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Skill Versatility</strong></span><strong> (PHB default)</strong>: The default Half-Elf gets two skills of their choice, and I’d strongly suggest Perception for one of them. Overall, this is the can’t-go-wrong option and still the best pick for most builds.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong><span style="color: #ff0000">Keen Senses</span> (SCAG)</strong>: Obviously, whoever wrote the sidebar in the SCAG completely forgot that Skill Versatility gives you proficiency in two skills when they listed this as an option.<em> You LITERALLY lose an entire skill taking this, for absolutely nothing in return.</em> So never, and I mean NEVER take this.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Wood Elf Descent (SCAG)</strong>: Fleet of Foot for some extra speed isn’t bad. Or if you prefer better stealth capacity, Mask of the Wild is also an option.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong><span style="color: blue">Moon/Sun (High) Elf Descent</span> (SCAG)</strong>: As mentioned under the High Elf entry, some quality options for a Wizard cantrip that are independent of your casting stat include <em>Prestidigitation, Light, Mage Hand</em>, and with SCAG and the War Caster feat in play, <em>Booming Blade</em>. And you get the Half-Elf’s better stats.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong><span style="color: blue">Drow Descent</span> (SCAG)</strong>: Drow Magic (which includes the lovely <em>Faerie Fire</em>) without the full Drow’s annoying Sunlight Sensitivity. Plus with the Half-Elf’s better stats. Good deal.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong><span style="color: darkviolet">Aquatic Descent</span> (SCAG)</strong>: 30-foot swim speed. Obviously better in a campaign that involves sea travel, but too situational otherwise compared to Skill Versatility or other lineages.</li> </ul><p></p><p></p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Half-Orc</strong></span>: +2 to STR and +1 to CON are solid, along with a bunch of neat abilities like staying upright on a would-be KO once a day and adding an extra weapon die to a crit. Darkvision and free proficiency in Intimidation round out a worthy pick.</p><p></p><p><strong>Tiefling</strong>: All (OK, most) Tieflings get +2 CHA, Darkvision and fire resistance, which are all pretty useful. Depending on subrace options, they’ll have another +1 to something else and a suite of spells of varying degrees of usefulness.</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>PHB default/Infernal Legacy/Asmodeus</strong></span>: The default Tiefling just doesn’t cut it nowadays. +1 INT is worthless, as is the Infernal Legacy spell suite. <em>Hellish Rebuke</em> has the hilariously clumsy logistics of casting it as a reaction fully armed and shielded, having a somatic component.</li> </ul><p><em>SCAG variants:</em></p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Feral</strong>: Replaces the CHA bonus with +2 DEX, which will suit a DEX-Paladin well, obviously. Still has the useless INT bonus, though.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Devil’s Tongue</strong></span>: Replaces Infernal Legacy with an INFINITELY better suite of spells, namely <em>Vicious Mockery</em>, <em>Charm Person</em> and <em>Enthrall</em>. Vicious Mockery gives you a CHA-based at-will ranged attack. (Note that Devil’s Tongue, Hellfire and Winged are all mutually exclusive.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Hellfire</strong>: Replaces <em>Hellish Rebuke</em> with <em>Burning Hands</em>, which is a good deal, since you’re replacing a reaction spell with rather difficult logistics for a Paladin to cast, with just a straight-up AoE spell that helps cover for the class’ general weakness in that area. Although, overall, I’d still say Devil’s Tongue is the superior choice.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Winged</strong></span>: Wings and a 30-foot flying speed (post-errata NOT in heavy armor anymore) instead of Infernal Legacy’s spells. A good choice if you’re going DEX-Paladin, in particular. As usual with a potentially campaign-breaking at-will flight option, consult your DM.</li> </ul><p><em>MTOF variants:</em></p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Zariel</strong></span>: +1 STR, and you get a free 1/long rest casting of a couple of Smite spells. While no Paladin should ever actually prepare <em>Searing Smite</em>, you’re getting a casting of it for free (and as a 2nd-level spell at that), which is actually good for throwing out there to get some nice extra damage on an important nova turn. And same deal later with <em>Branding Smite</em>.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Levistus</strong></span>: +1 CON, with the very useful <em>Ray of Frost</em> cantrip and <em>Armor of Agathys</em>.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Glasya</strong></span>: +1 DEX, good for Paladins who attack with that stat. Oh, and the <em>Minor Illusion</em> cantrip, which is awesome. <em>Invisibility</em> is pretty nice, too.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Fierna</strong>: <em>Suggestion</em> alone makes this at least worth a look. +1 WIS is OK for rounding an array.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Dispater</strong></span>: +1 DEX, but much less useful spell suite than Glasya.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Baalzebul/Mammon/Mephistopheles</strong></span>: These all add +1 INT and should be avoided.</li> </ul><p></p><p>[/spoiler]</p><p></p><p>[spoiler=Volo’s Guide Races]</p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Aasimar</strong></span>: Hey, I hear you want more Paladin with your Paladin. And indeed this reimagined version of the race does possess several Paladin-like features all on its own. All Aasimar have the important +2 CHA, Darkvision, resistance to necrotic and radiant damage, free Light cantrip and a long-rest recharge, scaled-back version of Lay on Hands that means you can conserve some of your actual Lay on Hands. Not surprisingly, easily a top-tier Paladin race.</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Protector</strong></span>: +1 WIS rounds out an array, and the long-rest recharge power gives you flight and a little extra radiant damage on one attack every one of your turns. Pretty good.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Scourge</strong></span>: This subrace is for those who want more damage in the climactic fights, with its long-rest recharge power not only causing some radiant auto-damage within 10 feet to enemies (and also yourself and allies, so beware) but adding more extra radiant damage on one attack on each of your turns. Also comes with +1 CON, always a good bonus to have.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Fallen</strong></span>: Explicitly for evil Aasimar only. Especially good for <strong><span style="color: deepskyblue">Conquest</span></strong> thanks to its frightening power (though it’s long-rest recharge). +1 STR, too, making it good statwise for Paladins in general. (Though, again, evil, so really just compatible with Oathbreaker, Conquest, and maybe Crown or Vengeance.)</li> </ul><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Firbolg</strong>: +2 WIS and +1 STR; WIS is still not something you want to dump so the bonus there frees up some array points, at least. Other than that, short-rest recharge <em>Disguise Self</em> and <em>Detect Magic</em> (WIS-based), short-rest recharge round of invisibility and talking to animals and plants. An interesting race, though not remarkable.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Goliath</strong></span>: +2 STR and +1 CON, automatic Athletics proficiency, short-rest recharge reduction of damage you take and extra carrying/lifting capability. Solid Paladin race all around.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Kenku</strong></span>: +2 DEX and +1 WIS, with racial abilities more suited to Rogues than anything else. Eh.</p><p></p><p><strong>Lizardfolk</strong>: +2 CON, +1 WIS, a bite that means you’re always armed, swim speed, hold breath for a long time, natural armor that’s better than the standard light armor, 2 free skills from a list that includes the all-important Perception and Stealth, and a short-rest recharge bonus-action attack. Pretty decent, particularly for DEX-Paladins.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Tabaxi</strong></span>: +2 DEX and +1 CHA good for DEX-Paladins, plus Darkvision, an ability to move double your usual speed (which you must make up for later by not moving at all to recharge), climb speed, natural weapons, and free Perception and Stealth proficiency. Good one.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Triton</strong></span>: +1 to the three most important Paladin stats (STR, CHA, CON), swim speed, breathe water and air, some free CHA-based racial spells that are pretty good (<em>Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Wall of Water</em>), talk to water creatures, and cold resistance. Good all around.</p><p></p><p>[/spoiler]</p><p></p><p>[spoiler=Monster Races (VGM)]</p><p></p><p>Subject to DM approval, so consult with your DM first before playing one of these.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Bugbear</strong></span>: The highlight is the extra 5 feet of reach when you make a melee attack (but only on your turn). +2 STR and +1 DEX means it fits both STR- and DEX-Paladins. Also gets Darkvision, free Stealth proficiency and 2d6 extra damage when attacking from surprise. Good one, for sure.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Goblin</strong></span>: Small size, but 30 feet speed. +2 DEX and +1 CON, Darkvision, short-rest recharge extra damage against something bigger than you, and Disengage or Hide as a bonus action (effectively 2/3rd of the Rogue’s Cunning Action) make this quite nice for sword-and-board DEX-Paladins. Weave through enemy traffic with no fear of OAs, and even use Stealth if you need to.</p><p></p><p><strong>Hobgoblin</strong>: +2 CON, +1 INT (the latter’s a waste), Darkvision, and short-rest recharge power that lets you add up to +5 (or less depending on number of allies you have) to a failed attack, save or ability check. Decent.</p><p></p><p><strong>Kobold</strong>: -2 STR, but you get +2 DEX, so that’s the route to go. The signature ability is Pack Tactics, giving you some sweet advantage practically every round as long as an ally is next to your target. That’s pretty nice, though Sunlight Sensitivity is always a drawback to consider; if <span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>it’s not much of a factor</strong></span> in your campaign then this race definitely gets better.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Orc</strong></span>: +2 STR and +1 CON at the expense of -2 INT, which doesn’t hurt you too much since you don’t care about INT. Bonus-action movement of your full speed helps close to melee range quickly, always a plus for Paladins. Also get Darkvision and free Intimidation proficiency. Pretty solid, actually.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: deepskyblue"><strong>Yuan-ti Pureblood</strong></span>: +2 CHA is great (+1 INT not so much). Oh, what, you get the awesome <em>Suggestion</em> as a racial spell, and it’s CHA-based? Lovely. So too are Magic Resistance (advantage on saves vs. spells and other magical effects) and poison immunity, and Darkvision. Very good.</p><p></p><p>[/spoiler]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Gladius Legis, post: 6779083, member: 68748"] [SIZE=5][B]IV. Races[/B][/SIZE] [spoiler=Common Races] [B]Dwarf[/B]: +2 to CON is a big deal, along with advantage on saves vs. and resistance to poison, and Darkvision. Bonus proficiencies in an artisan's tools are a neat little bonus. [LIST] [*][COLOR=blue][B]Mountain[/B][/COLOR]: +2 to STR makes this the obvious subrace of choice for a STR-Paladin. [*][B]Hill[/B]: Not bad for DEX-Paladins, with the extra hit point per level being quite nice, and the +1 WIS isn’t entirely a waste with the right configuration. [COLOR=red][B]STR-Paladins[/B][/COLOR] should definitely go Mountain, though. [*][B]Duergar (SCAG/MTOF)[/B]: +1 STR, Superior Darkvision, advantage on saves against illusions, charm and paralysis, and free Enlarge and Invisibility. Not a bad package, although Sunlight Sensitivity is regrettably quite the pain. [/LIST] [B]Elf[/B]: All Elves get a +2 to DEX, so make that your attack stat. Immunity to magical sleep and advantage vs. charms are handy, as are Darkvision, Trance and automatic proficiency in the all-important skill Perception. [LIST] [*][B]Wood[/B]: +1 WIS is fair, but the real perks are bonus to speed and Stealth in lightly obscured conditions. [*][COLOR=darkviolet][B]Drow[/B][/COLOR]: Not much of a point to being a Drow Paladin, nowadays. Sure, you get the +1 to CHA, but you could’ve instead gone Half-Elf of Drow Lineage and gotten better overall stats along with that tasty CHA-based Drow Magic, not to mention not having to deal with the full Drow’s annoying Sunlight Sensitivity. [*][COLOR=darkviolet][B]High[/B][/COLOR]: There are some quality options for a Wizard cantrip that are independent of your casting stat (e.g. [I]Prestidigitation, Light, Mage Hand[/I], and with SCAG and the War Caster feat in play, [I]Booming Blade[/I]). The INT bonus is still useless, though. If the cantrip is the big draw for you, consider being a Half-Elf of Moon/Sun (High) Elf Lineage, instead. [*][B][COLOR=#0000ff]Eladrin[/COLOR] (MTOF)[/B]: Now its own defined subrace instead of a DMG example, +1 CHA is a much better stat boost, and Fey Step 1/short rest is now its own thing altogether instead of simply being [I]Misty Step[/I] (most notably, it works in an Antimagic Field). Fey Step also has a side effect depending on what season you are, which you can change any day you want. (Note that Winter is a frightening effect and is thus valuable for Conquest). [*][COLOR=darkviolet][B]Sea[/B][/COLOR] [B](MTOF)[/B]: +1 CON is alright, but swim speed and waterbreathing are only consistently useful in a sea-based campaign. [*][B]Shadar-kai (MTOF)[/B]: +1 CON, necrotic resistance and, like the Eladrin, you have a 1/short rest teleport, but with the fixed aftereffect of resistance to all damage for a round. Pretty decent. [/LIST] [B]Halfling[/B]: +2 to DEX, so you know which route to go with your attack stat. Lucky is quite nice, protecting you from that dreaded natural 1, and moving through occupied spaces opens up a lot of options on the battlefield. [LIST] [*][COLOR=blue][B]Lightfoot[/B][/COLOR]: Superior stats-wise with its +1 CHA, and if you’re somehow a stealthy type, hiding behind a Medium or larger ally is definitely useful. [*][COLOR=blue][B]Stout[/B][/COLOR]: The +1 CON of this subrace is still pretty good, and plucking the Dwarf's anti-poison defenses is useful to a wider range of builds. [*][B][COLOR=darkviolet]Ghostwise[/COLOR] (SCAG)[/B]: +1 WIS is OK, but not quite as good as the other variants’ bonuses, and telepathy is a pretty gimmicky trait compared to the others’ more overall useful benefits. [/LIST] [B]Human[/B]: Meant to be the most versatile race. One particular [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]variant[/B][/COLOR] delivers on that promise. [LIST] [*][B]Default/Stock[/B]: +1 to all attributes is all they get. This effectively allows you to point buy an array such as 15, 15, 14, 9, 9, 8. The +1s will bump your fourth and fifth stats out of penalty territory, and since Paladins only have one real dump stat (INT), only one of those bonus points is truly wasted. Plus you wound up with a cool net gain on your tertiary. So, for that reason, the default Human isn’t the total waste like it is for some other classes; that said, it’s hardly inspiring. [*][COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Variant[/B][/COLOR]: For as MAD as the Paladin is, and as ASI/feat-starved as you are as a direct result, the bonus feat of the Variant Human is even bigger for you than it is for many other classes. +1s also to two other stats (should be STR/DEX and CHA), and a free skill of your choice (ahem, Perception) round out what really is very likely the best race for Paladins. [/LIST] [/spoiler] [spoiler=Uncommon Races] [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Aaracocra[/COLOR] (EEPC)[/B]: At-will flight is always going to count for a lot, even with its light armor restriction. It can be campaign-breaking, potentially. Stats-wise, its +2 DEX is great for DEX-Paladins and the +1 WIS can at least round out an array. The introductory paragraph pretty much leaves it up to the DM whether or not to even allow you to play this race, and for good reason. [COLOR=blue][B]Dragonborn[/B][/COLOR]: +2 to STR and +1 to CHA matches up great stat-wise. Resistance to one energy type is solid, and since you're likely to have a decent CON score if you're a Paladin, you'll be able to use the Breath Weapon decently under bounded accuracy. Breath helps make up for the Paladin's general weakness against hordes. Better for [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Conquest[/B][/COLOR], with access to the Dragon Fear feat that gives you another frightening power. [B]Genasi (EEPC)[/B]: All Genasi get a +2 to CON, a solid stat bonus for all characters. All subraces get a 1/day free spell with no material components. [LIST] [*][COLOR=blue][B]Air[/B][/COLOR]: +1 DEX, hold your breath forever as long as you’re not incapacitated, and [I]Levitate[/I] as the racial spell. Pretty nice. [*][COLOR=blue][B]Earth[/B][/COLOR]: +1 STR, ignore some difficult terrain, and the very useful [I]Pass Without Trace[/I] as the racial spell. Good. [*][COLOR=darkviolet][B]Fire[/B][/COLOR]: +1 INT is a waste. making this the worst subrace for Paladins. Darkvision and fire resistance aren’t bad, though. [*][B]Water[/B]: +1 WIS has its uses, and breathing air and water and having a real swim speed can come in handy in campaigns with a lot of water. [/LIST] [COLOR=darkviolet][B]Gith[/B][/COLOR] [B](MTOF)[/B]: Compulsory +1 INT ensures this race choice will always make a suboptimal Paladin. [LIST] [*][COLOR=darkviolet][B]Githyanki[/B][/COLOR]: +2 STR and you eventually get 1/long rest [I]Misty Step[/I]. Meh. The Eladrin is teleporting once every short rest. [*][COLOR=#ff0000][B]Githzerai[/B][/COLOR]: +2 WIS, and 1/long rest for [I]Shield[/I] isn’t enough to make a substantial difference. Avoid. [/LIST] [COLOR=#ff0000][B]Gnome[/B][/COLOR]: Generally not a good race for the Paladin, thanks to +2 to INT being such a waste. Advantage on all mental stat saving throws vs. magic is about the only real positive. Stick to Halfling if you want to be small. [LIST] [*][COLOR=red][B]Forest[/B][/COLOR]: +1 DEX, a cantrip that’ll be useless without a good INT score, and a cute talk to small animals ability. Can’t say this appeals to Paladins. [*][COLOR=red][B]Rock[/B][/COLOR]: Nope. +1 CON is OK, but Paladins have no use for tech knowledge. [*][COLOR=darkviolet][B]Deep [/B][/COLOR][B](SCAG/MTOF)[/B]: +1 DEX and Superior Darkvision. Probably the best Gnome Paladin race by default (damning with faint praise much?), but still not enough for success. [/LIST] [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Half-Elf[/B][/COLOR]: A legit contender vis-a-vis the Variant Human as the best Paladin race. +2 CHA and +1 to two other stats (make those your attack stat and CON). Also Darkvision, and the immunity to magical sleep and advantage vs. charms that Elves get, plus another potentially strong benefit (choose from below): [LIST] [*][COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Skill Versatility[/B][/COLOR][B] (PHB default)[/B]: The default Half-Elf gets two skills of their choice, and I’d strongly suggest Perception for one of them. Overall, this is the can’t-go-wrong option and still the best pick for most builds. [*][B][COLOR=#ff0000]Keen Senses[/COLOR] (SCAG)[/B]: Obviously, whoever wrote the sidebar in the SCAG completely forgot that Skill Versatility gives you proficiency in two skills when they listed this as an option.[I] You LITERALLY lose an entire skill taking this, for absolutely nothing in return.[/I] So never, and I mean NEVER take this. [*][B]Wood Elf Descent (SCAG)[/B]: Fleet of Foot for some extra speed isn’t bad. Or if you prefer better stealth capacity, Mask of the Wild is also an option. [*][B][COLOR=blue]Moon/Sun (High) Elf Descent[/COLOR] (SCAG)[/B]: As mentioned under the High Elf entry, some quality options for a Wizard cantrip that are independent of your casting stat include [I]Prestidigitation, Light, Mage Hand[/I], and with SCAG and the War Caster feat in play, [I]Booming Blade[/I]. And you get the Half-Elf’s better stats. [*][B][COLOR=blue]Drow Descent[/COLOR] (SCAG)[/B]: Drow Magic (which includes the lovely [I]Faerie Fire[/I]) without the full Drow’s annoying Sunlight Sensitivity. Plus with the Half-Elf’s better stats. Good deal. [*][B][COLOR=darkviolet]Aquatic Descent[/COLOR] (SCAG)[/B]: 30-foot swim speed. Obviously better in a campaign that involves sea travel, but too situational otherwise compared to Skill Versatility or other lineages. [/LIST] [COLOR=blue][B]Half-Orc[/B][/COLOR]: +2 to STR and +1 to CON are solid, along with a bunch of neat abilities like staying upright on a would-be KO once a day and adding an extra weapon die to a crit. Darkvision and free proficiency in Intimidation round out a worthy pick. [B]Tiefling[/B]: All (OK, most) Tieflings get +2 CHA, Darkvision and fire resistance, which are all pretty useful. Depending on subrace options, they’ll have another +1 to something else and a suite of spells of varying degrees of usefulness. [LIST] [*][COLOR=#ff0000][B]PHB default/Infernal Legacy/Asmodeus[/B][/COLOR]: The default Tiefling just doesn’t cut it nowadays. +1 INT is worthless, as is the Infernal Legacy spell suite. [I]Hellish Rebuke[/I] has the hilariously clumsy logistics of casting it as a reaction fully armed and shielded, having a somatic component. [/LIST] [I]SCAG variants:[/I] [LIST] [*][B]Feral[/B]: Replaces the CHA bonus with +2 DEX, which will suit a DEX-Paladin well, obviously. Still has the useless INT bonus, though. [*][COLOR=#0000ff][B]Devil’s Tongue[/B][/COLOR]: Replaces Infernal Legacy with an INFINITELY better suite of spells, namely [I]Vicious Mockery[/I], [I]Charm Person[/I] and [I]Enthrall[/I]. Vicious Mockery gives you a CHA-based at-will ranged attack. (Note that Devil’s Tongue, Hellfire and Winged are all mutually exclusive.) [*][B]Hellfire[/B]: Replaces [I]Hellish Rebuke[/I] with [I]Burning Hands[/I], which is a good deal, since you’re replacing a reaction spell with rather difficult logistics for a Paladin to cast, with just a straight-up AoE spell that helps cover for the class’ general weakness in that area. Although, overall, I’d still say Devil’s Tongue is the superior choice. [*][COLOR=#0000ff][B]Winged[/B][/COLOR]: Wings and a 30-foot flying speed (post-errata NOT in heavy armor anymore) instead of Infernal Legacy’s spells. A good choice if you’re going DEX-Paladin, in particular. As usual with a potentially campaign-breaking at-will flight option, consult your DM. [/LIST] [I]MTOF variants:[/I] [LIST] [*][COLOR=#0000ff][B]Zariel[/B][/COLOR]: +1 STR, and you get a free 1/long rest casting of a couple of Smite spells. While no Paladin should ever actually prepare [I]Searing Smite[/I], you’re getting a casting of it for free (and as a 2nd-level spell at that), which is actually good for throwing out there to get some nice extra damage on an important nova turn. And same deal later with [I]Branding Smite[/I]. [*][COLOR=#0000ff][B]Levistus[/B][/COLOR]: +1 CON, with the very useful [I]Ray of Frost[/I] cantrip and [I]Armor of Agathys[/I]. [*][COLOR=#0000ff][B]Glasya[/B][/COLOR]: +1 DEX, good for Paladins who attack with that stat. Oh, and the [I]Minor Illusion[/I] cantrip, which is awesome. [I]Invisibility[/I] is pretty nice, too. [*][B]Fierna[/B]: [I]Suggestion[/I] alone makes this at least worth a look. +1 WIS is OK for rounding an array. [*][COLOR=darkviolet][B]Dispater[/B][/COLOR]: +1 DEX, but much less useful spell suite than Glasya. [*][COLOR=#ff0000][B]Baalzebul/Mammon/Mephistopheles[/B][/COLOR]: These all add +1 INT and should be avoided. [/LIST] [/spoiler] [spoiler=Volo’s Guide Races] [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Aasimar[/B][/COLOR]: Hey, I hear you want more Paladin with your Paladin. And indeed this reimagined version of the race does possess several Paladin-like features all on its own. All Aasimar have the important +2 CHA, Darkvision, resistance to necrotic and radiant damage, free Light cantrip and a long-rest recharge, scaled-back version of Lay on Hands that means you can conserve some of your actual Lay on Hands. Not surprisingly, easily a top-tier Paladin race. [LIST] [*][COLOR=#0000ff][B]Protector[/B][/COLOR]: +1 WIS rounds out an array, and the long-rest recharge power gives you flight and a little extra radiant damage on one attack every one of your turns. Pretty good. [*][COLOR=#0000ff][B]Scourge[/B][/COLOR]: This subrace is for those who want more damage in the climactic fights, with its long-rest recharge power not only causing some radiant auto-damage within 10 feet to enemies (and also yourself and allies, so beware) but adding more extra radiant damage on one attack on each of your turns. Also comes with +1 CON, always a good bonus to have. [*][COLOR=#0000ff][B]Fallen[/B][/COLOR]: Explicitly for evil Aasimar only. Especially good for [B][COLOR=deepskyblue]Conquest[/COLOR][/B] thanks to its frightening power (though it’s long-rest recharge). +1 STR, too, making it good statwise for Paladins in general. (Though, again, evil, so really just compatible with Oathbreaker, Conquest, and maybe Crown or Vengeance.) [/LIST] [B]Firbolg[/B]: +2 WIS and +1 STR; WIS is still not something you want to dump so the bonus there frees up some array points, at least. Other than that, short-rest recharge [I]Disguise Self[/I] and [I]Detect Magic[/I] (WIS-based), short-rest recharge round of invisibility and talking to animals and plants. An interesting race, though not remarkable. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Goliath[/B][/COLOR]: +2 STR and +1 CON, automatic Athletics proficiency, short-rest recharge reduction of damage you take and extra carrying/lifting capability. Solid Paladin race all around. [COLOR=darkviolet][B]Kenku[/B][/COLOR]: +2 DEX and +1 WIS, with racial abilities more suited to Rogues than anything else. Eh. [B]Lizardfolk[/B]: +2 CON, +1 WIS, a bite that means you’re always armed, swim speed, hold breath for a long time, natural armor that’s better than the standard light armor, 2 free skills from a list that includes the all-important Perception and Stealth, and a short-rest recharge bonus-action attack. Pretty decent, particularly for DEX-Paladins. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Tabaxi[/B][/COLOR]: +2 DEX and +1 CHA good for DEX-Paladins, plus Darkvision, an ability to move double your usual speed (which you must make up for later by not moving at all to recharge), climb speed, natural weapons, and free Perception and Stealth proficiency. Good one. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Triton[/B][/COLOR]: +1 to the three most important Paladin stats (STR, CHA, CON), swim speed, breathe water and air, some free CHA-based racial spells that are pretty good ([I]Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Wall of Water[/I]), talk to water creatures, and cold resistance. Good all around. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Monster Races (VGM)] Subject to DM approval, so consult with your DM first before playing one of these. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Bugbear[/B][/COLOR]: The highlight is the extra 5 feet of reach when you make a melee attack (but only on your turn). +2 STR and +1 DEX means it fits both STR- and DEX-Paladins. Also gets Darkvision, free Stealth proficiency and 2d6 extra damage when attacking from surprise. Good one, for sure. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Goblin[/B][/COLOR]: Small size, but 30 feet speed. +2 DEX and +1 CON, Darkvision, short-rest recharge extra damage against something bigger than you, and Disengage or Hide as a bonus action (effectively 2/3rd of the Rogue’s Cunning Action) make this quite nice for sword-and-board DEX-Paladins. Weave through enemy traffic with no fear of OAs, and even use Stealth if you need to. [B]Hobgoblin[/B]: +2 CON, +1 INT (the latter’s a waste), Darkvision, and short-rest recharge power that lets you add up to +5 (or less depending on number of allies you have) to a failed attack, save or ability check. Decent. [B]Kobold[/B]: -2 STR, but you get +2 DEX, so that’s the route to go. The signature ability is Pack Tactics, giving you some sweet advantage practically every round as long as an ally is next to your target. That’s pretty nice, though Sunlight Sensitivity is always a drawback to consider; if [COLOR=#0000ff][B]it’s not much of a factor[/B][/COLOR] in your campaign then this race definitely gets better. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Orc[/B][/COLOR]: +2 STR and +1 CON at the expense of -2 INT, which doesn’t hurt you too much since you don’t care about INT. Bonus-action movement of your full speed helps close to melee range quickly, always a plus for Paladins. Also get Darkvision and free Intimidation proficiency. Pretty solid, actually. [COLOR=deepskyblue][B]Yuan-ti Pureblood[/B][/COLOR]: +2 CHA is great (+1 INT not so much). Oh, what, you get the awesome [I]Suggestion[/I] as a racial spell, and it’s CHA-based? Lovely. So too are Magic Resistance (advantage on saves vs. spells and other magical effects) and poison immunity, and Darkvision. Very good. [/spoiler] [/QUOTE]
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[GUIDE] My Word Is My Sword: The Paladin Guide
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