D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook Reveal #3: "New Paladin"

"the paladin who, if they were in a movie, would ... have impossibly white teeth".


New Paladin preview: here are some notes, focusing on what's new and changes from the playtest materials. Last time we saw the Paladin was in Playtest 6 [=PT6 below].
See also this comparison at D&D Beyond (by someone who saw the video before it was streamed!)

OVERVIEW

• spellcasting starts at level 1, specifically called out as an advantage for multiclassing. (Same for Rangers).
• Lay on Hands and Weapon mastery at 1
• Paladin's smite at 2, along with fighting style.
• NEW: Paladin fighting style restriction is removed (all are available). You may forego fighting style to learn cantrips. [The option to get cantrips was given in Tasha's. They're letting us have it, but it's not called a "fighting style". I suspect this ties to the decision that fighting styles are feats now, and this would be weaker than magic initiate (which also gives a level 1 spell).]
• Paladin's smite gives you the spell Divine smite, with one free casting.
• channel divinity [CD]: uses increase: start with 2, plus 1 on a short rest.
• divine sense in CD option (as in PT6). duration lasts 10 minutes.
• Find steed spell at level 5, cast 1/day with no slot. Redesigned so that spell can be upcast, with a unique steed statblock. [This strongly implies that it's a class-specific spell, not on others' lists. Awesome. (Will a Lore Bard be able to select it? I hope so, and the discussion of spell lists (see below) makes me think they might, since identifying class-specific spells is harder.)]
• Abjure Foes a CD option (given at 9 in PT6)
• Auras are single things, with a single radius, that gain abilities/functionality (not separate auras as in 2014).

SUBCLASSES

Oath of Devotion.

• NEW: Sacred Weapon is part of the attack action. (PT required a Bonus action).
• Smite of Protection (level 15 in PT6)
• Holy Nimbus (level 20) is a bonus action (as in PT6).

Oath of Glory ("...this for me is the paladin who, if they were in a movie, would look at the camera, have impossibly white teeth, with a little sparkle on them as they smile")

• Peerless athlete lasts an hour (as in PT6)
• NEW: Aura of Alacrity affects allies if they enter your aura on their turn (they no longer need to start there)
• Oath of Glory has a new spell at level 17: Yolan's Regal Presence. Created by the Queen of the Elves, and makes others kneel before you and take psychic damage. [It's said that others can cast this spell too -- if right, then it's a 5th level spell and Clerics (likely) will be getting this at level 9. Perhaps he misspoke, and it's a class-specific spell.]

Oath of the Ancients

• Nature's wrath range "has been extended"
• Aura of Warding as in PT6 (resistance to Necrotic, Psychic, and Radiant)
• Undying Sentinel at 15 as in PT6 (you don't return with 1hp, but [?] 3x class level.

Oath of Vengeance

• NEW: Vow of Enmity part of attack action (not Bonus action); can transfer (as in PT6)
• NEW: Level 20 Avenging Angel activated as a Bonus Action, and lasts an hour (not 10 min as in PT6)

NEW RULES

• new area of effect: it's been there since 2014, but hasn't been named. It's for AOE that emanate from a character or monster -- the Emanation.
• new approach to spell lists. Spell list is part of the class description (as we saw with the Artificer). Entries give the school, whether it needs concentration, and required components. [I presume spell descriptions will still be at the back of the book: this is referring to the lists currently on PHB 207-11.]
• oath spell lists, patron spell lists, etc. have all been vetted and updated throughout.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Kind of depends on the implementation, or at least how I will rule it. If it has no verbal or somatic components then much like the sorcerer's subtle spell it can't be countered because there's no way to know a spell is being cast until after the fact.

It was Verbal in the UA so could be counterspelled.

 

[Scribe]

Have Paladin players just been so spoiled with how divine smite works that the idea of having to make tactical decisions about how to use their action economy seems like a terrible loss to them?

Yes. I'm spoiled. I'm also a minmaxer, and a power gamer, and (despite almost never multiclassing) just lamenting my lost dip options.

...

/s

Or maybe it's just not great design and a clear downgrade.

I've tried very hard to hold my tongue and not rail against everything that Wizards is doing wrong but you all don't make it easy.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Is that even a question? Of course they were. They're considered the most powerful martial class for a reason.

I mean, the 2024 paladin being slightly weaker than the 2014 version isn't (to me) in question. Whether weakening the class is justifiable also isn't (to me) in question, it certainly is justifiable.

The question is whether in the act of making it more balanced, did they make it less fun?

It's sort of like the Shield Master ruling, to me. Making the shield shove BA take place after attacking might have made it more coherent, but it made it less fun.

Yeah this is why I'm saying it's bad design, and I note there's been no real counter-argument to that, instead of repeated strawman arguments about "WELL PALLIES WERE 2 POWEFUL!". Like, sure, nerf them - but this is a dreadful, clumsy, awkward nerf that pushes even pressure on the already overladen BA mechanic in 5E. And it's because D&D's designers are not particularly competent when it comes to mechanical design. They're real 6/10 guys. Not like 10/10 guys like the MtG team. They're not actively awful either, to be fair, but they screw up pretty regularly.

 

[Oofta]

Find Steed still a thing.......as Mearls said in one of his design patreon, it's just not a thing that gets used much. How often do we even use mounted PCs....

That's why you make your paladin a halfling so you can ride a mastiff as your steed.

But a big reason to not use steeds is simply because by the time you get find steed, a warhorse will die quickly on a regular basis. I have my own house rule for that (they gain HD to match the paladin's) so we'll have to see what the faithful steed does.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Also I must say - the idea that this is 'not 5.5e' is dying fast the more I see. I mean, when they've even said that 2024 rules characters shouldn't be played w/ 2014 combat rules? Ummm...? o_0

Forewards compatibility is different from backwards compatibility

 

[Charlaquin]

Non-spell Smites are the majority of what I do in 5E while playing a paladin.

Well, good news! Now you’ll be able to keep doing that, without having to use your concentration on it.

 

[Argyle King]

Well, good news! Now you’ll be able to keep doing that, without having to use your concentration on it.

I wasn't using concentration before.

I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing.

 

[Charlaquin]

Yes. I'm spoiled. I'm also a minmaxer, and a power gamer, and (despite almost never multiclassing) just lamenting my lost dip options.

...

/s

Or maybe it's just not great design and a clear downgrade.

I mean, it’s definitely a downgrade. But I think it’s good design. Tactical decision-making is good, fun gameplay.

I've tried very hard to hold my tongue and not rail against everything that Wizards is doing wrong but you all don't make it easy.

You’re free to share your opinions. Mine is that this is a good change; it makes the smite spells more viable options, and makes playing a Paladin a bit more tactical. Both positives in my opinion. YMMV.

 

[Charlaquin]

I wasn't using concentration before.

I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing.

Spells like Searing Smite. They required concentration in the 2014 rules.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

But I think it’s good design. Tactical decision-making is good, fun gameplay.

Which is not what it provides. It forces you to play the character in a very staid and linear way, and will regularly GOTCHA new or untechnical players. Praising that as good design is appalling, imho. There's nothing "tactical" about it, and you've failed to explain why you think there is.