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.

 

[Scribe]

And pull the third attack off Pact of the Blade.

If that didnt happen, I'm taking a forum vacation.

 

[mellored]

Its an approximation, just as you didnt read my post or tried to pull it in a different direction by reading 'less interesting' as 'less' I didnt care to go and find all the options to give you an exact count.

And I wont be.

I did read your post.

You said less power, which is true.

And you said less choice. Which i can't figure out how you got to that conclusion.

 

[Vael]

As a sorcerer supporter, I dread the final reveal of Twin Spell. But even then I know in my heart that it was too good and needs a nerf. I'm not going to stomp my feet and demand the 2014 Twin Spell be used. I'm willing to see what the final product looks like before I consider it a failure.

Same. And tbh, I thought the last UA was actually a solid version ... assuming they also rewrite more spells to actually be legal options for Twin Spell.

 

[Scribe]

I did read your post.

You said less power, which is true.

And you said less choice. Which i can't figure out how you got to that conclusion.

I wont be responding to this again. You are incorrect. I did not say less choice. Read.

 

[Undrave]

I typically chose utility spells for the actual spells.

Yeah, they were kinda crappy - especially compared to Divine Smite.

I liked that the paladin used spell slots in a different way and had a noticeably different identity than classes like the ranger, eldritch knight fighter, and other casters.

See, I think having to pick between using your slots on Smite or on Utility was already a tactical enough decision point and you didn’t need to be needled every turn about it.

And I agree about Slots. Again: Paladins shouldn’t even get slots; just Smites they can trade for utility magic. Turn their slots into spell points and turn those points into dice for Smites. Limit to one smite per turn and it's fine.

Appalling is a pretty strong word there, should we maybe try to turn the temperature of this conversation down a notch?

I like the change. I don’t see how discouraging using your bonus action until after you’ve attacked is any different than how rogues already play, and I find the way rogues play to be very fun. If you disagree, I’m sorry you feel that way. Hopefully it’s not a complete deal-breaker for you, and if it is, that sucks.

It is not like the Rogue. If both Rogue and Paladin use their Bonus Action before attacking, the Rogue can STILL get their Sneak Attack in if they roll well (and they probably will with Advantage), the Paladin can’t get their Smite.

 

[mellored]

View attachment 368267

I wont be responding to this again. You are incorrect. I did not say less choice. Read.

I'm still confused but whatever. I'm not trying to be annoying.


Either way
Yes to intentionally less nova power. They said it in a playtest video.
But there are more interesting choices than before.

 

[OB1]

As someone who's played quite a few 5e Paladins, the switch of Lay on Hands, other smites becoming reactions to a hit, and other options to bonus actions is well worth what I'm giving up by also having smite become a bonus action. I've greatly increased my flexibility in combat, for example being able to heal a bucket of damage and still get two attacks in.

 

[Nikosandros]

I'm currently (and for the first time) playing a paladin. I agree that liming smite to once per round is a good choice. I'm a bit perplexed by the BA, but I'm not 100% against it. When I next ran a game, I'll consider house-ruling it. As for my character, I still don't know if the game is going to switch to the 2024 rules. Possibly not, because we are more that halfway through and I don't think that the DM and the other players are keen to fiddle with the rules and the characters.

 

[htap]

I will def homebrew in my games that Paladin smite is 2014 but once per turn. I don't love all the Ba options competition with smite now. If you wanna misty step to that bad guy and give him a good bop, go ahead.

 

[Parmandur]

So, hey, hiw cool is the Paladin Class art??

So, we get an Orc woman gor the main example laying a Smite down, an older Human woman for Oath of Devotion, a Tiefling man for Oath of Glory, an Elf man fir Oath of the Ancients, and a Dragonborn for Oath of Vengeance: