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.

 

[FrogReaver]

Maybe I missed it but is divine smite concentration now?

 

[DrJawaPhD]

Maybe I missed it but is divine smite concentration now?

I don't think the video mentioned this, but in the UA Playtest it did not* so it seems safe to assume they would've mentioned this if it changed

*Banishing Smite and Shining Smite did require concentration but this was related to keeping up the the debuff that you apply

 

[FrogReaver]

Unpopular opinion - I agree with smites being bonus actions based on what we currently know.

Its simple. Between potions or lay on hands being a bonus action then attacking, smiting for big damage and then healing big damage is presumably too much on a turn. It also will make for generally better multiclass balance.

I think if the healing options had remained actions then smite wouldn’t have needed to be given an action cost, just a limit once per turn would have been fine.

Its also worth noting that at least TWF with the right mastery doesn’t require a bonus action, which means that perhaps the most common bonus action a Paladin might have previously used (bonus action attack) isn’t going to cause bonus action juggling.

2014 smite as a bonus action would have sucked badly. I don’t think it will feel bad in 2024 for it to be a bonus action.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

WotC took all the complaints about how Eldritch Blast and Hunter's Mark should be class features, not spells, because them being spells makes them poachable for other classes, and said "nope. In fact, we're going in the opposite direction".

Also, now any full caster who gets this Divine Smite spell in any way is effectively better at smiting than Paladin.

And fun Paladin/Barbarian builds no longer work.

Yeah by this alone I'm not a fan of this, it feels like a huge nerf for the sake of buffing full casters.

 

[Nadan]

full caster effectively better at smiting than Paladin. And fun Paladin/Barbarian builds no longer work.

Sorry but I fail to understand what is your logic here. First, the good old 14 soc /6 pal build already better at smiting than pure paladin (you can even argue being a better sorcerer).

Second, in term of action economy, now the new smites require a BA so bards is out cause they are BA heavy class especially valor and dance; moon druid still can't cast while wildshape unless very high level; cleric can't chop twice and kinda BA heavy already; blade lock have their own smite (which also need some tweak tbh); due to new smites technically is BA spell socerers no longer able to attack-smite then quicken spells out; wizards don't do chopping in general. And now since you can only smite once per round your slots will buring relative slow so full caster's advantage (more slot to smite) is less significant.

Third, the new zealot barbarian has more divine fury and paladin-lit flavor on their mechanism and don't require dying now, you should give them a try.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Sorry but I fail to understand what is your logic here. First, the good old 14 soc /6 pal build already better at smiting than pure paladin (you can even argue being a better sorcerer).

Second, in term of action economy, now the new smites require a BA so bards is out cause they are BA heavy class especially valor and dance; moon druid still can't cast while wildshape unless very high level; cleric can't chop twice and kinda BA heavy already; blade lock have their own smite (which also need some tweak tbh); due to new smites technically is BA spell socerers no longer able to attack-smite then quicken spells out; wizards don't do chopping in general. And now since you can only smite once per round your slots will buring relative slow so full caster's advantage (more slot to smite) is less significant.

Third, the new zealot barbarian has more divine fury and paladin-lit flavor on their mechanism and don't require dying now, you should give them a try.

You don't even need to be Paladin/anything. Just be Bard and you can have the spell. If there's some way to finagle it onto a Wizard, e.g. via Magic Initiate (since Paladins now start as spellcasters), Bladesingers will now make amazing divine smiters. Because that was a subclass that TOTALLY needed a power-up.

 

[Nadan]

You don't even need to be Paladin/anything. Just be Bard and you can have the spell. If there's some way to finagle it onto a Wizard, e.g. via Magic Initiate (since Paladins now start as spellcasters), Bladesingers will now make amazing divine smiters. Because that was a subclass that TOTALLY needed a power-up.

Bard as I said isn't a good class for being a smiter due to BA heavy class. Bladesinger can use smite but lets be honest the most poweful bladesinger gameplay is DON'T use the attack action, just be a very tanky wizard that casting wizard spell is way more powerful than hit someone twice and add some extra dmg.
Not to mention since we are back to class specific spell list the magic initiate is very likely back to its older form in case of available class list (no half caster list).

 

[UngainlyTitan]

You don't even need to be Paladin/anything. Just be Bard and you can have the spell. If there's some way to finagle it onto a Wizard, e.g. via Magic Initiate (since Paladins now start as spellcasters), Bladesingers will now make amazing divine smiters. Because that was a subclass that TOTALLY needed a power-up.

I am pretty sure (from the UA wording) that smite will be Paladin exclusive.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I am pretty sure (from the UA wording) that smite will be Paladin exclusive.

Bard laughs at your Paladin exclusivity. As does Magic Initiate.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Bard as I said isn't a good class for being a smiter due to BA heavy class. Bladesinger can use smite but lets be honest the most poweful bladesinger gameplay is DON'T use the attack action, just be a very tanky wizard that casting wizard spell is way more powerful than hit someone twice and add some extra dmg.
Not to mention since we are back to class specific spell list the magic initiate is very likely back to its older form in case of available class list (no half caster list).

I think you massively over-estimate how much that matters for Bard. Further, nobody said this tactic was more powerful than what they could already do. It just makes them more versatile, by being able to be better at it than a Paladin could ever try to be.