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[Guide] Blades of Justice: The 5e Paladin guide
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<blockquote data-quote="Gavin O." data-source="post: 7459552" data-attributes="member: 6941440"><p><strong>Fundamentals of the faith: Class Features</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Lay on Hands </strong>You get a pool of healing with 5 points per Paladin level, and can heal creatures as an action. You can also use 5 points to remove one poison or disease affecting a creature you touch. The short range and action cost makes this clunky to use in combat, but it's great after a fight when you can't take a short rest. It can also be used to revive an unconscious party member, and you only need to heal them for one point to get them back to the fight. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #800080"><strong>Divine Sense</strong></span> For some reason, this only senses Celestials, Fiends, and Undead. When you're facing those creatures, being able to detect them is useful, but as a whole, this effect is pretty narrow. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ffff"><strong>Spellcasting</strong></span> The feature that differentiates you from the Fighters and Barbarians, the paladin is a half caster class. Spell choices will be discussed in their own section. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ffff"><strong>Divine Smite</strong></span> Or, you could use your slots on this. 2d8 damage for a level 1 slot (+1d8 for each level more, up to 5d8) outclasses almost every single-target damaging spell available, and if you have spell slots to burn, you can do extremely high damage. </p><p></p><p>Fighting styles:</p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Dueling</span></strong> +2 damage per hit is a very solid increase. Note that you can use this style with a shield in your other hand, just not a second weapon.</p><p><strong>Defense</strong> Boring, but still strong. Makes a great second fighting style for those who get another style from somewhere and is an option for great weapon users as well.</p><p><strong>Great Weapon Fighting</strong> As per the sage advice, this does not apply to Divine Smite. It’s an average of +1.33 damage on a greatsword, less on a Glaive but it does apply to the polearm master special attack. If you're using a Double Scimitar, this improves to the point of being <span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Blue</strong></span></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Protection</span></strong> If you plan to play a character who protects their allies and wields a shield, you probably have the Sentinel feat, which will eat up your reaction anyways. Also interferes with your ability to make opportunity attacks. In a low-level or featless campaign where you also have two fighting styles, I could see taking this.</p><p></p><p><strong>Divine Health</strong> Immunity to disease is very solid, especially at a low level. You can remove disease through Lay on Hands, but this means you can save that for your allies. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ffff"><strong>Sacred Oaths</strong></span> will be discussed in their own section</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ffff"><strong>Ability Score increase</strong></span> everyone gets them, including you. You've got two important stats and many good feats, so you want as many of them as you can get. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ffff"><strong>Extra Attack</strong></span><span style="color: #000000"> This is what separates you from the Clerics. Getting a second attack with each use of the attack action is fantastic, especially since you now have two opportunities to Divine Smite per turn. </span></p><p><span style="color: #000000"></span></p><p><span style="color: #000000"></span><span style="color: #00ffff"><strong>Aura of Protection</strong></span><span style="color: #000000"> And this is what separates you from the Fighters. Giving yourself and all allies within 10 feet of you a bonus to all saving throws equal to your Charisma is fantastic. Gets even better at level 18. </span></p><p> <span style="color: #000000"></span></p><p><span style="color: #000000"></span><strong>Aura of Courage</strong> Immunity to fear effects for you and nearby allies probably won't come up often, but will be a lifesaver when it does. </p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Improved Divine</span> <span style="color: #00ffff">Smite</span></strong> At the level where the fighter gets a third attack, you get +1d8 radiant damage to all of your hits. If you're making two attacks per round, this is worse than another Extra Attack, but still solid. If you're making more than two attacks per round, through Polearm Master or similar, this is really good. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Cleansing Touch </strong></span>Use an action to automatically end on spell affection you or a creature you touch. A bit clunky to use in combat, but can be very handy.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ffff"><strong>Aura Range improvement</strong></span> This comes late but is an absolute game changer. Increasing the range of your beneficial auras from 10 feet to 30 feet makes them much better.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Gavin O., post: 7459552, member: 6941440"] [B]Fundamentals of the faith: Class Features[/B] [B]Lay on Hands [/B]You get a pool of healing with 5 points per Paladin level, and can heal creatures as an action. You can also use 5 points to remove one poison or disease affecting a creature you touch. The short range and action cost makes this clunky to use in combat, but it's great after a fight when you can't take a short rest. It can also be used to revive an unconscious party member, and you only need to heal them for one point to get them back to the fight. [COLOR=#800080][B]Divine Sense[/B][/COLOR] For some reason, this only senses Celestials, Fiends, and Undead. When you're facing those creatures, being able to detect them is useful, but as a whole, this effect is pretty narrow. [COLOR=#00ffff][B]Spellcasting[/B][/COLOR] The feature that differentiates you from the Fighters and Barbarians, the paladin is a half caster class. Spell choices will be discussed in their own section. [COLOR=#00ffff][B]Divine Smite[/B][/COLOR] Or, you could use your slots on this. 2d8 damage for a level 1 slot (+1d8 for each level more, up to 5d8) outclasses almost every single-target damaging spell available, and if you have spell slots to burn, you can do extremely high damage. Fighting styles: [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Dueling[/COLOR][/B] +2 damage per hit is a very solid increase. Note that you can use this style with a shield in your other hand, just not a second weapon. [B]Defense[/B] Boring, but still strong. Makes a great second fighting style for those who get another style from somewhere and is an option for great weapon users as well. [B]Great Weapon Fighting[/B] As per the sage advice, this does not apply to Divine Smite. It’s an average of +1.33 damage on a greatsword, less on a Glaive but it does apply to the polearm master special attack. If you're using a Double Scimitar, this improves to the point of being [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Blue[/B][/COLOR] [B][COLOR=#800080]Protection[/COLOR][/B] If you plan to play a character who protects their allies and wields a shield, you probably have the Sentinel feat, which will eat up your reaction anyways. Also interferes with your ability to make opportunity attacks. In a low-level or featless campaign where you also have two fighting styles, I could see taking this. [B]Divine Health[/B] Immunity to disease is very solid, especially at a low level. You can remove disease through Lay on Hands, but this means you can save that for your allies. [COLOR=#00ffff][B]Sacred Oaths[/B][/COLOR] will be discussed in their own section [COLOR=#00ffff][B]Ability Score increase[/B][/COLOR] everyone gets them, including you. You've got two important stats and many good feats, so you want as many of them as you can get. [COLOR=#00ffff][B]Extra Attack[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] This is what separates you from the Clerics. Getting a second attack with each use of the attack action is fantastic, especially since you now have two opportunities to Divine Smite per turn. [/COLOR][COLOR=#00ffff][B]Aura of Protection[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] And this is what separates you from the Fighters. Giving yourself and all allies within 10 feet of you a bonus to all saving throws equal to your Charisma is fantastic. Gets even better at level 18. [/COLOR][B]Aura of Courage[/B] Immunity to fear effects for you and nearby allies probably won't come up often, but will be a lifesaver when it does. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Improved Divine[/COLOR] [COLOR=#00ffff]Smite[/COLOR][/B] At the level where the fighter gets a third attack, you get +1d8 radiant damage to all of your hits. If you're making two attacks per round, this is worse than another Extra Attack, but still solid. If you're making more than two attacks per round, through Polearm Master or similar, this is really good. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Cleansing Touch [/B][/COLOR]Use an action to automatically end on spell affection you or a creature you touch. A bit clunky to use in combat, but can be very handy. [COLOR=#00ffff][B]Aura Range improvement[/B][/COLOR] This comes late but is an absolute game changer. Increasing the range of your beneficial auras from 10 feet to 30 feet makes them much better. [/QUOTE]
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