So a friend of mine was creating a campaign and he was going to use a Paladin. What he said when it came to his mind was “Holiness mingled with havoc wrecking”. I paused for a while so that the statement will sink in. It really did make sense.
If you are new to the Dungeons and Dragons games and you probably want to use the Paladins but you don’t really know much about them, or you have been using the Paladins but you really want to up knowledge on how to use them, this article is for you.
In this piece, we will teach you how to create and play the Paladins. We will also take some of the frequently asked questions and give you answers that benefit them. I am so excited to help you learn about the Paladins.
Who are the Paladins?
So the fight is almost over, victory is neigh. However, the enemies are as strong. And then the slice as of a knife is heard. A party member has been deeply wounded and may not survive the cut. Then when it looks like all hope is lost, The Paladin endowed with eternal brightness and clad in plate armor sweeps in and lays a hand on the dying man. A beam of light flashed from her hands and the wounded man was reinvigorated and healed.
Paladins are a force to reckon with. They are devout warriors that have sworn to defend the truth and uphold justice and righteousness. In this world, it is righteousness against evil. So the Paladins have sworn to uphold righteousness and at the same time combat evil.
Paladins are also known to wield divine magic for the reinvigoration of themselves and those in need. They have unparalleled fighting and spellcasting skills just like the clerics. They are always focused on their cause and protective of their own. With the ruthlessness of fighters and the holiness of an Aasimar, the Paladins are just on fleek.
How can I create a Paladin?
To create a Paladin, the first thing to do is to think about the mission that they will accomplish. Like we said earlier, the Paladins are always focused on their mission. They even go to the extent of taking oats. I believe the aim of this oat is to rededicate themselves and make solemn promises to take the task at hand to quell the forces of darkness through troubling and fiery the journey may seem.
Most Paladins worship and dedicate themselves to a deity. Whichever deity they surrender themselves to, they reverence him. They assume that it is all-knowing and that it has the ability to punish them when they do wrong. Therefore, they are always ready to do the right thing.
These deities however are good and lawful deities. There are other deities that stand for evil. Nevertheless, Paladins only serve the lawful deities and only do their bidding. The Dungeons and Dragons games have a plethora of gods and goddesses. You should choose the one that your Paladin will serve. However, if after browsing through the list and you could not find the god that matches your intent, you can create one for yourself.
It is important to get a player’s handbook. If you don’t already have one, you can get one through this link. If you need the Players handbook with DND dice and a complete printable kit-DND core rule book all in one pack, click this link. This will save you some cash than having to go buy them separately but you will have to pay more upfront. However, if you don’t have the funds at this time to purchase one, we got you covered as we will supply you with the most important statistics for Paladin excerpted from the Players handbook.
Paladin 5e Statistics
Strength and Charisma are Paladin’s primary statistics. It helps you to have a high constitution.
| Hit Dice | 1d10 per level |
| HP at Level up | 1d10 (or 6)+ Constitution Modifier |
| Primary ability scores | Dexterity or strength and constitution |
| Armor proficiency | All armor, shields |
| Weapon proficiency | Simple Weapons, Martial weapons |
| Saving throws | Nil |
| Tool proficiency | Wisdom and Charisma |
What special abilities do Paladins have?
Paladins start with two special abilities. The Divine sense and the Lay on hands. The Divine sense helps the Paladins to sense evil. These could be creatures whose intents are geared by evil. They can as well sense creatures that have good intentions too. Their divine sense can also be used to sense to detect celestials and fiends within a 60ft range.
The Lay of hands ability is used to heal the wounded and bring about restoration. Party members that have been hurt as a result of combat can be reinvigorated. However, as the game progresses, they acquire leveled-up abilities. These include Divine health, Aura of protection, Divine Smite, etc.
Paladin Oaths: Subclasses 5e
The paladins will have to swear an oath upon reaching level three. This oath is a commission to righteousness and dedication to the truth. This path grants specific features and a spell list.
Oat of Devotion
Excerpted from the Players Handbook
| Level | Subclass abilities |
| 3 | Abjure enemy, Vow of Enmity |
| 7 | Relentless Avenger |
| 15 | Soul of Vengeance |
| 20 | Avenging Angel |
The standard Paladin incarnation, this subclass is the closest to a knight in shining armour that you’re likely to get within D&D; all gracious chivalry, angelic righteousness, and honourable justice in service of the gods. Alongside that comes a distinct lack of speciality, and a mixed bag of abilities. The Oath of Devotion spell list is an assortment of powerful, but situational offerings, and a couple of restorative spells, which prove a little redundant next to Paladins’ Lay on Hands ability.
Oath of Ancients
Curled from the Players Handbook
| Level | Subclass abilities |
| 3 | Nature’s wrath, Turn the faithless |
| 7 | Aura of warding |
| 15 | Undying sentinel |
| 20 | Elder champion |
The paladins from this class throw themselves into the cosmic struggle of light versus darkness and they receives druid-like powers in return. Their spell focuses on restraining enemies.
Oath of Vengeance
Excerpted from the Player’s handbook
| Level | Subclass abilities |
| 3 | Abjure enemy, Vow of Enmity |
| 7 | Relentless avenger |
| 15 | Soul of vengeance |
| 20 | Avenging Angel |
This subclass prevails above the rest in times of violent retribution. They are always ready to serve justice in the form of various attacks. The class features and spell list focuses on persistent damage.
The Level 3 Abjure enemy renders a disadvantage on enemies and Vow of Enmity provides the advantage to your own attack rolls for a minute. this advantage gives you the ability to slice dice through creatures with ease. This subclass is best played with speed and aggression.
Oat of Conquest
Excerpted from the Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
| Level | Subclass abilities |
| 3 | Peerless athlete, Inspiring smile |
| 7 | Aura of Alacrity |
| 15 | Glorious Defense |
| 20 | Living Legend |
The watchword for this subclass is Glory in battle and total domination of their enemies. Third-level conquering presence frightens an enemy for one minute while the seventh-level Aura of conquest incapacitates and damages all frightened enemies within a 10-foot radius.
Oath of Glory
Excerpted from the Mystic Odysseys of Theros/ Tasha’s Cauldron of everything
| Level | Subclass abilities |
| 3 | Peerless Athlete, Inspiring Smite |
| 7 | Aura of Alacrity |
| 15 | Glorious defense |
| 20 | Living Legend |
This subclass is concerned with heroism and bravery. They invest in bodybuilding. Peerless Athlete grants Advantage on Athletics and Acrobatics checks for 10 minutes, while Inspiring Smite lets you distribute temporary hit points to your party after a successful hit. And /both/ can be used as Bonus Actions.
Oath of Redemption
Excerpted from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
| Level | Subclass abilities |
| 3 | Emissary of Peace, Rebuke the Violent |
| 7 | Aura of the Gaurdian |
| 15 | Protective spirit |
| 20 | Emissary of redemption |
This subclass is different from the others that we have discussed because they only pursue conflict violently when other peaceful methods of doing so have proved abortive.
Its third-level Emissary of Peace Channel Divinity option lets you effectively discourage violence, granting yourself a +5 Persuasion bonus. But even when the fists inevitably come out, you won’t be left on the sidelines. Seventh-level Aura of the Guardian lets you take damage instead of any creature within 10 feet, and can be combined with Protective Spirit at level 15 to heal 1d6 + half your Paladin level mid-combat.
Oath of the Crown
Excerpted from Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
| Level | Subclass abilities |
| 3 | Champion challenge, Turn the tide |
| 7 | Divine Allegiance |
| 15 | Unyielding spirit |
| 20 | Exalted Champion |
Exemplars of lawful warriors that fight for the preservation of natural, divine order, those who take the Oath of the Crown excel as party defenders and tanks. You take up enemy attacks directed towards your party members for the sake of your less-armored allies.
At level three, Champion Challenge lets Paladins prevent all creatures within a 30-foot radius from moving away from them. At level seven, Divine Allegiance lets you use your reaction to substitute your own HP for that of any ally within a 5-foot radius.
Oath of the Watchers
Excerpted from Tasha’s Cauldron of everything
| Level | Subclass abilities |
| 3 | Watcher’s will. abjure the extraplanar |
| 7 | Aura of the sentinel |
| 15 | Vigilante Rebuke |
| 20 | Mortal Bulwark |
Watchers dedicate themselves to warding off extraplanar threats. If the campaign you’re playing is likely to sweep you across the planes or bring you face-to-face with otherworldly enemies, then this subclass will be of great use. Otherwise, much of its glorious potential will be wasted.
Their third-level Watcher’s Will feature grants Advantage on Int, Wis, and Cha saving throws for a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier. At level seven, Aura of the Sentinel boosts the initiative of all party members within a ten-foot radius, which comes in particularly handy when you want to run down an enemy’s HP at lightning speed.
Breaking your oath
Inasmuch as the Paladins try to uphold their oath and preserve their character, shit happens and they may break their binding oath. This is clear notice that Paladins though ready to defend the truth and uphold righteousness are not infallible.
Nevertheless, there is a repentance path for Paladins who have defiled themselves with the cloak of wickedness. They can repent and be re-dedicated to their purpose by absolution. This absolution is offered by a cleric who shared in the same faith as the fallible Paladin or by another Paladin of the same order. However, this is only accessible to penitent Paladins. If a Paladin breaks its oath on purpose and remains impenitent, the said Paladin will be required to abandon its class and adopt the oath-breaker Paladin option.
FAQs
Are Paladins good at first level?
The Paladins are not their best at first level. However, they are not bad too. They scale in terms of their ability and power. They get even better in the 2nd level and subsequent levels. In the 2nd level, you can access spells and in the third level, you can take the sacred oath.
What is the best race for a Paladin?
Dragonborns, Triton, Aasimar, and Half-elves are very good races for the Paladins. This is because playing a Paladin means being devout and uncompromising. So choosing a race that is strong and charismatic will be just cool.