DnD Paladin 5e class explained

Lay on Hands

Level: One

As a bonus action, you can touch a creature (including yourself) and restore a number of hit points. These hit points come from a pool that equals five times your Paladin level, and you can choose to give away as many points as you like up to the maximum amount.

Once the points are taken from your pool, they remain spent – meaning that your next Lay on Hands can only provide hit points up to the maximum points left in the pool. All points in the pool are restored after a long rest.

Alternatively, you can spend five points from the pool to cure a creature of the poisoned condition. This doesn’t restore any HP to the creature, but those points are taken from your pool as normal.

Spellcasting

Level: One

Like all Dungeons and Dragons classes, Paladins must spend a spell slot of the appropriate level when casting a spell. The table below shows how many spells a Paladin knows at each level, as well as the spell slots they have available:

All spell slots replenish after a long rest, and during long rests, you can swap any one spell you know with another you can cast from the Paladin spell list. This is significantly different from the 2014 rules, where Paladins could change their entire spell list on a long rest.

Fighting Style

Level: Two

• Archery – +2 to attack rolls with ranged weapons.
• Blind Fighting – Gain 10ft of Blindsight.
• Defense – +1 to armor class while in light, medium, or heavy armor.
• Dueling – While wielding a single one-handed melee weapon, your damage rolls with it get +2.
• Great Weapon Fighting – When rolling damage for a two-handed or versatile melee weapon, any 1 or 2 on the die is a 3.
• Interception – When a creature you see hits another creature within five feet of you with an attack roll, you can spend a reaction to reduce the damage by 1d10 plus your proficiency bonus.
• Protection – When you see a creature attack a target other than you within five feet, you can use a reaction and your shield to give the attacker’s attack rolls disadvantage until the start of your next turn (as long as they stay within five feet).
• Thrown Weapon Fighting – Add +2 to damage rolls with Thrown weapons.
• Two-Weapon Fighting – When making an extra attack with a Light weapon, add your ability modifier to the damage.
• Unarmed Fighting – Unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 plus your Strength modifier, or a d8 if you aren’t holding weapons or a shield.

Alternatively, you can choose to learn two Cleric 5e cantrips, which count as Paladin spells for you and can be cast with Charisma as your spellcasting modifier. Plus, you can swap one of these cantrips whenever you gain a Paladin level.

Paladin’s Smite

Level: Two

Paladin subclass

Level: Three

A range of Paladin subclasses change your powers and playstyle from level three:

Oath of Devotion

Found in: 2024 Player’s Handbook

Your Devotion Paladin spell list focuses on your support role, with options such as Shield of Faith, Aid, Dispel Magic, and Guardian of Faith. Level-three Devotion Paladins also gain Sacred Weapon, a new Channel Divinity option. When you make an attack, you can spend a use of Channel Divinity to add your Charisma modifier to attack rolls made with a weapon of your choice. Successful attacks with that weapon can deal radiant damage or its normal DnD damage type.

At level seven, you gain an Aura of Devotion which means you and allies inside the aura are immune to the charmed condition. If someone enters the aura while charmed, they are unaffected while inside of it.

Smite of Protection is a level-15 ability that gives you and allies in your Aura of Protection half cover whenever you cast Divine Smite. These benefits last until the start of your next turn.

Finally, at level 20, Holy Nimbus turns your Aura of Protection into a way to deal radiant damage to enemies inside of it. It also grants you extra protection on saves against fiends and undead – classic Paladin.

Oath of Glory

Found in: 2024 Player’s Handbook

Heroism and bravery, mixed with a sense of camaraderie and passion for bodybuilding, the Oath of Glory 5e subclass is about buffing the physical abilities of you and your party, both offensively and defensively.

The always-prepared spell list offers some excellent options, from Guiding Bolt to Haste. Their level-three Channel Divinity option is Peerless Athlete, which means you can spend a bonus action and one use of your Channel Divinity to gain advantage on Athletics and Acrobatics checks. Your long and high jumps also increase by 10 feet, adding some extra mobility.

That agility is a key part of the subclass, as the level-seven Aura of Alacrity increases your speed by 10 feet, and allies who enter your Aura of Protection or start their turn there get a 10-foot speed increase until the end of their next turn. Adding further defensive options, the level-15 Glorious Defense ability means that, when you or a creature you can see within 10 feet are hit by an attack roll, you can spend a reaction to add a bonus (equal to your Charisma modifier) to the defender’s armor class. If the attack misses, you then get to make a weapon attack against the attacker as part of the same reaction.

Lastly, the Living Legend capstone gives your Paladin advantage on all Charisma checks, plus the ability to reroll a failed save or cause a missed attack to hit, for 10 minutes. The Oath of Glory Paladins chase success, and they often find it.

Oath of the Ancients

Found in: 2024 Player’s Handbook

Ambitious and portentous, Paladins of the Oath of the Ancients 5e subclass throw themselves into the cosmic struggle of light versus dark, receiving some splendid Druid 5e-like powers to show for it.

Much of their spell list focuses on restraining enemies, immobilizing while boosting your own mobility and damage potential. Ensnaring Strike, Misty Step, and Moonbeam are our personal standouts. Plus, their Nature’s Wrath Channel Divinity option lets you create ghostly vines as an action, which restrain creatures who fail their Strength save for up to one minute.

Aura of Warding gives you and your pals resistance to necrotic, psychic, and radiant damage while you’re in your Aura of Protection. At level 15, Undying Sentinel means you drop to one hit point when you reach zero HP but aren’t instantly killed. You then gain HP equal to three times your Paladin level.

Finally, at level 20, you gain the bonus action Elder Champion. This gives your Aura of Protection extra benefits for 10 minutes, including 10 HP at the start of each of your turns, disadvantage on saving throws against you for enemies in the aura, and (our favorite) the ability to cast spells that cost an action as a bonus action.

Oath of Vengeance

Found in: 2024 Player’s Handbook

When violent retribution is the order of the day, the Oath of Vengeance 5e subclass stands tall above the rest. Headstrong, and worryingly keen to hand out justice in the form of vicious attacks, it suits simple offensive builds that forgo protective tactics in favor of quick melee kills.

Its class features and spell list focuses on debuffing enemies, while buffing your own abilities to set up the perfect strike. In a similar vein, Vow of Enmity means that, from level three, when you make an attack action, you can spend Channel Divinity to give yourself advantage on attack rolls against a creature you can see within 30 feet.

From level seven, Relentless Avenger lets you reduce a target’s speed to zero when you make a successful opportunity attack against them. You can then immediately move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks. Plus, at level 15, Soul of Vengeance lets you spend a reaction to make a melee attack against a creature targeted by your Vow of Enmity when they make an attack roll.

Finally, at level 20, you become the ultimate Avenging Angel. For 10 minutes, you gain a fly speed of 60ft, and enemies who enter your Aura of Protection must pass a Wisdom save or become frightened.

Oath of Conquest

Found in: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Glory in battle and total domination of the enemy are the hallmarks of the Oath of Conquest 5e subclass, and its array of crowd control abilities lend it nicely to large encounters. Wade boldly through multiple foes, and strike down swarms of smaller enemies as you go.

This oath really shines through its features. Although both its Channel Divinity options are formidable, try combining Conquering Presence, which frightens a creature for one minute, with seventh-level Aura of Conquest, which incapacitates and damages all frightened enemies within a 10-foot radius, for easy kills.

Mix in the Fear spell at ninth level, letting you frighten every creature in a 30-foot radius on a failed Wisdom saving throw, and you’ve got a powerhouse of attrition.

Leveraging collective fear in your enemies is very much the focus of this subclass, but even the Armour of Agathys spell you get at third level, which grants five additional HP, and Spiritual Weapon – which at fifth level creates a floating weapon to freely move and attack enemies – will make you useful outside of swarm encounters.

Oath of Redemption

Found in: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Probably the most unusual of all the Paladin subclasses, those who take the Oath of Redemption 5e are pacifists at heart, begrudgingly pursuing conflict only when all non-violent options have been exhausted. It makes for a fantastic, spell-focused support character, better suited to helping others and dissuading enemies from attacking, than to bonking things on the head.

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.

At ninth level, Counterspell 5e can block incoming magic targeting you or your party. The Oath of Redemption subclass is not only a thematically fun choice, but one of persistent utility.

Oath of the Crown

Found in: Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

Exemplary lawful warriors who fight for the preservation of natural, divine order, those who take the Oath of the Crown 5e excel as party defenders and tanks. Soak up enemy attacks directed towards your compatriots 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 – particularly useful to keep enemies where you want them, in open areas, as well as preventing them dashing towards your squishier party members. On reaching level seven, Divine Allegiance lets you use your reaction to substitute your own HP for that of any ally within a five-foot radius.

And this oath’s spell list is a trove of treasures. Aura of Vitality will have you healing individual party members for 2d6 HP, including yourself. Act as a meat shield in combat, and revitalize yourself after the blows have stopped. Oath of the Crown is a subclass that can easily act as the linchpin of an entire front line.

Oath of the Watchers

Found in: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Another strongly thematic, but very narrow subclass, those who take the Oath of the Watchers 5e 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 DnD monsters, 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. It’s nicely scalable, and a particularly useful defense against the mind-bending effects of outerplanar creatures. 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.

Early-level spells, including Detect Magic and Alarm, are solid, if unremarkable, but higher-level abilities give fantastic magic resistance and debuffs. Make sure to invest heavily in Cha to get the most out of this magic-oriented subclass.

Oathbreaker

Found in: 2014 Dungeon Master’s Guide

A fallen Paladin who has broken their code, they question their beliefs – but retain a strength of conviction. Darkness has crept into their mind, contorting their faith and estranging them from the divinity they once espoused. This twist on the classic Paladin formula translates into a suite of aberrant abilities that center on high damage, and the undead.

The best Channel Divinity option is Dreadful Aspect, frightening all creatures within a 30-foot radius. The alternative, Control Undead, lets you bring any undead creature under your mental control.

But if you’ll be playing your Paladin for a while, it’s made a little redundant by the spell Animate Dead at ninth level, letting you summon an undead servant. If nothing else, these starter-necromancy spells are fun to play around with.

At level 15, Supernatural Resistance grants permanent protection from bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage dealt by non-magical weapons, seriously boosting your defenses. Later on, higher-level spells like Blight and Contagion can really help you pile on damage. If you’re looking for a melee-focused, damage-competent subclass that fits with darker Paladin roleplay, Oathbreaker 5e is the clear choice.

Oath of the Open Sea

Found in: Critical Role content

Clerics sworn to the Oath of the Open Sea 5e are free-spirited adventurers, and monster hunters who fight back against the dread beasts that stalk the deep. Their spell list is attuned to wind, water, and freedom of movement, and they’re capable of controlling the flow of battle like the gods of the ocean controlling the waves.

The two Channel Divinity options have potent combat control effects. Marine Layer generates a dense fog that you (and creatures within five feet) are able to see through, but which obscures your opponents’ vision. Fury of the Tides allows you to throw back any enemy you strike by 10′, enough to push them off the side of a boat (or a cliff!).

At seventh level, Aura of Liberation makes you and nearby allies immune to being grappled and restrained, as well as freeing you up to move without penalty underwater. The 15th level Stormy Waters is a useful reaction ability that allows you to inflict damage on enemies that enter your reach, and potentially knock them prone – this and Marine Layer are good excuses to fight with a Reach weapon.

Ability Score Improvement

Level: Four

Choose one of the following:

You gain this feature again at levels eight, 12, and 16.

Extra Attack

Level: Five