Paladin
Whether sworn in a grand cathedral or murmured alone in the dark before a dying flame, a paladin's oath is the foundation of their power. More than mere warriors or priests, paladins are living embodiments of a sacred cause — warriors of the light who have bound themselves to a higher purpose and in doing so have been granted power that transcends ordinary mortal means.
Paladins channel the might of their convictions into holy magic, healing the wounded, smiting the wicked, and inspiring those around them with a presence that radiates like an aura. Their strength comes not from gods alone, but from the unshakeable force of a promise kept — and the terrible reckoning that follows when a paladin meets those who would undo all they protect.
Most paladins walk clearly defined paths: the oath of devotion to a code of honor, the defense of ancient natural forces, the relentless pursuit of justice. But some break their vows entirely, and in doing so discover a darker, twisted mirror of the power they once held. Whatever their path, paladins are among the most formidable and inspiring presences on any battlefield.
Building a Paladin
Hit Dice. \(1d10\) per paladin level.
Proficiencies
Armor. You gain proficiency with all armor and shields.
Weapons. You gain proficiency with simple weapons and martial weapons.
Tools. None.
Skills. Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Persuasion, and Religion.
Saving Throws. Wisdom and Charisma are your saving throw proficiencies.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment:
- A martial weapon and a shield, or two martial weapons,
- five javelins or any simple melee weapon,
- a priest's pack or explorer's pack,
- chain mail and a holy symbol.
Paladin Table:
| Level | Class Features Gained | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Prof. Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Divine Sense, Lay on Hands | — | — | — | — | — | +2 |
| 2nd | Fighting Style, Spellcasting, Divine Smite | 2 | — | — | — | — | +2 |
| 3rd | Divine Health, Choose Sacred Oath | 3 | — | — | — | — | +2 |
| 4th | Obtain Feat | 3 | — | — | — | — | +2 |
| 5th | Extra Attack | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | +3 |
| 6th | Aura of Protection | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | +3 |
| 7th | Subclass Feature | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | +3 |
| 8th | Obtain Feat | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | +3 |
| 9th | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | +4 |
| 10th | Aura of Courage | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | +4 |
| 11th | Improved Divine Smite | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | +4 |
| 12th | Obtain Feat | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | +4 |
| 13th | — | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | +5 |
| 14th | Cleansing Touch | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | +5 |
| 15th | Subclass Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | +5 |
| 16th | Obtain Feat | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | +5 |
| 17th | — | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | +6 |
| 18th | Aura Improvements | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | +6 |
| 19th | Obtain Feat | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | +6 |
| 20th | Subclass Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | +6 |
Subclasses
At 3rd level, you swear the oath that binds you as a paladin forever. Choose from: Oath of Conquest, Oath of Devotion, Oath of Glory, Oath of Redemption, Oath of the Ancients, Oath of the Watchers, Oath of Vengeance, Oath to the Crown, and Oathbreaker. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 20th levels.
Class Features
Divine Sense
The presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in your ears. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.
Lay on Hands
Your blessed touch can heal wounds. You have a pool of healing power that replenishes when you take a long rest. With that pool, you can restore a total number of hit points equal to your paladin level × 5.
As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool. Alternatively, you can expend 5 hit points from your pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. You can cure multiple diseases and neutralize multiple poisons with a single use of Lay on Hands, expending hit points separately for each one.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options:
Defense. While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Great Weapon Fighting. When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
Protection. When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
Spellcasting
By 2nd level, you have learned to draw on divine magic through meditation and prayer to cast spells. Paladins are half-casters and use Charisma as their spellcasting ability.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
You prepare the list of paladin spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the paladin spell list. You prepare a number of spells equal to your Charisma modifier + half your paladin level (rounded down). Your oath spells are always prepared and do not count against this limit.
Divine Smite
Starting at 2nd level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is \(2d8\) for a 1st-level spell slot, plus \(1d8\) for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of \(5d8\). The damage increases by \(1d8\) if the target is an undead or a fiend.
Divine Health
By 3rd level, the divine magic flowing through you makes you immune to disease.
Sacred Oath
When you reach 3rd level, you swear the oath that binds you as a paladin forever. Up to this time you have been in a preparatory stage, committed to the path but not yet sworn to it. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level.
Each Sacred Oath also grants you Oath Spells and Channel Divinity options.
Oath Spells. Each oath has a list of associated spells. Once you gain access to an oath spell at the level listed, you always have it prepared. Oath spells don't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.
Channel Divinity. Your oath allows you to channel divine energy to fuel magical effects. You have 2 uses of Channel Divinity, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which option to use.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Aura of Protection
Starting at 6th level, whenever you or a friendly creature within 10 feet of you must make a saving throw, the creature gains a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of +1). You must be conscious to grant this bonus.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Aura of Courage
Starting at 10th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you can't be frightened while you are conscious.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Improved Divine Smite
By 11th level, you are so suffused with righteous might that all your melee weapon strikes carry divine power with them. Whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon, the creature takes an extra \(1d8\) radiant damage.
Cleansing Touch
Beginning at 14th level, you can use your action to end one spell on yourself or on one willing creature that you touch.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.