Looking to build a Cleric with Dungeons & Dragons' 2024 Player’s Handbook?
Hold on to your Holy Symbol and consult this guide.
With a little guidance, you could build your very own knight in shining armor.
While no man is an island,a paladin is practically a one-man army.
Just because it’s possible for you to make a ranged paladin doesnt mean you should.
paladins get a lot of bonuses in melee that they miss out on during ranged combat.
Devoted Paladin, by Chris Rallis
Divine Smite is now a spell, and starting at level two, paladins always have it prepared.
Divine Health has been removed, andDivine Sense is an option for Channel Divinityinstead of being separate.
As always, the result of this spell is at your DM’s discretion.
Devoted Paladin, by Chris Rallis
Functionally, its virtually identical but a little less clunky.
Radiant Strikes is the new name for Improved Divine Smite but is otherwise unchanged.
Meanwhile,oath of glory paladins have been imported from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everythinginto the core rulebook.
Paladin of Heironeous, by W. O’Connor
Fans of classic paladins will enjoy this subclass.
Oath Of The Ancients
Oath of the ancients paladinslove life and celebrate nature.
Don’t let that stop you from choosing another species, though!
Prayers, by Kyle Anderson
That, plusDarkvision and an extra skill, makes an elvish paladin an extremely versatile character.
Plus, you get the always-usefulDarkvisionand a couple ofcantrips outside the paladin spell list.
Depending on which Giant Ancestry option you choose,goliaths can make excellent paladins.
Smite Undead, by T. Baxa
Humans get an extra feat and skill, allowing them to perform well as any class.
Human fighters are a little more versatile than other species as a result.
This can make stat placement difficult, especially if you’re using the standard array.
Dwarfhold Champion, by Miguel Mercado
If your DM prefers to use randomized stats, talk to them about creating characters out of order.
The exception is blessed warrior paladins, who will want 15 to qualify for heavy armor.
Constitution is vital, not only for the extra HP but also for the saves.
Mazzy, Truesword Paladin by Justyna Dura
Wisdomis good for all kinds of saves, butpaladins are already stretched thin.
Use this as a dump stat unless you get a fourth high roll on randomized stats.
Intelligencedoes nothing for paladins.
Divine Smite, by Bryan Sola
This should be your lowest score.
Charisma is a paladin’s spellcasting stat; it also determines the bonuses from the Aura of Protection.
Thisshould be your second-highest stat.
Goliath Paladin, by John Severin Brassell
Once you pick up an actual magic weapon, you’re able to prepare another spell.
Revivify
3
Death sucks, but it isn’t permanent in D&D.
They can choose to start with 150 GP instead of this starting package.
Boarskyr Tollkeeper, by Andrey Kuzinskiy
A ranged weapon is a good idea for a backup for dealing with flying or otherwise unreachable opponents.
If you want to play aggressively with a two-handed weapon,a maul is an excellent option.
Topple means you might knock an opponent down and then take attacks with Advantage while theyre on the ground.
Banishment, by Darek Zabrocki
Rapiers are an excellent choice for paladins built around Dexterity.
Since theyre Vex weapons, once you hit, youll keep on hitting on your follow-up attacks.
Reach weapons, in general, are fantastic.
Dungeoneer’s Pack, by Tony Foti
Use that feature to protect allies or drop flying enemies out of the sky.
Defense
A flatplus-one boost to ACis superb in Fifth Edition, including in the 2024 update.
Dueling
Paladins using one-handed weaponssuch as longswords and rapiersshould always pick this optionfor the flat, consistent damage boost.
Greatsword of Tyr, by Titus Lunter
Great Weapon Fighting
This is anexcellent option for paladins using two-handed weaponslike a maul.
It increases your average damage and eliminates the bad feeling of landing a tough attack and doing paltry damage.
Lucky
Origin
Lucky works well on any character, regardless of class and build.
Veteran Soldier, by Brock Grossman
Choose this if no other origin feat works for you.
Mounted Combatant
Paladins arethe class best suited for mounted combat, thanks to the Find Steed spell.
Shield Master
This is thebest option for a paladin using a shield.
Folk Hero, by Kai Carpenter
This origin is less useful if your party already has a bard and sorcerer.
Still, some backgrounds are more suitable for a Paladin than others.
Merchant
Blessed warriors have another great optionin the Merchant background, which has good ability scores and Persuasion.
Undermountain Adventurer, by Michal Ivan
Noble
This is anexcellent background for Strength-based paladins, offering good ability scores and proficiency in Persuasion.
You might not get much out of the Gaming Set, but at least the History proficiency is flavorful.
Wayfarer
Wayfarer offersanother good option for Dexterity-based paladins, who get two good ability scores and the Lucky feat.
However, a few offer some advantages.
