D&D Paladin: The Complete Class Guide (Oaths, Smites & Builds)

The D&D paladin is the answer to a particular question: what if a fighter could cast spells, channel divine power, and burn every spell slot to detonate a single sword swing? The answer is a class that does the highest single-hit damage in the game, projects auras that turn the party into a fortress, and has the toughest mid-tier survivability in 5e. There's a reason every veteran's "if you don't know what to play, play a paladin" advice keeps showing up.

The paladin's problem is the opposite of the wizard's: the floor is high, but the ceiling depends on knowing when to push the smite button and when to hold it. New paladins burn smites on goblins and run dry against the boss. Experienced paladins watch the situation, save their slots for crit hits or save-failures, and one-round bosses that should have lasted three rounds.

This guide covers the paladin chassis — oaths, ability priority, the smite math nobody explains correctly, multiclassing for the famous "smite-monkey" builds, and the roleplay decisions that turn a paladin from a stat block into a character.

The Paladin Chassis

• Hit die: d10
• Primary abilities: Strength (or Dex for some builds) and Charisma
• Saving throw proficiencies: Wisdom, Charisma — two of the strongest saves in the game
• Armor: All armor, shields
• Weapons: Simple and martial
• Spellcasting: Half-caster, prepared list, Charisma-based
• Class features: Divine Sense, Lay on Hands, Fighting Style, Divine Smite, Aura of Protection (level 6 — adds Cha mod to saving throws of nearby allies)

Three things define the class: Divine Smite (burn a spell slot to add 2d8–5d8 radiant damage to a melee hit), Aura of Protection (the most powerful aura in the game), and Lay on Hands (a healing pool you can spend in 1-HP increments to neutralize disease and poison without checks). Together they make the paladin a frontline that other classes orbit around.

The Oaths, Ranked

Oath choice at level 3 defines the paladin's flavor and combat utility.

Tier 1: First-Pick Oaths

• Vengeance. Vow of Enmity gives advantage on attacks against a target — and you have all those smites burning a hole in your slots. The single-target king. Hunter's Mark and Misty Step on the spell list, plus Haste at level 9.
• Conquest. Cause Fear with frightened condition that paralyzes enemies who try to flee. Spirit Guardians-equivalent damage in melee. Strong control built into the chassis.
• Devotion. Sacred Weapon adds Cha mod to attack rolls. Plus Conjure Volley-tier spells, Aura of Devotion against charm. Paladin of Heroic Fantasy 101.

Tier 2: Excellent Oaths

• Ancients. Aura of Warding halves spell damage for everyone in 10 feet at level 7. The best aura in the game outside Aura of Protection itself.
• Glory. Athlete-flavored, scales party movement and jumping. Niche but powerful in vertical encounters.
• Watchers. Outsider/aberration specialist; useful in cosmic-horror campaigns.
• Crown. Damaging counter-attacks and resistance auras. Good defender build.

Tier 3: Playable but Specific

• Redemption. Pacifist build. Mechanically interesting but campaign-dependent.
• Open Sea. Naval-themed; great in seafaring campaigns, niche elsewhere.
• Oathbreaker. DM-permission required; necromancy-flavored fallen paladin.

For a first paladin, Vengeance for raw damage, Conquest for control, Devotion for reliable to-hit. All three forgive build mistakes elsewhere.

The Smite Math Nobody Explains

The single biggest paladin mistake is smiting on every hit. Smiting works like this: you hit a target with a melee weapon attack, and after the hit lands, you decide whether to spend a spell slot for extra radiant damage (2d8 for a 1st-level slot, +1d8 per level, +1d8 if the target is undead/fiend, max 5d8 + 1d8).

The key word is "after." You smite when you know the hit landed. This means:

• Always smite on critical hits. A crit doubles all dice — including the smite dice. A 2nd-level smite on a crit is 6d8 = 27 average damage on top of your weapon damage. Nat 20s should always be smited.
• Smite when an enemy is at low HP. Killing an enemy this turn means they don't get to attack next turn. The slot is paying for damage and a saved-action's-worth of incoming hits.
• Don't smite on full-HP minions. A 1st-level smite is roughly 9 damage. If the enemy has 40 HP, you're not killing them — you're just spending a slot.
• Save 1-2 slots for the boss. Most paladins burn through slots in the first two encounters and arrive at the climax empty. Track your daily slots like a wizard.

If you remember nothing else: smite on crits, smite to kill, conserve for the boss. Paladins who follow this triple their effective damage output.

Race & Stat Priority

Two viable stat priorities: Strength-paladin (heavy armor, two-handed weapons, classic) and Dex-paladin (medium armor, finesse weapons, rare but viable).

For Strength-paladin:

1. Strength — to hit and damage. 16+ at level 1, 20 by level 8.
2. Charisma — Aura of Protection scales with Cha mod; spell save DC; smite-based spells. 14+ at level 1, 18+ by level 12.
3. Constitution — concentration and HP. 14+.
4. Dump — Intelligence.

Strong race choices:

• Variant Human / Custom Lineage: Free feat — take Polearm Master, Great Weapon Master, or Sentinel.
• Half-Elf: +2 Cha, +1 to two stats. Excellent paladin spread.
• Aasimar (Protector): Flight at level 3, radiant damage, Cha-positive. The thematic choice.
• Goliath: +2 Str, Powerful Build, Stone's Endurance. Big Strength paladin.
• Hexblood: Strong Charisma support, hex magic.

Aasimar is the flavor lock; Variant Human is the optimization lock; everything else works.

Spell Picks That Earn Their Slot

Half-casters get a smaller spell list, so every prep matters. Picks that always justify their slot:

• 1st level: Bless, Compelled Duel, Cure Wounds, Searing Smite (situational), Wrathful Smite
• 2nd level: Find Steed, Aid, Magic Weapon, Misty Step (Vengeance), Branding Smite
• 3rd level: Aura of Vitality (best paladin healing), Crusader's Mantle, Daylight (vs. fiends), Haste (Vengeance), Dispel Magic
• 4th level: Find Greater Steed, Aura of Life, Banishment (with high Cha), Death Ward, Staggering Smite
• 5th level: Banishing Smite, Holy Weapon, Destructive Wave, Geas, Circle of Power

The pattern: spells that complement the smite engine (Bless, Holy Weapon, Crusader's Mantle), spells that protect the party (Aura of Life, Death Ward), and out-of-combat utility (Find Steed, Geas).

Multiclassing: The Famous Builds

Paladins benefit from multiclassing more than almost any other class. The reason: spell slots from other Cha-based classes (sorcerer, warlock) can fuel smites without the paladin needing the spell levels.

• Sorcadin (Paladin 6+ / Sorcerer X): Aura of Protection at 6, then sorcerer levels. Quickened Spell + Smite Spam. Tier 1 build.
• Hexadin (Paladin 5+ / Warlock 2+): Two slots per short rest at warlock-slot levels = smite fuel that recharges. Eldritch Smite from warlock = even more burst.
• Bardadin (Paladin 6+ / Bard X): Lore Bard for Magical Secrets — pick up Counterspell or Animate Objects. Cha-stacking.
• Fighteradin (Paladin X / Fighter 2): Action Surge for double-smite-turn nukes. Also gets Second Wind.

For new players: stay pure paladin through level 6 at minimum. The class is fine on its own and Aura of Protection is too good to delay. Multiclassing is an optimization layer for experienced players.

Common Mistakes

• Smiting in the first round of every fight. The boss isn't here. Save slots.
• Forgetting Lay on Hands. A pool that scales 5 × paladin level. Use it between fights to keep the party topped up.
• Standing 30 feet from allies. Aura of Protection is 10 feet. Stay close.
• Forgetting the spellcasting half. Bless is your best 1st-level spell. Cast it most fights.
• Treating "Lawful Good" as "no fun". An oath isn't a code of fun-prevention; it's a value system that makes hard choices interesting.

Roleplay: Oath as Identity

The paladin is one of the few classes whose worldview is built into the chassis. The oath is real. It's not a flavor descriptor; it's an actual commitment the character has made — and the consequences of breaking it are real (oathbreaker rules).

What separates great paladins from cardboard "lawful good" stereotypes:

• Specific oaths. Not "I uphold justice" but "I will see Lord Caradoc face the consequences for the burning of Whitestone." Specific oaths give the character a concrete arc.
• Costly oaths. What does the oath cost? What can the paladin not do because of it? An oath that never restricts the character isn't an oath; it's a flavor sticker.
• Oaths in tension. Two parts of the oath in conflict (mercy vs. justice; the lesser evil vs. the greater good) create the moments paladins are designed for.
• Doubt within faith. Paladins can question the oath without breaking it. Doubt is part of the human side; certainty is the divine side. Good paladins live in the tension.

For deeper character work, our character bible guide has a full chapter on oath construction. The paladin is the class where this work pays off most — every oath dilemma is a session highlight if you've prepared the character.

The Paladin's Endgame

By level 11, paladins gain Improved Divine Smite — every melee hit deals an extra 1d8 radiant. By level 14, Cleansing Touch removes a spell from a target as an action. By level 18, your auras grow to 30 feet. By level 20, your oath capstone (a free 1-minute super-mode each long rest) tips encounters before they start.

The late-game paladin is the strongest single-target damage dealer in 5e and the most reliable frontline character at the table. Aura of Protection means your party rarely fails important saves. Lay on Hands and Cleansing Touch handle disease, poison, and curses. You smite, you tank, you pray, you protect.

If you want a class that always has something to do, that scales smoothly across all 20 levels, and that creates the most narratively-rich character arcs at the table, paladin is the answer. Build the oath specifically. Watch your slot economy. Position close. Smite on crits. Everything else is detail. For broader character context, see our character sheet guide.