Paladins are a crucial role in Dungeons and Dragons, serving as fighters, spokespersons, spellcasters, and healers. They must prepare a list of spells equal to their Charisma modifier and half their level, rounded down. Essential spells for paladins include Protection from Evil and Good, Bless, and Shield of Faith, which provide buffs to enhance combat prowess and protect allies.
In D and D 5e, Paladins are strong and thematic, with only five new spells available. Warding Bond is the only spell that I would rush to suggest, but other spell options have niche use cases. Paladins can only cast spells starting at 2nd level and prepare a number of spells equal to their Charisma modifier.
In the 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons, Paladins do not have the ability to change their spells during a long rest, unlike Clerics. To have 4th-level spells, a paladin needs 14 Wisdom. To optimize their Paladin, players should choose their race, background, ability scores, subclass, feats, and spells.
In conclusion, Paladins are divine casters who need to prepare a list of spells equal to their Charisma modifier and half their level. They can only cast spells starting at 2nd level and prepare a minimum of one spell. To optimize their Paladin’s skills, players should consider their race, background, ability scores, subclass, feats, and spells.
📹 Davvy’s D&D 5e Paladin Spell Guide
What spells do Paladins know?
Paladin spells are efficacious instruments for the alleviation of injuries, the discernment of malevolence and benevolence, the detection of poisons, diseases, and the manifestation of divine favor. Additionally, they facilitate the acquisition of heroism and other virtues. Furthermore, they can assist in the identification of seeds, safeguard against poisonous substances, facilitate the generation of sustenance and potable water, and negate the effects of magical influences.
How do you get paladin spells without being a paladin?
Bards have the ability to acquire spells from other classes, including paladin spells. By having a paladin in your party and a ring of spell storing, you can have the paladin cast their spells into the ring for you to cast. The Bard’s Magical Secrets feature allows them to gain spells from any class’ spell list, allowing them to select any and all Paladin spells. A Ring of Spell Storing allows anyone to cast any Paladin spell, as it can store up to a fifth-level spell. The wish spell can duplicate any spell of 8th level or lower, including all Paladin spells.
Can a paladin use magic?
Paladin spells, also known as smites, offer a variety of non-offensive options for the class. While they share some similarities with Cleric spells, Paladins have access to unique spells, such as Divine Smite ability and Smite-based spells that can be cast as bonus actions. Paladins can stack these spells with Divine Smite to deal severe damage within a single hit. One such spell is Warding Bond, a second-level abjuration spell that can only be cast if the caster and target are wearing platinum rings. This spell provides +1 AC and resistance to all damage, but the caster also takes damage. Paladins are bulky and have access to healing, which can help mitigate the cost of protecting an ally.
Can a paladin be without a god?
The majority of Paladins adhere to a deity of benevolence; however, this is not a mandatory requirement.
Do paladins have powers?
Paladins, a character class in the 4th edition of the Player’s Handbook, have gained powers that allow them to use holy symbols as implements and act as emergency healers. They have the highest amount of healing surges out of any class, which when combined with their lay on hands ability, allows them to act as emergency healers. In the 5th edition, paladins commit themselves to a path that obeys a certain set of tenets and can choose one of a number of sacred oaths that encompass the nature of their quest.
The Oath of the Ancients is for paladins who cast their lot in the cosmic struggle against darkness, putting the principles of good above concerns of law or chaos. They are typically Neutral Good, putting the principles of good above concerns of law or chaos. The Oath of Devotion is for paladins who appeal to the loftiest ideals of justice, virtue, and honor, following the tenets of honesty, courage, compassion, honor, and duty. The Oath of Vengeance is for paladins who are either Lawful Neutral or Neutral, willing to forsake their own righteousness to mete out justice upon those who do evil.
How do I choose paladin spells?
To prepare a list of paladin spells, choose from the spell list and choose a number equal to your Charisma modifier and half your paladin level, rounded down. The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, a 5th-level paladin with a Charisma of 14 can include four 1st or 2nd-level spells in any combination. Casting a spell doesn’t remove it from the list. You can change your list of prepared spells after a long rest, but it requires time spent in prayer and meditation, at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
How to prepare paladin spells?
Charisma represents a spellcasting ability for paladin spells, derived from conviction strength. It is employed in instances where a spell references one’s spellcasting ability and when establishing the saving throw DC for a spell or making an attack roll. The spell save DC and proficiency bonus are combined with the Charisma modifier. A holy symbol may be employed as a spellcasting focus for paladin spells.
How do you cast spells as a paladin?
The Paladin table displays the number of spell slots available for casting spells. To cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. All expended spell slots are regained after a long rest. To prepare a list of available spells, choose a number equal to your Charisma modifier + half your paladin level, rounded down. The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, a 5th-level paladin with a Charisma of 14 can have four 1st or 2nd-level spell slots.
Casting a 1st-level spell doesn’t remove it from the list. To change the list of prepared spells, you must spend at least 1 minute in prayer and meditation per spell level for each spell on your list.
What feat gives you paladin spells?
Fey-Touched is a D and D feat that grants paladins access to more spells, including Misty Step and a first-level spell from the Divination or Enchantment schools. This is particularly beneficial for paladins with limited spell slots, as it allows them to learn valuable spells like Misty Step, which is a crucial battlefield mobility spell. Additionally, Fey-Touched improves paladins’ Charisma, a vital ability score, especially in direct combat.
Paladins, half-casters in D and D 5e, have martial capabilities, magic, and a comprehensive spell list. However, they have fewer spell slots than purely magical classes, making them reliant on quality D and D magical items. They cannot afford Concentration spells by breaking their Concentration early.
What does a level 6 paladin get?
At the sixth level of advancement, a friendly creature situated within a ten-foot radius of the player gains a bonus equal to the character’s Charisma modifier to their saving throw, with a minimum bonus of +1. It is important to note that this bonus must be granted consciously. At the 18th level, the range of the aura is increased to 30 feet. It should be noted that this functionality may be disabled or blocked by extensions or browsers that do not support cookies.
📹 The Best Paladin Spells in Dungeons and Dragons 5e
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I would like a mixture between this style and the rating format. This was really informative, and I’d like you to implement it in future articles, but I still like the quickfire ratings to give me an overview of the existing spells. Plus, I love the hilarious descriptions. All in all, great article as always.
I will say I liked seeing the full list of spells in the past, just to get a quick overlook and see what’s available. but I also recently started playing a Ranger and didn’t pick Hunters Mark, so obviously I’m just doing whatever I want xD do whatever makes you feel good. I guess it’s the difference between sharing information and sharing an opinion, though you seem to be doing both. anyway, good luck and looking forward to the next article! (edit: slight formatting issues)
I actually kinda liked the lists, even if there were things I’d disagree with. Though I feel like if and when you get around to warlock, you’d need to give each spell two ratings based on if they’re blade or blastlock. Definitely agree though: I’ve always felt that Paladins don’t get as much bang for buck out of offensive spells.
Just a heads up: Aura of protection applies to your concentration checks because, despite the name, it is a Constitution saving throw. Check the Players Handbook about concentration if you understandably want to fact check (PG. 203). It isn’t uncommon for spellcasters like Wizards to take the Resilient feat purely for the proficiency bonus to your concentration saves. This is also why Sorcerers are very good at maintaining concentration because, unlike the Wizard, Sorcerers are naturally proficient with Constitution saves at first level. So, if you’re ever worried about maintaining concentration, remember this fact.
Paladin was my first class I played, Agatha Slaggbottom of the Ocean Mountains, and she was a BEAST. Then the next character Corbin Ironleaf of the Green Knights (hello Naddpod), and most recently an Oathbreaker Minotaur named Brillyn. All of them have been an absolute JOY to play. I had no idea that they’d be my most played and probably preferred class to play. Artificer has been real fun too though. Thanks for the vid 🙂
This kind of content is what i would call “Best for newcomers”, to the class or game. Personally this kind of article would be very good if mixed with a small list of spells short descriptions as a example, doing this could be counted as a small simi class guide. I personally show your class basics to my friends when they first start out because of your attitude in your words, and most players ask about the spells afterwards as well. This combined with the nature of spells in 5E (or more the relaxed nature of them) make articles that describe a “Mood” to casting more helpful than a tutorial/guide style. Your my personal favorite d&d website because of your personality and style (like a true bard) so this article style suits you well in my subjective opinion. Love your content, and no matter what jibblets you toss us on youtube ill be sure to watch and consume them with a smile. A good day to you ^-^
While I enjoyed the individual spell rating jokes( since they gave practical use advice when they wasn’t a punchline for a low rating), I think this broader category style might be more useful for understanding how a class’s spellcasting behave in play. I made a paladin concept a while back where I took a bunch of the “smite but x”, that I haven’t really had the chance to see in action. The board categories gives me a better idea of what kinds of general spells would be used with as a Paladin, so I can go back n revise those spells without it just being a checklist of “Wow, xyz spell is really good cause someone said so”.
“Yeah I know Resilient is terrible” Oh, oh no, bruh that’s the easiest way to even out an ability score AND it gives you proficiency with another saving throw. How the fuck is that terrible? Get it on CON and if you’ve used it to even out the score, you get MORE HEALTH and bigger rolls on those concentration checks. Combine it with War Caster and what the fuck is losing concentration, never heard of it. This is especially something to consider if you’ve gone Variant Human, maybe not as your initial starting feat but hey more feats.
I’m a new player to DnD, and I started with an Oath of the Ancients paladin. It’s been a rough process. The biggest issue being that I had no idea what my role in my party was. Most of the time it just seemed like I was there to soak up damage and drop dead. But as I muddled through it, I started investing in more weapon options and we finally got a cleric so I could stop being the healer. I don’t think paladin should be anyone’s first choice, unless my campaign had just been especially rough or something.
As many have said i like this format, however I also miss the quickfire spell description and/or a witty line about why you should or shouldn’t take said spell. I don’t know how tough it would be to mix both formats but id like to see that in the future. Whatever you choose we enjoy these articles so keep up the great work!
I really like your style in the standard weekly articles. But oh for the love of Jesus with a sledge hammer if he ACTUALLY came back and met a roman, could you do a long form article on classes etc. You would do such a goooooooood job b b bb. edit: I play Paladin’s a lot and my basic motto is if I can’t maul for longer or harder i aint interested.
The main “must haves” as far as paladin spells go are Find Steed and Find Greater Steed. Everything else needs to be weighed against it’s value as smite fuel. Some have great value in specific situations, but they’ll need to be prepared ahead of time and you’ll only do that if you know your DM well enough to see the roadblocks they’ve laid out for you a few miles before you get to them. In general the half casters present a specific problem that basically proves D&D is not a balanced game and has no need for balance as most players define it. Paladins and Rangers both get a nice list of class specific low level spells unique to their classes, but because they are half casters those lower level spells are “balanced” for the mid to end game levels they get them at. Meaning the Paladin and Ranger aren’t getting their 5th level spells until they hit level 17. Meaning most players will never get them. The big problem with this is Bards and some specific subclasses for other classes get to pick and choose spells from any spell list. So all those good Paladin and Ranger spells need to be concentration, otherwise Bards would have up to five of them going at once, almost all the time, up to seven levels before Paladins and Rangers ever get to cast them. Take out concentration and half the Spells on the Ranger and Paladin spell lists become must have best in slot picks for Bard’s Magical Secrets. This problem is only compounded with the Ranger who does not have Smite as an option, and needs to weigh the value of all their unique concentration spells against the value of Hunter’s Mark.
I liked the more thoughtful approach. I think if you were to take that approach to lists it would be informative to your audience. You have a gift for summarizing information concisely. I would love to see a list article that takes a bit more time, I have been playing 5e for a few years and I still do not know a lot of the effectiveness of the spells.
I have several questions: First of all, all the way back in January before college and coronavirus and nearly dying in a car accident(not sure which one is worse) I rolled for stats 4d6 drop lowest in order and I got 15,12,18,6,13,17 Which is the best stats I’ve ever gotten(before mods). Is it likely that a dm will let me use these stats after coronavirus is over? I chose to go for conquest paladin which spells are best? And finally and most importantly what do you think about the way I rp him (a chad darth vader)?
Resilient is a good feat! Have an odd number stat while the other one are even? Take Resilient! It’s also nice to use when your DM has a hard-on for certain checks! DM likes Dex Checks? take it for Dex! adds to most players AC anyway Wisdom checks? Can’t fear / charm me anymore asshole! Endless ‘Zone of Truth’ spams? With all that lovely bonus to your charisma checks now, you can lie to God itself and it/he/she would be none the wiser!
Had a Vengeance Paladin with a Storm Sorcerer dip who used his Sorcerer points to just make a bleep-ton of level 1 spell slots and break down higher level slots I didn’t have spells for even more low level slots. Guy could Smite like 30 times a day, and thanks to Storm Sorcerer’s features, any time I cast Thundering Smite I not only fly an extra 10 feet towards whatever I want to introduce to God, but also deal a little extra AOE, because the best thing about saying “Fuck that guy in particular” is adding on “and everyone stupid enough to stand next to him.”
I REALLY like this new format. Maybe it’s because Paladin is my favorite class and I completely agree with your take. But I like the idea of giving the whys instead of just the whats, and letting us make up our minds. In the old format, I was just taking notes, and making a list of all the “good” spells. This way, I still need to make my own choices, but I can make more informed choices.
Honestly, considering how often people just spam guidance whenever skill checks are coming up, I’d say to just make an AoE version that lasts an hour and doesn’t go away after the first one. You cut off like 10 minutes of people just saying “Guidance” but probably not the reminding them to use it part. Or, OR, make it an aura that’s up for an hour, 10 ft. range.
I prefer the list format myself, the Class Guide should be where the “How to use your spells” comes into. Honestly as another hardcore Bard player, I look at spell lists mainly as a “what spells do I wanna steal with Magical Secrets?” kinda thing, or clarification on how certain spells work Speaking of that second bit, I’ve encountered some confusion on how the Smite spells work… do they last until you land a hit and then dissipate, do the last for EVERY hit on the turn you start landing them, or do they last until the spell ends, applying to each and every hit you make during that short Concentration Duration? The wording always seemed to imply to me that they last for one hit only, but I don’t actually know!
Paladins are so heavily favored in the design compared to other classes it’s insanely obviously favoritism. Spells prepared, oath spells always prepared, get multiple things for oaths at a given level instead of choosing, get an extra d8 on every hit at 11. It’s more damage, more survivability, more utility, everything, more than rangers or hexblades. It’s so stupid. Those other classes should be designed more like paladin.
I think you should combine this format with the old one. This would make a great preamble to your ratings for Paladin spells because viewers would keep in mind your core thought process for how Paladins should be played: “spell slots are for Smites, concentration for defense. Only cast spells when smites aren’t optimal” Then it would make sense why you rated some spells at 1 and others at 5.
I’m super fond of Bless. As long as you have some time to apply the buff before heading into close combat. It’s on average a super cheap +2.5 to all your attack rolls and saving throws. And while the spell does require concentration, it also grants the bonus to the save to maintain itself. Oh, and of course, you can give it to at least 2 of your friends at the same time.
Im kinda disappointed in the lack of the full list, this article is more, how to play a paladin then it is a article about paladin spells. I liked the older articles cus yeah while your opinion may not perfectly line up with mine, it has still helped me find some spells i would have glossed over. I mean im sure this format is easier for you, but im kinda disappointed with the change in format ESPECIALLY since im making my first paladin.
Eh. Prefer the earlier style. I understand the reason for the change, and I do like the general guidance feel. That said, with the original setup, even if a spell received a poor rating, I could generally see a purpose or an opportunity for the spell (I mean, I’m gonna have a few spare spell slots anyway, might as well fill them with something). It felt a lot more focused, as compared to just general suggestions.
I like the new format. It puts the rating system in context without using the rating system. I too love Paladins and my Oath of Vengeance paladin will also be my first going to level 20. Love this class and love the ability to prep situational spells where I don’t have to worry if the situation never comes up because I can just fuel it into a smite. I think other classes have to choose between damage, buff, and utility spell prep, but the paladin doesn’t have to. All his spells can be damage spells if he wants them to
I like this format, but i also like the old format. I’m a firm believer that every spell has ups and downs to it, with the exception of like… 3 spells being enitrely useless. I would love to see a fusion of these two, briefly going over each spell, but instead of rating them, going over the strenghs and weaknesses that they have. Sometimes a spell dosen’t always have to be amazing, but they can be fun
I’m a paladin main, and i get what your saying as far as the you shouldnt play smart you should play tough, but doesnt that really more depend on what kind of paladin you’re playing? Like at level 5 with a bit of foresight, you could apply a smite spell, and on your next turn attack and if you hit the smite goes off, you can then apply divine smite to that damage, reapply the smite spell as a bonus action and attack again. I’ve seen this absolutely chew through bosses but that also makes a lot more sense for a vengeance paladin who would go ham like that. My favorite is Redemption for those sweet battlefield control abilities, divine retribution and persuasion bonuses, but i tend to play the characters as cautiously optimistic or utterly unfazed by anything
This was like changing eye contacts: didn’t know how much better the new ones are until I saw it with my special eyes. I really like this format because it puts spells into the perspective not of going down the list, but why they’re there and when you’d need them. I was going to play Paladin and didn’t think about concentration like that at all
I did like how you broke down all the Paladin spells into four separate formats, but I do like it when you go over each individual spell. Sometimes, spells are only good in the correct situation, requiring a long rest to prepare that spell. Then there are other spells that are pretty key to a Paladin (unless you’re going with a specific build). In short, I would like this new format added on to what you were doing before
I just went full on tanky support, heavy armor mastery, shield of faith, an actual artesanal shield made by another party member and an overuse of the “Prepare” action so i can stay close to allies and use the forbidden Protection fighting style more often I think that i haven’t used a single smite yet, i have to get off the mindset of “i might need it later” first
I feel really silly asking this but I’ve been confused since the one time I made a paladin I thought my spells relied on charisma as my spell stat, but the dm told me paladins rely on wisdom for spells. I’m confused if I need charisma like the book and a lot of guides say or wisdom as the veteran dm said
I’m going into my first campaign this week (hopefully), and I’m playing the war cleric and I’ve realized that I’m a pretty awful healer or at least my character is and it’s going to be wonderful because I’m the only healer. Chaos everyone chaos. Also this will be my first time playing ever and yes it will be over a call or something.
I’ve seen plenty of rating systems and honestly I can live without another one. They definitely cause the divide of “Well I have never seen x thing be good so I have to rate it low” and other similar things that just cause conflict. I think I prefer this format.. But it really doesn’t sound like YOU’RE into it? Im not sure if it was just an off day, but you really don’t sound like you’re enjoying it one bit. The script is good, the lines work, but it feels like you just wanted to get it over with. This isn’t really a criticism rather than just a reminder that you never need to make things you’re not enthused by.
Hmmmmm I feel conflicted because on one hand this is a much more clear and deep explanation of the class and its relation to spells but on the other hand I as someone who has already played a lot of dnd I kinda liked the list better because that can indroduce me to some spells I might have just skipped over in the past plus I feel like the list style had a much higher goofs per minute rate.
Probably one of my favourite memories is when I almost deleted a whole dragon in one attack once as a paladin/celestial bladelock multiclass I used a bonus action for a 5th level searing smite, then I crit, so I threw in a 5th level divine smite + 2nd level eldritch smite and rolled almost max damage, that was fun Then I stabbed it again, and missed, guess you can’t win everything
Hi davvy. Thanks for making this article and talking about one of my favorite classes and their spells. I would just like to say that in my mind, when I am making a paladin and choosing their spells, I tend to pick the supportive spells (shield of faith and compelled duel are my favorite on paladins) since they let me stay on the frontline while at the same time allowing me to help the back line if they need it
Yeah man I liked the other format more. I don’t agree with you on guidance but I like how you present your agrument, and its fun to watch. This seemed a bit lecture/rant based. Contrentartion sucks, play pally as smite sender and tank. Auras are neat, shield of faith woot. Is what I think you ment to say but ill have to watch it again to really get it ignoring the ranty bits.
despite the paladin being billed as a tank, the concentration thing for a lot of their spells is just bad synergy. also at high levels the enemies will have huge hit bonuses that means more often than not your ac just doesn’t matter no matter how high you’ve built it up. thus i think the best approach is forget about tanking, just focus on laying down as many smites as you can on the big bad monster
No Davvy meter for me do disagree with and yell “F**k You!” at you for dissing a spell I liked? Well, F**k You! Really though. I did like the article and thought it was helpful, but was enjoying (as well as also finding useful) the other way as it often helps me think outside of any box I was in as to how I might use some. Also I have yet to play a paladin in a game and as such have no real clue about which spells of their I may or may not like.
Also concentration nuking buffs was clearly a choice to try and make full casters weaker cause actual min-maxers would just stack that shit and wade into things. CaDzilla was a real thing and it made nobody a team player, especially the Wizard. Also this idea that you need to buff your AC so the DM can’t hit you? It’s meaningless because of how 5e is stacked. Sure through the powers of good planning, and stat and equipment choices you can get 24 AC, but…fucking Adult Dragons and other late game enemies have 24 AC, and their attack bonus will always be bigger than yours. It’s nonsense.
It’s a nice article but well I feel it was kinda pointless. This felt rather dragged out and repetitive for a article that was only five minutes. And honestly what i enjoyed about the articles of the past was the break down of each individual spell. It was nice to have you not speak at such a rushed pace though so I could properly understand you. Maybe not have the explicit rating system and just go through each spell with a few lines talking about it’s merets on its own in the best circumstance for each spell, and just give general advice for the class has a whole at the start like the Paladin (focus on buff spells, and smite, and a small amount of utility).