Paladin FAQ

How do you play a Paladin?

Play a Paladin as a front-line protector and burst-damage martial character. Use Strength for most melee builds, keep Charisma strong for spells and Aura of Protection, and treat spell slots as a flexible resource that can become spells or Divine Smites. Do not spend every slot on the first target you hit: save burst damage for important enemies and use your auras, Lay on Hands, and concentration spells to keep the party functioning.

Playing a Paladin well is mostly about deciding how to spend limited resources while staying in the right position for the party. The class can attack, heal, cast, smite, and protect allies. It cannot maximise all of those things simultaneously.

Balance Strength and Charisma

Strength is normally the main attack ability for a conventional Paladin.

Charisma powers:

  • Paladin spellcasting;
  • Aura of Protection;
  • several Sacred Oath features;
  • some class resource counts.

This creates an important build tension.

A Paladin focused only on Strength may hit hard but provide a weaker aura.

A Paladin focused only on Charisma may support better but sacrifice weapon accuracy unless the build has another way to attack.

Constitution is also valuable for hit points and concentration.

Treat spell slots as a flexible resource

A Paladin spell slot can be used for a spell or Divine Smite.

That means every slot has an opportunity cost.

A defensive or mobility spell may produce more value than extra radiant damage.

A Smite may be correct when a priority enemy must die now.

Do not decide before the encounter that every spell slot will be converted into damage.

Smite after a hit

Divine Smite is triggered after a qualifying melee weapon attack hits.

That is important.

The Paladin does not have to spend the slot on an attack that misses.

It also means the Paladin can choose whether the hit is important enough to justify the slot.

Critical hits are particularly strong opportunities because the damage dice involved in the attack are doubled according to normal critical-hit rules.

However, spending the highest slot on every critical hit is still not automatically correct if the target is already nearly defeated.

Use Aura of Protection as a positioning mechanic

At 6th level, Aura of Protection changes how the Paladin should think about space.

Nearby allies gain the Paladin's Charisma modifier to saving throws while the aura applies.

A Paladin standing too far away may deprive the party of one of the class's strongest features.

A Paladin standing directly on top of every ally may make the group vulnerable to one large area effect.

The goal is to place the aura where important allies can benefit without creating unnecessary risk.

Lay on Hands is precise emergency healing

Lay on Hands allows the Paladin to choose exactly how many points to restore.

That makes it useful for bringing an unconscious ally back into the fight without spending more healing than necessary.

It can also provide substantial between-combat recovery or remove certain poison and disease effects.

Do not forget it simply because the Paladin also has healing spells.

Maintain concentration intelligently

Many useful Paladin spells require concentration.

Because the Paladin often fights in melee, concentration will be tested regularly.

Constitution helps.

Aura of Protection can also improve the Paladin's own concentration saving throws once it is available.

If a concentration spell is already creating strong value, think carefully before replacing it with another concentration spell.

Choose targets for burst damage

Paladin burst is most valuable against:

  • dangerous bosses;
  • enemies that must be removed before their next turn;
  • undead or fiends when the class's extra Smite damage applies;
  • targets affected by conditions that improve the chance of a critical hit;
  • creatures concentrating on powerful spells.

It is less valuable to burn high-level resources against a minor enemy that the party can defeat easily.

Let the Oath shape the plan

Devotion supports a classic holy-warrior style and can improve weapon accuracy through Channel Divinity.

Ancients provides a nature- and protection-oriented identity.

Vengeance specialises in pursuing priority enemies.

Conquest uses fear and control.

Redemption can discourage violence and punish enemy aggression.

Watchers specialises in extraplanar threats and initiative/support themes.

The Oath should influence which spells, Channel Divinity options, and positions the Paladin values.

Common mistakes

Common Paladin mistakes include:

  • spending every spell slot on Divine Smite;
  • neglecting Charisma and weakening Aura of Protection;
  • forgetting Lay on Hands;
  • standing too far away for auras to help;
  • using high-level Smites on enemies that are already nearly defeated;
  • ignoring concentration;
  • treating the Sacred Oath as only roleplay text rather than a mechanical subclass;
  • assuming heavy armor makes saving throws irrelevant.

A strong Paladin is dangerous personally because the character also makes the rest of the party harder to defeat.