Paladin Guide 5e: Oaths, Spells, and Complete Builds

A Paladin protects a position, keeps allies close enough to benefit from an aura, and decides when a spell slot is worth more as a spell than as a smite. Your strongest turn is often the one that leaves the party able to act next round, rather than the one with the largest damage total.

This guide uses 2014 D&D 5e. The three builds use 27-point buy, ordinary racial bonuses, and Oath of Devotion. The 2024 comparison uses the revised rules separately.

Paladin quick build

Choose a standard human, Strength 16, Constitution 14, and Charisma 16 after bonuses. Take chain mail, longsword, shield, five javelins, an explorer’s pack, and a holy symbol. Choose Athletics and Persuasion as class skills and Acolyte for Insight and Religion. At level 2 choose Dueling; at 3 swear Devotion. Start with a simple plan: hold a useful approach, protect a vulnerable ally, and spend healing or slots where they prevent a lost turn.

You use a d10 Hit Die and have Wisdom and Charisma save proficiency. Ability-score priorities are Strength or Dexterity for attacks, Charisma for spell DCs and later auras, and Constitution for survival. A Dexterity Paladin still needs Strength 13 to use the optional multiclass rules.

Healing, spellcasting, and smites

Lay on Hands is an action in 2014. Its pool equals five times Paladin level and returns on a long rest. It can restore a chosen number of HP, or spend five pool points on a disease or poison. It does not affect undead or constructs. Standing beside a fallen ally is useful only if you can still reach them and spend the action.

Divine Sense uses an action and has 1 + Charisma modifier uses per long rest. Its 60-foot detection of specified creature types cannot pass total cover; its consecration detection also follows the feature’s limits. It is not a lie detector or a general alignment scanner. Read the feature before treating a suspicious stranger as identified.

Spellcasting begins at level 2. Prepare Charisma modifier plus half Paladin level rounded down, minimum one, from levels you can cast. Oath spells are additional and always prepared. Slots return on a long rest. The class does not grant cantrips or ritual casting in this baseline.

Divine Smite spends a slot after a melee weapon attack hits. It uses no separate action or bonus action. A first-level slot adds 2d8 radiant damage; higher slots improve the dice up to the printed limit, with an additional die against a fiend or undead. It competes with actual spellcasting for the same slots. A critical hit can make spending a slot attractive, but saving one for a crucial spell can matter more.

Armor, hands, and useful spell choices

Chain mail and shield give AC 18. Defense raises that to 19; Dueling instead adds two damage to suitable one-handed melee attacks while allowing a shield. A greatsword uses both hands to attack, so it cannot be combined with a wielded shield. Javelins provide a Strength-based ranged fallback.

A holy symbol displayed on a shield can serve as the focus for appropriate material components. It does not remove every somatic requirement. A spell with somatic but no material components still needs a free hand unless another rule changes that. Sheathe the weapon when appropriate; donning or doffing a shield takes an action. See spell components and focuses.

Spell	Decision it supports
Bless	Support several allies’ attacks and saves; requires concentration
Shield of Faith	Bonus-action +2 AC protection for one creature; requires concentration
Command	Immediate control without ongoing concentration; target and language restrictions matter
Aid	Increase maximum and current HP for several creatures without concentration
Find Steed	Travel and mounted options once second-level slots arrive
Dispel Magic	Remove a dangerous spell when third-level slots become available

Choose between concentration effects rather than assuming Bless and Shield of Faith stack from your own casting. Use the concentration rules when taking damage. Use the 2014 versions of these spells with these builds; identical names can conceal revised mechanics.

Paladin progression: levels 1–20

Class level	Milestone
1	Divine Sense; Lay on Hands pool 5
2	Fighting Style; first-level spells; Divine Smite
3	Devotion oath; Divine Health; Channel Divinity
4	ASI or optional feat
5	Extra Attack; second-level spells
6	Aura of Protection within 10 feet while conscious
7	Devotion: protection against charm in the aura
8	ASI or optional feat
9	Third-level spells
10	Aura of Courage
11	Improved Divine Smite adds radiant damage to melee weapon hits
12	ASI or optional feat
13	Fourth-level spells
14	Cleansing Touch; limited long-rest uses
15	Devotion: Purity of Spirit
16	ASI or optional feat
17	Fifth-level spells
18	Auras expand to 30 feet
19	ASI or optional feat
20	Devotion: Holy Nimbus

At level 6, Charisma becomes a party defense stat through Aura of Protection. Stay close enough to help the people who need it, but do not bunch everyone inside a dangerous area effect. The aura requires you to be conscious. Level 11’s Improved Divine Smite is separate from spending slots on Divine Smite.

Which oath should you choose?

Devotion (SRD/PHB 2014) is the accessible example used here. Sacred Weapon costs an action and Channel Divinity, improves attack accuracy for its duration, and asks whether you can afford a setup turn. Aura of Devotion protects against charm at 7. The benefit is dependable party protection; the drawback is that setup and short-range positioning can compete with immediate offense.

Channel Divinity has one use, recovered after a short or long rest. Sacred Weapon lasts one minute and adds your Charisma modifier to attacks with the chosen weapon, with a minimum +1; it also sheds light. Its alternative, Turn the Unholy, has its own targets, save, and ending conditions. You choose one use of the resource, not both for free.

Other PHB 2014 choices include Ancients, for a nature-bound protector, and Vengeance, for an aggressive pursuer of a priority enemy. Their distinct spell and feature packages need their own sourcebook; they are not additional options automatically contained in the SRD. Choose according to the role and oath you want to play, rather than importing a revised version by name.

Three complete 2014 Paladin builds

Scores below always use STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA order. All three use Devotion at level 3 and need no optional feat or multiclass rule. Level-5 figures assume no magic items and the listed level-4 improvement. All start with an explorer’s pack, chain mail, holy symbol, and five javelins. An Acolyte adds its normal background package, including 15 gp, Insight, and Religion.

Human shield generalist

Role and sources: standard human, Acolyte, Devotion; SRD 5.1/PHB 2014. Before bonuses: 15, 8, 13, 8, 12, 15 (27 points). Human +1 to each gives 16, 9, 14, 9, 13, 16. Class skills: Athletics and Persuasion; no duplicates.

Take longsword and shield, then Dueling at 2. At 4 increase Strength to 18; at 8 increase Charisma to 18. At 5: AC 18, attack +7, longsword 1d8 + 6, spell DC 14, and 44 HP using fixed increases. You have a 25-point healing pool and four first-level plus two second-level slots. Prepare Bless, Command, Shield of Faith, Aid, and Find Steed, plus Devotion’s four oath spells available by 5.

Turn: attack twice; spend a slot on a confirmed important hit if the extra damage will change the fight. Alternatively cast Bless as the action to support a difficult encounter. Weakness: modest ranged pressure and a small aura until high levels; armor does not compel enemies to attack you.

Half-elf Dexterity envoy

Role and sources: agile duelist and negotiator; half-elf, Acolyte, Devotion, SRD/PHB 2014. Before bonuses: 8, 15, 13, 8, 12, 15 (27). Add +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, +2 Charisma: 8, 16, 14, 8, 12, 17. Class Athletics/Persuasion; racial Perception/Stealth; background Insight/Religion.

Choose rapier and shield. Buy leather armor for 10 gp from the background’s 15 gp, keeping chain mail as unused starting equipment. This avoids chain mail’s low-Strength speed penalty; no free studded leather is assumed. Take Dueling. At level 4 take Dexterity +2, reaching 18. At 8 add +1 Charisma and +1 Constitution, reaching Charisma 18 and Constitution 15.

At 5: AC 17 in leather and shield, rapier +7 for 1d8 + 6, spell DC 14, HP 44. Prepare the same five spells as the generalist, plus oath spells. Turn: reach an ally, make two rapier attacks, and keep a slot available for Aid or a smite. Weakness: Strength 8 prevents Paladin multiclassing under the usual prerequisites; the build trades heavy-armor resilience for agility.

Half-orc greatsword breaker

Role and sources: two-handed burst offense; half-orc, Acolyte, Devotion, SRD/PHB 2014. Before bonuses: 15, 10, 13, 8, 10, 15 (27). Racial +2 Strength/+1 Constitution gives 17, 10, 14, 8, 10, 15. Choose Athletics/Persuasion; racial Intimidation and background Insight/Religion are distinct.

Take a greatsword and longsword as the two martial weapons, chain mail, javelins, and the common package. Choose Defense at 2. At 4 add +1 Strength/+1 Charisma, reaching 18/16; at 8 increase Strength to 20. At 5: AC 17, greatsword +7 for 2d6 + 4, spell DC 14, HP 44; the same healing pool, slots, and five prepared spells apply.

Turn: two greatsword attacks, with Divine Smite only after a useful hit. You do not also wield a shield. Weakness: lower AC than the shield build and a more tempting resource-spending habit. Half-orc racial survival features are limited, not permission to ignore danger.

Feats, advancement, and multiclass tradeoffs

The examples take ASIs because weapon accuracy and Charisma improve repeatable results. Under the optional PHB 2014 feat rules, War Caster is a candidate for a spellcasting shield user; Resilient (Constitution) supports concentration; Great Weapon Master suits a deliberate two-handed plan. Check their original prerequisites and wording in that book. The 2014 versions are not the revised ability-boosting feats. None is required by these builds.

Paladin multiclassing requires Strength 13 and Charisma 13; the other class has its own requirement. A Fighter level can offer a style but delays Extra Attack and the level-6 aura. A Sorcerer dip brings cantrips and spell options but neither turns Paladin spells into Sorcerer spells nor removes component rules. Losing an aura level for a narrow damage trick can weaken the actual party role.

Play the aura, not only the smite

An original level-6 decision: an ally is threatened by a fear effect while an enemy is within melee reach. Moving to bring the ally into Aura of Protection can be worth more than standing still for a preferred target. On another turn, use the action on Lay on Hands when restoring an ally lets them take a full turn. Keep the reaction available for a meaningful opportunity attack or your chosen style.

Outside combat, invest in Persuasion, ask what your oath requires in a difficult negotiation, and use healing to support travel choices. An oath is a roleplaying commitment, not authority to dictate other players’ decisions.

2024 Paladin changes

The revised Paladin gains spellcasting and Weapon Mastery at level 1. Lay On Hands becomes a bonus action. Divine Smite becomes a spell with a bonus-action casting trigger after a hit, so it competes with healing and other bonus actions; the old slot-on-hit resource pattern cannot simply be copied. The revised class also provides a free daily Divine Smite use through Paladin’s Smite.

Channel Divinity has revised uses and recovery. Devotion’s Sacred Weapon can be activated with the Attack action rather than spending the old standalone action, and its duration changes. Level 5 supplies Faithful Steed, and level 14’s Restoring Touch replaces the old Cleansing Touch approach. The aura and spell preparation use their revised wording and table. Backgrounds, rather than species, supply the revised ability increases, and level 19 offers an Epic Boon.

Rebuild the examples from the revised starting package and background rules before using those features. In particular, do not combine 2014 on-hit Divine Smite with revised bonus-action Lay On Hands and call it one unchanged build.

Paladin FAQ

Can I smite on every attack?

In 2014, a qualifying hit can spend a slot; the actual limit is available slots and the feature’s conditions. The revised spell has a different action cost.

Must I worship a deity?

The class is bound to an oath; work with the DM on how that commitment fits the setting rather than assuming one universal institution.

Is healing always the best action?

No. Compare whether healing preserves or restores an ally’s turn against what preventing damage or ending an enemy would accomplish.

Rules sources: SRD 5.1 for the 2014 class, SRD subclass, equipment, and spells; the Player’s Handbook (2014) and 2014 Basic Rules races for named racial options and optional PHB choices; Sage Advice Compendium for relevant 2014 clarifications. The separate comparison uses SRD 5.2.1. Recommendations, builds, and example decisions are original advice.

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.