The Best Paladin Spells in Dungeons and Dragons 5e
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
- MONSTERS OF DRAKKENHEIM is 300+ pages of eldritch horror inspired monsters for 5e by the Dungeon Dudes! Coming to Kickstarter March 26th, 2024: www.kickstarter.com/projects/... We take a look at the paladin spell list and pick our stand out choices for the holy knights, looking at options that add to the already powerful abilities of the Paladin class in D&D 5e.
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TIME STAMPS
0:00 - Opening
0:40 - 1st Level Spells
5:33 - 2nd Level Spells
8:55 - 3rd Level Spells
12:31 - 4th Level Spells
14:12 - 5th Level Spells
20:39 - Conclusions
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It's weird that you keep calling my smite slots spell slots wth
This comment needs more recognition. S tier comment
Congrats, this comment is sharper than a japanese knife
What about the summon mount slot that stays till it dies
@@samblood5350 I don't know if this comment is in smite tier.
And 5th level slots are also smite slots as well.
"Double Smite: For when you sense evil and really don't want to"
"Paladin! Do you see that villain over there?"
"Yes, Knight-Commander!"
"Make sure I don't."
Triple smite: for when you literally only have one shot.
11 hexblade/ 2 Paladin you have 3 5th level spells per short rest. Banishing smite + Divine Smite + Eldritch Smite. Using a long sword against a fiend that’s 1d8 + 5d10 force + 12d8 radiant
@@AlexanderBaird disgusting. I love it.
@@AlexanderBaird right amount of damage, just that the 12d8 is half force damage (and you knock your target prone!)
@@Hazel-xl8in good catch! A crit would be ridiculous, maxing out at 159 damage assuming a +5 charisma lol.
A grace cleric using path to the grace would net a whopping 318 on that😂
Fun fact about Bless: if you Bless yourself, you can add the d4 to Concentration checks you make to keep Bless up.
InstaBlaster
Shield of faith is almost similar aswell in the sense that if they miss you won't have to make the check in the first place
Blessed be thy words of wisdom
Yeah I think I have that spell to playing at Paladin Titi Frank level two fighting style blessed warrior and I’m also gonna play with avengers power then
HEY… that is a fun fact!
You haven't seen the true wrath of Crusader's Mantle, until the bard casts Animate Objects.
I played a solo campaign as a Paladin and managed to take three random guards into a crypt with Aid and Bless cast on us to fight some scary lizards. - One of them even survived the adventure. The others, brave men, their descendants shall remember their sacrifices and know they are of a heroic bloodline.
A Cleric together with a Paladin can even Bless the rains down in Africa!
Immagine if that cleric is Peace Domain
underrated comment
I played a multiclass Paladin/War Cleric and he was the party tank. He was AWESOME!
find steed is really the only way to do mounted combat in 5e. Also, find steed lasts until the horse dies.
Yeah that's huge - great for a class that doesn't have tons of spell slots since it's such an economical use of a spell.
My paladin is a centaur. She is her own steed.
It's a good buff to mobility too. Something paladins benefit greatly from
@@David13ushey Sadly Centaurs can't use a lance unless they're mounted. Presumable on another centaur.
@@lagg1e You don't need to be mounted to use a lance. You need to be mounted to use a lance one handed. You can use a lance like a pike or other heavy weapon, though you still have disadvantage to attack things within 5 feet of you. Ironically, she DID use a lance. (However the hoof attack bonus action was sometimes a lot more tricky till I got mobility.)
I still remember one campaign where we were going to fight a lich and they immediately used Power Word Kill on my warlock, but thanks to Aid, I had 102 hitpoints and it failed. Love that spell.
Don't you mean.... aids.. 😁😂
@@deadthybug4646 Nah, that was the bard that had that
@@ShirotoraGodsbane 😂🙏
Sounds like a case of the DM wanting to give the party a free round, pretty nice of them
@@louiesatterwhite3885 Nah, he legit forgot I had Aid on me.
Oath of Conquest is my favorite Oath, so Wrathful Smite I feel deserves a mention. Perhaps the most impressive thing about it is that if the target fails the initial saving throw, breaking the fear effect requires an ability check (meaning no saving throw bonuses), which the target will be making with disadvantage because they're afraid.
I’m surprised they shouted thundrous over wrathful.
Find Steed has no duration. Chances are you might only ever cast it once, so it doesn't really need to be taken into consideration for spell slot economy.
Yah a griffin is godley
@@snakeinabox7220 pegasus is better as a controlled mount
Really ? My steed dies a lot.
@@kenscott1082 Yeah, they're not very resilient. They all have terrible AC and HP.
Find Stead and Find Greater Stead are good if you buff them. Warding Bond, Aura of Protect, Inspiring Leader and Mounted Combatant are great for this.
Crusader's Mantle + a troupe of adventurers with ranged weapons = Holy Machine Gunners.
The "Fire at God's Will" squad.
I bless the rain(volleys of arrows ) down in greenrest
Praise the Lord and pass the crossbow bolts.
Personally I'm a huge fan of Shield of Faith, as well.
It's good, but has a fair few drawbacks. Most importantly it uses concentration, but also only comes into it's own if you're taking a lot of attacks, which will eventually lead to concentration checks.
That being said I do cast it sometimes on my cleric/paladin/sorcerer, because having 24 AC + the shield spell at lvl. 6 is hilarious, but 90% of the time bless is just a better option, and (when it applies) protection from evil and good is a much better defensive buff.
@@collegeoffoliage6776 I think that's the point of most 1st levels is the drawbacks. Protection from E&G has a limit as it is only certain creatures.
I didn't say it's the best option and think Bless is beyond amazing. But thanks for showing your opinion is "better." 😄People are funny. 😅
@@chaddon7685 my opinion isn't better, I am just pointing out why I don't think it belongs on the list ;) for the reasons I mentioned I think it can be a bit of a trap spell, since there is usually a better thing to spend your slot and concentration on, but as I said, sometimes it can be good, it just often looks better on paper than it is in practice :)
Sorry if I offended you, I kinda assumed you were here to discuss paladin spells 😂
@@collegeoffoliage6776 I didn't say it should be on the list. And someone can point out behavior without being offended by you.
So, no offense taken. But you responded to a post that wasn't made. I didn't say it should be on the list, nor did I say it's the best. That's more of what I mean. Your discussion is different from the one I was actually posting.
Just remember: "I like x" is not "I think x is best." Because... I agree with you! Both spells are better.
All love.
@@chaddon7685 Of course you didn't say it, but I think many reasonable people would infer that you meant it in this context :)
Anyway, I wasn't trying to tell you you're wrong, just giving my opinion on the spell, just like you did :)
I'm glad you weren't offended or took it as criticism :)
A smart usage for the "Aid" spell is it use as a mass healing word when three party members are down. The spell adds HP to current and max
True but using it out of your combat action economy and having the potential to heal into that higher hit point max across the entire adventuring day probably edges out using it in-combat when things are dicey (likely the last fight of the day).
I use it with my Divine Soul Sorcerer. Use the Extended Spell Metamagic before a long rest. So I get my slots and sorcery points back and Aid lasts 16 hours rather than 8
Protection from good and evil is god tier when it is applicable
Agreed. Cast this spell and you are just about untouchable to the given enemies. I use it constantly.
Absolutely. Currently playing in a Curse of Strahd campaign and it has saved my bacon so many times.
And Devotion paladins at a high enough level are constantly under its effects
@@jayhill8892 Yeah it's so crazy in Strahd lol
Unless you forget to remind the dm it gives fiends disadvantage and lose concentration on the first turn
Personal favourites by level (runner up):
Bless (Shield of Faith)
Aid (Find Steed)
Blinding Smite (Revivify)
Death Ward (Aura of Life)
Circle of Power (Banishing Smite)
alternate title: best magical secret and tome pact boon spells
Favorite video of lore bards :D, crusader's mantle is op in my party (samurai, monk, paladin)
@@leandrochavez6480 the real way to make Crusader’s Mantle OP is with spells like Animate Objects or Conjure Animals. It’s my party’s go-to boss killer with a Hexblade Paladin, two Hexblade Sorlocks, and one Hexblade Bard.
@@M0ebius I guess your group really likes Hexblades, do they share the same patron?
@@unwithering5313 Yeah our campaign world is built around Hexblades being an order of Witcher-inspired monster slayers. Each multiclass path represents a different school/fighting style. There are also alot of themes/flavors borrowed from animes like Naruto, like for instance the charisma stat is reflavored as chakras, and most of the spells are described similar to ninjutsus.
Level 5 Smite
Level 4 Smite
Level 3 Smite
Level 2 Smite
Level 1 Smite
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk
Level 2 Smite...but also Misty Step (OoV)
@@rtwolf02 Misty Step just seems like a waste of a Smite Slot
@@rtwolf02 multiclass into sorcerer for the bonus action hold person (hell you can quicken spell green flame blade or booming blade and smite on top of those as they require a weapon attack or if you went divine sorcerer then you can pick up spirit guardians which allows the paladin to deal aoe dmg which is their biggest weakness) or pick up the metamagic adept feat if you dont want to multiclass. Watch as any humanoid enemy is either forced to burn through legendary resistances or get critted by divine smite.
@@rtwolf02 Nay, OoV uses haste too
@@PunkrockTSG Misty step can save your life speaking from experience as a paladin at my table
Spirit Shroud also prevents a target from healing when you damage them, and Destructive Wave has the option of dealing necrotic dmg instead of radiant.
I just like to be detailed.
Find steed had been absolutely amazing for my sorcadin. The mobility is incredible, misty step and other spells combo to rediculous effect, mounted combatant feat allows easy crit fishing, and the crazy cool role play you can do by being telepathically linked for up to a mile. It also doesn't need to be cast every day, the Mount just hangs around till it's dead or you dismiss. My favorite paladin spell
100% - it's less of an issue on sorcadins, but for normal paladins mobility is such a huge issue since your range options are so limited.
Joining my first ever D&D session this weekend and I'm playing a Paladin. Was having a few issues with spell selection, this video definitely gave me more to consider
Edit: Coincidentally, a bunch of storm or lightning-themed spells were used in the combat encounter. Yea, I did throw down a thunderous smite.
Honestly, unless your variant human with the War Caster feat your concentration WILL NOT LAST. Paladin's are tanks, they take hits every round. At low levels your looking at a wall of DC10 concentration saves to not waste a slot. As a DM and Paladin PC I really recommend approaching them as Smite Slots with movement aid support (Misty Step and Find Steed).
@@rtwolf02, exactly. Though you do get to add your charisma bonus to your saving throws. I just wish that paladins had proficiency in constitution saving throws and ritual casting.
@@rtwolf02 War caster isn't the way to go for a paladin. Resilient (con) is better because it stacks much nicer with aura of protection. If you have a halfway decent con mod and a good CHA, you rarely drop concentration because it is pretty easy to hit +9 on your con save, and at +9 you literally cannot fail a con save of 10 or lower, which means you need to take at least 22 damage in a single hit to fail on a natural 1.
Your dm will learn to fear you in no time!! Also if you havent seen it yet, you should loom up the vid for highest melee dmg builds.
@@thewonderfullymadejaraid7015 Eventually Agreed, but for a sub level 7 Paladins concentration spells are a trap.
Congrats on the 250k subscribers dudes! Well deserved 👏🏻
I get the 'best' spells are more generally used but I always like weird off spells that have specific uses. Like Meld Into Stone. It's weird and niche but it's great when it's used.
meld into stone saved me from an encounter with 2 helmed horrors and a troop of hobgoblins. I was by myself as a lvl 4 druid.
@@midianfeuratdo3947 wait a minute, if you were lvl 4 you couldn’t have meld into stone which is a third level spell
@@DaBlueIghuana firbolg?
I love you that you highlighted the Paladins versatility. They can and should be more than smite machines. I mean I love smiting of course but my favorite Paladin moments come from things other than smiting.
This is why ring of spell storing or multiclassing into sorcerer really makes the paladin shine as they can use their spells more freely my personal favorite is 11 lvls into paladin and 9 into sorcerer a bonus action hold person/hold monster can completely dumpster some enemies
@@frking100 yeah I love Sorcadin builds of all kinds its great stuff
I’m glad you all mentioned Aid! It doubles in effectiveness when upcasting it to 3rd as well. Granting your party 10 extra hit points each can make a huge difference in combat. I found this to be one of the most effective uses of a spell slot when playing a 9th level Vengeance Paladin.
You don’t have to cast Find steed every day in game. The steed will stay with you or you you can have it wait till you call it in their home realm
It's weird they skipped over that fact. The best part is you can cast the spell right before a long rest to get your mount back. Next day you are back to full slots and if you want change out the spell for something else. You still have your mount until it gets taken out. Long lasting spells like this is what make it so amazing.
@@kinghoenn3478 exactly
My group was in a really, really bad battle in Mad Mage, 2 people bleeding out (including me, the cleric!), 1 person at 1 hp. Looking like we were about to maybe even TPK. Paladin casts Aid. 2 people back up, the 3rd was no longer at just a whisper of life. It literally turned the tide.
After people pointed it out last time, I notice that one book over Kelly's shoulder is still upside down on the shelf. That Eberron book is going to trip folks up.
Even with the great Oath Spells my Conquest paladin had, there was one spell that every paladin has access to that shuts down a lot of enemies: Protection from Good and Evil. Imposes a ton of penalties on enemies trying to do make a dent in my character.
Also glad it was mentioned about spells cast on themselves affect their summoned mounts. I had a DM that didn't realize that when I allowed an attack against my mount after using a level 3 Armor of Agathis spell (mounted combatant is great btw,) not only absorbing the damage, but countering with ice damage. Also a really good idea while mounted is casting a higher level Aid spell to boost a mount's HP.
Eagerly awaiting the day when the paladin in our group can cast aura of vitality, and I as the cleric will simultaneously cast beacon of hope. 120 hp of healing outside of combat.
a great way to use Aura of Vitality is making a Life Cleric and taking the Metamagic Adept Feat. Learn Extended Spell. You can now, on average, heal 240 HP with just a 3rd lvl spell and 1 metamagic point.
The paladin in my players' party used thunderous smite against a gargoyle while they were fighting on top of a castle wall. it was epic
and the gargoyle didn't just fly?
@@apollyon23456 they originally pushed it off, but it flew. then they used thunderous smite which both pushes AND knocks prone, so therefore the gargoyle fell
@@herrkrabbe148 Hahahah nice
Wrathful Smite is a surprising potent spell.
God tier for a conquest paladin
Wanted to second this - some people miss the detail that after the initial save, the enemy needs to make a wisdom CHECK (no prof. bonus) while burning an action to get rid of the effect. Fantastic double whammy there.
@@8684LYFE Triple whammy once you read the frightened condition and realise that wisdom check is made at disadvantage.
@@8684LYFE The fear effect only lasts for the duration of the spell though, meaning you have to hold concentration to maintain the fear and can't use other smites. Once you get second level spells though all the smites are valid for Find Steed's casting, so your horse can maintain concentration on the fear effect and it becomes much harder to break with Mounted Combatant.
It's like playing as Darth Vader, your enemies just can't fight properly with the sheer amount of fear you strike into them
in my game my DM allowed me a giant goat for my steed.
Paladin in my game wanted a Dire Wolf 😒
I’ve allowed an Elk reflavored as a moose before. In a high-level campaign, my DM let me have an Ankheg as my steed when I cast Find Greater Steed.
I'm just imagining a paladin screaming for the hordes of hell to go back home while on a goat that is casually chewing on an old boot 😂😂😂
I have a image in my mind of Crusader's Mantle of the paladin that boosts ally weapons with divine power . A lot like Melisandre did in long night.
You forgot about Zone of Truth, which is probably the most powerful 2nd level spell outside of combat in D&D 5e.
Arguably, as they can talk around the truth if the enemy is smart
I think that is more on the dm. The npc can't lie, but they are not forced to answer truthfully either. If the dm chooses they don't want to talk, then Zone is useless.
it was the centerpiece of an entire session of drakkenheim season one, so yeah
@@nicholasjackson8709 I mean, if you’re unsure if an npc is lying or not, and you zone of truth them and they just don’t talk, then that’s pretty suspect, is it not? People talk about that part of Zone of Truth as if it makes the spell unusable, but if the person is truthful they will talk, and if they’re not, they won’t.
find steed is so OP. i had a Dragonborn oathbreaker paladin on a riding lizzard with Mounted Combatant feat. we palyed in Tomb of annihilation and spider clime cam in clutch so many times :)
Just a correction, the official errata for the PHB changes the text of Divine Smite to max out at 6d8, which means 5th level spells DO compete for those divine smites!
That errata was a clarification that the extra d8 to fiends and undead increased the cap to 6d8; the regular cap for targeting any other creature type remains 5d8.
I agree that taking Find Greater Steed is a must take when making your BARD! That way you can ride around on your gryphon and laugh at the paladin who has to wait a bunch of levels before he can do it himself.
Of course I came running as soon as the notification appeared.
Thank you for your amazing work, dudes!!!
That's why they are the Dungeon Dudes, my dude!
Some subclasses come with spirit guardians, and this spell is seriously underrated. I have seen a cleric wade into the thick of battle and come out the other side with dozens of kills because of the spirit guardians
Yes, any paladin who has access to spirit guardians should use it. It’s arguably one of the best spells in the game.
I do like how versatile the paladin options are without stepping on another classes role, usually acting as a secondary supplement or taking a role to allow other divine casters a chance to do more.
A note on find greater stead flying options...beware of being dismounted without a way to ensure you can land safly.
You know what I like about "Aid"? As written, you don't need to see the targets. So if you know a PC went down to zero HP, but can't see them, as long as they are in range, you can still heal them and pop them back up with 5 HP. Great spell to get people up, too.
I think I agree about 2nd level spells and smites for the most part but I think people value smites too high. Generally, you should only use your standard smite when you crit hit or pretty much know you'll finish off a threat. To see why, just compare whether you would use a 3rd level slot as a full caster to do 4d8 damage once. Spell slots are usually(!) more valuable than that.
I usually keep Divine Smite for crits because of spell slot scarcity, unless it's a Mindflayer; then all the gloves come off
The difference between casting a spell and using smite is that when you use smite you also make weapon attacks and you can smite 2-3 times in a turn. You can’t cast more than 1 non cantrip spell in a turn so smite ends up being better for action economy.
I went an entire campaign from 1st to 26th level and never rolled a single crit. Got some 20s on skill checks. But if one attack roll
Bold words from someone in Smite range.
My favorite use of Command is to tell an enemy to sit. They stop and make themselves prone.
Until you slur your words and mispeak accidentally asking your foe to sh@t instead.......
@@deadthybug4646 Most humanoids would probably shit squatting down. There’s that.
How isn't wrathful smite the best lvl1 spell? Extra damage, frightened condition AND the target has to succeed in a wis CHECK to break out of it, burning an action in tje process and it has disadvantage on that check, because of the frightened condition.
Right? Absolutely a clear front runner out of the whole spell list, followed by the other smites. So strange to not see it at least touched on. It defines the game plan of the oath of conquest.
Used this spell for my dragon born conqueror paladin til level 20
Came to ask this very same question
They talk about the smite spells that are broadly applicable, and there are just to many creatures that are straight up immune to fear for it to be the best. It’s great when you get an opponent that you can use it with, but it’s kinda the same issue with poison.
Because aside from poison, frightened is the most common condition immunity
Holy Weapon still my favorite 5th level spell. Basically adding a first level smite to all attacks. Plus a good AoE attack when you end it.
I love command. On time my party was escorting a commoner, and were ambushed by griffins. One swooped down and picked the commoner up and started flying away. So on my next turn I just commanded it to land and when it landed all our melee guys went in to rescue the commoner :)
i've had a cleric that used bless on a bbeg battle.
and it was a good feeling when i saw that at least 50% of the attacks that hit required rolling the extra d4 from Bless
Don’t forget, with the new Spirit Shroud spell, Conquest Paladins get to add an additional d8 to any attack they make that hits within the shroud including their Spiritual Weapon attack!
For 1st level I like "Divine Favor" (it gives good dmg per slot ratio if you can attack many times in combat) and "Protection from Good and Evil" - my paladin tanked like 8 ghouls without getting hit once.
I finished a campaign recently where I was a Paladin 6/Warlock 14... you guys are making me want to start a new game where I go paladin for all 20 levels!
Destructive wave is an awesome spell with the most misleading name, I'd expect it to just destroy everything in range. Its a lot more like selective wave.
Just when I couldn't love Kelly any more he busts out the Majora's Mask shirt! And an incredibly cool one to boot!
The eratta for the phb did extend divine smite so you can use it with a5th level slot for up to 6d8 now
I know everyone loves Smite. But, I honestly wish more players would use their actual spells. I think the Paladin list is particularly good, ironically so since they're so rarely used.
New video and day is already better
I’ve made Thunderous Smite sort of the signature spell for my Vengeance Paladin, as part of a focus on controlling movement (Sentinel, Misty Step, the soon-to-be-attained 7th-level Vengeance feature, and Dwarven Plate that makes it harder for others to move me). It’s not always the most optimal choice, but I love the flavor of it. Current favorite combo is knocking someone into our Ranger’s often-cast Spike Growth.
Bless is so underrated. I rarely use it.
At low levels it's basically like giving three dudes magical gear, not complete sets of magical gear obviously and it can't bypass normal weapon immunity but it's still crazy good.
Same. My players also forget to add the d4
@@robinthrush9672 Give them one of your d4s when you cast it. Just like our bard does with inspiration, I hand them out when my Bless is active.
And our campaign is at lvl 17 now, Bless still holds up, those benefits to saves are a godssend.
I don't think bless is really usable in anything but clearing "trash" unless you have a couple divine casters in the group. Either my concentration or my level 1 spells are called for, and I just can't afford to cast it unless someone else is contributing.
@@Saeda88 That's what I did for my bard as well. Easier to keep track of one die than 3+. Maybe I should just buy some burner dice so I can keep the neat ones I use.... That's a good idea.
i really think you have overlooked the value of Divine Favour. 1d4 radiant for every attack the paladin makes is almost always going to net more damage then spending that same 1st level slot for a divine smite, and like the spell smites can stack with divine smite. especially since you mentioned the 3rd level upgrades Crusader's Mantle and Spirit Shroud
Divine Favor is good on pretty much every paladin but oath of Vengeance since Hunters mark is almost objectively better. I feel like many of the spells mentioned are mentioned through the lense of how useful they are to OaV.
@@2g33ksgamingttv3 I actually value Divine Favour over Hunters Mark in most encounters. Yes HM does slightly more damage but the need to keep using bonus action to move it and the greater potential for it to be resisted and just not having it if the target gets out of range of your attacks. Yes if you using HM for the tracking bonuses or if you only against a single monster it is the superior spell.
@@revshad4226 Dungeon Dudes seems to operate on the Philosophy of kill it fast and no issues, which is where the extra damage makes it better. because i've noticed any time the dungeon dudes talk about haste and the oath of vengeance they almost always ignore the drawback of the spell about leaving you vulnerable and a sitting duck after its finished. plus for me personally the bonus action transfer doesn't bother me because my paladin isn't an optimized PAM + sentinel paladin, he's a morningstar wielding undead and necromancer hunter so i don't have a lot to do with my bonus action outside OoE.
You guys have an uncanny ability to come out with videos at the most necessary times. This helped quite a bit, thanks!
Wow! Great timing, today I start Curse of Strad as paladin. Played on paladins for a while and really wanted a vid like this😁
I had a hexblade warlock/vengence paladin triple smite her patron once on a crit... banishing smite, plus divine smite, plus eldritch smite... that boss fight didnt last long.
Been waiting for more Paladin stuff, thanks for this!! 🔰 Love your guy’s videos 💯
Super happy the content is back. I was chewing my nails for something to watch D:
When I think of banishing smite, I picture it as that punch in Henry stickman, where he punched this guy with his stand and launched him into a shattering of the dimension and making them fly through a space void.
Aid is amazing as a combat healing spell as well, effectively spending an action for healing word on three targets. Aid can turn a losing fight around if multiple party members are in the negatives.
I've been considering multiclassing my fifth level fighter to an Oath of Vengeance Paladin. She's been heading that way in this particular campaign and my DM suggested I look into it. This helps a lot!
I'm playing a Necromancy Wizard, and my buddy is playing an Oathbreaker Paladin... the moment we hit Lvl 9 and he gets Crusader's Mantle, our undead damage output is going to be insane.
So whats the damage output now?
Thank you kindly gentlemen! Been dying to play D&D forever and I'm finally going to get to play a full campaign as the wonderful Paladin soon!
This video is really helpful! Love it. I am a new player in dnd and I have choose a Paladin to roleplay and you help me a lot to understand this class. Cheers mates
This video came right in time!
I'm about to play an important game with my paladin who has recently gotten at 17th level, so I get to pick the best spells!
Banishing Smite can also be useful to just put someone on pause. "Oh he is banished for a moment, quick heal up." Everyone holds action until he pops back and gets smeared."
I like Aid for combat healing people up if someone goes down. Guaranteed healing amount and likely at that point several people could use a heal.... and it last for next fight too.
... assuming there isn’t another handy healer.
Poor rangers, they didnt even get a second video for their Xanathar's subclasses!
Pretty pumped that you suggested my entire reason for taking paladin: lancing on a gryffon is going to be amazing! I just... need all the pieces to come together finally
One crucial part about Banishing Smite compared to Banishment: both have concentration 1minute, but the smitten targed will come back *regardless*, there is no "stays in it's home plane plane if full duration yadada". so banishing smite can not be a fight ender as banishment can be.
Love my Paladin:
Thunderous Smite: "You want me to put the hammer down??!!" (Thor-nderous Smite)
Bless/Aid: awkward for a party of six... (good for frontliners)
Best Feats for Paladins>>>
LOVE Find Steed! (My steed and I are one...didn't know you could misty step with steed)
Divine Smite takes a spell slot up to a player level.
Crusader's Mantle good for my crew!
Revivify for my Ancients/Devotion Pallies!
Auras I always take!
Find Greater Steed Pegasus thematically!
Love the Destructive Wave: like The Dark World Thor!!
(Friendly fire??)
Will consider the Banishing Smite then...
Circle of Power would be perfect for my Devotion Paladin thematically ...
Love my Protection Paladin and my alternate duelist Paladin. This has revivified my fire for DnD in general! Thank you!!
You mentioned greater steed but no love for holy weapon? It's the most damage efficient use of a 5th level slot lol. Also, the errata changed the max to 6d8 so 5th level slots CAN provide smites now
The extra d8 is only against fiends or undead and then its a given thing even with lvl4 spell slot
@@James_Mular You're mistaken. The exact verbage of the Divine Smite description, adjusted for the errata, is as follows. "Starting at 2nd leveI, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one paladin spell
slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a
1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher
than 1st, to a maximum of 6d8. The damage increases
by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend." This means that a paladin using Smite with a 5th level slot to and undead or fiend will deal an additional 8d8 damage along with weapon damage, 6d8 for the 5th level slot, 1d8 bonus damage due to creature type, and 1d8 damage from Improved Divine Smite
@@shaunperron7080 i stand corrected, my bad
@@James_Mular it's actually a very common misconception, so no worries 🙂 wizards isn't exactly known for their clear wording
@@shaunperron7080 Actually the errata adds to the last sentence, the very end of the paragraph. The last two sentences now read, "The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each Spell Level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an Undead or a fiend, to a maximum of 6d8."
The errata only clarifies that the undead/fiend damage may exceed the 5d8 cap.
First campaign I finished ended at level 15. I was an 11th level bard (college of whispers) with 4 levels of rogue (swashbuckler). Took banishing smite with my magical secrets and hit a paralyzed dragon with a banishing smite (5d10) plus psychic blades (5d6) plus sneak attack (2d6) with a flametongue rapier (1d8+2d6). Most satisfying crit I’ve ever had. 10/10 would recommend.
I’m just about to play a Paladin, so this is tremendously useful. Thanks!
Great video guys. Wish you talked more about find steed/greater steed and talked more about the cool combat combos with it (ways to deal more dpr with it) as the rules for it confuse me to this day (such as can the steed benefit from smite spells themselves and attack along with the paladin).
Bless is hands down the best use of your concentration slot. It is low level, remains relevant at all levels, and makes the party better. Passing your saving throws is worth an entire round of actions from the party.
Every time I run a Cleric or Paladin I always ask myself "Why shouldn't I cast Bless on round 1?"
The thumbnail will now be called Blue Rudi Whittaker.
Bless and Command have got to be some of the best low lvl combat spells in the game. The only reason you might not hear as much about them is the competition with Smite.
Just played my first DnD session this past weekend, playing a Dragonborn Paladin, on the path towards the Oath of Vengeance, cannot wait to get my spells and smites at level 2. Excellent video as always!
Curious, do you know your dm's opinion/implementation of dragonborn and their usual religion? Its always interesting how differently each group plays it out
@@Casino220 Hasn’t really come up yet, but he’s my friend and he’s a fan of the Paladin, in fact oddly enough he said his first character back playing 3e was a Dragonborn Paladin, and I did not know that when I made the character lol. So I think everything should be fine, especially since I just chose Bahamut, nothing crazy.
Since Tasha's Cauldron of Everything came out and the Feytouched feat, I've been messin' around with a Feytouched Eldritch Knight Fighter that chooses Command as the 1st level spell with the feat. I just imagine my fighter shouting "Get Over Here!" like Scorpion from Mortal Combat with the "approach" option to bring ranged enemies into melee range. lol
what I find funny is that two of the best support spells aura of vitality and circle of power are on the domain spell list of the twilight cleric who can cast it much earlier then paladins
At low level, Aid is a good way to get a steady number of hit points out to multiple people, even in combat.
Thank you for the guide, Dudes :D
This is a super helpful video because I'm looking to play a Vengeance or Watcher Paladin with my next PC.
Thank you for your amazing work
Never got to a high enough level to get 4th and 5th level spells, but im playing a campaign where we fight balors regularly that explode when reduced to 0hp, banishing smite would totally negate that, I like it. 😁
So much knowledge 🤯 This is going to help me as I level up. Currently a level 1 human Paladin.
With the Oath of Glory Paladin you have incredible mobility! Aura of Alacrity + Haste + Find Greater Steed (Pegasus) = 600ft of flying movement per round! (Without any magic items).
Pegasus flying speed is 90. Aura of alacrity gives a plus 10, haste caste on yourself applies to your steed doubling its flying speed from 100 to 200. Then using its action and hasted action to dash gives the total of 600!
Awesome vid as always and Kelly, awesome shirt :)
Something I had to pound into our paladin's head is that Smite is not the same as a smite spell. He would never Smite, but he would use his smite spells every round for damage.
Nice list! For some other spells not mentioned here that I think paladins should also consider picking up:
1st-level
- Heroism: While a paladin eventually gains immunity to the frightened condition and can provide this benefit to those within their aura, heroism can be very effective in T1 and T2 play if you're facing against creatures that can inflict the frightened condition often. I think this is a very nice spell to have handy in low level play.
2nd-level
- Magic Weapon: Again, for low level play, this spell can potentially be a godsend in low level play if you or someone in your party hasn't gotten a magic weapon. This is a niche option, but if your party situation at the table is that you don't yet have magical weapons, this can be a good option to help mitigate fighting against creatures with resistance or immunity to nonmagical attacks.
4th-level
- Aura of Life: If you're in an adventure that deals with a lot of necrotic damage or monsters that reduce HP maximum, I would definitely have this prepared as a paladin. I've found this to be very effective when facing creatures like vampires, liches, etc and it can be a godsend in high level play for when it comes up.
- Death Ward: This wasn't mentioned on the video, but death ward (gained at 13th level as a paladin) is pretty much essential for most high level play. This can be used effectively with another party member to cover the party and if need be, can be cast before the end of a long rest to help maintain the spell slot during the adventure itself. In addition, you can catch both yourself and your steed with a single cast of this spell, which can help give your steed more staying power.
5th-level
- Holy Weapon: Kind of surprised this one wasn't mentioned. This does involve the expenditure of a 5th-level spell slot, but this is a very effective spell in high level play for a paladin to buff their own damage, or even better, give it to someone in your party with more attacks, such as your fighter, since the damage can scale like crazy. I would personally always have this prepared as a high level paladin, and it is a long concentration time so you can often end up using it on multiple fights in the adventure.
Thanks for the 411, guys! I just played my Paladin ( Vengeance ) for the first time yesterday. And, I had fun.
I'm hiding this video from my group, the Paladin is hard enough to deal with as is.
I feel ya my dude.
Wait.. Paladin has Spells slots? I'm pretty sure you meant Smite slots.
Little known fact, you can actually cast spells with your smite slots, so people mistake them for spell slots
Aid is so good i picked it as a mystical secret on my glamour bard, aid+mantle of inspiration is an easy 20-30 hp buff to all the squishies at no real cost