Paladin

Paladins are sacred champions, sworn to uphold an oath that transcends mere law or loyalty.

Bound by conviction and fortified by divine grace, they stand as bulwarks against corruption, tyranny, and despair.

In Eldareth, where the gods speak through signs and the shadows of ancient evils still stir, paladins are living testaments to honor, vengeance, and unwavering purpose.

Their word is oath. Their blade, justice. Their will, unbreakable.

This version of the Paladin class utilizes the core structure and progression pacing found in the 2024 revision, including level 1 Spellcasting, Weapon Mastery, and the Feat-based Fighting Style system.

However, it diverges significantly in resource management, adopting Short Rest recovery for Channel Divinity uses and a Bonus Action activation for Lay on Hands, promoting sustained frontline presence. Spell preparation follows the traditional 'Charisma modifier + half Paladin level' formula, providing flexibility within the half-caster framework. Key features include baseline access to Divine Sense, Harness Divine Power, and Abjure Foes via Channel Divinity, consistent mobility through Faithful Steed, enhanced passive damage with Radiant Strikes, and integrated condition removal via Restoring Touch.

The result is a champion blending modern martial capabilities with enhanced resource sustain and utility, designed to uphold their oath through long adventuring days.

Becoming a Paladin...

As a Level 1 Character

• Gain all the traits in the Core Paladin Traits table.
• Gain the Paladin’s level 1 features, which are listed in the Paladin Features table.

As a Multiclass Character

• Gain the following traits from the Core Paladin Traits table: Hit Point Die, proficiency with Martial weapons, and training with Light and Medium armor and Shields.
• Gain the Paladin’s level 1 features, which are listed in the Paladin Features table. See the multiclassing rules to determine your available spell slots.

As a Paladin, you gain the following class features when you reach the specified Paladin levels. These features are listed in the Paladin Features table.

Level 1: Lay on Hands

Your blessed touch can heal wounds. You have a pool of healing power that replenishes when you take a Long Rest. With that pool, you can restore a total number of Hit Points equal to five times your Paladin level.

As a Bonus Action, you can touch a creature (which could be yourself) and draw power from the pool of healing to restore a number of Hit Points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in the pool.

You can also expend 5 Hit Points from the pool of healing power to remove the Poisoned condition from the creature; those points don’t also restore Hit Points to the creature.

Level 1: Spellcasting

You have learned to draw on divine magic through prayer and meditation to cast spells. See the Player’s Handbook for the rules on spellcasting. The information below details how you use those rules with Paladin spells.

Spell Slots. The Paladin table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your level 1+ Paladin spells. You regain all expended slots when you finish a Long Rest.

Prepared Spells of Level 1+. You prepare the list of Paladin spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Paladin spell list. When you do so, choose a number of Paladin spells equal to your Charisma modifier + half your Paladin level (rounded down, minimum of 1 spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 5th-level Paladin with a Charisma of 16, you can prepare 5 Paladin spells of 1st or 2nd level.

If another Paladin feature gives spells that you always have prepared, those spells don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare with this feature, but those spells otherwise count as Paladin spells for you.

Changing Your Prepared Spells. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace your list of prepared spells, replacing any of the spells there with other Paladin spells for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Paladin spells.

Spellcasting Focus. You can use a Holy Symbol as a Spellcasting Focus for your Paladin spells.

Level 1: Weapon Mastery

Your training with weapons allows you to use the mastery properties of two kinds of weapons of your choice with which you have proficiency, such as Longswords and Javelins. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can change one of those weapon choices.

Level 2: Fighting Style

You gain a Fighting Style feat of your choice. Instead of choosing one of those feats, you can choose the option below.

Blessed Warrior. You learn two Cleric cantrips of your choice. The chosen cantrips count as Paladin spells for you, and Charisma is your spellcasting ability for them. 

Level 2: Divine Smite

When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one 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 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend, to a maximum of 6d8.

Level 3: Divine Health

The divine magic flowing through you makes you immune to disease.

Level 3: Channel Divinity

You can channel divine energy directly from the Outer Planes, using it to fuel magical effects. You start with one such effect: Divine Sense, which is described below. Other Paladin features give additional Channel Divinity effect options. Each time you use this class’s Channel Divinity, you choose which effect from this class to create.

You can use this class’s Channel Divinity twice. You regain one of its expended uses when you finish a Short Rest, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest. You gain an additional use when you reach Paladin level 11.

If a Channel Divinity effect requires a saving throw, the DC equals the spell save DC from this class’s Spellcasting feature.

Divine Sense. As a Bonus Action, you can open your awareness to detect Celestials, Fiends, and Undead. For the next 10 minutes or until you have the Incapacitated condition, you know the location of any creature of those types within 60 feet of yourself, and you know its creature type. Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the Hallow spell.

Harness Divine Power. You can expend a use of your Channel Divinity to fuel your spells. As a bonus action, you touch your holy symbol, utter a prayer, and regain one expended spell slot, the level of which can be no higher than half your proficiency bonus (rounded up). The number of times you can use this feature is based on the level you've reached in this class: 3rd level, once; 7th level, twice; and 15th level, thrice. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Level 3: Paladin Subclass

You gain a Paladin subclass of your choice. A subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Paladin levels. For the rest of your career, you gain each of your subclass’s features that are of your Paladin level or lower.

Level 4: Ability Score Improvement

You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Paladin levels 8, 12, and 16.

Level 4: Blessed Versatility

Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature (levels 4, 8, 12, and 16), you can do one of the following, representing a shift in your focus:

• Replace the Fighting Style feat you chose at 2nd level with a different Fighting Style feat available to Paladins.

• If you chose the Blessed Warrior feature, you can replace one of the Cleric cantrips you learned through it with a different cantrip from the Cleric spell list.

Level 5: Extra Attack

You can attack twice instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Level 5: Faithfull Steed

You can call on the aid of an otherworldly steed. You always have the Find Steed spell prepared.

You can also cast the spell once without expending a spell slot, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a Long Rest.

Level 6: Aura of Protection

You radiate a protective, unseeable aura in a 10-foot Emanation that originates from you. The aura is inactive while you have the Incapacitated condition.

You and your allies in the aura gain a bonus to saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum bonus of +1).

If another Paladin is present, a creature can benefit from only one Aura of Protection at a time; the creature chooses which aura while in them.

Level 9: Abjure Foes

As an action, you can expend one use of this class’s Channel Divinity to overwhelm foes with awe. As you present your Holy Symbol or weapon, you can target a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature) that you can see within 60 feet of yourself. Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Frightened condition for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. While Frightened in this way, a target can do only one of the following on its turns: move, take an action, or take a Bonus Action.

Level 10: Aura of Courage

You and your allies have Immunity to the Frightened condition while in your Aura of Protection. If a Frightened ally enters the aura, that condition has no effect on that ally while there.

Level 11: Radiant Strikes

Your strikes now carry supernatural power. When you hit a target with an attack roll using a Melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike, the target takes an extra 1d8 Radiant damage.

Level 14: Restoring Touch

When you use Lay On Hands on a creature, you can also remove one or more of the following conditions from the creature: Blinded, Charmed, Deafened, Frightened, Paralyzed, or Stunned. You must expend 5 Hit Points from the healing pool of Lay On Hands for each of these conditions you remove; those points don’t also restore Hit Points to the creature.

Level 18: Aura Expension

Your Aura of Protection is now a 30-foot Emanation.

Level 19: Epic Boon

You gain an Epic Boon feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.