Paladin

Paladins are united by their oaths to stand against the forces of annihilation and corruption. Whether sworn before a god’s altar, in a sacred glade before nature spirits, or in a moment of desperation and grief with the dead as the only witness, a Paladin’s oath is a powerful bond. It is a source of power that turns a devoted warrior into a blessed champion.

Paladins train extensively in combat, mastering a variety of weapons and armor. Their martial skill is reinforced by divine magic that allows them to heal the injured, smite their enemies, and protect those who fight at their side.

The life of a Paladin is often an adventuring one, shaped by the obligations of an oath and the threats it demands they confront. Few warriors receive such a calling, and those who do often leave former occupations behind to take up arms and magic in service of a greater purpose.

This version of the Paladin builds on the 2024 martial framework, including 1st-level Spellcasting, Weapon Mastery, Bonus Action Lay on Hands, and the modern Fighting Style system. Spell preparation uses a fixed class-level progression appropriate to a half-caster, while the Paladin can replace any or all of their prepared Paladin spells after a Long Rest.

Divine Smite returns to a reactive form that requires no action. Once per turn, after hitting with a Melee weapon or Unarmed Strike, the Paladin can expend a spell slot to deal additional Radiant damage. This preserves Divine Smite as a defining part of the class while preventing repeated smites on every attack during the same turn.

Channel Divinity is gained at 3rd level and supports Divine Sense, Harness Divine Power, and the option granted by the Paladin’s Oath. Uses recover partially on a Short Rest and fully on a Long Rest. Faithful Steed, Aura of Protection, Abjure Foes, Aura of Courage, Radiant Strikes, Restoring Touch, and Aura Expansion remain part of the core progression.

The Paladin chooses their Oath at 3rd level, with subclass features gained again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level. The aim is to preserve the class’s identity as a heavily armed divine champion whose martial combat, spellcasting, healing, protective auras, and oath features reinforce one another without forcing its core abilities to compete unnecessarily for the same action.

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.

Paladin Features

Level 1: Lay on Hands

Your blessed touch can heal wounds.

You have a pool of healing power that replenishes when you finish a Long Rest. The pool contains a number of Hit Points equal to five times your Paladin level.

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

Alternatively, you can expend 5 Hit Points from the pool to remove the Poisoned condition from the creature. Those points don’t also restore Hit Points.

Level 1: Spellcasting

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

Spell Slots

The Paladin Features table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your level 1+ spells.

You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a Long Rest.

Prepared Spells of Level 1+

You prepare a list of level 1+ Paladin spells that are available for you to cast.

The number of spells you can have prepared is shown in the Prepared Spells column of the Paladin Features table.

Whenever that number increases, choose additional Paladin spells until the number of spells you have prepared matches the number shown in the table.

The spells you prepare must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

If another Paladin feature, such as your subclass, grants you spells that are always prepared, those spells don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare with this feature. Those spells otherwise count as Paladin spells for you.

Changing Your Prepared Spells

Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace any or all of the Paladin spells you have prepared 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 Simple or Martial weapons of your choice with which you have proficiency.

Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can practice weapon drills and replace one of those weapon choices with another eligible weapon.

Level 2: Fighting Style

You have honed your martial training and gain a Fighting Style feat of your choice for which you qualify.

Instead of choosing a Fighting Style feat, you can choose Blessed Warrior.

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.

Whenever you gain a Paladin level, you can replace your chosen Fighting Style with another Fighting Style feat available to Paladins for which you qualify or with Blessed Warrior.

If you have Blessed Warrior, whenever you gain a Paladin level, you can also replace one Cleric cantrip you learned from it with another Cleric cantrip of your choice.

Level 2: Divine Smite

Divine power allows you to punish a foe immediately after striking it.

Once per turn, immediately after you hit a creature with a Melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike, you can expend one spell slot. No action is required.

The target takes an extra 2d8 Radiant damage for a level 1 spell slot, plus 1d8 for each slot level above 1, to a maximum of 5d8.

If the target is a Fiend or Undead, the damage increases by 1d8, to a maximum of 6d8.

You can use any spell slot you have to fuel Divine Smite.

Level 3: Channel Divinity

You can channel divine energy to create supernatural effects.

You begin with Divine Sense and Harness Divine Power, described below. Your Paladin subclass also grants a Channel Divinity option associated with your Oath.

Whenever you use Channel Divinity, choose one Channel Divinity option available to you and expend one use of this feature.

You can use Channel Divinity twice. Starting at Paladin level 11, you can use it three times, as shown in the Channel Divinity column of the Paladin Features table.

You regain one expended use when you finish a Short Rest, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

If a Channel Divinity option requires a saving throw, the save DC equals your Paladin spell save DC.

Divine Sense

As a Bonus Action, you expend one use of Channel Divinity and open your awareness to supernatural beings.

For the next 10 minutes, or until you have the Incapacitated condition, you know the location of any Celestial, Fiend, or Undead 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, such as by the Hallow spell.

Harness Divine Power

As a Bonus Action, you touch your Holy Symbol, expend one use of Channel Divinity, and regain one expended spell slot.

The slot’s level can be no higher than half your Proficiency Bonus, rounded up.

You can use Harness Divine Power once between Long Rests.

Starting at Paladin level 7, you can use it twice between Long Rests. Starting at Paladin level 15, you can use it three times between Long Rests.

Level 3: Paladin Subclass

You gain a Paladin subclass of your choice.

A Paladin subclass represents the Sacred Oath that directs your divine power and responsibilities.

Your subclass grants features at Paladin levels 3, 7, 15, and 20.

Your Oath can also grant Oath Spells. These spells are always prepared for you and don’t count against the number of Paladin spells you can prepare through your Spellcasting feature. Oath Spells are gained according to your Paladin level, as described by your subclass.

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 5: Extra Attack

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

Level 5: Faithful Steed

You can call upon an otherworldly steed to aid you.

You always have the Find Steed spell prepared. It doesn’t count against the number of Paladin spells you can prepare through your Spellcasting feature.

You can cast Find Steed 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 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, with a minimum bonus of +1.

If a creature is within the Aura of Protection of more than one Paladin, the creature benefits from only one of those auras at a time.

Level 9: Abjure Foes

You can use Channel Divinity to overwhelm your enemies with supernatural awe.

As a Magic action, you expend one use of Channel Divinity and present your Holy Symbol or a weapon.

Choose a number of creatures you can see within 60 feet of yourself equal to your Charisma modifier, with a minimum of one creature.

Each target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Paladin spell save DC.

On a failed save, the target has the Frightened condition for 1 minute or until it takes damage.

While Frightened in this way, a creature can do only one of the following on each of its turns: move, take an action, or take a Bonus Action.

Level 10: Aura of Courage

Your Aura of Protection also shields against supernatural fear.

You and your allies have Immunity to the Frightened condition while within your Aura of Protection.

If a Frightened ally enters the aura, the condition has no effect on that ally while it remains there.

Level 11: Radiant Strikes

Your attacks carry divine power.

Whenever 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

Your Lay on Hands can remove debilitating conditions.

When you use Lay on Hands on a creature, you can also remove one or more of the following conditions from it:

• Blinded

• Charmed

• Deafened

• Frightened

• Paralyzed

• Stunned

For each condition you remove, you must expend 5 Hit Points from your Lay on Hands pool.

Those points don’t also restore Hit Points.

Level 18: Aura Expansion

The range of your Aura of Protection increases from a 10-foot Emanation to a 30-foot Emanation.

This increased range also applies to any Paladin feature that uses the range of your Aura of Protection.

Level 19: Epic Boon

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

Level 20: Subclass Feature

You gain the level 20 feature granted by your Paladin subclass.