This guide focuses on the best Paladin build in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Oath of Devotion subclass, and includes all components to build a powerful character.
This build page has been updated for thePatch 8 versionof Baldur’s Gate 3.
Paladin Class Introduction
The Oath of Devotion Paladin is a Paladin subclass that embodies an unwavering commitment to ideals of honor, justice, and duty. Paladins who follow the Oath of Devotion dedicate themselves to a higher code of conduct and strive to exemplify the highest standards of virtue and goodness. This is a subclass you want to pick if you want pure holy warrior.
From a gameplay perspective, this Paladin build will focus on the prototypical gameplay. Heavy armor, two-handed melee build with extra utility, healing, and buffs. That’s what the subclass brings the same raw damage and flashy Divine Smite spells with extra healing and buffs that your team may need. Consider this build a fun aggressive playstyle with group utility added.
Oath of the Devotion Paladin Changes in Patch 8
The biggest changes to the Oath of Devotion Paladin build come from the addition of new subclasses, spells, and cantrips. While three enemies have been buffed in Tactician and Honour modes, the overall flow of combat remains largely the same. Additionally,Booming Bladenow offers a notable advantage by adding thunder damage to each attack, making it a strong option. Especially when multiclassing into Hexblade Warlock, Sorcerer, or Wizard, or by selecting it with the High Elf’s bonus cantrip. While the Half-Orc race remains the top pick for pure melee damage, Booming Blade adds versatility and burst potential to hybrid builds.
Oath of the Devotion Paladin Class Features & Mechanics
The following list presents all the essential Paladin Class Mechanics and Features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Paladin Spell Mechanics
Paladin spell casting in general, is limited compared to other classes and builds. But the Divine Smite additional damage mechanic consuming spell slots is the real reason you can do an insane amount of damage. In general, save the spell slots for this usage unless needing a buff, heal, or crowd control.
Paladin Class and Best Subclasses
TheOath of Devotionsubclass is the great Paladin subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 because it offers powerful damage abilities, group buffs, and healing while maintaining high offensive damage.
Here are all the Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladinsubclasses:
Oath of Devotion Subclass Features
Here’s what the Oath of Devotion Subclass will unlock for you at various levels in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Paladin Divine Smite Explained
Divine Smite is a signature ability of the Paladin class in Baldur’s Gate 3. It allows a Paladin to expend a spell slot to deal additional radiant damage to a creature they have hit with a melee weapon attack. The amount of extra damage is equal to 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend.
Divine Smite can be toggled on or off in the reactions menu under the user interface. This allows you to make a decision if you want to use it or not. This is very important because the Paladin can run out of Spell Slots quickly, limiting damage. The last thing you want is to expend a spell slot needlessly on a weak creature.
Here are some tips for using the Best Paladin Build to use Divine Smite effectively in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Character Creation for Paladin Oath of Devotion Build
Recommended Backgrounds
Noble is the BestBackgroundfor the Best Paladin Build in Baldur’s Gate 3 because you gain proficiency inPersuasion which scales in effectiveness based on your Charisma ability score. This choice mostly influences roleplaying and dialogue options aspects and allows you to create unique characters. Here’s a list of the best backgrounds for a Paladin:
Best Race Choice Paladin Build
TheHalf-Orcis the bestracechoice for Oath of Devotion Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3 because the Relentless Endurance racial feature can save you from death dropping to 0 hit points you stay at 1 for a turn. The Half-Orc’s savage attack allows for extra damage and Darkvision is vital playing in the Underdark. A secondary choice isZariel Tieflingbecause of fire resistance and two free smite spells, Searing and Branding.
Here’s the bestRacechoice for an Oath of Devotion Paladin Build:
The Paladin’s racial choice will not influence ability score, but everyone should get a +2 and +1 to spend regardless. This frees your race choice up to not completely hinder yourself based on ability score, but race features. Each of these races offers unique advantages that can enhance yourcombatprowess, survivability, or utility. Additionally, consider the roleplaying opportunities and character concepts that resonate with you when playing the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Devotion Build Guide.
Recommended Skills for Paladin Oath of Devotion
PersuasionandInsightare the best skills for the Paladin Oath of Devotion in Baldur’s Gate 3 because they complement your class abilities and enhance your effectiveness in various situations. In Baldur’s Gate 3, skills represent the abilities and proficiencies of your character that allow them to perform various actions and interact with the game world. Skills are associated with specific attributes and are used to determine the success or effectiveness of certain actions or abilities. They can be edited during character creation or with companions, during respec or reroll screen.
Here are the best skills for Paladin Oath of Vengeance in Baldur’s Gate 3:
In Baldur’s Gate 3, each skill is related to a specific ability score and its effectiveness scales with the level of that score. You want to choose skills for your character that they already have a high ability score in. For example, if you want to have high Persuasion (which is used to influence dialogue choices), you need to have correspondingly high Charisma. Ideally, you want a party composition that includes a variety of high-ability scores that can give you success in different skills for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Devotion Build Guide.
Best Paladin Ability Score
Below is the bestability scoreto unlock the full potential of a Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3:
The Best Ability Score for the Paladin is Strength of 16 and Charisma of 16 that way your melee abilities will do a lot of damage in combination with spells specifically Divine Smite. The next priority is Constitution to 14 so you have a larger enough health pool to survive. Hitting Strength and Charisma at 16 is critical for the optimal damage setup for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Devotion Build Guide.
After you choose the class, subclass, race, and background, the game will automatically distribute your abilities in the character creation abilities tab. You will need to reprioritize the stats for the chart for an optimal Paladin build. Simply use the plus-minus in the character creator and verify you have the suggested race, or the numbers will be off. If you don’t reach these numbers due to racial choice, drop your Wisdom lower.
you’re able to increase your ability score via a quest in Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3. Make sure to check out ourPermanent bonus guideon how you can boost your ability score through quests.
Best Companions for Paladin Oath of Devotion in Baldur’s Gate 3
Companionsfor the Best Paladin Build, we recommend range and support characters. The idea is, that your character charges in melee range with support, range damage, or even stealth attacks. If you have multiple melee characters, 2-3, it can be troublesome in close-quarters combat.
It’s important to note that party composition and synergy play a significant role in determining the effectiveness of your companions. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each companion and how they align with your main character’s abilities and playstyle. you may go more range withWyllor a double melee setup withLae’zel. Also, feel free to swap out and explore different options when playing the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Devotion Build Guide.
Paladin Spell Slots
Below is a list and chart that shows the levels and spell slots unlocked for the Paladin class in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Paladin Illithid Powers
Illithid Powersare unlocked later in the game when you learn more about the Mind Flayers and tadpoles. you’re able to gain jars of Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens, and consume them to gain one point. This is essentially another skill tree advancement with some very strong powers. If you decide to advance this skill line, these are the choices we suggest.
Here are the best Illithid Powers for the Oath of Devotion Paladin Build:
Keep in mind, that you make an important decision in Act 3 of the game to advance these powers or not. For the sake of not spoiling things, realize there will be consequences when taking these powers with the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Devotion Build Guide.
Paladin Level Progression
Alternative Oath of Devotion Paladin Build
For players looking for a better Act 1 start, use the Warlock and Paladin multiclass combo. This helps because theHexbalde Warlockstarts incredibly strong with just two levels of investment. Once you reach level 3, swap to the Paladin and pickup the Vengeance subclass. With five levels of investment, you will have much more movement speed and melee potential. Finish off with the Fighter andEldritch Knightsubclass for even more spellcasting and melee damage potential.
At Level one follow our character creator to pick all correct background, race, skills, and ability distribution focusing on Strength and Charisma. You also can pick your subclass, and for this build, we want to select Oath of the Devotion. Level two will give you the bulk of your spells, in the early game just rely on weapon damage. Your goal is to find some heavy armor and a two-handed weapon. you may grabmedium armorfrom Lae’zel in the introduction if you don’t plan on using her. Simply attack for now and get to level two where things get interesting!
Paladin Spell Selections Level 1
Here’s a breakdown of what you get as a level 1 Paladin:
At this level move along quickly to level 2 for spell unlocks. Use Lay on Hands and Healing Radiance for healing and damage comes from the main weapon attack.
Oath of Devotion Paladin Gameplay & Priorities
In the early levels of BG3, the Oath of Devotion Paladin will have dreadful mobility. Thus, you need to find and locate a back-bar ranged weapon like a Heavy Crossbow from Lae’zel or traders. This gives you some type of upfront damage before you can close the distance. However, at level 5, you will unlock Misty Step and dramatically improve your power and mobility. Moreover, look to acquire Elixir of Hill Giant Strength, Potion of Speed, and Oil of Accuracy consumables. These three consumables “stack” allowing for massive damage
Your overall priority with this build is the following:
Following these steps ensures a strong foundation, especially if you plan on playingsoloor onHonour Modedifficulty.
At level two the Paladin gains access to five prepared spells, choose a fighting style, and Divine Smite. Here is a list of what to do as a level two Oath of the Devotion Paladin:
Divine Smite: uses spell slot and hits in conjunction with weapon strike. Can be automatically applied, only during critical hits or have a popup box via the reactions menu. Be cautious at first about using this too often. You will burn through your spell slots quickly at this low level, and either have to rest or just use melee attacks only.
Great Weapon Fighting: passive feature when you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack with a Two-Handed melee weapon, that die is rerolled once. This minimizes low-damage rolls and keeps your damage high especially using a Two-Handed weapon like a Greatsword.
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Level 2 Paladin Spells Selection
Paladin Gameplay Changes
With all of these spells, it’s important to not use them liberally. Divine Smite can proc (consuming an extra spell slot) and deliver extra damage in COMBINATION with Searing Smite. So if you Critical Strike with Searing Smite, you can use the reaction Divine Smite for additional damage. This will consume two spell slots, but deal a lot of damage. Early in the game, this is an issue due to the lack of spell slots. So be careful, don’t waste these spell slots on a target with 8 health, just melee attack them.
Additionally, the Paladin makes great use of their bonus action early in the game. Using Shield of Faith or Divine Favor before a fight can be helpful. Shield of Faith can be helpful to allies as well. Use healing sparingly, you should be focused on damage and bring a support class along for healing and buffs.
Paladin level 2 Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds.
Level three the Oath of the Devotion Paladin will unlock another level 1 spell slot, Divine Health, and subclass features. Here’s a list of what happens as a level 3 Paladin:
Oath of Devotion Subclass Gameplay
You now have a lot of versatility in spells, skills, and actions. The premise here is to use bonus action and actions effectively per turn. At this level, I rarely use Thunderous or Searing Smite. It consumes both action and bonus action which is very costly. The first turn, I usually buff with Divine Favour or Shield of Faith, then attack in melee. The following turn, I make a decision on priority. If we need a stun, Command is a great option. On the other hand, if I just have to kill a target, I’ll use my spell slots for Searing Smite. Or if we need high damage and a single target stun, Thunderous Smite. Don’t be afraid to use your turn to chain both Healing Radiance in Cure Wounds. One is action, one bonus action so you can put them together for a big burst heal when in need.
Even at level 3, the Paladin can be complex. Buff turn one, and use burst damage turn two. Turn three and evaluate what your group needs, crowd control, burst, healing, etc. Rinse and repeat that model until later in the game. It will get easier and more effective as you unlock spell slots. Also, check if you have a bonus action spent before ending your turn.
Paladin level 3 Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command.
Level four gives you a very important decision between increasing your ability score like Strength or taking a feat.Featsgive you a big benefit but doing so will have you miss out on Ability Improvements. Simply increasing your main stat strength to 18 is the simplest and easiest way to advance your character. you’re able to do this by selecting Ability Improvement rather than +2 to strength.
At level 8 we will take Great Weapon Master and at level 12 (max level in Baldur’s Gate 3) we will take another +2 to strength. This will keep our build simple at the moment, and hitting hard with a better percentage chance with a melee weapon.
You get one additional spell to slot and I recommend Blessed.
Gameplay: remains unchanged at this level. Expect more damage and better chances to land an attack. Keep leveling to get more spells and more spell slots.
Level 4 Paladin Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Blessed.
At level 5, the Paladin and Oath of Devotion subclass unlocks a lot. Extra attack, more spell slots, and two subclass spells. Here’s a list of what to expect as a level 5 Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Oath of Devotion Level 5 Gameplay
Gameplay at level 5 with the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Devotion Build Guide gives a big boost in power. You unlock a lot of offensive and defensive potential for the Paladin. Extra Attack gives you two attacks in one with a chance to proc Divine Smite on each. You can also combo this with a Potion of Speed or the Haste spell for two actions per turn. Your bonus action can be used for debuffs, and at level 8, another attack. You have two free spells courtesy of the Oath of the Devotion subclass. The best is Silence which helps shut down casters and forces them to move out of the area. The downside is you lack any movement ability. At this point, look for Misty Step scrolls which help with mobility at the cost of a bonus action.
At this level and beyond, you should feel very powerful. you’re able to buff and debuff with a bonus action, crowd control an entire room of Fey or Silence a huge area. The issue with the build at this point is spell slots and using your big damage Divine Smite reaction appropriately. You will also need to long rest constantly. Do not go off wandering into the unknown without your spell slots full.
Level 5 Paladin Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Magic Weapon, Branding Smite.
At level 6 the Paladin unlocks 1 more prepared spell bringing the total to 9. You also get Aura of Protection.
Once you unlock Aura of Protection you need to activate it for its effect. Gameplay not much changes at this level.
Ending Act 1 with Oath of Devotion Paladin
At this level, you should be close to finishing Act 1. Make sure to check merchants and stock up on camp and alchemy supplies. Moreover, look over thebest Act 1 items. There are alsopermanent bonusesyou can acquire in Act 1. Lastly,Grymforgehas powerful armor and weapons (Adamantine) that can aid you well into Act 3. Consider taking the time to collect the Mithral, Mould, and Craft items before transitioning to Act 2, where you won’t be able to return (Moonrise Tower).
Paladin Prepared Level 6 Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Protection from Poison, Branding Smite, Magic Weapon.
Reaching Level 7 Paladin Unlocks:
Gameplay: not much changes and we are about to level 8 for a BIG boost in power with one of my favorite feats in the game.
Paladin Level 7 Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Protection from Poison, Branding Smite, Magic Weapon, Compelled Duel.
At level 8 the Paladin gets to pick a Feat or Ability Improvement, we suggest taking Great Weapon Master.
GreatWeapon Masterfeat which does the following: When a melee attack scores a critical hit or kills a creature, you may make another melee attack as a bonus action. When attacking with Heavy Weapons you are proficient with, attack rolls take a -5 penalty, but their damage increases by 10.
The Great Weapon Master feat does two things for you. One, it has a high-risk high reward ability to add 10 damage BUT -5 attack roll penalty. As shown in the picture above, this simply reduces your percentage chance to hit significantly. You can turn this off in the Passive section on your toolbar, which will give you the normal percentage.
Secondly, this feat gives you another chance to hit on a kill or critical hit using a bonus action. This is the real reason the feat is so strong, multiple attacks in a turn, and with this build, you will be getting a lot of critical hits and kills. Combat should therefore be initiated using your action first, saving your bonus action for a Great Weapons Master attack.
Great Weapon Master Usage
At level 8 you now have the god-tier Great Weapon Master and enough Strength to take advantage of it. Here’s how you want your turn to go after you are buffed:
That is a lot of attacks without using a specific Smite because the bonus action can proc Great Weapon Master. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use Branding, Thunderous, or Searing Smite, it’s just now you have options considering your bonus action is so valuable.
You can take this a step further by using a Potion of Speed or have someone cast Haste on you. This will give you an additional action, two more attacks and possibly two more divine strikes. In one turn, if things go well, the Paladin is an absolute force with this setup. Buff with bonus action on the first turn, and use primary melee attacks on the second with the goal of proc Great Weapon Master. Use your Smites and spell slots when you need a big damage attack. Heal rarely, and Misty Step for mobility.
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Level 8 Paladin Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Branding Smite, Magic Weapon, Protection from Poison, Aid, Compelled Duel.
The level 9 Oath of the Devotion Paladin unlocks the following in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Oath of Devotion Level 9 Gameplay
At this level, you have even more in your arsenal. Most of the added spells will be used in niche situations. Your bread and butter remains the same, Smite damage. With Blinding Smite you have a hard counter against fellow martial weapon users. Giving the Blind debuff alongside 3d8 radiant damage is massive. Keep things simple and use your off-healing, crowd control, and utility only when needed.
Note on prepared spells, make sure to drop Compelled Duel so you can pick up two level 3 spells.
Level 9 Paladin Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Protection from Evil and Good, Branding Smite, Magic Weapon, Lessor Restoration, Blinding Smite, Elemental Weapon.
The level 10 Oath of the Devotion Paladin unlocks the following in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Gameplay remains unchanged at this level with more utility.
The Level 10 Paladin Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Protection from Evil and Good, Branding Smite, Magic Weapon, Lessor Restoration, Blinding Smite, Elemental Weapon, Revivify.
At level 11 the Paladin doesn’t get much beyond an extra spell and another level 3 spell slot. I recommend spending the last two levels multi-classing this class. Investing two levels into Fighter will give you a passive +1 Armour Class (AC) for using armor and a god-tier skill, action surge. If you want to stick with Paladin, you can choose another spell at this level, and at level 12 pick +2 strength Ability Improvement feat. However, I suggest taking two levels into Fighter to increase your action potential, which increases your damage significantly.
Having 20 Strength with another Ability Improvement is great. However, you get even more with potions of Hill Giant, 21 and 27 depending on the usage. I typically do not recommend multi-classing, but the Paladin can benefit from another action once per fight.
If you multi-class, this level will feel uneventful, but trust me it’ll be worth it. Prepared Spells remain unchanged from here on out.
With two levels into Fighter, you get access to the awe-inspiring Action Surge. You get an extra action, but the biggest strength is, that it doesn’t require any resources to use it. Action Surge is a once-per-fight usage, but it allows you to cast another spell, attack, dash, etc. It gives you that extra oomph that no other class has.
You take your Paladin with Extra Attack and give it Action Surge for 2x more attacks. You can take this a step further by using either a Potion of Haste or casting Haste on yourself. Then you get another action! If you did the math on that:
The Paladin at level 12 with this setup has so much firepower it’s remarkable. Again, if you wanted a traditional Paladin for all 12 levels, take Ability Improvement +2 Strength or the Alert feat which helps with going early. We hope you enjoyed this build and check out the gear section for more on the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Devotion Build Guide.
BG3 Paladin Oath of Devotion Equipment
In Games like Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll explore the world, loot chests and your enemies’ dead bodies, and complete quests and all those activities can reward you with useful items, potions, armor, weapons, scrolls, and much more. There are three Acts in BG3, and the below section includes suggested sets and alternatives for Act 1 and Act 3.
Beginner: Starting the Game
Here’s the best beginner gear for Paladin Oath of Devotion Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:
List of best Oath of Devotion Paladin Equipment in Act 1:
Advanced: End-Game
The following table presents the best advanced and end-game gear for Paladin Oath of Devotion Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:
List of the best Act 3 Equipment for the Oath of Devotion Paladin Build:
Best Paladin Consumables, Potions, and Items
The following list represents the best individual useconsumableitems that will aid in our Paladin Build:
Permanent Bonuses for Paladin Oath of Devotion BG3
Throughout Baldur’s Gate 3, you will have the ability to gain permanent bonuses to your character. These can grant additional spells, ability scores, and other bonuses. Permanent Bonuses are not displayed throughout the campaign but are vital to increase overall combat performance. We have all permanent bonuses here in a guide, but the most important ones for you to collect are listed below.
Best Permanent Bonuses for Oath of Devotion Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3
Paladin Combat, Gameplay, and Tips
Here are 10 gameplay tips specifically for playing a Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Devotion Build Guide:
Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Devotion Build Summary Guide
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