Note before I begin: This guide is in no way official, and I won't be touching all the points of the Paladin, like ALL the spells or anything like that. This is mainly for the players interested in the Paladin class and those DMs that might need help figuring out the Paladin.

Also note that the Paladin is often role-played in certain ways that makes them unappealing to the average party. I will be touching on that several times, as I love the Paladin class and I hope it will prosper. My notes are here so people don't play the Paladin in ways that are unfavorable to them and their party.

PALADINS!!! Why them?

Hello fellow humanoids/anthropomorphic creatures! If you're reading this, you're probably interested in the Paladin (or here to watch me fail at explaining them)!

As a DM, I always have one player either interested in or playing the Paladin, despite it being a LITTLE bit more complex than the average class. One of my good friends almost exclusively plays his Paladin named Doogal McFly, and he enjoys doing it, even if I have to walk him through how certain features work.

Since I have plenty of experience doing so, I am here to help those who need/want aid to level 3. I do enjoy the classic Paladin, whether he be all righteous or even morally flawed to the point of being evil.

Keep in mind that I am by no means TELLING you how to play this class- these are all just suggestions about the certain features that the Paladin gets. I'm expanding on their role- you give that role importance.

Level 0: What are Paladins (Lore-Wise)?

Paladins are the embodiment of a devotion to a god, sworn to their Oath to follow them to the point of fighting until death in order to enforce their belief. They don't fight for the fame or fortune- though those are nice things to have- but rather to fulfill the tasks they are given to them by their Oath.

The Oath itself is what gives the Paladin its powers, and the Paladin must use them wisely in order to complete the tasks that the Oaths give them, which can be as varied as "spread joy far and wide", "be loyal to your bretheren", or even, "DOUSE THE FLAMES OF HOPE AS YOU SLAUGHTER YOUR FOES!!!"

As you can tell above, your Paladin does NOT have to be Lawful Good- maybe the god that you took your Oath from is actually a demonic being, or even something straight from the Feywild. The point is that you partake in the Oath, and the god grants you powers based on your Oath.

IMPORTANT!!! Role-Playing Wise

When playing the Paladin, many believe that they HAVE to be the physical embodiment of Lawful Good (or whatever allignment that their Oath falls into). This is a toxic mentality, which is made worse when they believe they have to shove it down the throats of their party memebers.

Instead, try this- make a character. Then, make him into a Paladin. Ignore allignment until the very end, which you then look at your character and make an allignment off of that, but don't say things like, "Oh, I can't do this because it's not Lawful Good."

This way, your character isn't a Lawful Good Paladin, but rather your character, who is a Lawful Good Paladin. Your personality still retains, but now, you can see your character try to fit in the shoes of a Paladin- and your character won't be perfect! That's the whole goal- no Paladins are perfect, because if all of them were, they would all be carbon copies of each other, which would be no fun.

I will be putting notes in each of the Sacred Oath sections about certain ways your character could be looking at the Oaths, whether in a bad light or in a good light.

Level 1 (Part One): What are Paladins (Playing-Wise)?

Paladins are excellent Front-Line fighters, with proficiency in basically all weapons, all armor, shields, and even starts out with either two martial weapons or one martial weapon and a shield.

It is reccomended that you take a shield and a one-handed martial weapon, as you'll be most likely be fighting in front of your allies and attempting to protect them from harms way with your beefy CON stat, and you'll most likely only need one martial weapon, as you'll be able to choose between 5 javelins or one simple weapon, so you'll have more than one way of dealing damage regardless.

Speaking of stats, it's also recommended that you use this array for your stats, from greatest to least: Strength, Charisma, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, then Wisdom.

Your Strength and Charisma can be interchangeable, but you'll be using Strength for your weapons and Charisma for your features (explained later) and certain spells. The more Constitution you have, the more health you have, so you'll need it more than Dexterity, which gives you a little bit more AC, but not much, since you have medium armor on. Intelligence and Wisdom are interchangeable since that's more a character thing, but you have saving throw proficiency in Wisdom, so keep that in mind.

So... what do you GET at Level 1? Well...

Level 1 (Part Two): Divine Sense and Lay on Hands

The Paladin gets two knock-out abilities at level 1. I say "knock-out" ironically because they deal no damage, but are amazing to use.

Divine Sense is what you need your Charisma mod for, as you can only use it a number of times equal to (1+CHA mod). This allows you to detect the presence of celestials, fiends, and undead within 60ft of you, plus any area that has been consecrated or desecrated.

This ability is perfect because you KNOW when you're in danger. If you (the player) sense something amiss, then you (the Paladin) and just take a whiff of the air and be like, "Ah jeez, there's a demon. Everyone on your guard!!!"

Then, after figthing said demon, your pathetic, squishy allies are probably going to be like, "Oh, save me, oh great and amazing Paladin!" (Paraphrased, they'll probably just say "Heal me you twit.")

That's what Lay on Hands is for- you have a "pool" of HP that has an amount of HP equal to (5*your level). As an action, you can slap someone (or touch them, but "healingly") and give them any number of HP from that pool, up to its maximum. You regain this pool every long rest, and you can use 5HP to cure a disease thats afflicting someone else.

For example, say I am a level 3 Paladin. Since (5*3) is 15, I can cure up to 15HP. If I cure someone one disease and then heal them 3HP (5+3=8), I have (15-8=7) 7HP left that I can give to someone else, until I complete a long rest, in which case I have 15HP in Lay on Hands.

This makes the Paladin not only a Front-Liner, but also a decent . Granted, their are other classes that can heal much better than this, but the Paladin is the only Front-Line Fighter who can heal someone else, which is always a good thing to have.

Level 2 (Part One): Fighting Style and Divine Smite

Have you ever just looked at your weapon and said, "You know, I love you and all, but you have GOT to do more damage."

First of all, the weapon probably won't respond unless it's sentient.

Second of all, YOU'RE IN LUCK!!!

At level 2, the Paladin gets to have both a Fighting Style and Divine Smite, both of which are complex in their own ways. There are MANY Fighting Style options to pick and choose from, so I'm just going to list them and offer opinions on them. Reminder that you can only choose one, and you can't change back.

-Defense: +1 to AC while wearing armor. It's not anything special or unique, but it's VERY helpful. What most people don't know is that a +1 to AC can be the difference in getting hit and not getting hit, and couple this with a +2 AC that a shield gives you, you're looking at a 17-19 AC.

-Dueling: +2 to damage when wielding a one-handed weapon and no other weapons. Fun fact: shields aren't weapons. Fun fact: this can make up for not getting a two-handed weapon. Fun fact: this can spell out death.

-Great Weapon Fighting: When attacking with a weapon with either the versatile property (using two hands) or any two-handed weapon, you reroll any 1s or 2s on damage dice, but you must use the new roll. Although this sounds good, giving you more chances to deal more damage, this is only useful when you don't have a shield, which takes up your other hand. Two-handed weapons on average do deal a little more damage on average compared to one-handed ones, so do you want to take and deal more damage, or be safe with Dueling or Defense? Your choice.

-Protection: With your shield, you can impose disadvantage on any attacks that come your friends' way (if they're within 5 ft of you). This solidifies your status as a tank, as your friends will now start hiding beside/behind you, as any foe who dares get close to your allies not only misses one of his attacks but also has to deal with YOU.

After that, the other thing you can do with your sick weapon is enchant it using a spell slot (explained later). This is called Divine Smite- you deal 2d8 more radiant damage when you hit, +1d8 per higher level spell slot you use (2d8 base radiant damage with one first level spell slot, 3d8 for 2nd, 4d8 for 3rd, etc). If you're attacking an undead or fiendish creature, however, you deal +1d8 MORE damage (base 3d8).

This is AMAZING, as it embodies the raw damage that the Paladin can dish out.

Now, you might be thinking, "Spell slots? The Paladin isn't just a reskinned Fighter?"

Well, let's take a look.

Level 2 (Part Two): Divine Spellcasting

Unlike the Bard, Wizard, and Sorcerer, the Paladin has a different type of spellcasting that the Cleric and Druid have, which is known as Divine Spellcasting. What this means is that you don't KNOW spells, you PREPARE them. If that sounds complex, let me explain.

You have 2 first level spell slots (which increases as you level up). That means you can cast 2 first level spells per day. When you get to 5th level, you get 2 second level spell slots, which means you can cast 2 second level spells, along with how many first level spell slots you have. Sounds easy enough, right?

Well, what spells CAN you cast?

Flip to the page in the Player's Handbook where it says Paladin spells. If you can cast 1st level spells using a 1st level spell slot, then you "know" all of those 1st level spells. This sounds like a lot of spells, but every day after a long rest, you need to "prepare" them.

When you prepare a spell, you choose a number of spells equal to (CHA mod + your level). These spells are now prepared, and you can cast them using a spell slot. Spells you don't have prepared can't be cast until you prepare them, which you can do next long rest, when you choose your spells again.

Now for your actual spells.

I would highly reccomend that you choose at least one spell ending in "Smite", as you now have two different Smites to choose from. By the way, Divine Smite and any smite you get from spells can stack, but once you hit with the spell smite, it's gone until you cast it again, so plan accordingly.

Next, I reccommend either Cure Wounds, to give you more healing, or Command, to make it easier for your allies to destroy your foe. If you want to prepare both spells, that's fine too.

One thing I would reccommend AGAINST is Detect Evil and Good. Although you can now detect Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fiends, Fey, and Undead creatures around you for 10 minutes, you are ultimately wasting a spell slot for your Divine Sense, but for half the range. Granted, it has a time of 10 minutes (that you have to concentrate on), and can detect more creatures, but you're better off just using Divine Sense, which you can use more often per day for twice the range and without using a spell slot.

Otherwise, since you can trade out spells every long rest, don't stress too much about choosing the wrong spells to prepare, but don't just determine them randomly- plan accordingly. Obviously, Purify Food and Drink might not be as good if you aren't planning on eating anytime soon.

Level 3: Divine Health and Sacred Oath

Divine Health. Woo. It's a good ive ability, I guess, not being able to become diseased ever again, but it's not absurdly impressive or anything. A nice little buff, not anything more or less.

BUT SACRED OATHS BAY-BEE!!!

Finally, after being in a prepatory stage of following your Oath but not yet being devoted towards it (or, if so choose, you've already gotten this Oath, but are now getting the magic stuff from it), you are now officially part of the Oath.

Choose your Oath wisely, as not only can the bonuses you get help you and your allies later on down the line, but it is also a defining moment for your character. You have to hold up tenants for your Oath, but maybe your character has trouble following it, seeing one or two tenets that they have to follow as too difficult, or maybe they see it as unnecessary, as something that makes their Paladin lifestyle harder.

Here are all of the Oaths, three from the Player's Handbook, two from Xanathar's, and one from the most bizarre of places... The Dungeon Master's Guide.

Oath of Devotion

When most players think of the classic, Lawful Good, "knight in shining armor" Paladin, they think of the Paladin that has sworn to the Oath of Devotion, which demands that they be Honest, Courageous, Comionate, Honorable, and to fulfill their Duty as they obey those who they take orders from and protect others that trust in them.

Perhaps your character became drawn to this Oath after seeing what a Paladin was supposed to be, but not quite realizing the fact that he has to leave a life he once lead. Maybe he considered himself to be righteous in almost all aspects, but then found that as a Paladin, he wasn't as morally right as he once thought he was.

Now, for the effects:

You now have Protection from Evil/Good and Sanctuary (from Cleric's spell list) always prepared, no matter what, and they don't count against the (CHA mod+level) number of spells that you can prepare, so don't worry about missing out on all of your favorite spells.

Also, once per rest, you can use an action and choose to either:

Sacred Weapon: Make your weapon sacred for 1 minute, giving it a bonus to attack rolls (equal to CHA mod), then allowing it shed bright light for 20ft and dim light for another 20ft past that. I doubt you'd be using this as a flashlight, though, as coupling this with a spell plus Divine Smite makes this weapon able to hit and kill easier.

OR

Turn the Unholy: Force all fiends and undead creatures within 30ft of you to make a WIS save or else be "turned", which forces them to run away from you as fast as it can for 1 minute. This is perfect for what a classic Paladin is supposed to do: Turn the Unholy. Just be wary that after that 1 minute is over, they'll come right back for you, so you best run or prepare.

At higher levels, you can get the ability to shed an aura that prevents you and allies from being charmed, and soon after that, are permanently under the effect of Protection from Evil/Good, so keep that in mind when you want to look at the class for long term.

Oath of the Ancients

The Oath of the Ancients is all about sheltering and kindling the metaphorical "light" that is hope, joy, kindness, and love. As a Paladin sworn to this Oath, your job will be to not only embody the "light", but also to make sure that nobody can snuff it out. A world of joy is their goal, and a world devoid of that is Ancient Paladin's worst nightmare.

Your character might have been drawn to this Oath after believing that he wanted to be a beacon of joy, or maybe he saw that the world was becoming more and more fearful and depressing, so he needed to step up to the plate and become the "light". Maybe your Paladin struggles to find the hope, the joy, the "light" in himself, causing inner doubts that he has to fight off or else be a faulty Paladin. Everyone has fear, but maybe your Paladin is trying to insist that he does not for fear that he will break his Oath if he allows fear to consume him.

Now, for the effects:

You now have Ensnaring Strike and Speak with Animals (both from Ranger's spell list) prepared at all times (not counting against spells prepared, as per all Oath spells). Speak with Animals is a neat feature to have, but not as cool as Ensnaring Strike, which can allow your allies to gang up on a foe easily.

Also, once per rest, you can use an action and choose to either:

Nature's Wrath: Summon a mass of vines as an action to ensnare a foe within 10ft of you, forcing them to make a STR or DEX save (their choice) or else become restrained, being able to repeat the saving throw on each of thier turns as spectral vines prevent them from moving. Just like Ensnaring Strike, this is really good for having your allies gang up on a foe easily.

OR

Turn the Faithless: Take a look at Turn the Unholy from Oath of Devotion, now replace Undead with Fey creatures. Boom.

At higher levels, you can get an ability to shed an aura that gives you and allies resistance from damage from spells, and soon get the ability to fall to 1HP instead of falling to 0HP once per long rest, and you don't suffer any drawbacks from old age. It's really cool, but levelling up to get to there might take a little long.

Oath of Vengeance

The Oath of Vengeance Paladin is by far the most violent Oath in the Player's Handbook. You're supposed to fight the greatest evil you can possibly face and show them no mercy, stopping at nothing to make sure that they will never come back. Always kill the greatest evil that dares near you. Note that this means sacrificing your own righteousness, and there is no tenet saying that you have to be morally right, but that you have to end those who are innately evil.

Maybe your character chose this path because he needed someway to channel his violent tendencies while also being the righteousness in the world, or maybe he saw this as the only TRUE Paladin, and any other Oath is a waste of potential.

Perhaps their flaw is that they struggle facing the greatest evil, whether they relate to them in their backstory, have something to important in common with them, or even if it's just that they're too strong. Or maybe your character has difficulty murdering countless others for his Oath, no matter how evil.

Now, for the effects:

You now have Bane (from the Cleric's spell list) and Hunter's Mark (from the Ranger's) always prepared. These are good debuffs for weakening your foes, allowing you to finish them off easier.

Also, once per rest, you can use an action and choose to either:

Abjure Enemy: You choose one enemy within 60ft of you to make a WIS save (Fiends and Undead have disadvantage on this) or else become frightened for 1 minute in such a way that their speed drops to 0, preventing them from getting away from your mighty sword, along with the normal effects of being frightened.

It's good to note that even if they succeed, their speed is halved for 1 minute or until they take any damage, so no matter what, your foe is having a hard time running away from you.

OR

Vow of Enmity: As a BONUS ACTION, you get advantage on attack rolls against 1 creature w/in 10ft of you for 1 minute. This may seem simple, but couple this with the classic Divine Smite and your spells... and the fact that having advantage means more of a chance to critical... oh dear.

At higher levels, you can get the ability to chase foes with half of your speed when you hit them with an oppurtunity attack, and later, your Vow of Enmity makes it so foes who attempt to attack you or anyone around you will be smacked by you (as a reaction if you choose). All in all, later on, you'll be smackin' people more.

Oath of Redemption

This Oath is by far the most peaceful Oath that the Paladin can take. From the Xanathar's Guide, the Redemption Paladin must endorse Peace, Innocence, Wisdom, and Patience, so much so that they see violence as a last resort (unless facing innately evil creatures, like controlled undead, in which case, have at 'em).

Most of the time, Paladins choose this to redeem themselves of wrongs they have done before. Most likely, you struggle against the urges to fight back when you are being attacked, or maybe you see your life as a useless life, failing to see that your actions have great impact on others.

I should note that if you're playing this, it might be good to that your party might also want to fight, so talk to them before you play or enter a fight and tell them that you guys can try diplomacy first, but if that doesn't work, then use violence. Unless you're with murderhobos, most likely they will see that as a reasonable thing to do.

Now, for the effects:

You always have Sanctuary and Sleep (from the Bard) always prepared. Both are good for making sure that you have a non-violent way of keeping your foes down and/or out while also ing your allies.

Also, once per rest, you can choose to either:

Emissiary of Peace: Use a bonus action to give yourself a +5 bonus to Persuasion checks for the next 10 minutes. Couple that with a high Charisma and proficiency and you've got around +10 to +12 in Persuasion checks, which is more than what the Bard and the Rogue can get even with Expertise at this level.

OR

Rebuke the Violent: "Alright, boys, no more rough-housing." As a reaction, you force a foe that you see hitting someone else to make a WIS save. On a failure, they take radiant damage equal to the amount they just dealt, or half as much on a failure. This may not seem powerful, but it shows that you've got your allies' backs while also upholding your tenets.

At higher levels, you can use your reaction to take damage from an attack instead of creatures around you, and can heal (1d6+half of Paladin level)HP at the end of every turn that you have half of your health. All in all, you're going to be thinking more about love than war, which isn't as bad as it sounds.

Oath of Conquest

Also from Xanathar's Guide, the Oath of Conquest Paladin is almost the polar opposite of the Redemption Paladin. As a Conquest Paladin, you are to douse your enemies' hopes, rule with an iron fist, and never let anyone become stronger than anyone who dares oppose you. Unlikely will this Paladin be a Lawful Good one, as some are known to make deals with devils in order to maintain their position of power.

Your character might become a Conquest Paladin in order to take down a tyrant, or maybe he just has desire to rule over a particular area, large or small. Your character might be caught up in these desires that he loses sight of what he used to hold dear, or maybe his desire to rule isn't so desparate as he thinks.

Now, for the effects:

You always have Armor of Agathys (from the Warlock) and Command prepared. Command is always a classic spell to use whenever you want to inflict a beatdown on your opponent (or, you know, command them), but Armor of Agathys gives you more protection along with a rebuke for those who DARE attack you.

Also, once per rest, you can choose to either:

Conquering Prescence: Every non-ally within 30ft of you must make a WIS save or else become frightened of you for 1 minute, repeating the saving throw at the end of its turn. Not too complex, but amazing.

OR

Guided Strike: You give yourself +10 to an attack roll after you see your roll but before you know whether it hits or misses.

At higher levels, you'll be able to use an aura to reduce creatures speeds to 0 and inflict damage onto them if they are frightened of you, and even inflict damage automatically onto creatures who hit you. It's like the Oath of Vengeance decided that damage wasn't enough- FEAR had to be instilled onto the creatures who DARE oppose them.

Oathbreaker

As said before, Paladins aren't perfect- the Devotion might lie, the Redemption might act out of anger, the Vengeance might spare an evil creature, et cetera. Most of the time, after completing an act of redemption, such as praying all night, completing a fast, or even a task given to them by their god.

But sometimes, a Paladin breaks their Oath willingfully, and they show no regret, no remorse, and no sign of ever following their Oath again. They become... the Oathbreaker.

Typically known as a Villainous Class, the Oathbreaker comes from the DM's Guide. Although you don't have to be a villain to break your Oath, your necromantic/demonic powers will make others believe otherwise.

I currently have a player who had broken his Oath of the Ancient in order to make a deal with the Fiend, granting him the powers to save his lover's village. He was too late- now stuck with a deal with demonic forces, he travels around to follow what he use to be, but being forced to follow the Fiend's words.

Whatever you make your character do, two things are certain: he has broken his previous Oath, and he now has powers that favor the undead and demonic creatures.

The effects match that.

You have Hellish Rebuke (Warlock) and Inflict Wounds (Cleric). Both are great damage dealers, whether fiendish (Hellish Rebuke) or necromantic (Inflict Wounds).

Also, once per rest, you can use an action to either:

Command Undead: One undead creature that you can see and has a CR lower than your level must make a WIS save or else follow all of your commands for 24 hours. This amazing, as it gets better and better the higher level you are, and an undead servant, even temporarily, will always be helpful.

OR

Dreadful Aspect: This is the same thing as Conquest's Conquering Presence. This is an absolute knockout ability that perfectly fits your theme as a Paladin that strikes fear into every heart.

At higher levels, you get to give yourself and undead/fiendish allies a bonus to your damage rolls, and soon after even get resistance to all non-magical weapon damage. Ignore the Conquest and Vengeance- you ARE fear. No one can tell you otherwise or else get gruesomely murdered by your choice.

Outro: Paladins, The (Sometimes) Righteous

I hate how certain people see the Paladin as an annoying, "I'm super good, everyone do what I do" class. There's SO MUCH variety that can be put into the class, but some players don't seem to understand that.

Of course, I might be a LITTLE biased.

Voice all of your questions, comments, and concerns in the comment section! I am always open to critique.

But next on my plate... the Rogue.

All pictures were from either Wizards of the Coast or Monty Python and the Holy Grail.