Baldur’s Gate 3 Oath of Devotion Paladin Build Guide
Dec. 21, 2022Baldur’s Gate 3 Oath of Devotion Paladin Build Guide
Baldur’s Gate 3 Oath of Devotion Paladin Build Guide– In thisBaldur’s Gate 3 Oath of Devotion Paladin Build Guide, I’m going to be covering myPaladin Build, and showing you what I’ve found to work best. I’ll be doing moreBuild GuidesforBaldur’s Gate 3, but for now, let’s look at how you can use anOath of DevotionPaladineffectively.
The Oath of Devotion Paladin is what I would consider the most balanced compared to the otherSubclasses. This is due to their versatility when it comes to dealing great damage while buffing and healing the party effectively. They do extremely well in the melee range and can definitely step up on behalf ofClericsandDruids. Additionally, these Paladins are hefty, allowing them to absorb damage on behalf of their allies.
Compared to the others, you can think ofOath of the Ancientsas your “Druid Paladin” because they will eventually have Earth-relatedSpellslikeSpeak with AnimalsandEnsnaring Strike (Ranged). While theOathbreakerleans towards dealing Necrotic damage but is less of a team player. If you’re interested in playing as the traditional Paladin who excels in executing enemies up close and personal in addition to keeping allies alive and kicking, then the Oath of Devotion is the best Subclass for you!
In this section, we’ll take a look at how to set up your Paladin duringCharacter Creationfor the best results.
ForBackground, I recommend taking any that providesStrengthandCharismaSkillssince these are your primaryAbilities. So you can choose theGuild Artisan,Outlander, andSoldieras they grantAthleticstogether withIntimidationorPersuasion.
The firstRaceI recommend taking is theZariel Tiefling. The reason is that when you reach Level 3, you’ll acquire the Legacy of Avernus: Searing Smite, which is stronger than the Paladin’sSearing Smite Spell. Instead of dealing an additional 1-6 Fire Damage, you’ll inflict +2-12 Fire Damage. Moreover, it doesn’t use aSpell Slotbut you can only use once per long rest.
As a Zariel Tiefling, you also gainDarkvisiontogether withHellish Resistanceand theThaumaturgy Cantrip. Hellish Resistance makes you resistant to taking Fire Damage, thereby cutting the damage by half, whereas Thaumaturgy grants anAdvantageon Intimidation andPerformanceChecks.
The second Race to consider is theDrowwho not only hasSuperior Darkvision, allowing them to see twice as far in the dark as the Wood Half-Elf but alsoDancing Lights. This Cantrip will serve as a light source to benefit allies who need it. They also gainFey Ancestrythat grants aSaving ThrowAdvantage to reduce the chances of beingCharmedand to avoidSleepingentirely when cast with a Spell.
Regardless of the Race you choose, you won’t have issues with Weapon and Armor Proficiencies since the Paladin has access to each and every one of them.
Unlike in the Player’s Handbook where you choose the Paladin’s Subclass at Level 3, here in Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access, you’ll get to pick between Oath of Devotion and Oath of the Ancients at Character Creation. For Oath of Devotion, you gain Divine Sense andLay on Hands. Divine Sense is aBonus Actionthat grants an Advantage onAttack Rollsagainst specific enemies such as the Undead and Fiends. Lay on Hands is more versatile thanCure Woundssince it gives the option to heal allies or cure them from conditions like poison.
This Subclass can make use ofHoly Rebukeon an ally who is in danger for 1 Channel Oath Charge. Holy Rebuke imbues an aura, which will allow them to retaliate by dealing 1-4 Radiant Damage against enemies who attack them at point-blank range.
ForSkills, you can select the other Charisma Skills not present in the Background you’ve chosen such as Intimidation or Persuasion.
Your primary Abilities as a Paladin are Strength and Charisma, with the latter determining the effectiveness of your Spells. For this reason, you’ll want to invest 16 points into both of them. Other than that,Constitutionis the ability to gain higher HP and to maintain Concentration for Spells that require it. You can then add points into Wisdom as your Saving Throw. Additionally, keepingDexterityat 10 is fine since you’ll be wearingHeavy Armor, which doesn’t account for Dexterity Modifier bonuses so yourACwill continue to be high. In conclusion, your Ability Spread should look something like this:
At Level 2, regardless of Subclass, you’ll gain access to similarFighting Styles, Paladin Features, and Spells.
Choosing to become a Paladin comes with certain strengths and among them include the Smite Spells. Starting off withDivine Smite, you’ll be able to deal an additional 2-16 Radiant Damage on top of your Melee Weapon Damage together with an extra 1-8 Damage against Fiends and the Undead!
In terms of Spells, you can generally cast 4-5 of them based on the Race you’ve chosen in Character Creation. Similar toWizards, Paladins need to Prepare Spells before using them. The two must-have Spells are Compelled Duel andDivine Favour. You can then choose Cure Wounds,Thunderous Smite, andBlessbased on your Subclass as well as party composition. You’ll notice that Compelled Duel and Divine Favour both requireConcentrationfor the respective effects to persist.
Concentration can be broken if you cast another Spell that requires Concentration. So for example, if you cast Compelled Duel on an enemy, but then cast Divine Favour, you would stop “Concentrating” on Compelled Duel and begin Concentrating on Divine Favour. But, that is not the only way Concentration can be broken. If you take damage while Concentrating on a Spell, you must make a Constitution Saving Throw, and if you fail, the effect of that Spell ends. Should you succeed in your Saving Throw, however, then you maintain your Concentration and the Spell continues. This is why it is important for Paladins to have high Constitution because they have Spells that require Concentration and they are wasted if it’s constantly broken.
In terms of strategy, you can choose between casting Compelled Duel or Divine Favour depending on your focus. Compelled Duel is a classic taunt Bonus Action that will let you command a target to attack you instead so if there’s a pesky enemy on the horizon, it’s best to cast this on them to protect your allies. Comparatively, Divine Favour is another Bonus Action, which imbues Melee and RangedWeaponAttacks with 1-4 extra Radiant Damage.
This is huge, especially when combined with Divine Smite against a target with high HP but remember that you’ll end up using all 2 Level 1 Spell Slots in a single turn. In total, you’ll be able to stack the damage from your Melee Weapon, Divine Favour, and Divine Smite.
If you don’t have a Cleric orShadowheartin the party, I suggest selecting Bless, otherwise, you won’t be able to make use of Compelled Duel or Divine Favour that much since Bless also requires Concentration and is in effect for at most 10 turns.
Next, Cure Wounds is especially good for Oath of Devotion as it gives another option to heal allies whereas Thunderous Smite lets you push back an enemy to make themPronewhile dealing additional 2-12 Thunder Damage. But remember that casting Thunderous Smite as well as Searing andWrathful Smiteconsume a Bonus Action and Action so you need to avoid performing other Bonus Actions to be able to use them in a turn.
Next is theFighting Style. For this Paladin Build, you’re better off pickingDuellingas it provides you with a +2 Damage Roll Bonus when your setup is that of a One-Handed Melee Weapon andShield. You’ll want to keep a Shield to boost your AC by +2 in order to effectively tank damage.
At Level 3, you gain access to several Oath of Devotion Features, namelyTurn the Unholy,Sacred Weapon,Sanctuary, andProtection from Evil and Good, the latter of which you already know. Turn the Unholy will probably be effective at higher levels as you fight against more Fiends and the Undead to incapacitate them. During their turn, they’ll only be able to performDash.
Sacred Weapon, which significantly improves your hit chances by adding your high Charisma Modifier to Attack Rolls while lighting up your Weapon. Last but not least is Sanctuary, which lasts for 10 turns. This lets you save or protect an ally since they won’t get targeted unless they attack first. The only exception is being hit by an AoE Spell so it’s best if they’re separated from the party.
In terms of Spells, you can pick Wrathful Smite to deal extra 1-6 Psychic Damage with a chance ofFrighteningyour target to prevent them from moving toward you.
At Level 4, you can opt to go with theAbility Improvement Featto place 2 points into Charisma, given the volume of Spells you’ll cast. Doing so will improve your chances of hitting enemies with them and dealing greater damage.
Since you’ll gain another Spell Slot, you can wait for Level 5 when Level 2 Spells become available.
At Level 5, you gainExtra Attack, which as the name implies, lets you perform another Weapon Attack in a single turn without cost. This is a super fun feature for Martial Classes because it can kill targets effectively.
You also get 2 more Spell Slots on top of Level 2 Spells! It’s good to takeMagic WeaponandSilence. Magic Weapon grants a +1 bonus each to your Attack and Damage Rolls whereas Silence prevents everyone within the AoE from casting Spells. Additionally, you won’t need to prepareBranding Smiteif you’re a Zariel Tiefling because you’ll again be given the Legacy of Avernus: Branding Smite. Similar to Legacy of Avernus: Searing Smite, you won’t spend your Level 2 Spell Slot for this one.
At Level 6, the Paladin is blessed with theAura of Protection. This grants you and your ally a bonus corresponding to your Charisma Modifier every time you roll for a Saving Throw. In effect, you’ll most likely receive little to no damage.
At Level 7, the Oath of Devotion Paladin gains access to the Aura of Devotion Feat, which prevents you from being Charmed provided that you’re currently conscious. So you can still target the enemy who has cast the corresponding Spell with no issues.
At Level 8, when you choose another Feat, you have three options: Ability Improvement to increase Charisma to 20,Shield Master, orSavage Attacker. Shield Master is a Reaction that allows you to completely shield yourself from receiving damage when making a successful Dexterity Saving Throw against a Spell. Additionally, it grants you a +2 bonus to your Dexterity Saving Throw, further decreasing the likelihood of taking damage.
Conversely, Savage Attacker enables the Baldur’s Gate 3 Oath of Devotion Paladin to perform an additional Damage Roll after executing a Melee Weapon Attack. This provides the freedom to select the more devastating Damage Roll between the two in order to maximize the damage dealt.
At Level 9, the Oath of Devotion Paladin learns to cast 2 Abjuration Spells, specificallyBeacon of HopeandDispel Magic, both of which are great to have. Beacon of Hope, which requires Concentration, makes it so that when you heal an ally, their HP is fully restored and they gain Advantage on Wisdom Saving Throws and Death Saving Throws, letting you essentially save them from the brink of death.
Meanwhile, Dispel Magic ends the effects of Level 3 Spells or lower so it’s only effective against those that require Concentration instead of instantaneous Spells such asFireball.
At Level 10, the Paladin is bestowed the Aura of Courage, which prevents them from getting Frightened. Because of this, you won’t become immobilized, nor will you incur a Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Ability Checks.
Meanwhile, at Level 11, you gain the Improved Divine Smite Feat, allowing you to deal additional 1-8 Radiant Damage on your Melee Weapon Attack. To make matters better, this added damage stacks with Divine Smite’s extra damage so you’ll likely finish off targets more quickly.
When you reach the maximum level in BG3 at Level 12, you’ll be able to choose a final Feat. You can either go for Ability Improvement, Shield Master, or Savage Attacker, whichever you didn’t choose at Level 8.
When it comes to the Oath of Devotion Paladin’sEquipment, you’d want to go for the One-Handed Weapon and Shield setup. For the Weapon, it’s good to pick between theShortsword of First Bloodfrom theUnderdark. Shortsword of First Blood will deal extra 1-8 Piercing Damage against targets who still have max HP. It can then be paired with theGlowing Shield, which gives temporary HP when your HP is below 50%.
Heavy Armorlets you allocate points to other Abilities that are not Dexterity so can get your hands on theChain MailArmorby defeatingLurganin the Underdark. With the One-Handed Weapon and Shield, your AC stays at 18. You’ll be able to improve AC to 19 if you wear theAdamantine Splint ArmorfromGrymforge.
ForAccessories, you’ll want to takeAbsolute’s TalismanandHaste Helm. Since you’ll be absorbing damage, there’s a higher chance of hitting less than 25% HP. If this happens, you automatically regain 1-8 HP the moment you deal damage. Meanwhile, Haste Helm increases your Movement Speed by 3m for 3 turns at the start of every encounter. This is important considering that you’ll often be positioned in the melee range.
If you have another Paladin in the party, and you both wish to cast Concentration Spells, don’t worry since neither of you will cancel them out. For example, if player A casts Bless and then player B decides to activateShield of Faith, they will both be retained. Canceling out Concentration Spells only happens if you intend to cast two of them yourself.
An alternative to Shortsword of First Blood is theBattleaxe +1. Although the Battleaxe has lower Slashing Damage at 7-14 per hit thanks to Duelling, it provides 2 powerful Weapon Actions, namely,CleaveandLacerate. Remember to activate Lacerate instead of Main Hand Attack, since not only will you deal the same amount of damage, you have a chance to inflictBleeding. This is best used against a special target since it’ll require you to take aShort Restafterward. Now regarding Ranged Weapons, you can equip a Bow but note that you won’t be effective from afar due to your low Dexterity. So it’s ideal to pair up with Ranged Damage Dealers like Wizards andWarlocksto inflict the most carnage.
Lastly, to dominate the field against high HP foes and spellcasters, you can start by executing 2 Actions, which should be Weapon Attacks to trigger Extra Attack. Divine Smite and Lacerate are acceptable but note that activating Divine Smite twice in the same turn is the better option as long as you have enough Spell Slots. You can cast Silence in the next round, or use it before taking advantage of your Extra Attack.
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Reiku
Writer at Fextralife. I enjoy playing RPGs, narrative-driven games, and platformers. Outside of gaming, I like watching meaningful movies and reading sci-fi and dystopian books.
