Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Paladin Class Build

The Paladin Class in Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the game’s most restrictive, as their core Class features and spells are determined by an Oath they are bound to. The Paladin Class is a Heavy armor user with Cleric-like healing and support abilities, but make a wrong move either in or out of combat, and you might lose access to Oath-based powers, the core part of each Paladin build.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, Paladins have three subclasses, or Oaths, to choose from at character creation: Oath of the Ancients, Oath of Devotion, and Oath of Vengeance. The Oath of Devotion is the best one to start with as it grants much more useful Combat-oriented always-prepared spells. Just remember to keep to your Oath, and you won’t turn into an Oathbreaker – the fourth, hidden subclass for Paladins.

Updated November 2, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: When going for the best Paladin build BG3 players can make, you need to also consider factors beyond your character. After all, even with the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin build, it’s nearly impossible to beat BG3 without a balanced Paladin party composition. Unless you are going for a solo run, it’s a good idea to consider your companion options before journeying out into the world – more often than not, this best BG3 Paladin build is improved with the right companions. This guide to the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin build has been updated to add a section covering our best BG3 Paladin build companion and party composition recommendations, as well as to clarify some details so players can more easily follow this BG3 Paladin build guide.

Paladin Class Introduction & Overview

The Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Class, Explained

Paladin Playstyle & Signature Abilities

“Fuelled by the Oaths you swore to uphold justice and righteousness, you are a beacon of hope in dark times.”

The Paladin proved to be the game’s most popular class over its launch weekend, according to Larian Studios. Indeed, the class is impressively versatile and powerful, almost no matter which way one takes the class. The one condition of playing a Paladin is that RP can often be affected by one’s chosen Oath. Paladins are the only class that must abide by their Oath, chosen at character creation in all situations. If they break their chosen Oath’s tenets, they may become an Oathbreaker, a secret fourth unlockable subclass for the Paladin.

Paladins have three unique features that the class gains at different levels. At Character Creation, Paladins gain access to Lay on Hands, a spell that can heal or cure disease and poison afflictions and is limited by Lay on Hands charges. They also gain Channel Oath abilities and charges, which fuel unique skills related to one’s chosen Oath. At Level 6, Paladins get the Aura of Protection feature, solidifying them as the best choice for a Tank and Support build in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Base Paladin Class Proficiencies: Armor, Weapons, Saving Throws, & Skill Choices

When you first start creating your Paladin Build, BG3 offers a selection of basic Class Proficiencies, and a choice of three Paladin Skill Proficiencies.

In addition to Armor, Weapon, and Saving Throw proficiencies that vary for each class, the pool of Skills you can choose from are different for each class. These cannot be changed once you get past character creation without resetting your build.

All Paladin Subclasses

There are a total of three BG3 Oaths (subclasses) Paladin players can try out, each of which focuses on different aspects of the class, and offers a selection of unique skills, proficiencies, and other features. There is also a fourth Oath, the Oathbreaker, that can only be unlocked by breaking another Oath. As you level up in one of these BG3 Paladin subclasses, you will gain more abilities that are unique to your subclass choice.

Your choice of Paladin subclass can be changed by speaking with Withers, but you will start at Level 1 and have to make your BG3 Paladin build from scratch. Though this chart displays information for all subclasses, if you want to make best Paladin build BG3 has to offer, you should go for the Oath of Devotion.

Paladin Class Features – Level By Level

The max level in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Level 12, and most of the time, each level you gain will grant something new for your Paladin build. On character creation you gain the basics for the Paladin class, then steadily gain Feat Choices, new spells and abilities, subclass features, and increase your Proficiency Bonus.

This chart displays everything you can expect to get at each Level-Up as a Paladin in your Baldur’s Gate 3 journey.

Paladin Spell Slots & Prepared Spells – Level By Level

BG3 Paladin Subclass Choice – Oath of Devotion

Overview Of BG3 Paladin Oath of Devotion Subclass

What Makes Oath of Devotion the Best BG3 Paladin Subclass?

“Following the ideal of the knight in shining armour, you act with honour and virtue to protect the weak and pursue the greater good.”

The Oath of Devotion Paladin is a powerhouse of buffs, healing support, and brutal damage output. The trade-off for such a well-rounded Class is that it is the only one restricted by roleplay. By choosing an Oath, Paladins must do everything to live by it – the Oath of Devotion means that players can’t attack innocents, turn their back on those in dire need, or deceive their enemies to gain an advantage in combat. These are “true” paladins, warriors of a higher order who literally tie their powers to this promise.

They are fantastic in melee, especially with at least another allied melee fighter in range who can take advantage of the Paladin’s buffs and close-range support (and the limited range of Lay on Hands). At Level 1, Oath of Devotion Paladins get their first Channel Oath ability: Holy Rebuke, which damages melee attackers. At Level 3, Sacred Weapon adds CHA to Attack rolls as a new Channel Oath, alongside Turn the Unholy. Oath of Devotion Paladins also gain Protection from Evil and Good, Sanctuary, Lesser Restoration, and Silence always, prepared by Level 5.

This is one of the best Paladin BG3 builds because of their strong healing spells and variety of weapon and armor proficiencies, making them more versatile than pure Caster support classes. But when the Oath of Devotion Paladin goes down, the rest of the party can be thrown into disarray.

Oath of Devotion Subclass Features – Level By Level

In addition to everything you unlock while leveling as a Paladin, your Subclass also determines what you unlock at certain levels. As a Paladin, you can select a subclass at Level 1, in the character creation menu.

For the purposes of this guide to the BG3 best Paladin build, choose the Oath of Devotion when prompted to choose a Subclass.

Best BG3 Paladin Build Character Creation Choices

BG3 Paladin Build Race, Background, Proficiency, Feats, & Stat Choices

Best BG3 Paladin Race: Githyanki

The Githyanki race is one of the unsung powerhouses of Baldur’s Gate 3 thanks to its incredibly powerful racial abilities and passives – they might be hard to look at, but it’s hard to argue with a free Misty Step at Level 5. Indeed, Githyanki is able to cast this spell once per long rest at Level 5, alongside Enhance Jump at Level 3 and an improved version of Mage Hand from Level 1. These abilities can get Paladins in and out of combat with ease and distract enemies with Mage Hand.

Aside from these powerful bonuses, though, Githyanki also gains the incredibly powerful Astral Knowledge ability. Until the next Long Rest, the player will gain Proficiency in all skills related to a specific Ability (like Athletics and Strength skill). Paired with the Paladin’s own naturally high Charisma, this makes Githyanki Paladins some of the best party members for dice rolls in dialogue.

Some other races may offer more HP or Strength, which can be beneficial for a melee support role like the Oath of Devotion Paladin, but this single ability will unlock many more doors – figuratively and literally.

Best Paladin Backgrounds in BG3: Noble or Folk Hero

Because of their Oath, Paladins tend to create moments of positive Inspiration more often than other classes – players are basically forced to roleplay a good guy, after all, as mandated by the class’s three Oath choices. As such, choose a Background that can take advantage of this tendency, such as the Noble or Folk Hero.

Nobles get proficiency in History and Persuasion, and tend to trigger Inspiration when performing acts of great heroism, like trying to save the Duke from the burning building, or when interacting with the iconic and powerful figures of the Sword Coast, like Ketheric or His Majesty, the hairless cat.

Folk Heroes, on the other hand, gain proficiency in Animal Handling and Survival and trigger inspiration when doing acts of heroism but more in a mythical and localized sense, like freeing the Hag’s thralls, rescuing named NPCs, and otherwise working to help the downtrodden and helpless.

Best BG3 Paladin Skill Proficiencies: Insight and Persuasion

If one chooses the Noble background, Persuasion will be added to the Paladin’s proficiencies. From the remaining Class proficiencies to choose from, consider either Insight or Religion, though Religion can come in handy if you are going for a true Holy warrior.

If you go for the Folk Hero background, though, pick up Insight and Persuasion from the list of Paladin starting skill choices. The Insight and Persuasion skills see a lot of use in dialogue checks throughout BG3, and are worth becoming proficient in for virtually every character that has access to them.

Best BG3 Paladin Fighting Style for Oath of Devotion: Defence or Protection

Oath of Devotion Paladins can choose from four Fighting Styles at Level 2: Defence, Duelling, Great Weapon Fighting, or Protection. The Defence bonus is the most widely applicable with a simple +1 to AC when wearing any Armor. The Protection Fighting Style offers a new Reaction that imposes a Disadvantage on enemy rolls nearby, but requires the Paladin to have a Shield equipped.

Of these two choices, go with the Defence fighting style to make it harder for enemies to hit you, as it will be active all the time and doesn’t require players to remember to toggle a Reaction. It’s the most applicable in most situations and doesn’t require Paladins to have a specific equipment loadout.

However, players who don’t mind getting a little more advanced should go with Protection and prepare their shield. Remember to toggle the reaction and take it when surrounded by enemies in close combat.

Best BG3 Paladin Feats: Alert, Sentinel, Tough

• Alert Effects: You gain +5 to Initiative and can’t be Surprised
• Sentinel Effects: Grants three new abilities, Sentinel: Vengeance, Sentinel: Snare, and Sentinel: Opportunity Advantage
  • Vengeance lets you use a Reaction to make a basic weapon attack against any enemy that attacks an ally, within melee range
  • Snare nullifies movement for any enemy you hit with an Attack of Opportunity
  • Opportunity Advantage grants Advantage on all Opportunity Attacks
• Tough Effects: +2 HP for every level (up to a max of +24 at Level 12). Works retroactively.

Best Paladin Ability Scores & Stat Distribution

To create the best BG3 Paladin build, we recommend putting the majority of points into your Charisma, followed by Strength and Constitution. The primary stats for most Oath of Devotion Paladin spells and abilities in BG3 are Charisma and Strength, but Constitution should follow closely behind for survivability. Dexterity, Strength, and Intelligence are not essential for the Oath of Devotion Paladin build.

Best BG3 Paladin Leveling Choices

Best Paladin Spells, Feats, & Other Choices At Every Level

Best Paladin Build Companions & Party Composition

Best Companions For Devotion Paladin Builds

The best Paladin companions in BG3 are Halsin as your Support class (with a . Though you can change the class and specialization of any of your companions, these three come with strong pre-determined class and spec combos to balance out your Paladin party composition.

• Halsin: A Circle of the Moon Druid, Halsin is a great hybrid class that works well alongside the Paladin class to provide buffs, support, and great damage output at melee range
• Gale: An Evocation Wizard, Gale can learn any Spell in Baldur’s Gate 3, is able to adapt to most situations, and is thus the most versatile ranged damage-dealing companion.
• Astarion: Best suited for the Thief subclass, Astarion lets you access hidden, locked areas more easily and is capable of setting up complex combat strategies without attracting attention with Stealth

If you are dead set on including a character in your party, simply talk to Withers to respec them to one of the optimal Paladin companion classes listed above. This way, you won’t miss out on that character’s questline, and you won’t have to suffer from an improperly balanced party.

Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Build Equipment

Get The Best BG3 Paladin Gear In All Three Acts

This section covers the best equipment for Oath of Devotion Paladins in BG3 across all three Acts. Some pieces from early Acts may still be powerful in later ones, though, and will remain equipped through several Acts.

• Items with bolded names are new options for the build in each Act, and may replace older pieces of equipment.
• Items with unbolded names must be acquired in earlier Acts, but are strong enough that they don’t need to be replaced in Acts 2 or 3.

Best Oath of Devotion Paladins Items & Equipment: Act 1

Best Oath of Devotion Paladins Items & Equipment: Act 2

Best Oath of Devotion Paladins Items & Equipment: Act 3

Best BG3 Paladin Multiclass Choices

Maximize Your BG3 Paladin Build With Complimentary Paladin Multiclass Options

Players can choose to Multiclass beginning at Level 2. Look for the “Add Class” button on the top right of the level up overview menu – this will open up a new menu where players can allocate the level to any other class in
Baldur’s Gate 3
when selected.

Bard Multiclass – Paladin 2/Bard 10

Affectionately called the Bardadin by many in the BG3 and Dungeons and Dragons community, this multiclass is one of the game’s most powerful. Though it’s possible to make a Bardadin that is primarily a Paladin, it’s actually better to put the majority of levels in the Bard class and put just two into Paladin.

A Level 10 Bard who goes with the College of Swords subclass gets extra attacks as well as access to improved versions of Bards’ most useful support skills, like Bardic Inspiration. Then two levels in Paladin unlocks the class’ Smite abilities, allowing for a strong offensive melee presence to complement the Bard and Paladin’s intrinsic support skills.

Sorcerer Multiclass – Paladin 6/Sorcerer 6

Multiclassing with the Sorcerer class as a Paladin can be tricky, even though both classes rely on Charisma for their abilities. It’s important for melee characters to unlock their extra attacks, which the Paladin gets at Level 5, but Paladins also get a powerful Aura at Level 6. This leaves just 6 levels for the Sorcerer multiclass.

At Level 2, Sorcerers unlock the Metamagic system, which uses Sorcery Points to alter the way spells work for that turn. For instance, a Sorcerer can use a Twinned Spell to duplicate the next spell cast, with the ability to target different options. Putting 6 levels into Sorcerer and 6 into Paladin strikes a good balance of the benefits of both classes without sacrificing too much of their most powerful skills.