Paladin 5e class

Divine Sense

1st level

The presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in your ears. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity (the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich, for instance). Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the hallow spell.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Lay on Hands

1st level

Your blessed touch can heal wounds. You have a pool of healing power that replenishes when you take a long rest. With that pool, you can restore a total number of hit points equal to your paladin level × 5.

As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool.

Alternatively, you can expend 5 hit points from your pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. You can cure multiple diseases and neutralize multiple poisons with a single use of Lay on Hands, expending hit points separately for each one.

This feature has no effect on undead and constructs.

Fighting Style

2nd level

At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Spellcasting

2nd level

By 2nd level, you have learned to draw on divine magic through meditation and prayer to cast spells as a cleric does.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Paladin table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your paladin spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of paladin spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the paladin spell list. When you do so, choose a number of paladin spells equal to your Charisma modifier + half your paladin level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 5th-level paladin, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Charisma of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of paladin spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your paladin spells, since their power derives from the strength of your convictions. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a paladin spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for your paladin spells.

Divine Smite

2nd level

Starting at 2nd level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend.

Divine Health

3rd level

By 3rd level, the divine magic flowing through you makes you immune to disease.

Sacred Oath

3rd level

When you reach 3rd level, you swear the oath that binds you as a paladin forever. Up to this time you have been in a preparatory stage, committed to the path but not yet sworn to it. Now you choose an oath, such as the Oath of Devotion.

Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level. Those features include oath spells and the Channel Divinity feature.

Oath Spells

3rd level

Each oath has a list of associated spells. You gain access to these spells at the levels specified in the oath description. Once you gain access to an oath spell, you always have it prepared. Oath spells don't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.

If you gain an oath spell that doesn't appear on the paladin spell list, the spell is nonetheless a paladin spell for you.

Channel Divinity

3rd level

Your oath allows you to channel divine energy to fuel magical effects. Each Channel Divinity option provided by your oath explains how to use it.

When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which option to use. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Divinity again.

Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your paladin spell save DC.

Ability Score Improvement

4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

5th level

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Aura of Protection

6th level

Starting at 6th level, whenever you or a friendly creature within 10 feet of you must make a saving throw, the creature gains a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of +1). You must be conscious to grant this bonus.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Aura of Courage

10th level

Starting at 10th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you can't be frightened while you are conscious.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Improved Divine Smite

11th level

By 11th level, you are so suffused with righteous might that all your melee weapon strikes carry divine power with them. Whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon, the creature takes an extra 1d8 radiant damage. If you also use your Divine Smite with an attack, you add this damage to the extra damage of your Divine Smite.

Cleansing Touch

14th level

Beginning at 14th level, you can use your action to end one spell on yourself or on one willing creature that you touch.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

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. With that pool, you can restore a total number of Hit Points equal to five times your Paladin level.

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

You can also expend 5 Hit Points from the pool of healing power to remove the Poisoned condition from the creature; those points don't also restore Hit Points to the creature.

Level 1: Spellcasting

You have learned to cast spells through prayer and meditation. See "Spells" for the rules on spellcasting. The information below details how you use those rules with Paladin spells, which appear in the Paladin spell list later in the class's description.

Spell Slots. The Paladin Features table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your level 1+ spells. You regain all expended slots when you finish a Long Rest.

Prepared Spells of Level 1+. You prepare the list of level 1+ spells that are available for you to cast with this feature. To start, choose two level 1 Paladin spells. Heroism and Searing Smite are recommended.

The number of spells on your list increases as you gain Paladin levels, as shown in the Prepared Spells column of the Paladin Features table. Whenever that number increases, choose additional Paladin spells until the number of spells on your list matches the number in the Paladin Features table. The chosen spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you're a level 5 Paladin, your list of prepared spells can include six Paladin spells of level 1 or 2 in any combination.

If another Paladin feature gives you spells that you always have prepared, those spells don't count against the number of spells you can prepare with this feature, but those spells otherwise count as Paladin spells for you.

Changing Your Prepared Spells. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace one spell on your list with another Paladin spell 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 weapons of your choice with which you have proficiency, such as Longswords and Javelins.

Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can change the kinds of weapons you chose. For example, you could switch to using the mastery properties of Halberds and Flails.

Level 2: Fighting Style

You gain a Fighting Style feat of your choice (see "Feats" for feats). Instead of choosing one of those feats, you can choose the option below.

Blessed Warrior. You learn two Cleric cantrips of your choice (see the Cleric class's section for a list of Cleric spells). Guidance and Sacred Flame are recommended. 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 one of these cantrips with another Cleric cantrip.

Level 2: Paladin's Smite

You always have the Divine Smite spell prepared. In addition, you can cast it without expending a spell slot, but you must finish a Long Rest before you can cast it in this way again.

Level 3: Channel Divinity

You can channel divine energy directly from the Outer Planes, using it to fuel magical effects. You start with one such effect: Divine Sense, which is described below. Other Paladin features give additional Channel Divinity effect options. Each time you use this class's Channel Divinity, you choose which effect from this class to create.

You can use this class's Channel Divinity twice. You regain one of its expended uses when you finish a Short Rest, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest. You gain an additional use when you reach Paladin level 11.

If a Channel Divinity effect requires a saving throw, the DC equals the spell save DC from this class's Spellcasting feature.

Divine Sense. As a Bonus Action, you can open your awareness to detect Celestials, Fiends, and Undead. For the next 10 minutes or until you have the Incapacitated condition, you know the location of any creature of those types 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, as with the Hallow spell.

Level 3: Paladin Subclass

You gain a Paladin subclass of your choice. A subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Paladin levels. For the rest of your career, you gain each of your subclass's features that are of your Paladin level or lower.

Level 4: Ability Score Improvement

You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat (see "Feats") 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 on the aid of an otherworldly steed. You always have the Find Steed spell prepared.

You can also cast the spell 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, unseeable 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 (minimum bonus of +1).

If another Paladin is present, a creature can benefit from only one Aura of Protection at a time; the creature chooses which aura while in them.

Level 9: Abjure Foes

As a Magic action, you can expend one use of this class's Channel Divinity to overwhelm foes with awe. As you present your Holy Symbol or weapon, you can target a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature) that you can see within 60 feet of yourself. Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Frightened condition for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. While Frightened in this way, a target can do only one of the following on its turns: move, take an action, or take a Bonus Action.

Level 10: Aura of Courage

You and your allies have Immunity to the Frightened condition while in your Aura of Protection. If a Frightened ally enters the aura, that condition has no effect on that ally while there.

Level 11: Radiant Strikes

Your strikes now carry supernatural power. When 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

When you use Lay On Hands on a creature, you can also remove one or more of the following conditions from the creature: Blinded, Charmed, Deafened, Frightened, Paralyzed, or Stunned. You must expend 5 Hit Points from the healing pool of Lay On Hands for each of these conditions you remove; those points don't also restore Hit Points to the creature.

Level 18: Aura Expansion

Your Aura of Protection is now a 30-foot Emanation.

Level 19: Epic Boon

You gain an Epic Boon feat (see "Feats") or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. Boon of Truesight is recommended.