Paladins in Baldur’s Gate 3 are the protectors of the weak, the deliverers of justice, and the beacon of hope for many. This class has a lot of roleplaying potential and does well in combat, too. While many would like a more damage-oriented class like Warlock or Fighter, Paladins have some of the best damage-dealing skills, provided you know how to use them. That’s why we’ve prepared a guide with the best build for Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3 today. So, if you want to take the front lines, deal damage, and provide a bit of support, buckle up because we’ll tell you how to make the best out of this class.
The Best Paladin Build in Baldur’s Gate 3
We’ll focus on making the best DPS build for Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3. However, you can mix and match a few things to make it a tank, which we’ll mention in the guide. Without further ado, let’s begin.
Race Choices
When picking the best race for this Paladin build in Baldur’s Gate 3, there are two choices, which will depend on what you prefer the most.
- Half-Orc: Relentless Endurance race feature:
- If you reach 0 HP, you regain 1 HP instead of being defeated.
- Gold Dwarf: Dwarven Toughness race feature:
- Your maximum HP increases by 1 and increases by 1 again with each level you gain.
As you can see, these choices are great if you want a tanky front-liner who can get back on the fight as soon as possible.
Best Subclass (Oath)
Paladins can choose their subclass right at the beginning of the character creation screen. This is great as you’ll unlock several abilities when starting the game; however, it is important to pick the right one for what you want. Those looking for a DPS build need to take the Oath of Vengeance, and those who want to tank should take the Oath of Devotion. We’ll focus on the former, though.
Grabbing the Oath of Vengeance subclass will unlock Inquisitor’s Might, which adds radiant damage to your weapon or someone else’s. This is huge as it’ll help you during most of the fights of Chapter 2.
Background and Skills
For background, we recommend going for Soldier or Charlatan. The former will improve your Intimidation rolls, which are already high due to strength. The latter is excellent for adding proficiencies to skills Paladins didn’t have initially. Here, pick the ones you prefer the most. However, for skills, it is important to set them as follows:
- Strength: 17 (+2 bonus)
- Dexterity: 10
- Constitution: 14
- Intelligence: 8
- Wisdom: 8
- Charisma: 16 (+1 bonus)
Class Progression
Now that you have the first things to start with the best Paladin build in Baldur’s Gate 3, let’s start with the class progression and what you must do at each level.
- Level 2:
- Fighting Style: Great Weapon Fighting
- Spells:
- Compelled Duel
- Command
- Shield of Faith
- Bless
- Thunderous Smite
- Level 3:
- Abjure Enemy
- Vow of Enmity
- Oath Spells:
- Bane
- Hunter’s Mark
- Level 4:
- Lay on Hands Charge
- Feat:
- Pick Alert or Ability Improvement to raise Strength and Charisma.
- Level 5:
- Extra Attack
- Oath Spells:
- Hold Person
- Misty Step
- Level 6:
- Aura of Protection
- Level 7:
- Relentless Avenger
- Level 8:
- Feat:
- Pick Great Weapon Master
- Feat:
- Level 9:
- Level 3 Spells
- Level 10:
- Aura of Courage
- Lay on Hands Charge
- Level 11:
- Improved Divine Smite
- Level 12:
- Feat: Pick Tavern Brawler
Equipment:
Regarding equipment, we recommend equipping heavy armor and a two-handed weapon. The latter is the most important for this build, as it’ll benefit from your fighting style. If you want to use more weapons, though, pick Defense instead for fighting style instead.
Related:
How To Defeat Ketheric Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3
And that’s all we have for our best Paladin build in Baldur’s Gate 3. As you can see, this build aims to make an excellent front-liner character supporting other party members. While it isn’t the best damage dealer in the game, every party benefits from a Paladin, and you should always consider getting one.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
