Best Paladin Build in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)
Baldur’s Gate 3 has a strong assortment of Classes to choose from when building your character, each offering unique perks and benefits. Among them is the Paladin Class, known for their strength in the melee range and signature Smite Attacks. If you’re looking to build a Paladin in BG3 but are feeling lost in the numerous selections that need to be made, then we’ve got you covered. Here’s a complete breakdown of thebest Paladin build in Baldur’s Gate 3, with a full explanation of how this build functions inside and outside of combat.
Baldur’s Gate 3 – Best Paladin Build, Explained
The first and most important thing to consider when building aPaladincharacter are the primary stats for thisClass. These areas are where you’ll want to prioritize your points and assign additional Ability Increases to ensure your build functions to its highest potential.
The Paladin’s most important stat isStrength, followed byCharisma, and thenConstitution.
Recommended Paladin beginning stats: STR 17, DEX 10, CON 14, INT 8, WIS 8, CHA 16
Recommended Paladin Races
Paladins already come equipped with all Weapon and Armor Proficiencies, soRacedoesn’t matter hugely for this Class. Any special bonuses you may get through your selection will be via unique Racial traits and abilities. Keeping this in mind, there are a few key options that may work better than others depending on what extra features you’d like to gain.
Recommended Paladin Subclass
Paladin Subclasses are perhaps some of the most unique variants in the game. EachSubclassis based on an Oath which they must follow with their actions and intentions throughout their adventure. If a Paladin defies their Oath, they will become an Oathbreaker – which changes their set of skills significantly. Because of this, knowing which Paladin Subclass to select, and how to stay within the guidelines of your Oath can be very important and beneficial for your gameplay.
The best Paladin Subclass to select isOath of Vengence. This is because the guidelines for this Oath are fairly straightforward to follow, offer opportunities to make more morally ambiguous choices, and the skills you receive as this Subclass are quite well-rounded, making it a great choice for beginners and DND fans alike.
Oath Description:You have set aside even your own purity to right wrongs and deliver justice to those who have committed the most grievous sins.
Here is a complete breakdown of the Oath of Vengeance progression:
Recommended Paladin Level Selections
AtLevel 2, you will need to select aFighting Stylefor your Paladin. Go ahead and selectDefense. This will add +1 to your AC, which is very beneficial to the Paladin because you’ll be spending most of your time in the melee range of enemies to deal damage. Improving your AC enables you more survivability by being harder to successfully hit.
AtLevel 4, you will be able to choose your first Feat, so go ahead and selectSentinel. This is a hugely valuable Feat for the Paladin. Sentinel enables you to expend your Reaction once per round to make an Attack if an enemy within melee range Attacks one of your allies. As you will be spending the majority of your time in combat within melee range of the enemy, Sentinel enables you to get even more damage per round and pick off enemies with great success.
AtLevel 8, you will be able to choose your second Feat. Usually, I’d recommend takingAbility Improvementto get your STR as close to 20 as possible, as this will be important as you continue to progress through the game and participate in increasingly difficult fights. However, there are some very special Gloves that you can obtain in Act 3 to boost your STR beyond the max of 20 to 23, which I will mention below in theEquipmentsection of this guide.
Because of this, you’re better off prioritizing another option atLevel 8and then obtaining these Gloves once you reach the city of Baldur’s Gate. Instead,I’d recommend still taking Ability Increase and using it to boost your CHA +2, which will bring it up to 18. This will improve damage from your Smites, which can have a devastating effect on the right targets.
AtLevel 12, you will be able to select your third and finalFeat. SelectPolearm Masterhere, as this will enable you to use your Bonus Action to make an additional Attack with the blunt end of any Spear, Glaive, Halberd, or Quarterstaff Weapon.
This also gives you much more versatility and enables you to customize your playstyle. There are Two-Handed Spear weapons with the Reach function that will allow you to Attack enemies from an extended melee range, as well as One-Handed Spear Weapons without the Reach, which will allow you to wield your Shield in your other hand to increase your AC.
Best Spell & Cantrip Choices for Paladin in BG3, Explained
By the time you reach the max Level of 12 in the Paladin Class, you will have 4Level 1 Spell Slots,3 Level 2 Spell Slots, and3 Level 3 Spell Slots. Here are some of the best options to consider when making your Spell selections and an explanation of what makes them so valuable to this build.
Best Level 1 Paladin Spells
Best Level 2 Paladin Spells
Best Level 3 Paladin Spells
Best Equipment for Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3, Listed
That’s everything you need to know about creating thebest Paladin build in Baldur’s Gate 3. Now that you know how to build this Class, why not check out some of our other guides, such as5 must-try Multiclass builds in Baldur’s Gate 3? After all, Multiclassing can be a fun way to get value out of a second BG3 playthrough.
