DnD 2024 Paladin class explained

The DnD 2024 Paladin is a part-martial, part-spellcasting class with explosive potential and a finger in many pies. A Paladin 5e is a holy warrior who uses divine power to smite foes, and with a careful build, they can feel super satisfying to play. This is still true in the updated 2024 rules, where some of the Paladin’s features were nerfed, but others became far more generous. This guide explains the Dungeons and Dragons Paladin rules in full.

If you’re looking for the 2014 version of this class, head to our Paladin 5e guide instead. Or, if you’d like to see how this holy warrior stands up against the other DnD classes you could play, we have a guide for that too.

DnD 2024 Paladin rules:

Hit Points

Proficiencies

A Paladin is proficient in all three kinds of DnD armor, as well as shields, simple weapons, and martial weapons. They’re also proficient in Wisdom and Charisma saving throws, plus two DnD skills of your choice from the following list:

Lay on Hands

Level: One

As a bonus action, you can touch a creature (including yourself) and restore a number of hit points. These hit points come from a pool that equals five times your Paladin level, and you can choose to give away as many points as you like up to the maximum amount.

Once the points are taken from your pool, they remain spent – meaning that your next Lay on Hands can only provide hit points up to the maximum points left in the pool. All points in the pool are restored after a long rest.

Alternatively, you can spend five points from the pool to cure a creature of the poisoned condition. This doesn’t restore any HP to the creature, but those points are taken from your pool as normal.

Spellcasting

Level: One

Like all Dungeons and Dragons classes, Paladins must spend a spell slot of the appropriate level when casting a spell. The table below shows how many spells a 2024 Paladin knows at each level, as well as the spell slots they have available:

All spell slots replenish after a long rest, and during long rests, you can swap any one spell you know with another you can cast from the Paladin spell list. This is significantly different from the 2014 rules, where Paladins could change their entire spell list on a long rest.

Any time your number of prepared spells increases, you can choose new spells from the Paladin spell list to learn, though these must be of a level you’re able to cast. Some Paladin subclasses or abilities give you extra spells that are “always prepared”, and these don’t count towards your number of prepared spells.

What’s changed?

As well as the tweaks to when you can change your spells, plenty of the Paladin’s spells were tweaked for the 2024 rules. The biggest change here is the Smite spells, all of which are now cast after you’ve landed a successful melee attack or unarmed strike. This guarantees that you’ll get to use your smite spell, and it means fewer of the smites require concentration. Many of them can also now be upcast to deal additional damage.

Here are a few other notable changes:

• Cure Wounds – An abjuration spell that now restores 2d8 HP rather than 1d8.
• Find Steed – Casting time is one action rather than 10 minutes, and it now uses a unique ‘otherworldly steed’ stat block rather than an existing beast’s.
• Lesser Restoration – Now a bonus action.
• Magic Weapon – No longer requires concentration, but the spell ends early if you cast it again.
• Dispel Evil and Good – You no longer make a melee spell attack when trying to send a creature to another plane (but they must still make a Charisma saving throw).

Weapon Mastery

Level: One

As per the new DnD weapon mastery rules, you can choose two weapons that you’re proficient in. This allows you to use the weapon mastery properties for those weapons (check out our guide for more info). You can also swap your choices whenever you finish a long rest.

Fighting Style

Level: Two

You choose a fighting style from the list of DnD 2024 feats. Your options are:

• Archery – +2 to attack rolls with ranged weapons.
• Blind Fighting – Gain 10ft of Blindsight.
• Defense – +1 to armor class while in light, medium, or heavy armor.
• Dueling – While wielding a single one-handed melee weapon, your damage rolls with it get +2.
• Great Weapon Fighting – When rolling damage for a two-handed or versatile melee weapon, any 1 or 2 on the die is a 3.
• Interception – When a creature you see hits another creature within five feet of you with an attack roll, you can spend a reaction to reduce the damage by 1d10 plus your proficiency bonus.
• Protection – When you see a creature attack a target other than you within five feet, you can use a reaction and your shield to give the attacker’s attack rolls disadvantage until the start of your next turn (as long as they stay within five feet).
• Thrown Weapon Fighting – Add +2 to damage rolls with Thrown weapons.
• Two-Weapon Fighting – When making an extra attack with a Light weapon, add your ability modifier to the damage.
• Unarmed Fighting – Unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 plus your Strength modifier, or a d8 if you aren’t holding weapons or a shield.

Alternatively, you can choose to learn two DnD 2024 Cleric cantrips, which count as Paladin spells for you and can be cast with Charisma as your spellcasting modifier. Plus, you can swap one of these cantrips whenever you gain a Paladin level.

Paladin’s Smite

Level: Two

You always have the Divine Smite spell prepared, and you can cast it without a spell slot once per long rest. This spell is a type of smite that deals an extra 2d8 radiant damage to the target. It can be upcast to add additional d8s, and the damage automatically increases by 1d8 if your target is a Fiend or an Undead.

Channel Divinity

Level: Three

Channel Divinity is a unique resource that can be spent to fuel various Paladin abilities. At level three, you can use Channel Divinity twice. You regain one use of it on a short rest and all uses on a long rest. From level 11, you get three uses.

Each of the DnD Paladin subclasses has different ways to spend Channel Divinity uses, but all of them have access to Divine Sense. This bonus action tells you the location of any Celestials, Fiends, or Undead within 60 feet for 10 minutes. You can also detect consecrated or desecrated objects within the same radius.

Paladin Subclass

Level: Three

Four of the Paladin subclass options appear in the 2024 Player’s Handbook:

Oath of Devotion

At level three, these spells are always prepared for an Oath of Devotion Paladin:

Level-three Devotion Paladins also gain Sacred Weapon, a new Channel Divinity option. When you make an attack, you can spend a use of Channel Divinity to add your Charisma modifier to attack rolls made with a weapon of your choice. Successful attacks with that weapon can deal radiant damage or its normal DnD damage type. The weapon also gives off a 20-foot radius of bright light and an extra 20 feet of dim light.

This effect lasts for ten minutes or until you use Sacred Weapon again (on a different weapon, for example). It also ends early if you drop the affected weapon, and you can choose to end the effects as a free action at any time.

At level seven, you gain an Aura of Devotion which means you and allies inside the aura are immune to the charmed condition. If someone enters the aura while charmed, they are unaffected while inside of it.

Smite of Protection is a level-15 ability that gives you and allies in your Aura of Protection half cover whenever you cast Divine Smite. These benefits last until the start of your next turn.

Finally, at level 20, Holy Nimbus lets you add the following benefits to your Aura of Protection as a bonus action:

• You have advantage on saving throws that a fiend or undead force you to make.
• When an enemy starts their turn in the aura, they take radiant damage equal to your Charisma modifier and proficiency bonus.
• The aura is filled with sunlight that counts as bright light.

These benefits last for 10 minutes or until you end them as a free action. This ability can only be used once before you need to finish a long rest. Alternatively, you can spend a spell slot that’s at least level five to restore one use of Holy Nimbus.

Oath of Glory

An Oath of Glory Paladin always has the following spells prepared:

Their level-three Channel Divinity option is Peerless Athlete, which means you can spend a bonus action and one use of your Channel Divinity to gain advantage on Athletics and Acrobatics checks. Your long and high jumps also increase by 10 feet. These effects last for one hour.

The level-seven Aura of Alacrity increases your speed by 10 feet, and allies who enter your Aura of Protection or start their turn there get a 10-foot speed increase until the end of their next turn.

At level 15, your Glory Paladin gains Glorious Defense. When you or a creature you can see within 10 feet are hit by an attack roll, you can spend a reaction to add a bonus (equal to your Charisma modifier) to the defender’s armor class. If the attack misses, you then get to make a weapon attack against the attacker as part of the same reaction, provided that they’re in range. Glorious Defense can be used a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier before you need to finish a long rest.

Lastly, at level 20, Living Legend is a new bonus action that grants the following benefits for 10 minutes:

• You have advantage on all Charisma checks
• You can spend a reaction to reroll a failed saving throw
• Once on your turn, you can cause a missed weapon attack roll to hit instead

This feature can be used once per long rest, or you can spend a level-five spell slot to restore it.

Oath of the Ancients

All Oath of the Ancients Paladins have these spells permanently prepared:

Their level-three Channel Divinity option is Nature’s Wrath. As an action, you can spend a use of Channel Divinity to create ghostly vines. Each creature of your choice within 15 feet must pass a Strength saving throw or be restrained for one minute. This save is repeated at the end of each of the creature’s turns, and they’re freed on a success.

Aura of Warding means that, from level seven, you and allies inside your Aura of Protection are resistant to necrotic, psychic, and radiant damage.

At level 15, Undying Sentinel means you drop to one hit point when you reach zero HP but aren’t instantly killed. You then gain HP equal to three times your Paladin level. This ability can only be used once per long rest, but it does have a permanent effect, too. You no longer visibly age, and you can’t be aged by magic.

Finally, at level 20, you gain the bonus action Elder Champion. This gives your Aura of Protection extra benefits for 10 minutes (or until you end them as a free action):

• Enemies in your aura have disadvantage on saving throws against your spells and Channel Divinity abilities
• You regain 10 HP at the start of each of your turns
• You can cast spells that cost an action as a bonus action

This feature can only be used once before you need a long rest, unless you spend a spell slot of at least level five to restore its use.

Oath of Vengeance

An Oath of Vengeance Paladin always has these spells prepared:

Vow of Enmity means that, from level three, when you make an attack action, you can spend Channel Divinity to give yourself advantage on attack rolls against a creature you can see within 30 feet. This lasts for one minute or until you use the feature again. If the targeted creature reaches zero HP before the effects end, you can target a different creature within 30 feet as a free action.

From level seven, Relentless Avenger lets you reduce a target’s speed to zero when you make a successful opportunity attack against them. You can then immediately move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

At level 15, Soul of Vengeance lets you spend a reaction to make a melee attack against a creature targeted by your Vow of Enmity when they make an attack roll.

Finally, the level-20 Avenging Angel feature is a bonus action that activates the following effects for 10 minutes (or until you end them as a free action):

• You grow wings that give you a fly speed of 60 feet, plus the ability to hover.
• When an enemy starts their turn in your Aura of Protection, they must pass a Wisdom save or be frightened. The condition lasts for one minute or until they take damage, and any attack rolls against the creature have advantage while it’s frightened.

Avenging Angel can be used once before you need a long rest. You can alternatively spend a spell slot of at least level five to restore its use.

Ability Score Improvement

Level: Four, Eight, 12, 16

Choose one of the following:

• +1 to two DnD stats
• +2 to one stat
• A feat

Extra Attack

Level: Five

When you take an attack action on your turn, you can now attack twice instead of once.

Faithful Steed

Level: Five

You now always have Find Speed prepared, and you can cast it without using a spell slot once per long rest.

Aura of Protection

Level: Six
You are always surrounded by a 10-foot emanation that remains active as long as you aren’t incapacitated. The aura gives you and allies inside of it a bonus to saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier.

Abjure Foes

Level: Nine

As an action, you can spend a use of Channel Divinity and target creatures equal to your Charisma modifier that you can see within 60 feet. They must make a Wisdom save, becoming frightened for one minute on a failure.

A frightened target can only do one of the following on their turn: move, use an action, or use a bonus action. The condition ends early if the target takes damage.

Aura of Courage

Level: 10

This makes you and your friends immune to the frightened condition while inside your Aura of Protection. Additionally, someone who is already frightened temporarily loses the condition when they enter your aura.

Radiant Strikes

Level: 11

When you successfully hit with a melee weapon or unarmed strike, you deal 1d8 additional radiant damage.

Restoring Touch

Level: 14

You can now spend five HP from your Lay on Hands Pool to end one of the following conditions (instead of restoring HP):

• Blinded
• Charmed
• Deafened
• Frightened
• Paralyzed
• Stunned

Aura Expansion

Level: 18

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

Epic Boon

Level: 19

You choose an epic boon from the DnD 2024 feats list (see our guide for more information about your options).

Need more help building your Paladin? Here’s all you need to know about DnD 2024 backgrounds and DnD races.