DnD 2024 Paladin class guide

The DnD 2024 Paladin is still recognizable in the new Player’s Handbook, but a host of small tweaks mean that the Dungeons and Dragons class feels very different. Wizards of the Coast has nerfed some of the Paladin’s more explosive features, but it’s also been very generous with the class’ resources and action economy. We’ve spent hours going through the 2024 Player’s Handbook, , so here’s a guide that explains the new rules for the One DnD Paladin.

If you want to compare these rules with those used for 2014 DnD classes, head to our complete Paladin 5e guide. Or, if you’re working on a Paladin build, here are the DnD races and DnD 2024 backgrounds to consider.

Here’s everything you need to know about the DnD 2024 Paladin:

• Paladin proficiencies and equipment
• DnD Lay on Hands
• DnD 2024 Paladin spells
• Weapon Mastery
• Fighting Style
• DnD Paladin’s Smite
• Channel Divinity
• DnD Paladin 2024 subclasses
• Ability Score Improvement
• Extra Attack
• Faithful Steed
• Aura of Protection
• Abjure Foes
• Aura of Courage
• Radiant Strikes
• Restoring Touch
• Aura Expansion
• Epic Boon

Paladin proficiencies and equipment

One key thing to note is that multiclassing into Paladin no longer gives your character proficiency in simple weapons. Paladins can start out with 150 GP or the following equipment:

• Chain mail
• Shield
• Longsword
• Six javelins
• Holy symbol
• Priest’s pack
• 9 GP

That’s a little less flexible than the Paladin 5e’s starting equipment, but it’s not a game-breaking change. Now, let’s take a look at the more specific (and more significant) ways the Paladin class has evolved:

DnD 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.

What’s changed?

Unlike its 2014 predecessor, Lay on Hands is now a bonus action. Apart from that, it works much like it did in 5e.

DnD 2024 Paladin spells

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. 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?

Paladins can no longer change their entire spell list on a DnD long rest. Instead, you can swap just one spell from your prepared spells on a long rest.

Plenty of the 2024 Paladin’s spells have been tweaked. 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.

Here are the other major changes to the Paladin spell list:

Level one:

• Command – When targeting multiple creatures, they don’t have to be within 30 feet of each other.
• Compelled Duel – Affected targets can no longer make a Wisdom saving throw to try and move away from you.
• Cure Wounds – An abjuration spell that now restores 2d8 HP rather than 1d8.
• Detect Magic – Can be blocked by just one foot of wood or dirt.
• Detect Poison and Disease – Ditto the new rules for Detect Magic.
• Protection from Evil and Good – Material components now include a flask of Holy Water that costs at least 25 GP, which the spell consumes)
• Searing Smite – No longer requires concentration.
• Thunderous Smite – Now an Instantaneous spell that doesn’t require concentration, and can be upcast to increase the damage by 1d6 for each spell slot level above first.
• Wrathful Smite – A necromancy spell that now deals necrotic damage rather than psychic. Also an instantaneous effect that no longer requires concentration, and it can be upcast to increase the damage by 1d6 for each spell slot level above first.

Level two:

• 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. Your Steed is capable of teleportation, healing, and frightening, and upcasting the spell improves its stat block.
• Gentle Repose – Now on the Paladin spell list (like in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything).
• Lesser Restoration – Now a bonus action.
• Magic Weapon – No longer requires concentration, but the spell ends early if you cast it again.
• Prayer of Healing – Now on Paladin spell list (like in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything). Also now an abjuration spell that targets five creatures instead of six. Affected creatures gain the benefits of a short rest and 2d8 hit points, but they can only be affected by the spell once per long rest. Can now affect undead and constructs.
• Shining Smite – A new bonus action spell taken after you hit with a melee weapon or unarmed strike. Its component is verbal, and it lasts for up to one minute with concentration. The spell’s target takes 2d6 extra radiant damage from your attack, and it sheds bright light in a five-foot radius for the duration. This gives attack rolls against it advantage, and it can’t become invisible. Using higher spell slots increases the damage for each slot level above two.
• Warding Bond – Now on Paladin spell list (like in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything).

Level three:

• Aura of Vitality – Now an abjuration spell, and its healing is a free action when you cast the spell and at the start of each turn while it lasts (rather than a bonus action).
• Blinding Smite – No longer requires concentration, and it automatically blinds the target. The creature still makes a Constitution save at the end of each of its turns to try and end the condition. Can also upcast to increase the damage by 1d8 for each spell slot level above three.
• Crusader’s Mantle – Can also be applied to unarmed strikes.

Level four:

• Aura of Life – Can affect constructs and undead.
• Banishment – Range is 30 feet rather than 60 feet.
• Locate Creature – Blocked by lead instead of water.
• Staggering Smite – Now an instantaneous enchantment spell that doesn’t require concentration. As well as damage, this smite gives a creature the stunned condition on a failed Wisdom save. The damage increases by 1d6 for each spell slot level above four.

Level five:

• Banishing Smite – Target is only banished if they’re reduced to 50 HP or fewer and they fail a Charisma saving throw.
• 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).
• Greater Restoration – Now on the Paladin spell list.

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 fighting style feats (yes, they’re technically DnD 2024 feats now).

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. This is pretty much identical to the ‘Blessed Warrior’ fighting style offered in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.

What’s changed?

The option to choose cantrips instead of a fighting style is pretty much identical to the ‘Blessed Warrior’ fighting style offered in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Many of Tasha’s extra fighting styles are now included in the core Player’s Handbook. Other than this, fighting styles function largely as before.

DnD Paladin’s Smite

Level: Two

The Paladin 5e’s Divine Smite feature is now a spell, and you always have it prepared. You can also cast it without a spell slot once per long rest.

Divine Smite

The target of your attack takes 2d8 extra radiant damage, plus another 1d8 if they are a fiend or an undead. You can increase the damage by 1d8 for each spell slot above level one that you use to cast Divine Smite.

What’s changed?

Given that Divine Smite is now a spell that costs a bonus action, and all other smites are spells that cost bonus actions on the same turn that you attack, it’s no longer possible to stack Divine Smite and other Paladin smites. This is a nerf, but it does feel a bit more balanced in our opinion.

Channel Divinity

Level: Three

The number of Channel Divinity uses your Paladin gets has increased since 2014. 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.

As before, each of the DnD Paladin subclasses comes with a unique Channel Divinity option. Every Paladin can also use Divine Sense, a bonus action that tells you the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you, as well as any consecrated or desecrated object or location. Divine Sense lasts for 10 minutes.

What’s changed?

The number of Channel Divinity uses your Paladin gets has increased since 2014. Additionally, Divine Sense didn’t require you to spend a use of your Channel Divinity in fifth edition. It had its own number of limited uses per long rest, and Channel Divinity wasn’t introduced as a resource until level three.

DnD Paladin 2024 subclasses

Level: Three

The 2024 Player’s Handbook features four Paladin subclasses:

DnD 2024 Oath of Devotion

DnD 2024 Devotion Paladins gain the following features:

Oath of Devotion spells

Level: Three

These spells are always prepared for your Devotion Paladin:

Sacred Weapon

Level: Three

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.

Aura of Devotion

Level: Seven

You and allies inside your Aura of Protection are immune to the charmed condition. If someone enters the aura while charmed, they are unaffected while inside of it.

Smite of Protection

Level: 15

When you cast Divine Smite, you and allies in your Aura of Protection gain the benefits of half cover until the start of your next turn.

Holy Nimbus

Level: 20

As a bonus action, your Aura of Protection gains the following abilities for 10 minutes (or until you end them as a free 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.

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.

What’s changed?

The Oath of Devotion spell list is basically identical, except that Sanctuary has been swapped out for Shield of Faith. Your Sacred Weapon can deal its normal (non-magical) DnD damage type or radiant damage, and the light it emits seems to continue even if you’re unconscious. Turn the Unholy is no longer available as a Channel Divinity option.

The new level-15 Smite of Protection feature means that, when you cast Divine Smite, you and allies in your Aura of Protection have half cover until the start of your next turn. Holy Nimbus mostly works as before, but the damage enemies take now equals your Charisma modifier plus your proficiency bonus.

DnD 2024 Oath of Glory

DnD 2024 Glory Paladins gain the following features:

Inspiring Smite

Level: Three

After you cast Divine Smite, you can spend a use of Channel Divinity to give temporary HP to any creatures of your choice within 30 feet. The HP equals 2d8 plus your Paladin level, and you can share them among targeted creatures however you like.

Oath of Glory spells

These spells are always prepared:

Peerless Athlete

Level: Three

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.

Aura of Alacrity

Level: Seven

Your speed increases 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.

Glorious Defense

Level: 15

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.

What’s changed?

The Oath of Glory Paladin spells are the same apart from those at level 17. Now, you get Legend Lore and a new spell, Yolande’s Regal Presence. This level-five enchantment spell costs an action and surrounds you with a 10-foot emanation. When creatures you can see enter or end their turn in the emanation, they must make a Wisdom save or take 4d6 psychic damage, be pushed 10 feet away, and become prone. They take half damage on a successful save.

Peerless Athlete no longer affects how much you can push, pull, carry, or lift. Aura of Alacrity now affects allies who enter or start their turn in your aura (rather than starting their turn within five feet of you). Glorious Defense and Living Legend work pretty much as they did in fifth edition.

DnD 2024 Oath of the Ancients

Here are the DnD 2024 Ancients Paladin subclass features:

Nature’s Wrath

Level: Three

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.

Oath of the Ancients spells

An Oath of the Ancients Paladin always has these spells prepared:

Aura of Warding

Level: Seven

You and allies are resistant to necrotic, psychic, and radiant damage while inside your Aura of Protection.

Undying Sentinel

Level: 15

When you reach 0 hit points (and aren’t instantly killed), you drop to one hit point instead. 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.

Elder Champion

Level: 20

As a bonus action, you can give your Aura of Protection the following benefits for one minute (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.

What’s changed?

Nature’s Wrath can now have multiple targets, and Turn the Faithless is no longer available for Channel Divinity. The Oath of the Ancients spell list is identical. Additionally, Aura of Warding gives resistance to necrotic, psychic, and radiant damage rather than resistance to all spell damage.

Undying Sentinel lets you regain HP equal to three times your Paladin level when you choose to drop to one HP instead of zero. Finally, Elder Champion uses can now be restored by spending a level five spell slot.

DnD 2024 Oath of Vengeance

Finally, here’s what the DnD 2024 Vengeance Paladin looks like:

Oath of Vengeance spells

Level: Three

These spells are always prepared for the Vengeance Paladin:

Vow of Enmity

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.

Relentless Avenger

Level: Seven

When you make a successful opportunity attack, you can reduce the target’s speed to 0 until the end of the current turn. You can then immediately move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Soul of Vengeance

Level: 15

If a creature targeted by your Vow of Enmity makes an attack roll, you can spend a reaction to make a melee attack against them (if they’re within range).

Avenging Angel

Level: 20

As a bonus action, you can activate 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.

What’s changed?

The Oath of Vengeance spell list is unchanged. Vow of Enmity now triggers when you take the attack action, and you can transfer the vow to a different target for free if your original target drops to zero HP. Abjure Enemy is gone, and Relentless Avenger now also reduces a target’s speed to zero until the end of the current turn.

Soul of Vengeance works as it did in fifth edition, but Avenging Angel now gives you the ability to hover as well as fly. Uses of the capstone ability can also be restored by spending a level-five spell slot.

Ability Score Improvement

Level: Four, Eight, 12, 16

As in the 2014 rules, you choose one of the following:

• +1 to two DnD stats
• +2 to one stat
• A DnD 2024 feat

Extra Attack

Level: Five

This is another familiar one. 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.

What’s changed?

The only major difference is that the aura is ended by the incapacitated condition, rather than specifically being unconscious. Wizards of the Coast has also made small tweaks to the shape of magical effects (such as calling this an emanation), but that doesn’t make a huge difference to the function of the ability.

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, the 2024 version can now temporarily block the condition if someone who was already frightened enters the 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).

For more on the DnD classes changes, here’s what the DnD 2024 Ranger and DnD 2024 Fighter look like in the new rulebook.