The character arc of the Paladin is a top-rated class for numerous reasons. Their abilities on the battlefield are undeniable, making them ever so useful in every Baldur’s Gate party.
With the intended release of patch 7 in September, getting a new Paladin up and running is a must.
This well-loved class has a lot of options for some powerful builds, so I’ve gone through several recent builds to find the best of the best.
1. Holy Paladin (Paladin/ Cleric) By ItalianSparticus
Build Details: Holy Paladin located here
Our first build is for players relatively new to Paladin or anyone who wants a wealth of information about the options. This is a character intended for a full-party party who excels at tanking and healing. So, you’ll never leave your companions hanging.
You’ll end up taking the Oath of the Ancients and 7 levels in Paladin to complement a Light Domain Cleric for the remaining 5 levels. With this character, you’ll enjoy vanquishing your enemies backed by the wrath of righteousness.
What The Holy Paladin Excels In
- Strong melee damage using those spell slots for smiting
- Party healing and defense
- Getting right up in your enemy’s face with Spirit Guardians all ready to go
Choose This Build If:
- You’re a newer player or you want a wide range of options from a guide
- You want to support your full party while simultaneously dealing tons of damage
- You want the top-tier combo of Paladin without sacrificing the use of Spirit Guardians
2. Oath of Vengeance Multiclass (Paladin/ Sorcerer) By Wayfaring Nomad
Build Details: Oath of Vengeance Multiclass located here
For this build, you will take 6 levels of Oath of Vengeance Paladin and 6 levels of Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer. This party build ends up with a lot of spell slots which will allow you to have enough slots for smiting and spell-slinging. The guide does not go much into optimized items opting to rely on the abilities of the two classes so know that going in.
A number of the Sorcerer spells will be supplemental to the Paladin’s natural tanking abilities, for example, you will end up using your reaction for Shield. What you will end up with is an interesting cross of a highly tank-focused utility Paladin who can do incredible Smite damage.
What Oath of Vengeance Multiclass Excels In
- Making a Paladin a utility character
- Getting to use a few spells in addition to getting to smite your enemies
- Incredible defense and general tanky-ness
Choose This Build If:
- You want the path of a Paladin crossed with a Sorcerer
- You want to be the least likely character in a party to go down during any fight
- You want a guide that focuses on character abilities and spells instead of items
3. Sneaky Paladin (Paladin/ Rogue) By Spud The King
Build Details: Sneaky Paladin located here
Combining Sneak Attack and Divine Smite has an immediate appeal. The build relies on the ability to connect regular critical hits and stacking one-handed damage. This solo capable build ends up taking 4 levels of Assassin Rogue and 8 levels of Oath of Vengeance Paladin.
Whether you’re playing as part of a party or soloing, this character will carry you through even the stickier fights. As a player who loves stealth-based tactics, this is easily my pick of these five choices.
What Sneaky Paladin Excels In
- High and regular critical damage
- Sneaking up on your enemies to use Sneak Attack while Smiting
- Stacking one-handed damage
Choose This Build If:
- You love playing Rogues but want to crank up their power by adding in a Paladin oath
- You’re looking for a character capable of sneaking up on your enemies and soloing a fight
- You want a guide that gives you an in-depth overview of both abilities and items
4. Oathbreaker Paladin (Paladin/ Cleric) By ItalianSparticus
Build Details: Oathbreaker Paladin located here
This is a solo build and is capable of making a go at the illusive Honor Mode. It is a multiclass as a War Domain Cleric for 5 levels and a Paladin who’s broken their oath for 7 levels. As with any solo run, you are going to sacrifice some utility and roleplay abilities, but this build does go out of its way to mitigate that.
What Oathbreaker Paladin Excels In
- Survivability and enough utility to solo
- Great melee capabilities and high-damage smites
- Unlocking the combo of Paladin tanking and Spirit Guardians
Choose This Build If:
- You are looking to play Paladin in a solo, maybe even honor mode, playthrough
- You want to give breaking that oath a try
- You’re looking for an in-depth guide to a Paladin in terms of both abilities and items
5. Best Paladin Updated By Cephalopocalypse
Build Details: Best Paladin located here
This is a purely Paladin build, so no multiclassing. By going mono class you get access to Improved Divine Smite in the higher levels. Cephalopocalpyse does a great job of leaning heavily into what items you can use to optimize your character such as Elixir of Strength and Gloves of Dexterity.
What Best Paladin Updated Excels In
- Access to Improved Divine Smite so loads of melee damage
- Plenty of healing to allow for survivability and tanky-ness
- Using items to shore up character flaws
Choose This Build If:
- You’re looking to run a Minthara playthrough in a party
- You’d rather have a detailed but still brief guide
- You’re into the theme of mono-classed characters
